Chapter 690: The Past
Chapter 690: The Past
Chen Chuan's gaze hardened as he realized the complexity of the situation. He had never heard of humans being able to procreate with the beings from the other side, and there were no such records in the Defense Department or the Processing Bureau.
He wasn't sure if the higher-ups were aware of such a thing, but he knew that if this news were to spread, it would cause a huge stir worldwide and have a profound impact on those who knew the truth.
At that moment, he suddenly recalled that when Chang Dong mentioned the target, he only said that the person had violated the principles and rules of the Pure Sect, but he didn't know the specifics.
If that was the reason, it was understandable for him to keep it a secret and not provide an explanation.
Chen Chuan stared at Tian Rui and asked, "Senior Tian, how did you find out about this? And how did you confirm it?"
Tian Rui's expression turned nostalgic as he replied, "In the past, the branch was jointly managed by the Team Leader and the Deputy Team Leader. The Team Leader was young, around my age, but he had the best combat abilities in the branch, and we all trusted his words.
The Deputy Team Leader was the oldest and most experienced. He always had reasonable suggestions, and the members cooperated well with him.
The branch was thriving at that time, and everyone was enthusiastic. Although we often clashed with the Fusion Faction, the Refinement Faction, and many other forces during mission execution, we had two leaders guiding us, and everyone, from top to bottom, had the confidence to overcome every challenge.
The former Minister also said that he would soon be succeeded by the Team Leader. Everyone acknowledged and supported this decision. Once..."
As he spoke about the past, a smile appeared on his lips, as if he was immersed in those beautiful memories. But at that moment, a look of unease suddenly appeared on his face.
"On the night of August 5th, while it was pouring rain outside with loud thunder, the Deputy Team Leader gathered all of us and announced that the Team Leader had violated the rules and had colluded with the beings from the other side. He also mentioned the child..."
At that time, only some core members and I, among the ordinary members, knew about this matter.
We couldn't believe that the Team Leader would do such a thing, and we asked if there had been a mistake.
Moreover, we had all seen the child, and he looked no different from ordinary people.
But the Deputy Team Leader insisted that he had clear evidence and had already reported it to headquarters, also showing us the reply from headquarters on the same day.
After repeated confirmation, we all confirmed the authenticity of the matter..."
His voice became subdued as he continued, "At that time, all of us were very depressed. The Deputy Team Leader said that this was an intolerable situation and that it was a mistake that had to be corrected. To uphold the principles of the Pure Sect, he decided to carry out the order from headquarters and immediately arrest the Team Leader, eliminating that being... and also the child..."
At this point, he seemed to have entered the state of that moment, remaining silent for a long time, his body trembling slightly.
Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "Senior Tian, what happened next? Please tell me in detail."
"Okay, okay," Tian Rui seemed to have snapped out of his thoughts. "To prevent the Team Leader from escaping after learning the news, the Deputy Team Leader decided to take action as soon as possible. In the end, most of the combat personnel in our branch would participate in this purge operation, and the Deputy Team Leader also informed us that the higher-ups would send additional support.
According to the timing, the reinforcements were almost there.
Since I was the weakest in terms of strength, the Deputy Team Leader didn't assign me to the specific action but instead asked me to go to the Team Leader's home and take care of the child who was being cared for by a nanny.
But..."
He lowered his head and continued, "When I arrived there and saw the child, I just couldn't bring myself to do it...
Because he was truly an ordinary child who shouldn't have been dragged into this.
At that time, I really didn't have the courage or the heart to do it, so I chose to take the child away and find a place to hide him, planning to explain to the branch after the matter was resolved, and I was prepared to accept any punishment.
But when I hurried back after finding a place to settle the child, what I saw... what I saw were the corpses of everyone..."
At this point, he suddenly hugged his head, seemingly engulfed in deep self-blame, and said painfully, "I killed them. If I had arrived earlier, perhaps the outcome would have been different.
Chen Chuan pondered and said, "I don't know the specifics of the fight, but with the level of force that individual displayed back then, even if you had been there, Elder Tian, it might not have resolved the issue."
