Special forces soldier demobilization: Starting from the county government compound, a meteoric rise

When I came down from the barren mountain, the autumn rain had stopped.

The sky was washed a deep blue, and the sunlight pierced through the clouds, giving the dilapidated town a false golden hue.

Instead of returning to the Forbidden City, Liu Ming had Tank drive the car to the entrance of the oldest and only state-owned bank in town.

The bank's lobby manager, a recent college graduate, saw two black Audis with Forbidden City license plates parked at the entrance. He thought they were provincial leaders on an inspection tour and his legs went weak. He quickly ran out to greet them.

"Excuse me... what kind of service do you need, gentlemen?"

Liu Ming ignored him and walked straight to the VIP service window, taking out a rusty brass key from her pocket.

"I'm looking for your bank manager." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.

Soon, an elderly man with gray hair and reading glasses was brought out. He was the former bank manager, surnamed Wang, who had worked there his entire life and would be retiring in two years.

When President Wang saw Liu Ming, he was stunned for a moment. Then, when he saw the key, a complex light suddenly burst forth in his cloudy eyes, a mixture of shock, nostalgia, and relief.

"You...you are...Liu Jianguo's son?" President Wang's voice trembled.

"Uncle Wang, you still remember me." Liu Ming nodded, a hint of warmth finally returning to her expression.

"I remember, how could I not remember?" Bank Manager Wang looked at him with deep emotion, then glanced at the towering figure behind him. "You've grown up, just like your father was in his youth, a true dragon among men. Come with me, I've been keeping the things your mother entrusted to me for almost twenty years."

Amidst the astonished gazes of the bank managers and staff, President Wang personally led Liu Ming into the deepest part of the bank, into the oldest underground vault, which required two keys to open simultaneously.

The heavy alloy door slowly opened, and a blast of stale, dry air rushed out.

President Wang pointed to an inconspicuous safe covered in dust in the corner.

"This is it." He handed the key he had been keeping to Liu Ming. "When your mother put it away, she left a message saying that only you, and only you, could open this box. Xiao Ming, your mother... was an extraordinary woman."

After saying this, President Wang consciously left the vault and closed the heavy door.

Liu Ming was the only one left in the vault.

He inserted the two keys into the lock, took a deep breath, and twisted it hard.

With a crisp "click," memories sealed away for nearly twenty years were finally unlocked.

The safe contained no gold or silver jewelry, only a few very ordinary old items.

A faded black-and-white photograph shows a young mother holding her baby, her smile gentle and content.

A small horse carved from wood, with a crooked character "茗" (ming) carved on its back, was a toy his father made for him when he was five years old.

There was also a strand of baby hair tied with a red string, which was carefully placed in a brocade pouch.

Liu Ming stretched out her hands, stained with blood and gunpowder, and gently stroked the photograph. Her fingertips traced her mother's gentle smiling face, and her heart, hardened as iron, was pierced with pain at that moment.

He thought he had already cried all his tears.

But when I saw these things, my vision still blurred uncontrollably.

Beneath the photos and toys was a small black velvet bag.

Liu Ming emptied the bag, and in her palm appeared a key with an extremely antique design and a letter sealed with sealing wax.

The key felt cold and heavy in my hand, made entirely of some unknown metal, with an extremely complex emblem carved at the top—a blooming golden lily.

Liu Ming opened the letter.

On the letter was my mother's familiar, delicate handwriting.

"My dearest Xiaoming:

By the time you read this letter, your mother will have been gone for a long time. Please forgive your mother's selfishness; there are so many secrets I haven't had the chance to tell you in person.

My child, actually, your mother's surname isn't Su. Her surname is "Baili," and she comes from an ancient merchant family in Jiangnan that you may have never heard of. Our family, starting from the Ming Dynasty, has been in charge of underground banks and overseas trade in China and even the whole of East Asia under the name "Baili Jin."

That key with the golden lily emblem is the only credential to unlock our family's highest-level trust fund in a Swiss bank.

Back then, to be with your father, your mother gave up her status as the family heir and chose him, a poor but magnanimous scholar. Your mother has no regrets; those were the happiest times of her life.

