Part 4
Wen Rong froze, obediently holding out the phone that was being bombarded by calls. “Yes.”
“Hang up.”
“Huh?”
“You can hang up. Let’s talk; don’t let him interrupt.”
“Oh, oh.”
Perhaps he was too nervous; like a robot receiving a command, he quickly hung up the phone.
After a delay of two or three seconds, he suddenly bowed. “Hello!”
“No need to be formal. Come sit. Whatever you want to eat, the secretary will get for you.”
“No need, no need.”
“Something to drink?”
“No need, no need.”
“Don’t be afraid. I asked you here just to chat about family matters. Come, sit.”
Wen Rong sat down obediently. Due to his innate reverence for national leaders, he sat up straight, hands resting directly on his knees, actually trembling uncontrollably.
“Do you want to find your mom and dad?”
“What?” Wen Rong couldn’t hear the content clearly in his nervous state.
Zhou Wendong smiled gently. “Do you want to find your biological parents? I can help you look.”
“I…” Wen Rong instinctively asked back, “Why help me?”
Zhou Wendong sighed. “Because I especially understand your difficulties.”
Wen Rong tilted his head to show confusion.
Zhou Wendong explained with a hint of personal motive, “Zhou Xie used to be as playful and competitive as Shi Ye. After his mother passed away, he didn’t dare touch any hobbies. He followed me around work every day, fired all the servants at home, learned to do housework himself, and even cooked his own meals… He was only twelve then. I watched him grow up unhappy, so I know you must have been even more unhappy in the welfare home.”
“Have you ever thought about finding your mom and dad?”
“I…”
Wen Rong moved his lips. “I want to.”
“Before helping you, I have a few small questions to ask first.”
Wen Rong nodded eagerly. “Mn-hm, please ask.”
“If your mom and dad really abandoned you back then, what will you do?”
Wen Rong froze.
This deliberately ignored question seemed to return to confront him.
When he learned about Shi Ye’s parents, he had guessed his parents abandoned him because of an unhappy marriage. His solution then was to form a new family himself.
But thinking about this question again now, he realized forming a new family wasn’t the answer.
As for the correct answer…
He didn’t know either.
Zhou Wendong said, “No need to struggle. Whether the result is good or bad, it’s something you should know. What people fear most is living without clarity. Only by truly understanding the past will you know how to choose the future.”
Wen Rong was enlightened.
The matter of why he was in the welfare home indeed needed an answer.
If his parents abandoned him, then he would work hard to create his own happy family.
If he was abducted, then he would form a happy family with his parents.
If his parents had passed away, then he would visit them often every Qingming Festival.
Although the answer from his past life was impossible to know, the answer in this life was equally important.
Wen Rong squeezed his knees. “I’ll trouble you with this matter. If there is anything I can do, please just say it.”
Zhou Wendong smiled. “Just taste the dishes my son cooks more often.”
“Huh?” Wen Rong was shocked.
“I’m busy with work and can’t always go home. He definitely can’t finish the food he cooks himself; he needs someone to help him solve that.”
“Don’t worry, his skills are as good as my wife’s. If my wife were still alive, she would also love cooking for such a well-behaved child like you.”
Wen Rong was a bit embarrassed. “Thank you for the compliment.”
“My selfish request is that I hope you can praise him after eating.”
“Don’t look at him keeping a cold face all day; actually, he just lacks security and always wants to control everything. If you praise him, he can relax a little.”
Although the Zhou Xie in President Zhou’s words was completely different from the one Wen Rong saw, Wen Rong could handle small things like praising him after a meal given President Zhou was helping him find his parents.
Moreover, he could feel President Zhou’s concern for his son in his words; he was a very, very good father.
Having a good impression of President Zhou, he subsequently felt that Zhou Xie could occasionally count as a good person too.
At least he helped him during the school anniversary and the Open.
Should he change some of his views?
“Wen Rong, can you agree to my request?”
