"No, no," Professor Lai quickly corrected. "Your father went to Hong Kong in 1975. He couldn't have had any children in China. What I wanted to tell you is about your uncle, Chen Li."
"Chen Jing and Chen Li—put together, it's like 'salute' . Haha, my grandfather, whom I never met, really knew how to pick names. I wonder if he ever thought of a name for me."
Faced with William's sarcastic comment, the five experts couldn't help but feel frustrated. Professor Tang of the Jiangling Museum responded sternly, "Even if your childhood was difficult, that's not something you can blame on your grandfather or uncle. They didn't even know about Chen Jing's death until years after the accident.
In those days, for ordinary people in China, finding relatives in England was next to impossible. Not only was there no way to connect, but they also didn't have the money. Making an international call could cost half a month's or even a full month's salary. How could you expect them to come looking for you? Besides, they didn't even know Chen Jing had a child."
"Wait," William asked, surprised. "It wasn't that they didn't look for me—it's that they didn't know?"
"Exactly. Your grandfather's family didn't even know Chen Jing had gone to Hong Kong," Professor Tang explained.
Before he could continue, Professor Lai cut in, "Professor Tang, enough."
Realizing his mistake, Professor Tang fell silent, clearly regretting saying too much.
But William wasn't one to miss details. A few thoughts quickly connected in his mind. He turned to Abigail, who was beside him, and said, "Darling, get in the car."
"Okay, boss," Abigail squeezed his hand and kissed him on the cheek, offering words of comfort. "I'm sorry for your loss, sweetheart."
"Don't worry, I'm fine," William replied, smiling as he watched her get into the car. He then turned to the others and said, "Let's continue this conversation in the car."
He led the way to the Mercedes van parked by the entrance. After shooing the driver out and closing the doors, William looked at Professor Tang, who was still standing outside the hotel, and asked, "My family didn't know where my father had gone?"
Then, turning to Professor Lai, he asked, "And you can't tell me?"
With a sarcastic chuckle, William added, "It seems like I've always had a connection to secret agents. First, my maternal grandfather's family, and now my father's too. No wonder something's been bothering me for half a year." Seeing the confusion on Professor Lai's face, William explained, "After learning that my grandfather was the head of intelligence, I've been puzzled. Why couldn't someone with that much power find any information on my father or his family?
Now it's clear—it wasn't that Henry couldn't find them. He just didn't want to tell me or my mother, probably to prevent my mother from losing hope in love and life."
"No, Mr. Devonshire, you've misunderstood," Professor Lai quickly interjected, realizing the depth of William's anger. "I can guarantee with 100% certainty that your father wasn't a covert agent or a sleeper. He was a contact person."
Seeing the irritation building in William's eyes, Professor Lai decided there was no point in holding back any longer. Now that they were alone in the car, he revealed the truth about William's father, Chen Jing.
"Your father was fluent in three languages, which is why he was assigned as a contact. There's no mistake about this. There are records of everything. His mission was to assist a comrade who had infiltrated the inner circle of Kunchai, a notorious drug lord in Thailand. In January of 1980, after completing his mission, your father, using his identity as a Hong Kong resident, withdrew $30 million from Kunchai's Swiss bank account. He handed the money over to Chinese diplomats before heading to the ski resort, where he coincidentally met your mother, Lena Devonshire. Their relationship was purely by chance."
"You say it's a coincidence, and I'm just supposed to believe you? Who are you to know so much?" William scoffed, clearly skeptical.
"I know because I was one of the people who took that $30 million from your father," Professor Lai said, his voice growing more intense. "Your father stayed behind in Switzerland because, as a Hong Kong resident, he couldn't leave with us. He also wanted to act as a decoy, drawing attention in case anything went wrong.
I watched him help your mother fend off some men who were harassing her. That's how they met. I don't know the details of how they fell in love afterward, but higher-ups received a letter from Chen Jing a month after his accident. In it, he applied to stay in Switzerland, wanting to live and work there. He intended to stay with your mother."
This revelation left William both surprised and relieved. After a long silence, he said, "I'll look into this myself. In the meantime, I'd like you to provide me with whatever information you have."
"You can review the documents, but only in China," Professor Lai quickly added, anticipating William's next reaction. "The materials involve your uncle."
"My uncle?"
"Yes, William," Professor Lai said, his tone growing somber. "Your family, the Chens, are remarkable. Your great-grandfather died as a soldier in the Red Army during the war. Your grandfather participated in aid work in the Greater Khingan Mountains, then worked as a railway engineer for most of his life. One son went to school, and the other became a soldier, both serving the country without knowing about each other's missions. Your father, Chen Jing, though he didn't die on duty, went to Switzerland for his country. If not for that trip, he wouldn't have been caught in the avalanche.
As for your uncle, his story is even more tragic. He was one of the first Chinese officers to join Interpol after 1984. Six years ago, after your aunt died of illness, he left his son, Chen Feng, with your grandparents and went to Thailand on a mission. He infiltrated the inner circle of a new drug lord known as the 'Eight-Faced Buddha.'
To solidify his cover, your uncle committed numerous crimes back home, pretending to be a criminal so no one would suspect his true identity. Three years later, right in front of Chen Feng, he was arrested and sent to a prison in southern China. After escaping with a member of the Eight-Faced Buddha's gang, they crossed into Thailand. Beyond that, I'm not sure of the details. However, we received news last year that your uncle was killed, thrown into a crocodile pit by the Eight-Faced Buddha."
Crack.
"Crocodile pit?" William's rage exploded. He gripped the iron handle at the back of the van's seat, crushing it in his hands. His forearms bulged with tension as he growled under his breath, "Crocodile pit, you bastard. I'll kill your entire family." The metal handle twisted in his grip until it was flattened into a disc.
Professor Lai, drenched in cold sweat, was stunned. That handle wasn't foam or plastic—it was solid iron. And it looked like William's hands hadn't been hurt in the slightest.
Once William had calmed down and reduced the disc to a ball of iron, he asked, "What about my grandparents?"
Feeling the weight of William's gaze, Professor Lai swallowed nervously and replied, "They've passed away. A couple of years after your uncle took on the mission, they died of illness."
William's expression grew darker, but before he could say anything, Professor Lai quickly clarified, "Rest assured, their deaths weren't caused by foul play or retaliation from the Eight-Faced Buddha. They were simply old and passed from natural causes. Your grandfather believed your uncle was working on an overseas project, and when he died, your uncle even returned secretly to be with your grandmother for over half a month before leaving again. But after he went to Thailand, he never returned."
Though this outcome wasn't ideal, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Tossing the ball of iron aside, William remained silent for a long time. "What about Chen Feng? Who's taking care of him now?"
"Your brother isn't called Chen Feng anymore; he goes by Qin Feng. For his safety, we arranged for his surname to be changed, and he's been living with his maternal grandmother's family. However, the boy might have some issues. He became withdrawn after witnessing his father's arrest outside a bank."
"But..."
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