Chapter 190: The Truth That Came Twenty Years Late

Chapter 190: The Truth That Came Twenty Years Late

The first page wasn't experimental parameters or transaction records. It was a birth certificate, with a project name written at the top—Bloodline Continuation Project.

Under the fertilization source column, it was written clearly: Paternal genetic source, Ancestral authorizer, Lon.

Embryo cultivation method: Directed external gestation.

Delivery to guardian family: the Jones family.

David stood in front of the screen, his gaze sweeping over it inch by inch, his face expressionless.

Devereaux saw those lines and was so shocked he could barely speak. "This... my God..."

On Mia's end, there were two seconds of silence, even the keyboard sounds stopped.

Embryo successful...

Anonymous birth...

Secret transfer...

Forged identity...

At the bottom of the document was Lon's personal signature, the handwriting strong and vigorous, with only one sentence—"If I cannot protect this family, at least I must protect the family bloodline."

The server room was quiet, only the server fans still spinning.

David continued scrolling down. The files that followed began to completely tear everything open.

David's parents weren't randomly selected.

David's father had been one of Lon's most trusted external security consultants. David's mother was one of the few who knew part of the truth. They accepted this child, and they accepted the danger that might come with it.

Further down was an accident report. The surface report stated: nighttime car crash, brake failure, vehicle fire, all casualties.

After the hidden layer was decrypted, the real content jumped out. Execution approver—Douglas.

Collaborating party: the Soul Sanctum North American Liaison Department.

Operation objective: eliminate caregivers, cut off Lon's direct bloodline route, convert target infant into controllable asset.

Devereaux cursed under his breath. "These bastards treated the kid like cargo."

David said nothing, his gaze falling on the accident scene photos.

The charred vehicle body, police tape, medical examiner records, recovered evidence, and one note marked separately in red.

[Target infant survived. Subsequent transfer to secondary guardian. Recommend retention as long-term leverage against Lon.]

Mia spoke through gritted teeth. "Right now I want to hack into the Pentagon and clean out Douglas's entire retirement account."

David continued scrolling. The prison section opened up next.

This was actually another form of protection.

When Lon was imprisoned during his decline, it wasn't complete defeat—it was him fighting desperately from the worst possible position to pull his only remaining bloodline back to where he could see him.

He mobilized his remaining connections and got David sent to prison. On the surface, a prisoner. In reality, placed right under his own watch.

A Black Island internal memo sat quietly in the center of the page.

[Subject: David.

Restriction level: High.

Handling principle: Under no circumstances allow death by prison conflict, pharmaceutical testing, or external elimination.]

Attached was a long string of covert intervention records: food distribution adjustments, cell block transfers, emergency power cuts during riots, guard rotation lists, disguised priority allocation of medical resources, and one entry—the shortest but most important.

[Keep him alive. Teach him how to stay alive.]

Devereaux looked at those pages, his expression complicated. "Lon's mouth really was locked tight."

Mia snorted. "Typical old-school bastard. Does ten things, doesn't mention a single one, and acts like the whole world owes him money."

David stared at one of the surveillance screenshots.

It was a corner of the prison experimental area. A young him sat at a table, hands covered in blood, genetic collapse data spread out in front of him. On the other side of the lens, Lon watched him through the glass.

The note said only: [Like his father. But more ruthless than his father.]

The next page was the Summit Enterprises Ltd equity restructuring document.

The document was direct.

[Heir's psychological state unstable. Not recommended to inform of blood relation too early. After he possesses absolute self-preservation capability, transfer assets, channels, core connections.]

[Reason: If made public too early, he will once again become the bullseye for external forces to jointly contest.]

The last page was a video Lon had personally recorded.

David raised his hand and clicked it.

The Lon in the footage was older than in his memories, sitting in a wooden chair. Behind him was no luxurious office, just that narrow prison room.

He looked at the camera and was silent for a few seconds.

"If you're seeing this, it means I didn't get to tell you in person."

"You hate me. That's normal. What I owe you is more than you know."

"You're not an outsider, David. You're my grandson."

Lon paused, his eyes warm. "I wanted to give you an ordinary life, but I failed."

"I wanted to clear out the enemies first, then bring you back. Failed at that too."

"After your adoptive parents died, I did a lot of stupid things. The stupidest was thinking I could still fix everything through schemes. But the bigger the game, the more filth there is. By the time I understood, they already had their eyes on you."

"Those years in prison, I watched you grow up. You're stronger than me. They didn't corrupt you, this world didn't break you, and you walked right up to me on your own."

Lon raised his hand as if to touch the camera, then lowered it again. "Summit Enterprises Ltd isn't compensation. That money isn't worthy."

"I'm handing it to you so you can take the gun, take the knife, take the entire empire, and collect every debt for yourself."

"As for me—"

Lon smiled slightly. "If you're willing, call me Grandfather."

The footage ended.

David stood there, his expression complicated.

His misunderstanding of Lon was completely torn open in that moment.

Lon wasn't the one who threw him into hell—he was the one crouching in hell himself, desperately pushing David upward.

Mia's voice softened a bit. "David."

David raised his hand to close the video, his voice low. "Copy everything. Original files, mirror files, backup chains. Don't miss a single one."

"Already on it."

Devereaux looked at him. "You okay?"

David's face showed little fluctuation, but his eyes had completely changed. "I'm fine."

He stared at Douglas's approval signature on the screen, speaking each word deliberately. "But Douglas won't be."

Mia was about to respond when a piercing alarm suddenly exploded in her earpiece.

"Someone's breached the lower level!"

At the same moment, a huge crash came from the end of the alloy corridor, and the entire data vault shook.

The outer door looked like it had been hit head-on by heavy artillery. The center of the door panel caved in directly, lock bolts snapping in succession. A second explosion followed immediately, and the heavy alloy door flew completely off its frame, tumbling and crushing two rows of server racks.

Sparks scattered everywhere. Through the smoke and dust, heavy footsteps pressed forward, one by one.

Devereaux immediately drew his gun and flashed behind cover.

David turned around. The end of his cane silently opened, and dark red blade patterns emerged in the server room's cold light.

The smoke cleared. Outside the door stood a row of heavily armored mech soldiers, all wearing black-gray armor, shoulder-mounted heavy artillery arrays, federal military special regulation numbers on their chests.

The man at the front stood half a head taller than the others, built like a wall, his crimson prosthetic eye piercing through the smoke and locking straight onto David.

The man's face was covered in old scars, his smile cruel.

It was Dubois, Douglas's most trusted deputy.

He held a modified heavy railgun in one hand. His other mechanical arm slowly opened its outer layer, revealing densely packed micro-missile pods.

He swept his gaze over the fallen Silencers on the ground, then at the bloodline files still not completely closed on the large screen, and laughed. "What a shame, David."

"Since you've seen things you shouldn't have seen." Dubois raised his gun barrel, aiming at David.

Behind him, the entire squad of mech soldiers simultaneously raised their weapons. Red targeting laser dots covered the server room.

"Then stay here forever."