Wen Rong snapped out of his thoughts. “Mn-hm, rest assured, I will try hard to be friends with Zhou Xie.”
“Thank you very much.”
Just as Wen Rong was about to say ‘you’re welcome,’ a Bang suddenly rang out of nowhere.
The sound of metal tearing through the air made the black-clad bodyguards in the lounge reach for their right pockets instantly. Da da da, within two seconds, they had surrounded Zhou Wendong in unison.
Wen Rong was startled by this battle array, until Zhou Wendong reached out and pulled him, dragging him inside the human wall.
“Don’t be afraid, just a small accident.”
As soon as his voice fell, the secretary spoke up. “Airport reports someone with a gun killing indiscriminately at the entrance. Currently, two civilians are confirmed dead, three injured.”
Gun—
Was that a gunshot just now?!
Wen Rong, who had never truly heard this sound, felt like he was dreaming. Then, amidst the continuing Bang Bang sounds, his heart plummeted.
Bzz bzz bzz bzz.
A call on the phone in his pocket.
Wen Rong hadn’t recovered yet, staring blankly while thinking about why a gun would appear in a place of daily travel, until Zhou Wendong gently reminded him: “Answer it. News travels fast; someone might be worried about you.”
Wen Rong took out his phone in a trance and saw it was Shi Ye calling.
He instinctively looked up. Zhou Wendong turned his head to speak to the secretary in a low voice, seemingly trying to avoid being too loud for others to hear.
After thinking about it, he hung up the call and replied to Shi Ye with a message: [I’m fine, I’m with President Zhou.]
Shi Ye: [Don’t leave him. It’s safer by his side.]
As the Federation President, surrounded by top-tier armed bodyguards, even if something happened, he was everyone’s primary protection target. Staying beside him was indeed safe.
Wen Rong exhaled, feeling like he had picked up his life from under a gun muzzle.
Over there, Zhou Wendong finished instructing the secretary and turned back to ask, “Why didn’t you answer?”
“I already sent him a message saying I’m safe.”
“Mn.” Zhou Wendong nodded and added, “Right now the airport is in chaos front and back. They haven’t determined if there are accomplices yet. Your flight will likely be delayed.”
“It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter. Safety is good.”
“Want to leave with me? My flight isn’t delayed; I happen to be going there too.”
Wen Rong froze. Images of leaders walking red carpets onto planes from the news flashed through his mind instantly. He couldn’t help asking, “Is it the kind where you walk a red carpet and get on the news?”
In his inquiring voice, his tongue trembled.
Not from fear.
—But excitement.
Wen Rong felt an indescribable thrill just imagining appearing on the most authoritative news.
It felt like it would be very cool!
“This is a secret itinerary. No media picking us up, don’t worry.” However, Zhou Wendong completely misunderstood Wen Rong.
Wen Rong couldn’t tell if he was disappointed or calmed down. Thinking carefully, he still politely declined, “Thank you, but bringing me along is definitely inconvenient for you. I’ll wait at the airport for news from the airline.”
“Then I can only presumptuously invite you to come with me. The Federation bans guns. Continuous gunfire means the opponent has ample firepower and might have placed bombs somewhere. Although airport police are sweeping, it won’t become safe immediately.”
Zhou Wendong continued, “You are right here with me. If I leave you here and you get into an accident, I will blame myself.”
Wen Rong was persuaded, but then thought of his luggage. “My luggage…”
“I’ll have someone get it. Let’s go. I can’t be late; if I’m late, tens of thousands of people will have to stand in the cold wind.”
Wen Rong felt President Zhou was truly humorous and kind-hearted. Why was Zhou Xie not like him at all?
Imagining Zhou Xie saying what President Zhou said, and smiling too… Wen Rong actually felt that image was terrifying enough to make him unable to suppress a smirk. He really wanted to laugh.
The airport, where gunshots no longer sounded, still had huge commotions. Some people anxiously called to report safety, some quickly posted on BlueBook, and others received messages from airlines and cursed due to delays.
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