Chapter 228: Chapter 228

Even though he couldn’t see anything, he knew she was there, knew she was present, and just by smelling her scent, He Songzhi was no longer afraid.

Everything that needed to be said had already been said. She quietly wanted Rong Zhi to accompany her for a little while longer.

Suddenly, her eyelids felt very heavy. He Songzhi tried hard to open her eyes again as many scenes flashed through her mind like a carousel.

From joining the Sixth Group of Military Intelligence back then, infiltrating the enemy camp for intelligence and being captured, it was the members of her group who fought tooth and nail to rescue her.

Unfortunately, since that time, the Sixth Group of Military Intelligence gradually declined.

Later on, when the group disbanded, she returned to ordinary civilian life and found the most cherished treasure of her life on a freezing night in Beijing that could kill a person.

She didn’t regret marrying Rong Wei, nor did she regret the fate she received; the only regret she felt was for Rong Zhi.

On her deathbed, He Songzhi spoke with a voice as frail as silken threads.

Rong Zhi unfolded a cloth bundle and drew out several silver needles, swiftly and accurately piercing them into a few acupoints on He Songzhi’s head. She bent down slightly towards He Songzhi’s lips, trying to listen closely to what she was saying, gently responding, "I’m here, Mom, I’m here."

"Your... your Uncle Yu’s grave has a, has a secret compartment," He Songzhi said. Every sentence seemed exhausting and left her gasping for breath, she exhaled heavily before continuing with difficulty, "Take it and give the black bag inside to Yao Yao. The rest you... you hold on to."

Rong Zhi nodded in agreement, her actions continuing as the last skeletal hand grasped her wrist, and she quietly lowered her gaze.

He Songzhi slightly curled the corners of her lips, and a smile blossomed on her gentle and graceful face. Although her voice was light, it was incredibly sincere; reminiscent and solemn, she said, "Zai Zai, Mommy loves you."

In the next moment, the smile on the woman’s lips froze.

Rong Zhi maintained her bent posture, motionless.

She paused, momentarily bewildered.

The clock hanging on the wall ticked slowly, time seemed to have stopped here, and in the silence, she could hear her own breathing.

When the first snow fell in Beijing, He Songzhi passed away, lying peacefully in her hospital bed. Nourished throughout her waking moments by various precious care products, at over forty years old, she still appeared so young and beautiful.

Rong Zhi was by her side, holding her hand in silence.

A light sound came from the room, the hospital door opened.

"Big brother." Bai Su walked in and called out to her.

There was no response in the empty space.

Bai Su pursed his lips and called again.

Only then did Rong Zhi react. She turned her head, those usually starry fox-like eyes appeared as if all the stars had fallen, leaving only darkness.

"Ah," she emitted a slow and light sound, "you’re here."

"Rong Zhi," Bai Su lowered his gaze slightly, his throat rolling a couple of times uncomfortably, he took a deep breath and calmly said, "Do you want to rest first? There’s still much to do later, the funeral home... everything is prepared."

These arrangements had actually been in preparation since He Songzhi was admitted to the nursing home, and Rong Zhi was aware of them. She just hadn’t expected this day to come so soon.

She was about to finish researching the antidote pill; why did heaven have to be so unkind to her, letting her endure suffering and still taking away her closest family member?

Rong Zhi pressed He Songzhi’s cold hand against her face, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, muttering something quietly to herself that no one heard.

He Songzhi’s sudden passing disrupted the group’s subsequent plans.

Rong Zhi returned to Huqing District to change clothes and called Song Yue.

"You said you found a welfare home? Okay, how old are the children? I’ll ask if they are accepting anyone," Song Yue said.

He Songzhi’s funeral was personally arranged by Bai Su, Rong Zhi’s emotions were not very stable now, and she couldn’t manage these affairs herself, so she asked Song Yue to help and mentioned Rong Fengmian. Googlᴇ search ɴovelfire.net

Rong Zhi turned the key and pressed the accelerator, driving the SUV out of the garage, she thought for a moment and spoke slowly and deliberately, "Find one that’s roughly appropriate."

Hanging up the phone, Rong Zhi drove towards the Nanyuan Funeral Home that cooperated with He Nan Garden Cemetery.

When she was young, she didn’t know much about He Songzhi; it was after the Rong Family fire, when He Songzhi was unconscious, that she began investigating He Songzhi’s past after discovering a virus in He Songzhi’s system.

She had seen the name of the Sixth Group of Military Intelligence in the State Affairs Bureau archives.

A group existing to gather intelligence, the true identities of its members were classified as national SSS-level secrets, even the current authorities only knew of its existence, unable to access the actual information of its internal members.

The Sixth Group of Military Intelligence held the secrets of various aspects domestically and internationally, even down to individual level. There was nothing they didn’t want to know and nothing they couldn’t find out.

However, eighteen years ago, the Sixth Group of Military Intelligence disbanded, signed confidentiality agreements, seven members within the group went missing.

The Uncle Yu that He Songzhi mentioned before her death was Yu Shisheng, the leader of the Sixth Group of Military Intelligence, and Fu Yaoyao’s biological father.

Back then Yu Shisheng had risked his life to rescue He Songzhi from the research institute; before dying, he entrusted He Songzhi with the care of his wife and daughter. But when He Songzhi went to find them after properly burying him, Fu Yaoyao and her mother had long moved away.

Until Rong Zhi was six years old, she found the blood-covered child at the foot of a mountain; later, upon comparison, she discovered she was the daughter Yu Shisheng had sought for years.

Fu Yaoyao’s mother was killed by someone; she witnessed, with her own eyes, those people torturing and killing her mother, leaving an indelible psychological shadow on her young mind, consequently suffering from severe antisocial personality disorder.

The ones who murdered Fu Yaoyao’s mother were from the same faction that had imprisoned He Songzhi.

So, she and Fu Yaoyao share the same goal: to bring those who killed their relatives to justice.

Rong Zhi silently uttered the name S Research Institute twice in her mind, pulling her lips with no emotion, a hint of rampant hostility surfaced in her eyes.

Bai Su was dressed in black attire, tall and upright, standing by the door, greeting each person who came to the funeral, then Jiang Gujun would lead them to He Songzhi’s memorial hall.

Rong Zhi didn’t have many friends in Beijing; aside from familiar classmates at school, she hadn’t notified many people.

He Songzhi’s relatives severed all ties when she entered the Sixth Group of Military Intelligence years ago. When Rong Zhi arrived at the memorial hall, the entire hall was brightly lit, yet there were rather few attendees.

Zhao Hecheng and Tang Xuyun also came and approached the young girl’s shoulder, shaking their head, quite sorrowful, they said, "My condolences."

Rong Zhi nodded at them.

Bai Su’s friends also arrived.

"Third Young Master," Qi Ruiqin and his brother first took the prepared wreath to Jiang Gujun to arrange, they walked in front of the young girl, sighed, and said, "My condolences, take care of yourself."

Rong Zhi responded softly.

Seeing she didn’t want to say much, they tactfully left, then in the hall, they took a photo with Zhao Hecheng and others; since everyone was familiar, it wasn’t long before they gathered together, engaging in quiet conversation.

Bai Su finished handling the reception and condolence matters and came to the back lounge to find Rong Zhi, holding a thermal bag in his hands which looked like it contained a box inside.

He placed the bag on the table and opened the zipper, pulling out a thermal box.