Chapter 299: Chapter 299: The Death of He Liangong

Ever since Yujie Soap Factory built its new large workshop, business had indeed been getting better and better.

Gu Qinghuan provided two more soap formulas: one for making pig pancreas soap, and another for a stronger cleaning soap.

The idea to make pig pancreas soap came from Chen Fengqin, who mentioned that many rural people were reluctant to buy soap and still preferred to use wood ash. If they could produce a cheaper pig pancreas soap, it might be more popular in the countryside.

The cost of pig pancreas soap was indeed lower—just two cents to make, seven cents wholesale, and sold for a dime. Most rural families could afford it.

The other soap, with stronger cleaning power, was mainly targeted at city folk, making laundry and such more convenient.

Xu Huainian didn’t shortchange Gu Qinghuan either. For these two formulas, he paid her five hundred yuan directly, and also settled the fees for the previous two formulas, totaling a thousand yuan.

Gu Qinghuan accepted it without hesitation. After all, it was rightfully hers—Yujie Soap Factory owed its current success to her formulas and suggestions. She’d poured a lot of effort into the factory, especially in its early days.

Days passed by. Aside from her regular classes, Gu Qinghuan turned down almost all other distractions, focusing all her spare time on studying and reviewing, often reading until midnight or even later.

The reinstatement of the college entrance exam was drawing closer. If she waited until the last minute to prepare, it would be too late. She remembered there was only a month between the announcement and the actual exam.

Lin Xiaomeng was the same, throwing herself into her studies. She swore she’d never worked so hard in either of her two lifetimes. She didn’t expect to get into a top university like Huaqing, but at the very least, she wanted to get back to Beijing—that was her goal.

Beijing was her obsession. She wanted to return and prove to those who had bullied or abandoned her just how foolish they had been.

Gu Lanting was also working during the day and studying every spare moment. From his sister and the Ming family, he’d vaguely learned that big changes were coming, and the springtime for scholars was about to arrive.

-

Xu Huaian took leave and returned to Guangdong Province.

After more than a year of effort, Tang Zhenye had finally traced He Liangong’s background and wiped out all the forces behind him in one fell swoop.

When Tang Zhenye first learned that his longtime partner was a traitor, he spent a sleepless night thinking it over. He decided to bide his time and wait for the right moment. For He Liangong to have hidden for so many years meant he was after something big and wouldn’t risk exposing himself easily.

Tang Zhenye set his trap step by step, and finally, the net closed.

After He Liangong was caught, he didn’t offer much explanation. He just calmly asked, “Old Tang, when did you find out?”—like an old friend.

“A year ago,” Tang Zhenye answered, giving his old friend one last bit of respect.

“Haha, you really can keep your cool! I remember when we were young, you had a terrible temper—any little thing would set you off,” He Liangong said wistfully.

“Well, that was when I was young. I can’t stay young forever, can I?”

“I underestimated you!” Or perhaps, over the years, he’d gradually let down his guard around Tang Zhenye—after all, they’d known each other for over a decade.

“Actually, it wasn’t me who saw through you, Old He. Before this, I never guarded against you. The one who saw through you was someone else,” Tang Zhenye sighed.

“Who?”

“You know him too.”

He Liangong suddenly stood up. “It was Xu Huaian, wasn’t it?”

Tang Zhenye nodded. “That’s right.”

He Liangong could no longer keep his composure. He slammed his fist into the wall, blood seeping from between his fingers.

“That kid! I knew it was him! After hiding for over ten years, I ended up undone by a moment of weakness!”

Back when he was working with the Vietnamese, he could have completed the mission without anyone knowing. But he just couldn’t bear to sacrifice Xu Huaian. The kid was a born soldier—tough, resilient, destined for greatness. More importantly, deep down, he saw him as his own child.

Xu Huaian was everything he’d ever wanted in a son: tough, determined, unafraid of hardship, willing to fight.

For someone like him, living life on the edge, there was no way he could have a child of his own. He’d chosen this path—dancing on a knife’s edge every day, one misstep and he’d be doomed.

So, after much deliberation, he transferred Xu Huaian away ahead of time, at least saving his life. But that very action left a hole in his cover.

