Chapter 92: A Sudden Revelation

In the extremely cold land.

Ren Ye had pondered for a long time before finally selecting the personnel for the rotating shifts.

The first group: Xu Qingzhao, Imperial Inspector Liu, Horsekeeper, and Scholar.

The second group: Tang Feng, Li Yan, Xing Tao, and Guo Cai’er.

At first glance, the selection of these two groups seemed random, but in reality, Ren Ye had carefully considered his choices.

For example, the Scholar in the first group was his sworn enemy, so he chose Xu Qingzhao, who had combat abilities stronger than most men, and Imperial Inspector Liu, who was physically strong but had an obsessive desire to fight women.

As for Guo Cai’er and Xing Tao, he had debated whether to separate them. However, after thoroughly analyzing the opposing faction’s situation, he ultimately decided to keep them together…

With everything settled, the two groups rotated shifts while Ren Ye monitored them. Together, they resisted the cold wave.

…

Evening.

In the Capital, inside a hotel named “Annual Rings.”

“Ring, ring!”

A phone rang. Yan Duoduo pulled out his phone and softly said to Huang Wei, “You guys keep talking, I’ll step out for a moment.”

“Alright, Boss Yan,” Huang Wei responded before turning to look at Ren Daguo, who had just finished unpacking his luggage. With a smile, he said, “Big Brother, while you’re in the Capital, Boss Yan and I will be taking turns watching over you. Either he’ll accompany you, or I will… The same goes for your daughter.”

Ren Daguo poured himself a glass of water and looked at him in confusion. “Even when I go to the bathroom, you guys will accompany me?”

“…We could, if needed,” Huang Wei joked, having grown comfortable around the old man. He reminded him in a half-teasing tone, “The higher-ups want us to be very thorough.”

Ren Daguo sat on the sofa, frowning deeply. Suddenly, he asked, “Is my son okay?”

What did “thorough” even mean?

Huang Wei’s words were clear—he and Yan Duoduo were to follow Ren Daguo 24/7, even possibly sleeping in the same room. What kind of case required such a rigorous level of “thoroughness”? His question revealed the deep concern of a father.

“He’s fine, he’s fine. Don’t worry, it’ll only be a few days. Once Ren Ye finishes his mission, he’ll come to the Capital as well,” Huang Wei reassured him with a smile.

…

In the hotel hallway, Yan Duoduo carefully pulled out a handkerchief and meticulously wiped off invisible dust from his phone before pressing the answer button. “Hello, Leader.”

“Why do you take so long to answer? Are you wiping your phone again?” An elderly man on the other end scolded in a raspy voice. “Next time I call, if you don’t pick up within five seconds, I’ll deduct your Stellar Essence!”

“N-No, Uncle Chen,” Yan Duoduo quickly denied, well aware of the old man’s temper. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s urgent,” Uncle Chen paused briefly before continuing, “After thorough consideration, the headquarters has decided to change our approach regarding Ren Ye’s father. Here’s what you need to do…”

Five minutes later, the call ended.

Yan Duoduo, usually mild-mannered, looked utterly exasperated, his brows furrowed tightly.

He stood in the hallway for a long moment, collecting himself, before heading to the guest room door. “Huang Wei, come here for a second.”

“Oh,” Huang Wei was momentarily stunned before turning to Ren Daguo. “Get some rest, Big Brother. I’ll take you out for a foot massage later.”

With that, he left the room and followed Yan Duoduo into the stairwell.

“What’s up, Boss Yan?”

The two locked eyes. Yan Duoduo’s brows tightened slightly. “I just got a call from headquarters. The higher-ups are ordering us to reveal the truth to Ren Ye’s father and then… take him to headquarters. Apparently, someone wants to see him.”

Huang Wei was dumbfounded. “Reveal the truth? You mean tell Ren Daguo… about Ren Ye entering a Star Gate? And we have to take him to headquarters? But headquarters has never been open to ordinary people!”

“That’s right,” Yan Duoduo nodded.

