Xie Dezhao agreed with a smile, but reminded her, "Your uncle said that the Special Forces isn't an ordinary department. We just came back from abroad, so we must be careful and not cause trouble. We don't want to make things difficult for your uncle."
Actually, his marriage to Speaker Long's cousin wasn't enough for their families to be particularly close.
They were both married and had no children, so the bond between husband and wife wasn't very strong.
Fortunately, Xie Dezhao didn't need to rely on Speaker Long to gain any benefits, so the two families got along well for the time being.
Xie Qingying quickly agreed and hurriedly finished her meal before returning to her room to dress.
She didn't want Huo Shaoheng to know she was there, so she went to the coffee shop early.
But what she didn't know was that with the nature of Huo Shaoheng's work, he must have full control of the coffee shop to be able to meet with her father, Xie Dezhao.
It was impossible for him to wait there in advance.
Huo Shaoheng was still on the way in his car when the people monitoring the coffee shop sent Zhao Liangze a message saying that Xie Dezhao's daughter, Xie Qingying, had gone to the coffee shop early and was having coffee and snacks at a coffee table separated by a screen.
Zhao Liangze forwarded the message to Huo Shaoheng and called him. "Mr. Huo, Miss Xie is also there. Should I ask her to leave?"
Huo Shaoheng thought about it and said calmly, "No need, just watch her. We don't have anything particularly confidential to ask today, we just want to find out what's going on. It'll probably take less than five minutes. "
Zhao Liangze took the order and sent it to the people monitoring the coffee shop to watch Xie Qingying and not cause trouble for Huo Shaoheng.
…
Xie Dezhao walked into the European-style coffee shop near Speaker Long's home on time.
"Sir, do you have an appointment?" An elegantly dressed waitress walked to his side and bowed.
Xie Dezhao looked around. The coffee shop was decorated very European-style and looked very authentic to someone who had just returned from Europe.
Most of the people here were foreigners, Caucasians, blacks, and of course, Huaxia people who had just returned from abroad.
It seemed that the owner of the coffee shop had also returned from Europe …
Xie Dezhao smiled at the waitress and said in a deep voice, "Thank you. I'm here to wait for someone …"
"Are you waiting for Mr. Huo?" The waitress bowed slightly. "Mr. Huo has made a reservation. Please follow me."
Xie Dezhao was a little surprised. He had thought they would be chatting in the cafe's lobby and hadn't expected Huo Shaoheng to book a private room.
Xie Qingying watched as her father, Xie Dezhao, followed the waitress into a private room. She couldn't help feeling vexed.
Then why did she follow him?
I thought I could eavesdrop on them …
Xie Qingying listlessly ordered another gram of Spanish seafood fried rice and sat behind the screen to eat.
This European-style cafe also served some simple food at night, such as this Spanish seafood fried rice, which was very authentic. It tasted almost exactly the same as the fried rice she had eaten when she traveled to Spain.
Huo Shaoheng had just walked into the cafe when she was gorging herself.
He wore a navy blue general's uniform. His shoulders were straight and broad, and he was unusually tall.
When he walked past a few tall white men, he was not inferior at all. Moreover, his reserved aura added to the sense of mystery. He was like a fascinating book that people could not help but want to get close to him and study him carefully.
Xie Qingying looked up from behind the screen to see Huo Shaoheng's silhouette striding past. Her eyes narrowed and she almost forgot to breathe for a moment.
After Huo Shaoheng walked past, she realized that she was suffocating. She covered her neck with her hand and took a deep breath. Looking at the seafood fried rice in front of her again, it seemed inferior …
…
Huo Shaoheng pushed open the door to the VIP room in the cafe and saw an elegant man sitting at the coffee table.
Judging by his age, he had taken good care of himself.
Some of the characteristics of the Xie family could be seen in his eyes. For example, he had a tall, thin nose that was very sculptural. His eyes were slightly sunken and his eyebrows were shaped like swords. He was elegant with a hint of sharpness, but his features weren't as handsome as those of the Xie family.
Huo Shaoheng walked in slowly and stood in front of Xie Dezhao. He nodded slightly and asked, "Are you Mr. Xie Dezhao?"
"Yes, I am. Are you Major General Huo?" Xie Dezhao suddenly felt nervous when he saw Huo Shaoheng.
