# 1176
Chapter 1177: Just Who Exactly Are You People
The vehicle entered the outbound road, steadily heading toward the suburbs.
Suddenly, a figure rushed out from the roadside, blocking the vehicle's path!
Screech—!
The extended Lincoln braked sharply, the inertia causing everyone inside to lurch forward. They all looked up toward the car window, and upon seeing the figure clearly, everyone froze.
It was an elderly man with sweat dripping from his head, his back slightly hunched, his wrinkled face staring at the vehicle ahead. His eyes were filled with determination.
"Director Liu?" Baili Pangpang exclaimed in surprise. "Why is he here?"
"Looks like he came to catch up with Wu Quan."
An Qingyu glanced back, only to see Wu Quan also frozen inside the car, staring blankly at the figure in front of the car.
"But how did he know where we were going?"
"Linjiang's outbound road only has this one route. He must have come here to wait in advance." Secretary Jin explained timely.
In front of the car, Old Man Liu stepped forward. His gaze passed through the windshield and landed on Wu Quan, Li Xiaoyan, and Qian Cheng sitting in the back. That weathered face wore an expression of "as expected."
"You... you've been hiding so much from me." Old Man Liu苦涩地笑了笑。
In the sky, the clouds that had nearly dispersed began gathering once more.
Lin Qiye gazed at the figure in front of the car. After a moment of silence, he turned to look at Wu Quan, whose lips were pressed tightly together.
"Looks like there's no avoiding this this time..."
Wu Quan took a deep breath. "I'll get out."
He pushed open the car door, his feet touching the road surface. Li Xiaoyan and Qian Cheng followed closely behind. Their previously rigid and wooden expressions suddenly came alive, their eyes sparkling with vitality.
"Grandpa Liu!" Li Xiaoyan shouted, rushing forward and throwing herself into Old Man Liu's embrace.
She looked up at Old Man Liu, her red cheeks and her eyes darting about shyly. "Grandpa Liu... why are you here?"
Old Man Liu maintained a stern expression. "Hmph, if I hadn't come, who knows what you three would have been up to?"
His expression was gloomy, but the anger and unwillingness that had accumulated in his heart immediately dissipated by half the moment Li Xiaoyan threw herself into his embrace. The first reason was his instinctive softness toward the children, and the second was that Li Xiaoyan's gesture conveyed a message to him.
Look, the children still care about me, don't they?
Old Man Liu embraced Li Xiaoyan, his gaze shifting to Wu Quan and Qian Cheng. "You two, don't you have anything to say?"
Wu Quan remained silent for a moment. "I'm sorry, Grandpa Liu... we have to leave."
"Leave? Go where? Don't tell me you three brats who haven't even grown properly yet are going to join the military just like that Shen kid?"
Wu Quan was speechless.
That excuse about joining the military probably wouldn't work anymore, but he couldn't exactly tell the old man that he was running away because he'd killed someone and would be sent to prison, could he?
Just as Wu Quan was wrestling with his thoughts, the car door opened again. Lin Qiye stepped out, his voice gentle:
"Director Liu, these three children do have some things to take care of, but the specifics involve national secrets and cannot be disclosed for now."
"National secrets... Hmph."
Old Man Liu looked at Lin Qiye, his gaze growing increasingly complex.
"After that inexplicable fire four years ago, the Shen kid became mysterious all of a sudden. Later, when he said he was going to join the military, there were too many suspicious points. When you kids came to visit, that was suspicious too. The next day after those thugs cornered me, they showed up on our doorstep missing arms and legs, begging for mercy. When the Li Corporation wanted to force us to move, their entire family was wiped out before dawn. The Shen kid went to your place and didn't come back for four years. Now you want to take these children away too...
Are you trying to kill me?!"
Old Man Liu grew more agitated as he spoke. He raised his trembling hands and slammed them heavily onto the hood of the Lincoln.
Thump— thump—!
His face was full of confusion and pain!
He stared at Lin Qiye, parting his cracked lips, and spoke in a hoarse voice:
"Tell me... just who exactly are you people?!"
Old Man Liu's voice echoed through the air. Everyone in the car and Lin Qiye's group outside the car fell into simultaneous silence.
After a long while, Lin Qiye finally spoke,
"Director Liu, our identities are national secrets and cannot be disclosed...
But we are definitely not bad people. We are indeed soldiers as well, just protecting this country in another way that ordinary people cannot comprehend.
Shen Qingzhu is also one of us. Everything I said about his achievements is true, and he has actually done far more impressive things than what I described.
Perhaps when the war is over and the time comes when our existence can be made public, you will naturally understand."
Old Man Liu's brow furrowed tightly. He stretched out his hand, pointing to Li Xiaoyan in his arms, and to Wu Quan and Qian Cheng in the distance:
"What about them? They're only fourteen or fifteen years old. Do they have to do those things too? It's too dangerous! I don't agree!"
"Their situation is rather special. They don't need to do the same things we do, nor do they need to risk their lives. Moreover, the place they're going to is very safe." Lin Qiye said seriously.
Upon hearing this, Old Man Liu's expression relaxed somewhat.
His gaze swept over Wu Quan and the other two, his expression complex as he spoke:
"Can we talk with them alone?"
Lin Qiye glanced at Wu Quan. "Of course."
Old Man Liu led Wu Quan and the other two to the roadside, speaking seriously about something. Wu Quan turned his head from time to time to look at Lin Qiye and the others.
Cao Yuan rolled down the car window and lowered his voice:
"Seven Nights, that kid won't take the opportunity from Director Liu to refuse going to the Purification Chamber, will he?"
If it had been before seeing the memories of the fire four years ago, Lin Qiye truly wouldn't have been able to give a confident answer. But after watching that segment of memories, Lin Qiye had gained some new understanding of Wu Quan's character.
This child had been raised by Shen Qingzhu. He would absolutely never do anything treacherous. He had promised not to cause any trouble along the way, so he wouldn't use any other means to escape.
"He won't." He shook his head.
Just as Lin Qiye predicted, Wu Quan and the other two soon walked back to the car. Old Man Liu walked up slowly, looking as if he had aged several years in moments, and said helplessly:
"Since they're determined to go with you, then let them... Please take good care of them. I beg of you."
Old Man Liu hunched his body and bowed deeply to Lin Qiye.
Lin Qiye helped him up and spent a long time persuading him before finally sending him away.
Lin Qiye watched Old Man Liu's lonely retreating figure, his heart full of mixed emotions.
But what was even more precious was that he could respect every child's choices.
Wu Quan watched Old Man Liu leave, then turned around calmly and proactively opened the car door to get in.
"Let's go."
Lin Qiye nodded. The vehicle started again, speeding toward the military airport in the suburbs.