Chapter 230 - Is he your son?

"Xiao Yunjie?" Head Manager Han repeated the name to make sure that he heard it correctly. 

"Yeah, he should be around your age back then."

Head Manager Han thought about it for a moment before saying, "I don't recall anyone by that name, but… You know, that was at least 30 years ago, and I wasn't the type to hang out with others."

"He might not be going by that name. I can't find any information on him, but his adoption paper mentioned that he was adopted from the same orphanage that you were in," Han Ye said. He took out his phone and looked for the photo that he secretly took from the photo frame in Xiao Lei's room. It was a family photo of her family.  

Head Manager Han looked at the photo of the bearded man with sharp features, long lashes, and sad eyes. He then looked at Han Ye and shrugged. "No recollection."

"Do you think that our boss did something to the record?" Dr. Wing asked after a while. 

Head Manager Han glanced at her for a moment before denying it with a shake of his head. "No. Boss won't do things like this unless he's bringing someone into the group. There's no benefit in destroying someone's record while sending them to be adopted by others."

"An infiltration?"

"The kid would have to be trained since birth then."

Other than the direct family members of the Shenlong Family, the remaining non-related members were mostly adopted when they were around primary school years as that was the period where their behaviors could no longer be attributed to ignorance and could easily be measured. 

Dr. Wing thought for a bit before saying, "What if one of the heirs did something back then? Or President Du Jin?"

Head Manager Han thought for a moment. "President Du Jin didn't really spend much time with kids other than his son and Young Master Xun. Master Fei Huang was the one who was responsible for recruitment back then, but he wasn't the type to do anything unless he was sure that the candidates were suitable to be brought into our world. He definitely wouldn't help a kid get adopted."

Dr. Wing thought about it and agreed with his statement. "How about the late Master Shenlong Yanhuang?"

When Head Manager Han heard her, he slowly placed his hands into his pant pockets and took out his box of cigarettes and a lighter. He then took a cigarette out and lit it. 

After taking a few puffs, he said, "Master Yanhuang has never been involved in recruitment."

"Oh... "

"But he brought a kid to the orphanage once."

"A kid?" Both Han Ye and Dr. Wing asked in unison.

Head Manager Han nodded. He remembered it because he saw Shenlong Yanhuang that day.

....

At the orphanage, 

The young Han Xuan was chasing an older boy with a knife because the older boy thought that Head Manager Han was a quiet and easily bullied kid. The older boy tried to threaten Little Han Xuan into listening to him, but Little Han Xuan ignored him. 

The older boy then called a few of his friends to lock Little Han Xuan up in a closet. Upon being released by one of the kids at the orphanage, Little Han Xuan went to the kitchen and got the knife. 

He went to look for the older boy, and when the older boy saw Little Han Xuan walking toward him with a scary expression, he immediately started running, which prompted Little Han Xuan to give chase. 

When the older boy tripped and fell on the grass, Little Han Xuan smirked evilly as he placed his foot on the scared older boy's chest and snarled, "Afraid now, don't you?" 

He stooped lower and placed the knife on the older boy's cheek and whispered, "Should I cut off your nose or your ear?" 

The older boy was so terrified that he started crying.

Little Han Xuan laughed cruelly and said, "If you're going to bully someone, at least choose your target wisely. Didn't anyone tell you that I'm a murderer?" 

"P-please! I was wrong!" the older boy cried as he begged for forgiveness. 

"Enough!" 

Little Han Xuan glanced behind and saw a man dressed in a dark blue suit staring at him. The man exuded a scary aura that caused Little Han Xuan to freeze up. In the man's arm, there was a little boy with shoulder-length hair who looked like he was about six or seven. The little boy was holding something that looked like a pendant, which was hung loosely around the man's neck, and his head was rested on the man's shoulder.  

Little Han Xuan noticed that the boy was scarily thin, even for one as young as him.

"Come here," the man ordered as he patted the little boy's back as if he was trying to comfort the little boy.   

Little Han Xuan felt as if his will were stolen from him. He stood up and slowly walked to the man. When he was right in front of the man, the man asked in a stern voice, "What were you doing with the knife?" 

Little Han Xuan bit down on his lower lip. He tried to resist the urge to answer the man. 

The man glared at the older boy who was now running away from the scene. He then glared at the knife on Little Han Xuan's hand. "Do you like to bully others?" 

Little Han Xuan did not reply to him. He merely glared at the unknown man. For some reason, the man's eyes sent shivers down his spine, and despite wanting to run, he could not gather the courage to do so. 

"I'm asking you a question, boy!" 

"No!" Little Han Xuan hissed. 

"Did he pick on you first?" The man could see. The older boy who ran off was almost twice as big as the boy in front of him. There was no way that this younger boy could be the first to attack. The intelligence brimming from the younger boy's eyes told him as much. 

Little Han Xuan did not reply. He merely glared at the man. 

The man then asked, "What's your name, kid? Don't try to lie to me. I can find it out easily." 

Little Han Xuan narrowed his eyes at him. He raised the knife in his hand. "I can kill you." 

The man stared at him. "Try it." 

"I've killed before!" Little Han Xuan warned.  

"So have I. Do you want to challenge me?" the man asked with a sneer.  

Little Han Xuan growled. He glanced at the little boy. The little boy was looking at Little Han Xuan with eyes that were older than his body. The little boy's long eyelashes fluttered and there were tears in his eyes. The little boy held the pendant tightly as he mumbled something inaudible. 

Little Han Xuan sighed and put down the knife. "I was only joking with him."

The man noticed that Little Han Xuan's eyes were on the little boy. He glanced at the little boy in his hand and gently cupped the boy's face. He then looked at Little Han Xuan and said, "This is... Jie."

"Is he your son?" 

The man looked at the little boy for a few seconds before he answered Little Han Xuan. "In a way, yes."