Huo Shaoheng's attitude was very amiable and his eyes were calm and gentle without a trace of aggression. However, Xie Dezhao felt like he couldn't breathe.
"Yes, please sit." Huo Shaoheng motioned for Xie Dezhao to sit down and sat down across from him.
The waitress serving the private room came in and asked what they wanted.
Huo Shaoheng ordered a cup of Jamaican South Mountain black coffee, no sugar or milk, and a gram of Black Forest cake.
Xie Dezhao ordered a cappuccino with sugar and milk and a gram of tiramisu.
The waitress quickly brought the coffee and cake over and Huo Shaoheng and Xie Dezhao began to chat over the coffee and cake.
"I didn't expect to have such authentic cappuccino here. Look at how evenly the milk is whipped." Xie Dezhao first praised the coffee and then praised the tiramisu.
Huo Shaoheng only drank the coffee and didn't touch the black forest cake at all. However, he nodded. "This coffee tastes good."
The two chatted for a while but never got to the point. It was as if they were competing in patience.
Xie Dezhao finally couldn't take it anymore and pushed the coffee cup in his hand away. He frowned and asked Huo Shaoheng, "Major General Huo, I'm not here to talk about the coffee here, am I?"
Huo Shaoheng smiled slightly and said noncommittally, "Since it's a talk, we can talk about anything, including coffee."
"Alright, I'm done talking. Coffee, cake, and yes, although this tiramisu is good, it's not as good as my daughter's. My daughter's tiramisu is top notch. If there's a chance in the future, I'll treat Major General Huo to my daughter's tiramisu! "Xie Dezhao beamed at the mention of his daughter.
Finally, he was talking about his daughter.
Huo Shaoheng's brows furrowed slightly. He lowered his eyes and said nonchalantly, "Your daughter? Is it Miss Xie Qingying? She gets along well with Speaker Long's wife. How rare. "
"My wife is also a good woman. She treats Qingying like her own daughter. Speaker Long and his wife love me as well as her dog. "Xie Dezhao complimented his wife again subtly.
His remarried wife was seven or eight years younger than him but was already over forty. They weren't old couples.
Huo Shaoheng nodded. "Speaker Long's cousin? I've met her once. She's not bad. "
"Yes, when I met her in Europe, she was sketching in the suburbs alone. It was raining heavily and she couldn't make it back, so she stayed at my house for the night." Xie Dezhao's expression softened as he recalled meeting his remarried wife. He wasn't as nervous anymore.
Huo Shaoheng slowly got to the point. "Do you still plan on having children? As far as I know, you only have one daughter, Miss Xie Qingying, right? "
"Huh? Children … "Xie Dezhao's beautiful memories were suddenly interrupted by Huo Shaoheng's mention of children.
He frowned and looked away to look at the abstract painting on the wall of the single room. He said unhappily, "I'm already so old. I'm going to have grandchildren soon. Why would I want children?"
"What if your wife wants one?" Huo Shaoheng clasped his hands together and placed them on the coffee table, slowly breaking down Xie Dezhao's defenses.
"Her? No way? "Xie Dezhao's frown deepened." We've never talked about this before. Maybe it's not necessary. We're not young after all. I'm almost fifty and she's in her early forties. Can we still have children? "
"If both parties are healthy, it's not impossible to have a woman in her forties." Huo Shaoheng smiled and lowered his head to take a sip of coffee.
The bitter coffee actually had a sweet aftertaste in the mouth. This was the beauty of coffee.
The first sip was bitter, the second was special, the third was sweet, and by the fourth, it was inseparable.
Xie Dezhao suddenly clenched his fists. He was agitated. "No! No! We don't want children! Women giving birth is a huge blow to their bodies! I don't ever want to see a woman give birth again! "
Huo Shaoheng had learned from his cousin that Xie Dezhao's first wife, Gu Tian, had a health breakdown due to childbirth. She lost all her immune functions and caught a small cold during her confinement period before dying.
This was a knot in Xie Dezhao's heart. Otherwise, he wouldn't have remarried more than twenty years after his wife's death.
Huo Shaoheng wasn't a psychiatrist and his goal wasn't to help Xie Dezhao resolve this knot.
All he wanted to know was where Gu Tian came from and who was in her family.
"Mr. Xie, you can't say that. It's normal for most women to give birth." Huo Shaoheng's fingers began tapping on the coffee table.
