chapter 16 Hidden secrets from back then

"I dare not." These three trembling words echoed in their ears, and as they looked at Richard Su's tearful expression, Nick Jiang, Harper Liu and Mia Su were stunned. Why didn't Richard Su dare? If that was the case, why was he here now? "Sigh... I know you have many questions, and I will answer them one by one." As Nick Jiang and the others were filled with confusion, Richard Su wiped away his tears, took a deep breath to calm himself, and began to explain, "To understand all of this, we need to go back twelve years." This time, Nick Jiang, Harper Liu, and Mia Su remained silent. "Twelve years ago, Robert died unexpectedly." Richard Su spoke with deep pain in his eyes. Among the siblings in Robert's generation, he was the only one who did not involve himself in the family business. At the age of eighteen, he joined the military and became a member of the Zhanlong Special Troops. He was a comrade-in-arms with Nick Jiang's biological parents. Back then, whether in the Long Country or around the world, martial arts had not yet reached the level of prosperity they had today, and the military held more power than the martial arts community. As a member of the most elite special forces unit in Long Country, Robert Su was a source of pride for Richard Su. Later, even when martial arts became dominant, and the military waned, the Zhanlong Special Troops disbanded, and Robert Su returned to the Su family, he used the skills and connections he had honed in the Zhanlong to support the Su family. In such a situation, Robert Su's death was a heavy blow to Richard Su and a significant loss to the Su family. Even now, mentioning it still pained him deeply. Harper Liu and Mia Su wiped away tears when they heard Richard Su's words. Even Nick Jiang had a look of sorrow on his face. That man named Robert Su, although not his biological father, had treated him like his own child, and his affection for him even surpassed that of Mia Su. "After Robert's death, not long after, one evening, a mysterious person suddenly appeared at my residence and told me that the members of the Zhanlong Special Troops were being killed one by one. Robert's death was not an accident but a deliberate murder." Richard Su paused here, his emotions becoming more intense. Swish! Suddenly, Nick Jiang, Harper Liu, and Mia Su had shocked expressions on their faces! Including Nick Jiang, they had always believed that Robert Su's death was an accident! But now, Richard Su was saying that it was intentional! "Actually, when you think about it, Robert's death was indeed suspicious. He was a member of the Zhanlong Special Troops, and he was skilled not only in driving but even piloting aircraft and commanding warships. How could he have died in a car accident?" Richard Su said, closing his eyes wearily and adjusting his emotions before continuing, "The mysterious person reminded me that if someone was seeking revenge on the members of the Zhanlong Special Troops, it could very well endanger our family. He advised me to have you three leave the Su family, and it would be best to cut off all contact. Otherwise, the three of you could be in mortal danger, and the entire Su family could be in jeopardy!" "That night, the mysterious person left after saying these things. I used all my connections to investigate Robert's former comrades, and the information I received matched what the mysterious person had said; all the retired Zhanlong members had died, and it was considered accidental. After learning all this, I was in a state of panic and spent the entire night thinking. In the end, I decided to follow the mysterious person's advice. The next day, Mia, you secretly took the medicine that I had obtained at great cost and gave it to Nick. I used this as an excuse to drive you three out of the Su family." Richard Su spoke at length about the circumstances that led to him expelling Nick Jiang and the others from the Su family, then looked at them with self-blame and guilt. "If it weren't for that, how could I have done such a thing? Although the medicine was precious, it was nothing compared to the importance of you three." Listening to Richard Su's words, both Harper Liu and Mia Su were stunned. They had never truly understood why Richard Su had acted that way in the past, and they had even harbored resentment. They never expected that there was such a hidden story behind it. Nick Jiang was also shocked, and by observing Richard Su's expressions while he was speaking, he could almost confirm that Richard Su was not lying. "After you three left the Su family, I was worried that something might happen to you, so I had Gabriel Zhong secretly follow you until you returned to the Liu family. Only then did I feel relieved and informed Gabriel Zhong to leave." Seeing that Nick Jiang and the others remained silent, Richard Su continued, "From then on, I have always been keeping an eye on your movements, but I also remembered the mysterious person's warning, so I didn't dare to contact you or meet you, until Nick's incident eight years ago. At that time, when I learned about that incident, I considered whether to help the Liu family deal with the Zhen family to ensure Nick's safety. After all, it had been a long time since you left the Su family, and during that time, nothing unexpected had happened. Just when I was hesitating, I received news that the Liu family was willing to protect Nick, but Nick had left the Liu family and disappeared." Richard Su then turned his gaze to Nick Jiang. "Child, after you left the Liu family, I had Gabriel Zhong put in a lot of effort to find you, but I couldn't locate you." Nick Jiang sighed quietly. After all, he had followed his master to Longhu Mountain and secluded himself in the mountains for four years. There was no way the Su family could have found him. "Because I couldn't find Nick, I temporarily gave up on trying to find you until this incident with Mia happened." Seeing Nick Jiang remaining silent, Richard Su shifted his gaze to Mia Su and said, "I learned about the retaliation against the Liu family by the Zhen family and realized that the Liu family had no way to defend themselves. However, your actions, Mia, completely exceeded my expectations. Under your leadership, the Liu family managed to withstand the Zhen family's initial retaliation." "After that, as I mentioned earlier, I went to find Bart Jiang to deal with the marriage contract, but...," Richard Su spoke about the events leading up to the situation, then coughed again. "Dad, have a sip of water first," Harper Liu said, handing him a glass of water. Her kind-hearted nature had led her to fully believe Richard Su's words, and she no longer held any resentment towards him or the Su family. "Grandpa, according to what you said, you changed your decision not to see us again because of the mysterious person's warning from years ago. So why did you come back?" Mia Su asked, voicing her doubts. Although she believed Richard Su's words, she remained rational and pointed out the flaws in his story. "Because the mysterious person appeared again this morning," Richard Su explained, taking a sip of water. "He told me not to worry about the people who sought revenge against the Zhanlong Special Troops members endangering our family." "I see," Mia Su suddenly realized. "Grandpa Su, did the mysterious person tell you the reason? And who is this mysterious person? What does he look like?" Nick Jiang also asked, as he believed Richard Su's words but still had some doubts. He had returned, and the mysterious person appeared again, reassuring Richard Su that both their families were safe. Was it just a coincidence? "No, he only told me this information. I don't know who he is, and I don't even know what he looks like," Richard Su said, shaking his head. "Because he always wears a ghost-faced mask." Huh? Nick Jiang's expression suddenly changed! …………