I'm telling you this secret not so you'll become a rich and spoiled brat. On the contrary, I hope you'll never touch this money.

Because this money represents power and desire, as well as endless conflict and danger.

But Mom is also afraid. I'm afraid that after I leave, you'll be all alone and vulnerable to being bullied. I'm afraid you'll be like your father, too upright and unable to protect yourself.

So, I'm leaving this key with you.

Treat it as your last weapon, your last shield.

If one day you need to use it to protect your loved ones and the principles you uphold, then use it. Don't hesitate, don't be soft-hearted.

Remember, my child, money is not the goal; it is merely a tool. Use this tool to clear away all obstacles in your path.

I will always love you.

Mother, Baili Shuang.

The letter was very short.

Liu Ming watched for a full ten minutes.

The ink on the letter had long since dried, but the maternal love and worry conveyed between the lines seemed to transcend the boundaries of life and death, warming his cold and lonely heart.

original……

It turns out that the mother who used to wear a coarse apron and argue with vendors over a few cents a day about vegetable prices was actually a wealthy heiress who controlled a fortune that rivaled that of a nation.

What did she give up for love and for this family? And how much suffering did she endure?

Liu Ming carefully folded the letter, tucked it close to her body, and then picked up the cold, golden lily key.

On the back of the envelope was a serial number of encrypted phone numbers from Switzerland, branded onto the envelope.

Liu Ming walked out of the vault, thanked Bank Manager Wang, and then went alone to a secluded corner outside the bank to dial the number.

The phone was answered after only one ring.

A very steady, aged male voice came through the receiver, speaking fluent and clear Mandarin.

"I have been waiting for your instructions for nineteen years."

Liu Ming remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "I am Baili Shuang's son."

"We know." The other person's tone was almost reverent. "You are our only and last 'Young Master'."

"I want to know how much money is left in that account."

There was a full ten seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, as if they were performing an extremely complex calculation.

Then, the aged voice, in an emotionless, AI-like tone, announced a number that could drive the entire world into a frenzy.

"As of today's market close, after deducting all management fees, the total assets of your 'Lily' Trust Fund are... US$376.4 billion."

376.4 billion US dollars.

A string of zeros, so many that it would suffocate any super-rich person.

This amount of money is enough to buy a medium-sized country in Africa, or to bankrupt any financial giant on Wall Street instantly.

However, upon hearing this astronomical figure, Liu Ming showed no elation or excitement whatsoever.

He simply closed his eyes slowly.

The mountain of money and the extravagant lifestyle he could squander did not appear in his mind.

What he saw was just that snowy night fifteen years ago.

His mother, kneeling in the snow for a mere five hundred yuan for surgery, was kicked away, her back a picture of despair and helplessness.

A sharp, piercing pain suddenly gripped his heart.

It turns out that his mother possessed a mountain of gold that could buy the whole world, yet she watched helplessly as her husband died of illness, she herself fell ill from overwork, and finally passed away tragically.

What were her feelings when she made this choice?

"Young Master? Young Master, are you still listening?" The voice on the other end of the phone sounded anxious.

Liu Ming slowly opened her eyes, the sadness in them replaced by a mountain-like calmness.

"I'm fine," he said softly.

He finally understood his mother's last wish.

This money is not an inheritance.

This is a sword his mother left him... a sword powerful enough to cut through all injustice in the world.

Liu Ming hung up the phone and clutched the golden lily key tightly in her palm.

As he walked out of the bank, the glaring sunlight shone on him.

Tank was leaning against the door smoking when he saw him come out, and quickly put out his cigarette.

"Boss, are you done? You don't look too good."

Liu Ming looked at the key in her palm, then looked up at the azure sky and smiled faintly.

"It's nothing, I just suddenly feel that the burden on my shoulders has become heavier."

"Huh?" Tank scratched his head, looking puzzled. "What's in that box? Gold bars? How heavy would it be to weigh you down?"

Liu Ming shook his head, put the key back in his pocket, and his eyes became incredibly deep.

"No, it's much heavier than gold."