Xie Dezhao was immersed in his past memories. As if hypnotized, he said dreamily, "No, you don't know. Qingying's mother … she had poor health because of childbirth. I knew that. I told her that she didn't need to have children. There were so many people in the Xie family and so many children. It didn't matter if we had one or not. But she wouldn't listen and insisted on having children … "
"Really? Miss Xie's mother had poor health? You knew that when you married her? "Huo Shaoheng pushed the topic forward.
Xie Dezhao nodded with a pained expression. "I knew, but I loved her, so I married her. She was so happy that she secretly got pregnant and wanted to give me a surprise. She told me not to worry and said that her brother was prepared for it. She would definitely give birth smoothly. "
"Her brother? Your deceased wife's brother? Who is he? What's his name? " Huo Shaoheng also became nervous. Although he didn't show any reaction on the surface, his heart was boiling like lava before a volcano erupted.
"Her brother? Gu Xiangwen? You don't even know such a famous person? " Xie Dezhao looked up at Huo Shaoheng, his tone sarcastic. "What a good brother who dotes on his sister. How could he leave her in the lurch!"
Huo Shaoheng clenched his fists tightly. He looked at Xie Dezhao quietly and didn't speak for a long time.
Xie Dezhao's hair stood on end under his gaze and he didn't dare to meet his eyes. He looked away awkwardly and muttered, "I'm sorry. I was too angry. I shouldn't have said that about him …"
Huo Shaoheng snapped out of his daze and interrupted Xie Dezhao. "You said Gu Xiangwen is famous? Famous in what way? I don't think I've heard that name before. "
Xie Dezhao looked at him for a while. Seeing that he didn't seem to be lying, he frowned and thought about it. Then he suddenly understood and smiled. "Oh, I was thinking too much. Gu Xiangwen is famous overseas. Even if the people in your country know him, they don't know his name. "
"Then what's his name?" Huo Shaoheng thought to himself. No wonder they couldn't find anything after investigating for so long.
Xie Dezhao picked up a pen from the coffee table and wrote "Kevin Ku" on a napkin. "That's his English name. All his published papers use this name. You can find it online."
Huo Shaoheng took the napkin and looked at it without batting an eyelid. He put it aside as if it was of no importance. "Oh, he's a scholar? What kind of research does he do? "
"I'm not sure either. I only know that he has many patents that are widely used overseas. Although he keeps a low profile, he's extraordinarily wealthy. He's one of the hidden billionaires." Xie Dezhao said nonchalantly.
Of course the Xie's wouldn't be interested in other people's money.
In fact, if Gu Tianruo hadn't had this rich older brother, she wouldn't have had the chance to meet Xie Dezhao and fall in love with him.
"Is that so? Do you still keep in touch with him?" Huo Shaoheng asked casually. "Our country can consider recruiting such a famous person."
"Haha …" Xie Dezhao's expression suddenly changed. He laughed coldly and curled his lips in disdain. "So what if he's famous? I don't want to talk to someone who goes back on his word and doesn't even care about his own sister's life! In fact, I haven't contacted him since my wife passed away. "
Huo Shaoheng was speechless.
"Twenty-six years ago, at my wife's funeral, I beat him up and chased him away. I told him never to come back to my house!" Xie Dezhao slammed the coffee table angrily, unable to contain his anger.
"So you haven't contacted him for twenty-six years?" Huo Shaoheng's heart sank. "Then he's never come to see his own niece?"
"There's no point in him coming. I never let him in. He still came a few years after my wife passed away, but I chased him away every time. He stopped coming and only sent birthday gifts to Qingying every year. " Xie Dezhao paused, a hint of confusion in his voice. "But he hasn't sent birthday gifts to Qingying since six years ago."
Six years ago again …
What exactly happened six years ago?
Huo Shaoheng was basically certain that Gu Xiangwen was Gu Nianzhi's father, but he never imagined that Xie Dezhao and Gu Xiangwen would have such a deep grudge that they hadn't seen each other for over twenty years.
So Xie Dezhao didn't know what Gu Xiangwen had done in the past twenty years, and he certainly didn't know about his niece, Gu Nianzhi.
Gu Nianzhi hadn't even been born when the two families had a falling out.
※ ※ ※
This was the first installment of 4,000 words. A reminder for the monthly votes and recommendation votes!
Today was Monday, so recommendation votes were especially important!
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