Investigating Zhao Mengsheng! The Prince of Capital High Society Twenty Years Ago?

"Okay, kid. I promise!"

Lin Tiejun nodded and called an old comrade at the Provincial Military Region.

"Old Wang, look someone up for me—Zhao Mengsheng. He served in the Army!"

A moment later, the reply came: "No one by that name among active-duty officers!"

"Then check the retired personnel. Go back thirty years!"

Lin Tiejun's voice left no room for argument.

After another pause, confusion crept into the man's voice.

"Strange. I pulled the records for the entire military, and there's still no trace of him!"

"Enlistment records, discharge papers... nothing."

Meanwhile.

Lei Zhen used his connections to investigate and got the same answer.

"Chief, there's no information on Zhao Mengsheng in the system. It's as if he never existed!"

"How is that possible?!"

Lei Zhen gripped the photograph, his brow furrowed.

In the photo, Zhao Mengsheng wore an Army service uniform with no unit designation. His rank was private first class.

But that straight back and regulation posture weren't something an ordinary person could fake.

"The photo's real. How can there be no records?" Lei Zhen muttered.

Lin Tiejun ventured, "Either he changed his name, or... his identity was sensitive, and someone deliberately erased his files."

"Xiaofei, do you have any other way to find Zhao Mengsheng?" Lei Zhen asked.

Yue Xiaofei turned the photo over, revealing a blurred string of digits.

"Uncle Lei, there's a phone number on the back. It says we can use it to contact Uncle Zhao! But the last two digits have faded beyond recognition... It's my fault. I didn't take care of it!"

Guilt weighed on Yue Xiaofei's voice.

"Hmph. What an act!"

Gao Zisheng's mocking voice rang out.

Even with the guards holding him down, he refused to stop.

"If you ask me, Zhao Mengsheng doesn't exist. Your dad made him up!"

"A criminal locked up in the Black Prison? Lying must be second nature to him."

"And you inherited the knack. You cheated on your college entrance exam and still dare to argue? You and your father have disgraced the Yue Family!"

"Shut up!"

Yue Xiaofei spun around, his chest heaving as he glared at Gao Zisheng.

"My father never lies. If he said Uncle Zhao exists, then he does!"

"Then where is he?"

Gao Zisheng's grin grew more brazen.

"Call him here to testify for you, then!"

"If he actually shows up, I'll kneel and bow to you right here!"

"You're a liar. You made up a name to fool everyone. Do you think the generals have gone senile?"

"Stop arguing!"

Lin Xiaolu suddenly spoke up.

She held up her phone, where the livestream's viewer count had already passed a million.

"Maybe we can ask the viewers for help?"

She turned to Yue Xiaofei. "With this many people watching, someone might know Uncle Zhao."

"Okay."

Yue Xiaofei nodded.

For now, it seemed to be their only option.

Lin Xiaolu immediately aimed her phone's camera at the yellowed photograph.

She adjusted the angle so the livestream viewers could see the details.

"Everyone, please take a look! Does anyone recognize the man on the right? His name is Zhao Mengsheng!"

Comments flooded the livestream in an instant.

[That photo's so old. It's got to be at least twenty years old, right?]

[Army service uniform. Looks like a nineties design.]

[That guy's handsome! Even better-looking than me right after a shower!]

[I'm a 170cm college girl. Soldier boy, marry me!]

[Forget it, girl. He's probably in his forties or fifties now. His kids are probably in college. You've got no chance!]

Minute after minute passed.

Countless comments scrolled by, but none offered anything useful.

"Hahaha!"

Gao Zisheng laughed again. "See? I told you there was no one. It's all fake!"

Even Yue Xiaofei's heart slowly sank.

Was there really no way to find Uncle Zhao and prove my father's innocence?

Just then!

A distinctive gold comment suddenly floated across the screen, impossible to miss.

The sender's username was "Jianghu Know-All"!

He had a super VIP account and had spent millions on the platform.

[Jianghu Know-All: I might know him! Judging by his features and bearing, he could be Zhao Mengsheng, the eldest son of the Longdu Zhao Family—the prince of capital high society twenty years ago!]

The Longdu Zhao Family?

A prince of capital high society?

The viewers cracked jokes as soon as they saw the comment.

