Nie Xing's legs suddenly went weak, and he was about to fall when he instinctively grabbed the old man's arm.
Everyone turned pale. Judging by the old man's entourage, he was clearly no ordinary person. If Nie Xing caused him to lose face, the consequences would not be something he could bear.
Unexpectedly,
the arm Nie Xing had grabbed was surprisingly strong!
A vigorous force came from that arm, forcibly steadying Nie Xing and keeping him from falling. Instead, it helped him regain his footing.
After steadying himself, Nie Xing felt somewhat grateful.
In his poor state, he looked up.
Only to discover that he had never seen this old man before. A powerful presence radiated from him, carrying the aura of someone in a position of authority.
There were even more than a hundred men in black following behind him. Such a scene was truly shocking.
The old man looked at him, his expression complicated as he said:
"Trust your own choice. To live, one must have one's own path. If your path is difficult, then rest for a while—but do not forget to lift your feet and set out on that road again."
"Who are you?"
Nie Xing froze for a moment before asking.
For some reason, the old man before him gave him an unusual sense of warmth and familiarity~
It was as though the man had been an old friend of the old man for many years, and even knew him as well.
Because the old man had once said those exact same words to him.
That was when he had been preparing to enter the Dragon Country Academy of Sciences. During that period, he had felt exhausted and oppressed by his studies.
The old man had said those words to him then.
Several years later,
those words had appeared once more, spoken by the mysterious old man before him.
He could not help feeling both surprised and moved.
"I am Old Nie's friend. I came on this journey to see him off!"
The old man spoke in a solemn, deep voice.
As he spoke,
he turned his gaze toward Nie Yugang's gravestone.
Hearing the old man's words, no one around them even dared to breathe. They were even more shocked.
He truly was Old Nie's friend. He had come to pay his respects with such an enormous entourage—he was obviously a major figure.
No one knew how Old Nie had come into contact with someone like this.
He had even personally helped Nie Xing to his feet in front of everyone.
The hidden meaning behind that was likely not something outsiders could understand.
In the distance, Su Chen stood beneath a tree, watching this side.
He was observing the progress of the funeral.
He did not know the origins of these figures exchanged from the system's store, but he could communicate with that old man and issue him instructions at any time through his thoughts.
The words just spoken to Nie Xing had been a message Nie Yugang had entrusted to him long ago.
Nie Yugang seemed to have foreseen everything that would happen today. Nie Xing had knelt for a long time, yet no one beside him had gone to help him up.
He had said that he hoped someone could help him up, pass these words along to him, and help lift his spirits.
Following the wishes of the mission target, Su Chen had the old man step forward to help Nie Xing up and say those words in passing.
The old man's presence was overwhelming. An ordinary person needed a certain amount of courage just to stand before him and speak.
Otherwise, they would reveal their timidity after only a word or two.
But Nie Xing had, after all, met quite a few important people. Standing beside the old man now, he did not feel uncomfortable at all.
Many people around them noticed Nie Xing's reaction and found it rather surprising.
It seemed this guy had met quite a few big shots during the three years he had been away.
But he was still no good. Even when his father died, he had not known to come back and see him off!
No matter how filial he acted now, it was already too late.
A light breeze drifted through, making the white funeral couplets flutter.
The old man looked solemnly at Nie Yugang's gravestone. After staring at it for a moment, he gave the gravestone a deep bow!
As he bowed, the more than one hundred men in black behind him also bowed in silence!
Their overwhelming presence and impressive display made everyone instinctively feel reverence in their hearts when they faced Old Nie's gravestone once more.
The entire funeral fell silent.
Other than those who were bowing, everyone around them lowered their heads and mourned in silence.
After a long while,
the old man in the Zhongshan suit slowly straightened, and only then did the hundred men in black behind him rise as well.
With all that done, their task was considered complete.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, surrounded by the men in black as though they were stars around the moon, the old man got into the black Maybach. It slowly left the cemetery and vanished from sight!
Only after the old man was gone did everyone finally let out a breath.
"Good lord, who were those people? That presence was so oppressive I could barely breathe!"
"What a pity. If I'd known, I would have taken out my phone and recorded it. I might never get another chance to witness something like that up close in my life!"
"I wonder how such an honest man as Old Nie got involved with someone so important?"
"Terrifying. Could they be gangsters?"
"Definitely not. In my opinion, they must be some big shot unwilling to reveal his identity!"
"I never knew Old Nie had friends like that!"
"You don't understand. The networks of people like that are mysterious. They only officially show themselves at funerals!"
"I thought Old Wang was drunk earlier and just babbling nonsense. So the military experts coming to the hospital for a consultation was real too!?"
Amid everyone's discussions, Old Nie's plain and low-key life now seemed to be shrouded in a mysterious veil.
No one could see clearly just how terrifying his past had been.
Not just anyone could create a scene like this at a funeral.
Someone looked at Old Wang and asked curiously:
"Old Wang, you and Old Nie were the closest. Did you know that man just now?"
"No!"
Old Wang shook his head with a complicated expression. The drunken haze on his slightly flushed face seemed to have cleared considerably.
What had happened at the hospital was shocking enough, and now this had happened too. His head buzzed as if he no longer knew Old Nie. When had that simple, honest Old Nie gotten acquainted with such important people?
No wonder he lost to him at chess every time!
If Old Nie could know people like that, his horizons had long surpassed his own. It would be hard for a mere game of chess to lose to him!
Thinking of this, he gave a bitter laugh. In the end, Old Nie had still bested him.
Under the effects of alcohol, his legs felt weak, and Young Wang hurriedly supported him.
Feeling Young Wang's support,
Old Wang turned to look at Young Wang, then at Nie Xing standing before the gravestone, and immediately gave a bitter smile.
At least when it came to sons, he had beaten Old Nie.
How could Old Nie surpass him in everything?
After watching the old man leave, Nie Xing also looked somewhat puzzled.
The old man had always been famously warmhearted, a good man through and through.
How could he have had the opportunity to meet important people?
The military experts who had appeared at the hospital were Elder Liu's doing.
Then was this man truly his father's old friend?
Remembering what the old man had said to him, his eyes grew moist.
He turned back to look at his father's gravestone. Scenes from the past seemed to rise before his eyes.
At last, a few glimmers of light appeared in his dim eyes.
The next moment,
a wave of dizziness suddenly struck his mind. Unable to hold on, he collapsed headfirst to the ground.
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