"No, it's not like that."
Tian Rui lifted his head and spoke in a hoarse voice, "I can tell him that the child has been dealt with. Perhaps this will shake the leader's spirit, and the outcome might have been different."
Chen Chuan didn't believe that a fighter could shake someone's spirit so easily, but as he wasn't directly involved, it was difficult for him to evaluate the situation.
After some thought, he asked, "You said you hid this child, so you probably didn't dispose of him afterward. Is the child still alive?"
Tian Rui stammered, "Well, I..."
Chen Chuan continued, "This happened fifteen years ago. According to the clues you provided, the child was around sixteen or seventeen years old at that time..." He looked at Tian Rui, "He's your son, Tian Wo, isn't he?"
Tian Rui raised his head in surprise and stared at him.
Chen Chuan nodded, "Now I can be certain."
Tian Rui's mouth hung open, and he suddenly became dejected. He bowed his head and said, "I know, I always mess things up..."
Pleading, he said, "Mr. Chen, the child is innocent. Look, he's just like any other person now. From a young age, he has never done anything out of line. For so many years, I... he's not that kind of person..."
Seeing Tian Rui's agitated state and incoherent speech, Chen Chuan said, "How you deal with him can be put aside for now. So, because of this child, you went into hiding for fifteen years?"
In the 169th chapter, the truth is revealed!
Tian Rui's voice trembled, "Actually, all the teammates in the division died, and I was furious. I did think about going back to deal with the child, but when I returned to the hiding place and held him in my arms, the child smiled at me. At that moment, I thought, he's just a tiny little thing, and what does this have to do with him? He doesn't understand anything.
I couldn't bring myself to do it, and I had no way to face the dead partners. I didn't want the child to face the subsequent reckoning..."
He slumped, "I could only choose to leave and hide."
Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "It seems that the leader found you later."
Tian Rui's body trembled, and he clenched his teeth, "Yes, the leader came to me. Because I saved his child, the leader didn't do anything to me. He even came to express his gratitude and said he would remember this favor for a lifetime."
Suddenly, Tian Rui burst out in anger, "But I don't want his pity! To hell with his favor! Can he bring our comrades back to life?!
I cursed him, using the harshest words, but he didn't get angry. I rushed at him, wanting him to kill me so I could be like everyone else.
But it was useless; everything I did was in vain..."
He ran his hand through his hair and laughed bitterly, as if mocking his own helplessness. Tears filled his eyes, "I was no match for him. In front of him, I couldn't even muster the courage to commit suicide."
He leaned back in his chair, breathless, his eyes hollow, "Later, I gave up all my persistence. I didn't want to think about these things anymore, nor dare to think about them. I treated it like a nightmare. I changed my appearance through surgery and pretended to be someone else..."
Chen Chuan observed Tian Rui's powerless state and, after some thought, asked, "Didn't the leader take the child away afterward?"
Tian Rui slowly shook his head, "He seemed to ignore the matter, and I didn't bring it up with him again.
In the following years, he would come over and talk to me about the training camp. He even tried to recruit me, but I didn't want to deal with him. After Xiao Wo grew up a bit, he still came frequently to teach him some fighting techniques. He came less often later, and in recent years, I've hardly seen him. Only the instructors from the training camp occasionally send some things over."
Chen Chuan asked, "When was the last time he came?"
"Five years ago."
Tian Rui said, "I remember it clearly. That's when my younger son, Xiao Lei, was just born."
"Five years ago..."
Chen Chuan pondered. From the previous situation, it seemed that the leader had been coming regularly and still cared about his son.
Even if he later sent the camp instructors, the fact that he hadn't appeared in the past few years was probably not because he was too busy. It was unlikely that he hadn't shown up even once. It was more likely that he couldn't come here for some reason.
Chen Chuan guessed that it was because... the leader had become a fighter during that time.
Once a fighter enters the central city, it would trigger various reactions. This was probably the reason why he couldn't appear casually anymore.
...
(End of Chapter)
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