Chapter 300: Chapter 300: The Crescent Birthmark

""Comrade, you look familiar to me. Have we met somewhere before?"" The man suddenly took the initiative to strike up a conversation.

To be honest, Xu Huai’an also felt that this man looked strangely familiar. He searched his memory, and suddenly it came to him.

The first time he came to the capital, Gu Qinghuan had taken him to attend her stepsister Chen Zhaodi’s wedding. This man was the groom’s father.

He still remembered that back then, Yun Nianzhou had been quite hostile toward him.

That’s right—the man in front of him was Yun Nianzhou’s father, Yun Runtong.

He really hadn’t expected the man to have such a powerful background.

Although there were no epaulets on his clothes, Xu Huai’an could still tell from a few subtle clues that his identity was anything but ordinary.

""You’re Yun Nianzhou’s father, aren’t you? We met at the wedding two years ago!"" Xu Huai’an took the initiative to bring it up.

Yun Runtong immediately realized, recalling that his wife had said this young man looked just like him when he was young.

""Yes, look at my memory—it's terrible! You’re Qinghuan’s partner, right? I remember you came together back then. How is she these days?""

So much had changed since then, but Yun Runtong still felt guilty toward Gu Qinghuan. They’d gotten engaged, then broken it off, which had forced her to go to the countryside as a sent-down youth.

""Qinghuan is doing well. Her family is safe and healthy—that’s enough."" Xu Huai’an knew that if Gu Qinghuan were here, she would have said the same thing.

""That’s good."" Yun Runtong recalled the brotherly bond he’d once shared with Zhong Ziyan, and couldn’t help but feel a little sad.

Ziyan had doted on that niece of his and had told him to treat her as his own daughter in the future.

But now things had turned out like this—such is fate!

Now that the situation had changed so much, since he’d been transferred back to the capital, he was determined to do whatever he could to clear his friend’s name as soon as possible.

""Where are you working now?"" Yun Runtong belatedly realized that this young man was wearing a military shirt, and not many people could travel on a military plane.

Xu Huai’an answered honestly, ""The Ministry of National Defense. I’m currently studying at Huaqing Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers University.""

""The Ministry of National Defense? Lao Zhuo’s subordinate... I remember during the anti-terrorism operation two years ago, there was a young man who performed exceptionally well and was specially recruited into the army. That wouldn’t happen to be you, would it?""

Xu Huai’an nodded awkwardly, thinking to himself, Chief, your memory is really something—even such scattered, trivial things you can remember.

Getting confirmation, Yun Runtong immediately broke into a smile and patted Xu Huai’an on the shoulder.

""Young man, not bad. Keep up the good work."" He had the air of an elder looking at the younger generation.

Xu Huai’an nodded awkwardly. ""Thank you, Chief.""

The two of them then closed their eyes to rest. The flight from Guangdong to the capital would take half a day.

When it was mealtime, the flight attendant handed out meals to everyone.

Given the circumstances, all they had were cold canned luncheon meat and a packet of compressed biscuits.

It was just enough to fill their stomachs. Xu Huai’an didn’t mind at all and finished every last bite.

But the biscuits were really dry, so he raised his hand to ask the attendant for a glass of water.

Just as the water was handed over, the plane hit turbulence and jolted violently, causing the entire glass of water to spill all over Xu Huai’an.

""Sorry! I’m so sorry!""

The attendant apologized repeatedly.

""It’s fine, it’s not your fault. I have a spare shirt in my bag.""

Xu Huai’an waved it off, then quickly took off his soaked shirt.

Fortunately, he was wearing a vest underneath, so it wasn’t inappropriate.

He stood up to get his bag from the overhead compartment.

Yun Runtong glanced over unintentionally, and his pupils suddenly contracted. He stared fixedly at Xu Huai’an’s raised right arm, so shocked he forgot to breathe.

He didn’t even notice that the compressed biscuits in his hand had been crushed to crumbs.

His orderly called him twice, but he didn’t respond at all.

It wasn’t until Xu Huai’an quickly pulled out a clean shirt and put it on, sitting back down, that Yun Runtong finally snapped out of it.

He didn’t even have time to brush the crumbs off his clothes.

He looked nervously at Xu Huai’an, opened his mouth, and realized he didn’t even know the young man’s name.

""Comrade, that red crescent-shaped mark on your right arm—have you had it since you were a child?"" Yun Runtong clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, as if trying to use the pain to distract himself from his inner turmoil."

"Chapter 301: That Child, So Outstanding