The man in the photograph was none other than Wan Tongbao!
Initially, when Gu Qingyang discovered his eldest son had broken the law, his first reaction was disbelief. However, he later found ample evidence in his son's room, which prompted Gu Qingyang to make the firm decision to send him away.
As a retired soldier, he naturally had a moral compass. Despite his reluctance, he saw no other option.
He was not afraid to bear all the blame himself. For years, he had lived with the reputation of upholding justice even at the cost of family, and he had never offered any explanations.
Now, the other party had cruelly reopened his old wounds, forcing him to confront reality.
"You go up first," Gu Qingyang said to Gu Tongbao, his eyes downcast. He felt it was best not to let him hear the subsequent conversation.
Gu Tongbao shook his head slightly. "Dad, I'm an adult now. If something serious is happening, I should know. I have a right to know."
Gu Qingyang opened his mouth, momentarily speechless. He finally sighed, recalling the events of the past.
Back when he was a special forces operator, he had undertaken a mission. During that mission, his deputy commander sacrificed himself to protect Gu Qingyang. At the time, the deputy commander's wife had just given birth to a child. Later, due to the failure of that mission, the enemy sought revenge and massacred the entire military family.
When they arrived at the scene, only a child was left crying in the room. Because the deputy commander had sacrificed himself to protect Gu Qingyang, and Gu Qingyang's wife had also died in a car accident around that time, he decisively retired from service to raise the child.
He also took in the deputy commander's child and raised him alongside his own.
"Actually, your father was my deputy commander. The reason I kept this a secret was because I feared you wouldn't integrate into this family. That's why I treated you exceptionally well and doted on you since you were little.
Wan Tongbao and Gu Bin are my biological sons. Wan Tongbao... I never expected him to turn out this way. Perhaps my parenting methods were indeed flawed. I wanted them to be independent, or perhaps it was my excessive indulgence of you that made me overlook their feelings, leading him down the path of crime.
It was only after I learned of his crimes that I realized my educational approach towards them was problematic. But by then, regret was futile; the deed was done. All I could do was send him to prison to reform."
After finishing, Gu Qingyang rested his chin on his hand, disbelief etched on his face.
He had once suspected that his elder brother and third brother were not his father's biological sons. But now, hearing the truth from his father's lips, he realized he himself was not the biological son.
For the sake of this child with whom he shared no blood, he had neglected his own sons' feelings, inadvertently driving one of them to a life of crime.
What a devastating truth this was for him.
After all, he was a former special forces soldier, and his love for his country and home was more profound than anyone else's, even hundreds of times stronger than that of ordinary people!
As he spoke, tears streamed down his face, his eyes filled with endless regret.
Forcing his son onto the path of crime due to his own actions – what a blow this was to any father!
Yuan Gang and Ye Longlin fell into silence, unsure of what to say.
"But why..." Gu Tongbao's voice was hoarse, his eyes red. In the end, he felt like the fool.
Gu Qingyang dotingly stroked Gu Tongbao's head and let out a bitter laugh. "Back then, the deputy commander used his own body to shield a grenade to protect me. When we found his body, his entire abdomen was bloody and mangled from the blast.
Your family was also killed in retaliation by the enemy. If I hadn't retired then, I would have had to send you to an orphanage. If you hadn't found a good adoptive family, your life would have been ruined.
I couldn't bear to leave the deputy commander's spirit with any regrets. Moreover, in their act of retaliation, my own family also perished. So, at that time, I thought that raising two children was the same as raising three, and I brought you here. There was no other reason, it was that simple."
Silence descended upon the living room, punctuated by the soft sounds of sobbing.
Gu Qingyang and his son wept in each other's arms.
Perhaps even Gu Qingyang had not expected to reveal this truth one day. He thought that after so many years, speaking of it would no longer stir emotions. But in reality, he had overestimated himself.
Yuan Gang and Ye Longlin also sighed deeply, shaking their heads.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Gu Qingyang finally asked, "Are you two here today solely to inquire about this matter, or has something else happened?"
With Ye Longlin's nod of agreement, Yuan Gang stated their reason.
"Several months ago, Mobei Prison was attacked. The warden of Mobei Prison was killed, and all the criminals imprisoned there – Class A, Class S, Class SS, and Class SSS – escaped. Among them was your son, Wan Tongbao. Recently, we discovered Wan Tongbao appearing at Tongbao Tower and making contact with Gu Tongbao.
This afternoon, we noticed his phone made three calls to unknown numbers, so we went to Gu's Group to inquire. However, it seemed Mr. Gu knew something but wouldn't disclose it, so we came to you for any additional information. We didn't expect to hear about this past event."
Gu Qingyang sighed. "Can I know what rank my son is?"
Yuan Gang replied, "Class S, but his danger level is close to Class SS."
"Your son previously divulged state information, and he likely still possesses knowledge of other criminals. Moreover, the information he holds could pose a threat to Daxia. Therefore, we must apprehend him as soon as possible."
The living room fell silent once more, their gazes turning to Gu Tongbao.
He was now the only one who knew Wan Tongbao's whereabouts.
After a moment of silence, he said, "There is a secret room in the president's office at Tongbao Tower. My elder brother is currently in that secret room, but I'm not sure if he has left yet."
Gu Qingyang then asked, "The ten billion you asked for earlier, was that for him?"
Gu Tongbao nodded and continued, "He is my elder brother. Even if he committed a crime, he is still my elder brother. Although we no longer share blood, my father and mother are both deceased. Since I can remember, I have lived in this villa, and you are my only father.
Big brother is my big brother, and third brother is my third brother. Regardless of whether they have broken the law, they are still my brothers."