Chapter 357: Confidential

Not only Guo Xuehua, but everyone present couldn't understand why Yang Chen's tone was so impassioned and firm. Was this a request?

Guo Xuehua hesitated for a moment, looking at Yang Chen's profound and tumultuous eyes, then nodded silently.

"I promise you," Guo Xuehua said solemnly, standing up slowly without asking why.

Yang Chen said nothing more and walked past Guo Xuehua, addressing Lin Ruoxi, "Wife, I'll finish up here and be back for dinner. You go inside first."

Lin Ruoxi nodded. "Got it."

Ignoring everyone else, Yang Chen walked towards Guo Xuehua's white Infiniti parked nearby.

Watching Yang Chen's retreating figure, Lin Ruoxi felt an inexplicable desolation in the cold wind. Even though she knew of Yang Chen's extraordinary past, at this moment, she gained a deeper understanding.

With Guo Xuehua lingering at the door for a long time, her mind was a jumble of thoughts. Seeing Yang Chen already seated in the car, she hurriedly bid farewell to Lin Ruoxi and the others before getting into the car with Xiao Wen and Xiao Li.

On the way to the Cai family's compound, Yang Chen sat silently beside Guo Xuehua, lost in thought.

Guo Xuehua was filled with excitement, knowing her son had a chance of being saved. She occasionally glanced at Yang Chen's profile, sensing something peculiar, though she couldn't quite grasp what it was.

Arriving at the Cai family's compound, they found additional layers of guards outside, indicating the gathering of important figures for Yang Lie's situation.

Led by a servant of the Cai family, Yang Chen and Guo Xuehua entered the secluded courtyard where Yang Lie was housed. Armed soldiers stood sternly in every shadowy corner, making the atmosphere tense even for those accustomed to such surroundings.

Yang Chen walked through the long corridor as if unaware of his surroundings, not exchanging a single word with Guo Xuehua about the current situation.

They arrived at the door of Yang Lie's room, where everyone inside turned to look at Yang Chen.

Apart from Cai Yuncheng, Cai Ning, and Yang Lie's master Yu Jizi, Yang Jieyu also stood by Yang Lie's sickbed.

Knowing her nephew had been injured by Yang Chen, Yang Jieyu was angry and distressed. She understood Yang Chen's character well enough to know that Yang Lie must have done something wrong to provoke such a disaster. Yet, the thought of family members fighting each other made Yang Jieyu angry and frustrated.

However, she couldn't directly oppose her elder brother Yang Pujun's wishes. She remained silent, watching silently.

Seeing Yang Chen invited by Guo Xuehua, Yang Jieyu felt relieved, thinking it was a gesture of goodwill from Yang Chen to come and treat Yang Lie. She didn't know that Guo Xuehua had knelt down to plead for this.

"Thank you for coming. I know you must have your reasons, but he's still young. I hope you can be lenient," Yang Jieyu said to Yang Chen with earnestness and concern.

"Now that I'm here, there's no need for those words," Yang Chen replied.

Yang Jieyu sighed softly. "I leave it to you. To be honest, both He Wei and I like you very much. You're a reliable young man, and we're proud of you."

Yang Chen did not respond, walking to Yang Lie's sickbed. He looked silently at Yang Lie, whose face was pale and bloodless.

Cai Yuncheng frowned slightly and asked Cai Ning beside him, "Is this person Yang Chen? Does he still recognize your aunt Yang?"

Cai Ning nodded faintly and replied, "I'm not sure why, but he seems to recognize me."

Cai Yuncheng pondered for a moment. Yang Jieyu, Yang Chen, Yang Lie, the Yang family—could there be some other connection among them?

Guo Xuehua was surprised to see her younger sister-in-law already acquainted with Yang Chen, but she didn't immediately ask. She looked suspiciously at Yang Jieyu instead. She knew her sister-in-law was sharp and involved in many matters concerning the Yang family. Her affectionate look towards Yang Chen seemed more like how one would speak to a younger relative, which was not something ordinary.

Subtly, Guo Xuehua felt that something was being kept from her by those around her.

"Do you have confidence?" Daoist Yujizi finally spoke up, addressing Yang Chen. He still held his disciple in high regard.

Yang Chen glanced at him and said, "If I say I'm not confident, can I just leave?"

Daoist Yujizi's expression darkened momentarily, but he restrained himself from reacting. Knowing Yang Chen's true identity, he understood they were not on the same level at all.

Turning his back to the others, Yang Chen commanded, "Everyone leave this room. No one should come near for half an hour."

Guo Xuehua felt a bit worried and was about to ask what Yang Chen intended to do when Yang Jieyu stopped her.

"Sister-in-law, let's go out. Yang Chen is considerate in his actions; maybe he doesn't want any distractions during the treatment," Yang Jieyu said calmly.

Helpless, Guo Xuehua followed Cai Yuncheng, Daoist Yujizi, and the others out of the room.

Outside in the courtyard, Guo Xuehua glanced at the closed door and asked Yang Jieyu, "Jieyu, tell me honestly, are you hiding something from me?"

