Song Yaling didn’t believe that Gu Tinglin would know the truth. 

The base hospital couldn’t do a paternity test. Even if he really had doubts, the natural disaster destroyed everything, and what happened that year could not be traced back. 

Moreover, in the past few years at the military base, she and Yanfei had never mentioned Jiang Ning. Even when Gu Tinglin asked about her previous residence at the beginning, she didn’t even mention the villa area. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll ask.” 

Song Yaling took a deep breath, picked up the intercom, and walked to the balcony to contact Gu Tinglin’s secretary… 

… 

The distance from the residential area to the military strategic zone was over 20 kilometers, passing the base hospital, plantation, industrial zone, airport, and finally reaching the vast ocean. 

Entering the military zone, towering soldiers stood guard, the army trained intensively, and radars on the high platform constantly rotated. 

The parking lot was filled with countless earthquake-resistant buses. 

The airport was full of various large military helicopters. 

On the coastline, there were ocean-going ships, military warships, escape pods, and submarines… 

It was endless and densely packed, extending to the edge of the sea. 

Seeing all this, Jiang Ning got goosebumps all over her body. So this is the power of the country. 

In the distance, a large transport ship blew its horn and slowly approached the shore. The ship was full of giant containers. 

If she guessed correctly, it was full of products of civilization, which were transported by sea to the Southern Military Region for unified protection.  

In the heavily guarded military area, Jiang Ning could only glimpse it secretly instead of looking at it openly, but it was still overwhelming. 

After passing through many checkpoints, the car stopped at the military office area. Officer Xiao Tang led three people and a dog through the area, walked through two buildings, and climbed the stairs to the chief’s office. 

Jiang Ning frowned, wondering if such formality was necessary for a simple thank you? She hoped it wasn’t a trap. 

Huo Yishen also felt that it was too much, but in the military zone, the two could only communicate with their eyes —ready to adapt as needed. 

Jiang Ning thought that over the years; to save time, she had rarely entered the space unless necessary. If her secret was exposed, hiding in the space for a few months wouldn’t be a problem. 

But she couldn’t bring people from afar; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been forced to separate when they were suddenly attacked by the sandstorm last time. 

So, they would have to get closer later. 

Huo Yishen gave his sister a look, and Jiang Ning patted the dog’s head as a signal—if anything seemed wrong, they would retreat. 

If they could just hide for a few months, the plate collision would probably have already occurred, and the military would have no chance to sit back and wait. 

Just as she was thinking about it, the door of the office opened, and the secretary walked out. “Comrade Huo, right? Please come in.” 

Was it a plan to separate and eliminate them? Jiang Ning immediately felt nervous and wanted to retreat with Huo Yishen. 

The secretary stopped her, “Miss Jiang, please wait a moment.” 

There were soldiers on guard ten steps away, and Jiang Ning could not do anything. She could only watch Huo Yishen go in alone, and the heavy wooden door closed immediately. 

Secretary He waited beside her, with a faint smile on his face, so that no one could tell what was going on. 

Jiang Ning’s heart rose to her throat, and she instantly felt like she’s sitting on pins and needles. 

There might be something suspicious. What kind of thank you requires such a grand gesture? 

Doudou became nervous and subconsciously looked at Jiang Ning. 

Coke gnashed his teeth, feeling that there was a battle to be fought! 

Every second felt like torture, with sweat in her palms. Jiang Ning strained her ears to catch any sounds, but the office was well soundproofed, and the secretary was secretly observing her movements. 

She could only play dumb and maintain a calm face. 

The door opened, and Huo Yishen walked out unharmed. 

Though only ten minutes had passed, Jiang Ning felt it was as long as being fried in a pan. 

Secretary He stepped forward politely. “Ms. Jiang, please come in.” 

The two had no chance to communicate, but when their eyes met, Huo Yishen gave her a reassuring look. 

The office was large but simple and plain. Except for the desk full of documents to be processed, the rest was neatly arranged. 

The chief lowered his head to answer the phone, as if he was talking about business. “Wait a minute, I’ll be there soon.” 

After hanging up the phone, he looked up and said, “Jiang Ning?” 

Jiang Ning was slightly surprised. She didn’t expect that the head of the military zone was the big shot whose car had broken down just as they were about to enter the base. 

His stern features were softer than when she had first met him, with a hint of a smile in his eyes, which oddly made Jiang Ning feel less nervous. 

But she came back to her senses in an instant and reminded herself not to be fooled by appearances. 

Someone who could reach this position was no ordinary person. She tried to maintain a polite smile and said, “Hello, Leader.” 

Gu Tinglin looked at Jiang Ning, who had a beautiful face and delicate features in front of him, and waved. “Sit down.” 

Despite the alarm bells ringing in her mind, Jiang Ning calmly sat down across from him. 

Gu Tinglin looked at her carefully. “Are you from Fengcheng?” 

“Yes.” 

“I’m from Yuecheng next door. When I was young, I loved to go to Fengcheng. I have many friends there…” 

The head of the military base is chatting with her about family matters? Something is strange here! 

But what can Jiang Ning do? She can only smile and try her best to keep smiling. 

“I have seen your information. Did you grow up in an orphanage?” 

You have seen it all. What else is there to chat about? On the day of identity verification, the staff almost took off her underwear. Isn’t this asking knowingly? 

After all, he is a big leader of the military base, and she is on his territory. Can Jiang Ning still go against him? 

“Yes, I was abandoned and sent to the orphanage right after I was born.” 

Gu Tinglin looked momentarily stunned but then asked calmly, “Was it difficult growing up in the orphanage?” 

“It’s not easy to eat at the expense of others.” He wanted to talk about it, so Jiang Ning went along with him. She had already explained this before, so she decided to see what he was up to. 

“When I was young, I picked up garbage and swept the toilet. When I was older, I fought or was beaten by others, and then I worked hard to make money to support my studies.” 

It was difficult; how could it not be? 

But looking back, Jiang Ning was grateful for those hardships. They made her stronger and more resilient during natural disasters. 

Without those earlier experiences, she might never have met Huo Yishen and would have continued to live like a sharp, defensive hedgehog. 

Gu Tinglin was lost in thought for a moment before asking, “Did you ever hate your parents?” 

Jiang Ning did not hesitate. “I should have hated them when I was a child, but later I got used to it. When the natural disaster came, I was extremely lucky not to be dragged down.” 

Gu Tinglin wanted to speak, but his phone urgently rang again. 

He stood up and extended his hand to Jiang Ning. “Thank you very much for your contribution to the base with Comrade Huo. If you have any difficulties in the future, you can always come to me.” 

Jiang Ning shook his hand, “No need to thank us; we’ve already received the corresponding points.” 

His hand was broad and calloused but warm. 

Gu Tinglin suddenly asked, “Are you interested in joining the army?” 

“No, I still have family to take care of.” 

He lowered his head and wrote something on the paper, then tore it off and handed it to Jiang Ning. “This is my encrypted communication channel. You can always contact me if you need anything” 

Jiang Ning was stunned but still took it. 

Holding the note, she left in a daze, but at the door, she turned back and said, “Your health isn’t great. You should see a doctor soon.”