Han Feng's lips trembled slightly as he stared intently at the young father in the faded photograph. The Dragon Abyss emblem was clearly visible, though slightly different from the current one, and his father, standing in the front row, was obviously no ordinary member.
"Dad, what are you doing..." Han Feng's voice caught in his throat.
Mr. Han put his index finger to his lips, glanced towards the door, and made a "shut up" gesture. He gently closed the door.
Han's father explained in a low voice, "Your mother doesn't know these things, don't give herself away."
Han Feng's throat went dry. He had only known since childhood that his father had served in the army when he was young, and after his discharge, he went to work in a factory. He had always thought his father was just an ordinary worker. But now...
"But Lin Zhengguo said that Longyuan was established after he took office," Han Feng asked in a breathy voice, his eyes still fixed on the photo.
Han's father shook his head, took out a notebook from the bottom of the box, and opened it. Inside, it was densely filled with various code names and dates: "Every time the top leader takes over Longyuan, he replaces the original team, leaving only a group of elites. The rest are scattered to various places." He made a scattering gesture, "Only the top leader knows their whereabouts."
Han Feng recalled that the members who were not selected for Longyuan before were also demobilized and went to the local armed police force.
Han Feng's brain worked at lightning speed, piecing together the fragments. It turned out that his father was not an ordinary retired soldier, but a former Longyuan special agent who had been "dispersed"!
"The last time you came home," Han's father said, closing his notebook, "Zheng Guodong said you 'joined there,' and I guessed it." A slight smile played on his lips. "Longyuan's ironclad rule is that one must never reveal their identity under any circumstances. But I found Old Zheng..."
"Uncle Zheng knows too?" Han Feng's eyes widened.
"There's no other way; I have to confirm that my suspicions aren't true." A hint of nostalgia flashed in Han's father's eyes. "After confirming your identity, I can finally rest easy. My son has indeed inherited my excellent bloodline."
Han Feng was both amused and exasperated. His father had long ago found a reasonable explanation for his mysterious "business trips."
"Those people around our house," Han's father suddenly said seriously, "were you the ones who arranged them? The 'mechanic' at three o'clock, the 'deliveryman' at seven o'clock, and the 'newlyweds' across the street..." He shook his head. "The disguise was too deliberate. I would never have made such a mistake back then."
Han Feng was speechless. Those were special forces teams that had just entered Longyuan. They might be able to fool ordinary people, but they were clearly not up to par in front of his father.
"Dad... what was your position back then?" Han Feng couldn't help but ask.
"Captain, deputy head of the Longyuan Operations Section." Han's father patted his son on the shoulder. "I never expected you to rise to lieutenant colonel so quietly, even higher than your old man."
Father and son exchanged a smile, a tacit understanding flowing in the air between colleagues. But soon, the father's expression turned serious again: "Alright, Lieutenant Colonel," he addressed him formally, "Now can you tell me what difficulties you've encountered? That way, I can persuade your mother to go to Kyoto as well."
Han's father was not one to be complacent; the fact that things had come to this point meant that Han Feng was in serious trouble.
Han Feng took a deep breath. There was no point in hiding it from his father, who was also from Longyuan. He briefly explained Mu Xiaoxiao's threat and the genetic experiments conducted by the three major families. When he mentioned the suspicious package sent to Liu Mengran, Han's father's brows furrowed even more deeply.
"You mean, that Mu Xiaoxiao is the girl who went against you in high school..." Han's father suddenly interrupted, "I didn't expect she still managed to get involved in that kind of thing."
Han Feng was startled: "Do you know something?"
"After I was discharged from the army, I was responsible for keeping an eye on the Mu Group in Jiang City," Han's father said, his voice lowering. "As far as we know, her grandfather had been in contact with foreign forces, but after he passed away, her father stopped getting involved. It was also confirmed that they had broken off contact with the foreign forces, and the higher-ups lifted the surveillance on them. We never expected that Mu Xiaoxiao would..."
This information was like lightning cleaving through the fog. It seems that Mu Xiaoxiao has come into contact with the foreign forces that the Mu family previously clashed with, and has received considerable assistance from them.
"Dad, you must move to Kyoto as soon as possible." Han Feng grabbed his father's hand. "Mu Xiaoxiao has her eyes on the people around me. It's too dangerous for you to stay in Jiang City."
After a moment of contemplation, Han's father suddenly revealed a sly smile: "Regarding persuading your mother... I have an idea."
He took an old-fashioned leather suitcase from deep inside the wardrobe. Inside was a neatly ironed military uniform! Mr. Han carefully smoothed out the epaulets: "I secretly kept this when I retired. Your mother always thought I was just an ordinary logistics soldier..."
"What do you want...?"
"Let's put on a show." Han's father blinked. "Just say my old unit has recalled me to be an advisor, and I have to move to the vicinity of the Kyoto Military Region. Your mother falls for that kind of thing the most."
Han Feng couldn't help but laugh. His father's move allowed him to relocate without revealing his current identity. Truly a "master" from the same department.
"Oh, right," Han's father suddenly lowered his voice, "your little girlfriend... no, there are two of them, they know about you..."
"I know." Han Feng nodded. "They...are very special."
Han's father gave his son a meaningful look: "Better than your old man. I almost missed your mother back then because of the nature of my work." He put his military uniform back in his suitcase. "Go on, talk to your mother for a while. I'll change my clothes and come out to put on this show."
When Han Feng left the bedroom, his steps were much lighter than when he came in. In the kitchen, Han's mother was washing dishes, the water running loudly.
"Mom." Han Feng took the plate from her hand. "Let me help you."
Han's mother turned to look at him: "What are you talking about with your father? So secretive."
"Just...let's chat casually." Han Feng chuckled twice, then suddenly remembered something, "Oh, right, Mom, Liu Mengran and Su Wanwan asked me to give them my regards."
Han's mother's eyes immediately lit up: "Which of those two girls do you prefer?"
Han Feng's hand slipped, and the plate almost fell into the sink: "Everything...everything's fine."
"Silly boy," Han's mother poked his forehead. "I've been through this. Mengran is gentle and considerate, and Wanwan is lively and adorable, but when it comes to relationships..."
Her words were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Han's father appeared in the kitchen doorway, dressed in a crisp military uniform, his epaulets gleaming under the light.
"Wife," Han's father's voice was unusually formal, "I just received an urgent notice from our old unit..."
The rag in Han's mother's hand fell into the sink. Her eyes widened as she stared at the "transfer order" stamped with an official red header in her husband's hand, her lips trembling slightly: "Old Han... what is this...?"
Han Feng was trying so hard not to laugh that he nearly injured himself. His father's acting was Oscar-worthy! That so-called "transfer order" was clearly a piece of paper hastily torn from his notebook, with a supermarket purchase list vaguely visible on it...
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