The Rise of a Special Forces Soldier Abandoned by a Wealthy Family

Inside the hidden door.

It is an absolutely sealed room of about ten square meters.

There were no windows or vents; the walls, ceiling, and floor were all covered with thick lead plates and sound-absorbing materials.

In the very center of the wall, there are three memorial tablets: those of his father, brothers, and only son.

This is Ryuichi Sawada's true "brain," the ultimate secret he has hidden for decades.

The air was cold and carried a faint ozone odor characteristic of electronic devices in operation.

The only light source came from the faint blue glow emanating from a computer screen in standby mode on an alloy desk in the center of the room.

Ryuichi Sawada walked to the table as if he knew the way well, without turning on the light.

He opened the drawer.

There were no documents or clutter inside.

There was only one satellite secure phone—completely black, without any brand markings, and with an extremely minimalist design.

He took out his phone and turned it on.

The screen lit up, but instead of the usual dialer interface, it displayed a blank box asking for a 32-digit dynamic password.

His fingers danced quickly and steadily across the cold keys.

Each number pressed felt like a sacred and dark ritual.

The 32-digit password has been entered.

"drop."

The screen then transitions to display a constantly changing encrypted communication interface composed of complex geometric shapes.

The phone automatically started dialing.

No number displayed.

Only a string of jumping, garbled characters scrolls at the bottom of the screen.

The beeping sound of the phone waiting to connect was exceptionally clear in the absolutely silent room, and also exceptionally... unsettling.

Five seconds.

ten seconds.

Fifteen seconds.

finally--

"Click."

An extremely faint connection sound.

There was no one speaking on the other end of the phone.

There was no breathing sound, no background noise.

There was only one kind of... absolute silence, as if connected to an abyss of nothingness.

Ryuichi Sawada remained silent.

He held the phone, his body unconsciously leaning slightly forward, his expression unprecedented—respectful, even…humble.

It was a deeply ingrained, genetically ingrained attitude of obedience.

It was as if the person on the other end of the phone wasn't a "person," but rather... some supreme "being."

After twenty seconds of absolute silence.

Finally, a voice came from the other end of the phone.

The voice was peculiar—it had undergone at least three layers of electronic voice-changing processing, resulting in severe distortion, making it impossible to discern age, gender, or even emotion.

Only one word was uttered, as coldly as if it were mechanically synthesized:

"explain."

Ryuichi Sawada leaned forward slightly again, lowered his head, and spoke into the microphone in the most standard samurai-like posture of pledging allegiance to their lord, his voice soft and clear:

"Your Majesty—I am Ryuichi Sawada."

A brief pause.

It was as if the being called "Emperor" was confirming his identity.

Then, it was that same cold, electronic voice again:

"Condition."

Ryuichi Sawada took a deep breath, speaking steadily yet clearly:

"Your Majesty, currently... there's bad news, and... some 'good news' that might need to be utilized."

"The bad news is: the 'eagled replacement' plan targeting the Zeng family of the Dragon Kingdom eighteen years ago... has been confirmed as a failure."

"The replaced baby, Zeng Linglong, has recently returned to the Zeng family and... has shown a level of danger far exceeding expectations."

He paused, then added:

"I will immediately transmit the detailed information back to the country through 'top secret' channels."

"And the 'good news' is—"

Zeus was always on high alert, and I couldn't find a chance to destroy him.

Therefore, my intention in this plan is to get the Dragon Kingdom and that kid from the Zeng family to fight against the Zhou Organization first.

Ryuichi Sawada's voice carried a hint of cold calculation:

"This Zeng Linglong is not only special and mysterious, but also... extremely powerful."

"The 'God of the Universe' is extremely wary of him. I have tried many times to push the organization to eliminate him directly, but he has rejected my attempts on the grounds of 'avoiding a full-scale conflict with the Dragon Kingdom.'"

"Therefore... I have dared to devise a new plan."

His eyes, illuminated by the dim light of the screen, gleamed with a venomous light:

"The intention is to guide Zeng Linglong, and the Dragon Kingdom power behind him... into a direct confrontation with the Zhou Organization!"