Yang Jieyu paused, knowing Guo Xuehua was a sharp woman who had likely picked up on something from her tone when speaking to Yang Chen. Though she wanted to tell this poor woman that the child she had searched for over twenty years was right in front of her, Yang Jieyu also understood that if she did, Guo Xuehua would undoubtedly do everything to bring Yang Chen back to their family, which could be used against the Yang family by their political rivals.

Thus, Yang Jieyu hesitated for a moment before smiling gently, "Sister-in-law, what are you thinking? There's nothing I'm hiding from you."

Guo Xuehua was not easily fooled and asked, "Then how did you come to know Yang Chen? Can you tell me?"

Yang Jieyu quickly thought of a reason and said with a smile, "Oh, his wife, Lin Ruoxi, is the CEO of Yulei International. Our Yuan family has some business dealings with them, so we met at a banquet and had some conversations."

"Lin Ruoxi..." Guo Xuehua, who had been focused on Yang Chen earlier and hadn't paid much attention to Lin Ruoxi at the villa, recalled Yang Chen addressing that woman as "wife" before leaving.

Upon further thought, Guo Xuehua remembered seeing a girl a few times at the orphanage in Zhonghai, but it had been just a fleeting memory.

"Turns out she's Lin Ruoxi, CEO of Yulei International," Guo Xuehua murmured to herself. "She really does resemble that woman."

"What? Resemble which woman?" Yang Jieyu asked, surprised by Guo Xuehua's sudden muttering.

Shaking her head, Guo Xuehua replied, "It's nothing, just recalling some past matters."

Though Yang Jieyu sensed there was more to it, she refrained from probing further. Feeling guilty facing Guo Xuehua at this moment, she dared not say more.

Meanwhile, as Yang Chen treated Yang Lie's injuries and Guo Xuehua and others waited in the courtyard, outside the Cai family estate, two men who happened to arrive encountered each other.

Yang Pojun, as usual dressed in military attire with a stern face, showed a hint of surprise upon seeing another man stepping out of a jeep in a black coat, looking spirited.

"General Lin, what brings you here?" Yang Pojun addressed the man, who was Lin Zhiguo.

Lin Zhiguo, upon seeing Yang Pojun, was not surprised. He smiled and replied, "I heard about the young master's illness and came immediately. This mission is exceptionally challenging, and Yang Lie, as an important combatant, suddenly being injured, it's both a personal and official concern for me as the overall commander."

"Thank you on behalf of my son," Yang Pojun muttered inwardly, cursing the old fox. What did he mean by "just heard about it"? Obviously, like himself, upon receiving the report, knowing Yang Chen was here to treat Yang Lie's injuries, he couldn't rest assured, so he rushed over immediately.

Recalling how this man had brought DNA test results to Yang Gongming earlier, leading to a stern lecture from his father, Yang Pojun couldn't hide his displeasure towards Lin Zhiguo.

Clearly, in Yang Pojun's view, Lin Zhiguo's intentions were far from simple; he must have deeper and more profound plans. Yang Pojun had to be cautious and vigilant.

While the Lin family in Yandu was not as influential as the Yang family in terms of practical power, it still held considerable sway. Especially since Yang Gongming had explicitly warned him not to underestimate Lin Zhiguo, even though he held only a deputy military rank. Clearly, this guy had some hidden influence behind him.

At least, Yang Lie's participation in national tasks alongside Daoist Yujizi was coordinated by Lin Zhiguo.

Suddenly, Yang Pojun remembered spending the entire night investigating Yang Chen's background over the past twenty-plus years. Despite military resources and means, much of Yang Chen's information was locked away in top-level national security archives. Only the highest-level personnel from the National Security Bureau could access them, and even then, what they could find was often unreliable and useless.

Although Yang Pojun was only responsible for military affairs, he knew about a secretive organization in Yanxia called the Yanhuang Iron Brigade, which operated under the radar, away from power struggles and unnoticed by many.

After careful consideration, Yang Pojun concluded that only this department could have safeguarded Yang Chen's information to such an extent that even he, a commanding officer of a military district, couldn't access it.

So, could Lin Zhiguo, who was able to perceive Yang Chen's relationship with the Yang family, be the real person in charge of the Yanhuang Iron Brigade? Such a possibility would make even Yang Gongming, the old master, regard him with caution and vigilance.

With these thoughts in mind, Yang Pojun casually walked alongside Lin Zhiguo towards the interior, asking, "General Lin, you know Yang Chen, don't you?"

Lin Zhiguo had anticipated this question from Yang Pojun. "Yes, I know him. We've collaborated a couple of times."

"He seems to have quite a unique past," Yang Pojun remarked, glancing sideways at Lin Zhiguo.

Lin Zhiguo raised an eyebrow slightly. "Major General Yang, 'military secrets,' these four words, you understand better than I do."

Yang Pojun's heart sank. It seemed his speculations were correct. Yang Chen indeed had an extraordinarily alarming past. Considering even Daoist Yujizi held such reverence towards him, it couldn't be simple.

Although unsure of what military secrets Lin Zhiguo was concealing, Yang Pojun knew he had to reassess his perspective. This young man who had suddenly emerged was not to be taken lightly.