“This is ridiculous!” Huang Wei felt like his brain was about to explode. “Why does headquarters keep flip-flopping on how they handle Ren Ye’s situation?! I literally just told Ren Daguo that his son is on a case and that he shouldn’t worry. And now we’re bringing up Star Gates and supernatural phenomena? The man is old—do they want to give him a mental breakdown?! Ordinary people can only handle so much. If we mess this up… he’ll end up like Tang Feng! If he loses his mind, how the hell am I supposed to explain this to Ren Ye?”

Yan Duoduo remained silent for three seconds before using his official tone. “Huang Wei.”

“…Present!”

“On behalf of the Shanghai Vigil Keeper, I am officially ordering you to reveal the truth to Ren Daguo and ensure he accepts it.” Yan Duoduo was all business. “You’ll take the lead, but don’t let anything go wrong.”

Huang Wei, who was usually obedient around Yan Duoduo, gritted his teeth and muttered, “Ugh… rank really does crush people.”

Inside the hotel room.

Ren Daguo sat with his legs crossed, absentmindedly scrolling through his phone as he messaged a friend.

Back in the stairwell, Huang Wei had his hands on his hips, looking deeply frustrated. “Telling Ren Daguo the truth isn’t the hard part—the hard part is explaining it to Ren Ye when he gets back! He’s made it clear that he doesn’t want his family to know about the Star Gates. And Ren Daguo is just an ordinary person. After we tell him, he’ll have to sign a whole series of confidentiality agreements… Sigh.”

“The higher-ups wouldn’t have chosen this timing without a reason,” Yan Duoduo said thoughtfully. “After all, from our position, our perspective is limited.”

…

Five minutes later.

Huang Wei sat across from Ren Daguo. “Uncle—uh, no, Big Brother… I… You…!”

Ren Daguo frowned at Huang Wei, who was red-faced and visibly nervous. Then he glanced suspiciously at Yan Duoduo, who was still playing on his phone. “What’s going on? Did something happen to my son?”

“Ah, no, no!”

“Then why are you stammering? What is it?”

“Big Brother, what I’m about to tell you will be difficult to digest, hard to understand, and might leave you utterly shocked and confused.” Huang Wei lit a cigarette, using his usual recruitment speech with a magnetic tone. “But I believe that, given your life experience and education, you won’t lose your composure.”

Ren Daguo stared at him, pushing up his glasses.

“The truth is, Ren Ye didn’t go on a case…” Huang Wei paused, then opened his phone, entered a security code, and pulled up classified files on Ren Ye. “Here, look at this while I explain.”

Ren Daguo took the phone and began reading.

Moments later, his expression rapidly changed—first confusion, then shock… and finally, utter disbelief.

“Whoosh!”

Ren Daguo suddenly stood up, his face pale and his voice shaking. “You’re saying… my son entered a gate and then traveled through time?!”

“That’s basically it,” Yan Duoduo nodded slowly.

“You think I’m an idiot?!” Ren Daguo slammed his hands on the table, his face filled with skepticism and anxiety. “Even if I were writing a novel, I wouldn’t come up with something this absurd! Tell me the truth—where is my son?! Speak!”

His eyes were bloodshot, and his expression was fierce, ready to fight.

Huang Wei and Yan Duoduo exchanged glances. Then Yan Duoduo stood up and said in a measured tone, “I understand that this is hard to accept. But I just received orders from headquarters—someone up top wants to meet you. I don’t know who, but the place we’re going… is beyond what any ordinary person can imagine. Once you arrive, everything will become clear.”

Ren Daguo, seeing how serious they were, stiffened. “Did… did Little Ye agree to go?”

“Yes,” Huang Wei nodded. “I negotiated the deal myself. That’s how he was released from prison without going through any legal procedures.”

“Thud!”

Ren Daguo collapsed into his chair, looking dazed. “I knew something was off… What kind of case needs direct family brought to the Capital and given 24/7 protection? Turns out, my son time-traveled and is fighting ancient warriors… This is insane!”

…

Two hours later.

Their car pulled up in front of a bar called “Annual Rings.”¹

Ren Daguo had finally calmed down. Looking around the bar, he turned to Yan Duoduo and asked, “This ‘headquarters’ you mentioned… is it here? I don’t see anything unusual.”

“It’s not here,” Yan Duoduo shook his head.

“Then where?” Ren Daguo frowned, suspicious and tense.

“Above the Capital.”