Afterward, he felt a twinge of regret. Someone like him had no right to act on emotion—his own life and the mission should have come first.

Fortunately, when Xu Huaian came back, he’d completely forgotten what had happened and suffered severe trauma, making it impossible for him to stay in the army. He tested him several times and, after confirming he had no memory, let him return home. That also meant they could never contact each other again.

He thought that after so many years, everything was settled. Who would have thought that one moment of weakness would plant a ticking time bomb?

People really can’t afford to be soft-hearted.

Tang Zhenye had rarely seen He Liangong so agitated.

“Old He, you did a lot of wrong things and lied to me for so many years. But in this matter, I have to thank you—for letting that kid go.”

“I let him go, but he didn’t let me off! ‘I’d rather betray the world than let the world betray me!’ My teacher was right—people in our line of work can’t afford to be sentimental. It’s laughable that I made such a mistake at my age! I really am getting old!”

He Liangong’s face was full of self-mockery.

“How do you know he didn’t give you a chance? When you met with the Vietnamese, he actually heard everything you said from below the cliff. He always respected you as a father, but his ‘father’ had killed hundreds of his comrades, sparing only him. To him, you were both his savior and his enemy. He couldn’t forgive your cruelty, but he couldn’t bring himself to shoot you, either. In that state, he forced himself to forget everything about you and became mentally ill. He gave you a chance. All these years, you could have walked away at any time, but you didn’t,” Tang Zhenye said seriously.

It seemed this old comrade really did care about Xu Huaian, or he wouldn’t be so downcast.

He Liangong was incredulous. “He… he really heard everything back then? Old Tang, can I see him one more time? If I can see him, I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

Xu Huaian came to Guangdong. After so many years, seeing He Liangong again—the man he both respected and hated—he found he could face him calmly.

His hair had turned gray, his spirit was broken, and being a prisoner was clearly hard on him.

“You’re here?” He greeted him with the same warm smile as always.

Xu Huaian sat down. “The old chief said you wanted to see me?”

He Liangong had wanted to ask many questions, but now that they were face to face, he found he didn’t want to ask anything at all. He simply said, “Is your illness cured? I heard from Old Tang you got married?”

Xu Huaian nodded. “I’m basically cured now.” He’d nearly forgotten those painful memories and didn’t want to bring them up again.

After a moment’s thought, he took out a family photo and handed it over. “This is my wife.” There was a hint of pride in his gentle voice.

He Liangong looked at it carefully and concluded, “You’re a good match.”

Xu Huaian carefully put the photo away.

“Huaian, this will be the last time we meet in this life. Is there anything you want to say to me?” He Liangong looked at him calmly.

“I struggled, I suppressed it, I even forced myself to forget, but in the end, fate made me remember everything. I’m sorry, but I can’t just stand by and watch over five hundred of my comrades die in vain. You and I were destined to be on opposite sides from the start. Still, thank you for sparing my life back then.”

He Liangong smiled, as if relieved. “Huaian, I wish you a bright future.”

As soon as Xu Huaian left the room, he heard someone shouting that He Liangong had committed suicide.

He rushed back in three steps at a time. He Liangong was already lying on the cold floor, having bitten down on the poison he’d hidden in his mouth. At least his death was relatively peaceful.

Perhaps, this was the best ending.

Xu Huaian bought him a coffin, honoring the bond they once shared.

He Liangong’s death set off a chain reaction, leading to a major shake-up in the entire military district. Tang Zhenye was swamped with work.

Xu Huaian boarded a plane back to Beijing.

By coincidence, a military plane was rerouted through Guangdong, and Tang Zhenye arranged for him to fly back—trains were just too slow, taking three days and nights to get there.

The military plane wasn’t large, with only a few rows of seats, all occupied by soldiers.

It was Xu Huaian’s first time flying. He didn’t know the protocol and just picked a random seat.

A young soldier stopped him, “Comrade, you can’t sit here, this is—”

The officer beside him waved his hand. “Xiao Wang, it’s fine. As long as the seat is empty, anyone can sit. Comrade, please have a seat!”

Xu Huaian felt a little embarrassed. The man’s bearing clearly marked him as a high-ranking officer. But since he’d been invited, he sat down beside him."