Reborn Heiress: Seeking Revenge-Chapter 636: Old Grudge (5)_1

"Mommy, Mommy, WAH, WAH, WAH, please let my Mommy go!" Shangguan Rou cried, crawling towards Li Wanying. Young Master Ye had left a terrifying imprint in her heart. She was scared of this man, truly scared. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Watching the two crying their hearts out, Young Master Ye’s brows furrowed deeply. With a wave of his hand, he said somewhat impatiently, "Take them back."

「」

Pure white snowflakes drifted down from the sky, dusting the entirety of Beijing with a layer of silvery white. Even the bare tree branches were laden with thick snow. As far as the eye could see, the world was a blanket of white.

At five o’clock in the morning, an hour when people were usually deep in sleep, a sharp reveille rang out in a certain military unit on the outskirts of Beijing. Soldiers clad in military uniforms swiftly emerged from their barracks, lining up in an orderly fashion.

Shangguan Hao, dressed in a green military uniform, stood ramrod straight at the front, accompanied by Gui Yongjun and Liu Dabao. As he watched the soldiers carry out their daily morning exercises in an orderly manner, their disciplined and spirited shouts carrying far into the distance, Shangguan Hao couldn’t help but nod. He gave a slight shiver, brushing the accumulating snowflakes from his uniform.

"Commander, it’s too cold just watching from here. Why don’t we join them for their morning exercise?" Gui Yongjun suggested, also dusting the snow from his uniform. "It’s freezing just standing here. We’d warm up if we ran a few laps with them."

"Yes, Commissar Gui, that’s a good suggestion," Shangguan Hao nodded. His imposing figure started to jog forward, closely following the troops. Gui Yongjun, Liu Dabao, and the others naturally quickened their pace to keep up.

"ONE—TWO—ONE!" Liu Dabao boomed, his powerful voice calling out the cadence. To be honest, Liu Dabao wasn’t used to his new position yet. Although he had been promoted, he could no longer personally drill the soldiers. He accompanied Shangguan Hao on inspections, but a fervent passion still simmered within him. Now that he had a rare opportunity to lead drills again—and with the Commander himself participating—he naturally didn’t hold back.

"This Liu Dabao, he’s really going for it," Gui Yongjun remarked with a soft, amused curse, following behind Shangguan Hao and listening to Liu Dabao’s booming voice.

"It’s good that he’s taking it seriously. He’s treating us like soldiers under his command," Shangguan Hao said with a smile.

"Serious! No talking during morning exercises!" Liu Dabao bellowed, then immediately regretted it. These were the Commander and the Commissar, not his soldiers—how could he have forgotten?

"Yes, Regiment Commander!" Shangguan Hao saluted smartly and began running with proper form. Gui Yongjun shook his head. The Commander is really something, and Liu Dabao certainly has guts, daring to order the Commander around like that. But seeing Shangguan Hao and Liu Dabao taking it so seriously, he couldn’t help but shake his head again and quickly followed.

After a few laps, they had warmed up. Shangguan Hao and the others stopped, standing to one side to watch the soldiers drill. Shangguan Hao nodded in approval. Yes, Beijing now needs such disciplined and capable soldiers.

Following the violent incident that had recently occurred in Beijing, not only the Shangguan Family and the Yu Family but also many other influential figures had become aware of the danger. The current calm was deceptive; an impending storm was brewing. Consequently, both the military and the Public Security Bureau were closely monitoring every move in Beijing and other regions. If a major incident were to occur, they were prepared to deploy the army to suppress it. As a result, military training had become even stricter and more rigorous than before.

Simultaneously, they were silently observing, looking for any personnel within the ranks exhibiting unusual behavior. Anyone deviating even slightly from their normal conduct would be detained. The military was now adopting the approach of mistakenly detaining a hundred rather than letting a single one slip through. The lesson from that night had left a profound impression: whether in Beijing, among government officials, within the army, or among the soldiers themselves, no one wanted such infiltrators in their midst again. If chaos erupted because of them, the consequences would be endless.

The Yu Family, the Shangguan Family, and even other prominent families were dividing their efforts, intensifying their scrutiny within both political and military circles. Consequently, the Shangguan Family was exceptionally busy, almost to the point of being overwhelmed.

"Reporting to the Commander! First squad, all normal. No abnormalities detected!"

"Reporting to the Commander! Second squad, all normal!"

"Reporting to the Commander! Third squad, all normal!"

"Good. Continue with the training. Don’t overlook any potential issues," Shangguan Hao nodded, addressing the reporting officers with a stern, authoritative demeanor.

"Yes, Commander!"

Shangguan Hao nodded and was about to turn and exchange a few words with Gui Yongjun when, in that very instant, disaster struck. One of the officers who had just reported swiftly drew a pistol from his belt, aimed at Shangguan Hao’s chest, and fired.

BANG! The gunshot echoed, deafeningly sharp in the dim light of the military grounds. It all happened too quickly, too suddenly, leaving no time for anyone to react, let alone think. Shangguan Hao’s chest took the full force of the bullet. Bright red blood bloomed, searing into everyone’s vision.

"Commander! Commander!"

"Regiment Commander Liu, what are you doing?!"

BANG! BANG! BANG! More gunshots cracked through the air, and Gui Yongjun was hit in the arm.

"Get them! Don’t let a single one escape!" Liu Dabao roared, shielding Shangguan Hao. He lunged at the officer who had fired, kicking the man to the ground. The soldiers who had been training nearby swarmed forward instantly, subduing the gunman.

"Commander, Commissar, how are you?" Liu Dabao quickly knelt, his gaze fixed on the two men, both bleeding. Gui Yongjun’s arm wound didn’t look too severe, but Shangguan Hao had been shot in the chest. The officer who fired had been closest to Shangguan Hao; it was a deliberate, point-blank shot, and it had struck true and deep.

"I’m... fine," Shangguan Hao gasped, pressing a hand to his chest. "Take him away. Secure the area. The troops must not fall into disarray... and not a word of this incident is to get out." Waves of suffocating pain washed over him. If not for his immense willpower forcing him to remain conscious, he would have already fainted.