[Hahaha, are we about to get a rich-family feud?]

[Prince of capital high society? Then I'm the country's next leader!]

[If Yue Xiaofei had an uncle that powerful, would the Gao Family still be able to bully him?]

[Maybe it's just someone with the same name!]

[This "Jianghu Know-All" is probably making things up for attention!]

But when Lin Tiejun and Lei Zhen saw the comment, their faces changed instantly.

They exchanged a glance and saw the same shock and gravity in each other's eyes.

Ordinary people had limited horizons!

Like frogs at the bottom of a well, they could see only a patch of sky overhead!

They had no access to information from the upper echelons!

But these two were different!

As generals, neither man stood at the very top, but both had heard rumors of Longdu's Eight Great Clans.

The Eight Great Clans were as old as the nation itself, their standing second to none!

Their influence reached into every corner of the Dragon Kingdom.

And the Zhao Family stood among the foremost of the eight.

Every descendant of the Zhao Family was exceptional. Not one was mediocre.

The Zhao heir of twenty years ago, in particular, had been a once-in-a-century talent. Even at a young age, he had shown astonishing ability and finesse, and people had seen him as the family's future leader.

But he had always been intensely secretive. Few people had ever seen his face.

Even Lin Tiejun and Lei Zhen lacked the standing to know what he looked like.

"Hoo..."

Lin Tiejun took a deep breath and suppressed his shock. "Xiaofei, do you know what the Longdu Zhao Family represents?"

"Not really."

Yue Xiaofei had his suspicions, but he shook his head.

"They're one of the country's most powerful families! But this Zhao Mengsheng absolutely cannot be their eldest son," Lin Tiejun said firmly.

Lei Zhen agreed. "That's right. Absolutely impossible!"

"Why?"

Yue Xiaofei asked without thinking.

Leaning on his cane, Lin Tiejun slowly explained:

"Think about the Zhao Family's standing."

"If one of their descendants wanted to join the military, even a member of a branch family would start at the rank of school officer, let alone the eldest son. How could he start as an ordinary soldier?"

"And Zhao Mengsheng in that photo is wearing an ordinary soldier's uniform. It doesn't fit the identity of the Zhao Family's eldest son at all."

Lei Zhen added, "The Zhao heir is destined to lead the entire family. How could he serve as an ordinary soldier, sleep in the same bunk as your father, and drink from the same canteen?"

Yue Xiaofei listened. Their reasoning made some sense.

But if that was true.

The glimmer of hope that had just appeared was fading again.

Even online, no one seemed to know Uncle Zhao!

Then there was no way to prove his father's innocence!

"Don't lose heart, Xiaofei!"

Sensing his disappointment, Lin Tiejun patted him on the back. "We haven't forgotten about your father. Sooner or later, we'll get to the bottom of it!"

"That's right!"

Lei Zhen nodded. "For now, let's settle what's in front of us! Those Gao Family scum dared to attack a hero's son. They'll pay for it!"

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes turning sharp.

"Guards!"

Lin Tiejun roared, "Arrest Gao Zisheng and all those hundreds of thugs outside!"

At those words!

The thugs outside stirred, ready to flee.

But Lei Zhen's next words froze them in place.

"Anyone who resists will be shot on the spot!"

"Yes, sir!"

The guards answered in unison and charged at them like wolves.

"Ah... I'm still young! I don't want to go to prison!"

At the words "shot on the spot," Gao Zisheng shuddered. His crotch suddenly went wet, and a pungent smell rose from him.

Had he pissed himself in fear?

"That stinks!"

Lin Xiaolu covered her nose and backed away.

The other bystanders covered their noses too, their eyes full of contempt.

Some Gao Family young master!

He'd been throwing his weight around a moment ago, and now he'd pissed himself. What a coward!

The guards were just about to drag Gao Zisheng away!

"WEE-OO! WEE-OO! WEE-OO—"

Urgent police sirens sounded in the distance and drew closer.

More than a dozen police cars raced up and stopped outside the military subdistrict headquarters.

A black Audi A6 led the convoy.

Bang—!

The car door opened, and a middle-aged man in a black uniform stepped out.

He was powerfully built, with a square face that commanded respect even without a scowl.

A bystander recognized him and cried out:

"Bureau Chief Hou is here!"