Chapter 191: Chapter 191: Recovering Lost Memories

What on earth had happened? He’d only been sent out on a last-minute mission for one night, and when he returned, the entire camp had been wiped out—in such a brutal way. Xu Huai’an couldn’t accept this outcome.

Long-buried memories began to resurface.

In his dreams, he’d searched the mountains for survivors but found none. Instead, he unexpectedly stumbled upon traces of the enemy.

He hid behind a cliff and overheard someone angrily say, “How could you do this? Didn’t you promise me you’d only take prisoners, not their lives? That’s over five hundred lives!”

The voice was familiar, as if he’d heard it somewhere before, but for the moment, he couldn’t recall who it was.

“Don’t be mad! Times have changed. You killed so many of us—what’s wrong with collecting a little interest?” came a careless, mocking reply.

“But you’ve made such a mess of things. I’ll be exposed easily!” The man’s real concern was this.

Xu Huai’an’s pupils contracted in shock, his fists clenched tightly.

He’d always thought, even if his soldiers were timid, they wouldn’t just stand by as the enemy slaughtered them without a fight. Many had died with their eyes wide open, unable to rest in peace.

He never expected there was something fishy going on—an inside job! Someone had lured them there and slaughtered them mercilessly.

Who was it? Who could it be?

He bit his lip hard, forcing himself not to make a sound, until bright red blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

“What are you afraid of? I made sure everyone on this mountain was finished off. There’s no way anyone survived. Relax! This won’t affect you at all,” the man said smugly.

“You went too far. I can’t agree with this. I’ve kept my end of the bargain. From now on, don’t come looking for me again.”

“No problem. Our cooperation is over. As for what you wanted, we’ll make sure you get it. You’ll be promoted soon!”

“Bullshit! You don’t understand the Chinese at all. You’ve gone way too far this time. They’ll investigate this to the bitter end. I’ll be lucky just to keep my current position, let alone get promoted! Promotion? Dream on!” The man was gritting his teeth in anger.

Xu Huai’an looked up, straining to see who it was. He wanted to know who the traitor was.

The next second, he nearly collapsed, his hand gripping the cliff trembling uncontrollably.

It was him!

The last person he’d ever suspect of being a traitor was right there, coldly confessing his crimes.

No wonder the voice had sounded so familiar, but he’d never considered it could be him. Subconsciously, he’d always seen this person as a mentor and guide, someone he couldn’t bear to suspect.

Over the years, if he had to name the people in the entire military district who’d helped him most, besides the old commander and Ye Xiaotian, it would be Political Commissar He.

The old commander had recognized his talent, protected him time and again, and given him opportunities to grow.

Ye Xiaotian had been his company commander when he was just a rookie, teaching him the value and dignity of life and helping him build a strong worldview and values.

As for Commissar He, in Xu Huai’an’s memory, he was always a good man—gentle, smiling, always helping others solve their problems. Whatever the issue, you could go to him for answers.

He was like a guiding light.

He pointed people in the right direction. Many times, it was thanks to his help that Xu Huai’an found the right path.

Commissar He would organize classes in his spare time to help them catch up on their studies, and after class, he’d even pay out of his own pocket to treat them to special meals in the canteen.

Xu Huai’an had once fantasized that if only Commissar He were his father—how envious he was of his children, to have such a wise, learned, gentle, and kind father.

But in that moment, everything collapsed.

Xu Huai’an’s faith was shattered, crumbling to dust.

After they left, he crawled up the cliff on hands and knees, not knowing where to go or how to find his way back.

In the end, he simply returned to his fallen comrades, lying down among the corpses. Strangely, he felt a sense of security there, and drifted off to sleep.

Xu Huai’an opened his eyes, a single hot tear sliding down his cheek.

These were the memories he had chosen to forget—the ones too deep, too painful to face. But now, at last, he remembered.

He wasn’t a survivor of the 7/15 incident; he was a witness to the massacre.

Later, he heard that he’d been found among the bodies by those sent to collect them. The corpses were all cold and stiff, but suddenly someone touched a burning-hot “corpse,” got a fright, and thought it was a zombie. But when they checked, he was still breathing—burning with fever.

He was sent to the hospital for treatment, and when the fever broke, those memories were sealed away.

So everyone naturally assumed he’d just been lucky and survived the battle. No one knew that on that night, he’d secretly received a last-minute order from Commissar He to go into town alone on an anti-terror mission.

That was how he’d narrowly escaped the brutal one-sided massacre by the Vietnamese army. When he returned the next morning, the ground was littered with corpses, communication equipment destroyed, his comrades all dead without a sound.

That butcher had slaughtered everyone—except him.

What’s even sadder than sadness is when your enemy is right in front of you, and you should hate him, but you just can’t.

He’d let down the whole world, but had never wronged you in the slightest—so what could you do?

Xu Huai’an chose to forget.

Commissar He had tested him, openly and secretly, several times. But because he truly had forgotten, his performance was flawless, and Commissar He finally relaxed.

Later, Xu Huai’an developed psychological problems and was no longer fit for service. Commissar He personally handled his medical retirement, securing the highest possible compensation for him.

Their relationship was like father and son—mutual understanding, mutual care.

Yet behind all that warmth lay secrets no one knew.

After all he’d been through, Xu Huai’an could finally look back on it all with calm. This time, he would not back down.

The 7/15 incident had always been a pain in the old commander’s heart. He’d suspected a traitor in the ranks and investigated every lead, but found nothing.

It was also a pain in Xu Huai’an’s heart. Those five hundred men—he’d trained them himself, lived with them for years. How could he just forget?

Every time he saw blood, his mind would churn. It was his brothers reminding him—not to forget, to avenge them!

Justice may be late, but it will never be absent.

After all the twists and turns, fate had brought him back to this familiar circle, and made him remember everything.

Looking up at the brilliant stars in the night sky, it was as if they were watching over him.

“Captain, avenge us!”

“Captain, how could you forget us?”

“Captain Xu, don’t forget to bring me some pork head meat for Qingming.”

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