"Let them...fight it out first!"

"When they fought to their fiercest point, when they were both most exhausted..."

Ryuichi Sawada's voice was lowered, yet it sounded even more vicious:

"The 'God' will inevitably reveal a flaw!"

"If the opportunity arises at that time... I will carry out the 'decapitation' operation, bringing the Zhou Organization... completely under the Empire's control!"

"If we cannot eliminate 'Zeus' for the time being..."

He twitched the corner of his mouth:

"Then let them keep fighting! Let them fight until they are both badly injured, until rivers of blood flow!"

"We... can simply sit back and watch, without expending even a fraction of the Empire's strength."

"Regardless of who dies or who is wounded... it will all be beneficial to the Empire!"

Silence fell again on the other end of the phone.

This silence was even longer.

So long that a fine layer of cold sweat seeped from the palms of Sawada Ryuichi's hands as he held the phone.

Finally, that cold, electronic voice sounded again, offering no comment on his plan, but rather carrying a hint of dissatisfaction:

"Ryuichi Sawada... You have been undercover in the Cosmos Organization for over thirty years."

"The resources the Empire has invested in you and your family are immeasurable."

"To this day, however, we still have not...fully controlled the Cosmic Organization."

"You should understand... what the Cosmic Organization means to the Empire."

The voice paused, as if exerting invisible pressure:

"It is the best glove, the sharpest hidden blade, and the ultimate executor of many 'unsavory' matters of the Empire."

"Moreover... it is the most effective, and perhaps the only, key to restraining, weakening, and even tearing the Dragon Kingdom apart from within."

"China... is developing too fast."

Within that electronic sound, a faint, almost imperceptible chill, as if emanating from the friction of metal, finally broke through:

"Overt containment and suppression are becoming increasingly difficult."

"Sawada-kun... your time is running out."

"The empire needs results."

Ryuichi Sawada's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat!

He abruptly brought his legs together, lowered his head deeply, almost burying it in his chest, and, speaking into the microphone, growled in the most respectful yet resolute tone:

"Yes, Your Majesty! I understand! I will live up to the Empire's trust and Your Majesty's expectations!"

The "emperor" on the other end of the phone seemed fairly satisfied with his statement, his electronic voice softening slightly:

"Your plan... can be carried out."

"Regardless of whether we can eliminate 'God of the Universe'... let the Dragon Kingdom and the Zeng family fight the Cosmic Organization to the death first."

"The Zeng family... is the empire's blood feud. It would be best if they could be eliminated."

"If we can't... we must at least severely weaken them, ensuring they never have a peaceful day again!"

"As for the Cosmic Organization..."

The emperor's voice carried a cold, condescending quality.

"It would be best if I could hold it in my hand."

"If you can't hold on... once 'God of the Universe' falls, you'll already have most of the information about his global network that he's built over decades, and those 'spokespeople' who have infiltrated political, military, and business leaders in various countries."

"At that time, the Empire can also... create a completely new 'New Universe' that is entirely subservient to the Empire."

"Sawada-kun... just go for it."

"Hi--!!!"

Sawada Ryuichi was so excited that his body trembled slightly, and he bowed deeply again.

The phone call was abruptly ended.

"Beep...beep...beep..."

The busy sound echoed in the silent, secluded room.

Ryuichi Sawada slowly straightened up.

The humility and excitement on his face receded like the tide.

It reverted to that unfathomable coldness and... a ferocity mixed with fanaticism and ambition.

He put down the phone and locked it back in the drawer.

Standing in the absolute darkness of the secret chamber, he looked at the three memorial tablets.

A silent, chilling smile slowly spread across his lips.

"The Zeng family, Zeng Linglong... God of the Universe... Dragon Kingdom..."

"Fight hard..."

"The fiercer the fight... the more I, and my empire..."

"Talent...the fisherman reaps the benefits."

"Only then can I avenge my blood feud."

The sealed room returned to deathly silence.

But a conflict far more insidious, more vicious, and more far-reaching than the feud between the Zhou Organization and the Zeng family—

A third layer of conspiracy shadow

Already in this absolute darkness,

Silently... it bared its fangs.