Looking at the girl in front of him, who was crying and even somewhat hysterical, He Yanzhi could not reconcile her image with that of the girl in his memory who did good deeds without expecting anything in return and did not even want to leave her name.
The filter of gratitude has cracked.
And only then did he remember what his comrade-in-arms Du Yangshan had said.
He said... Lan Tian reported her own family members, which led to her family members being demoted and sent to the countryside.
She was able to protect herself and even pass the political vetting process through special means.
His savior was a kind-hearted person; how could he report his own family? How could he stand by and watch a blood relative be demoted?
At this moment, he finally realized that the 'blue sky' in front of him was most likely not the savior he was looking for.
He glanced at Li Tieshan without making a sound.
After all, they were once comrades-in-arms who fought side by side. With just a glance, Li Tieshan seemed to be able to guess what he wanted to do.
He Yanzhi's tone softened, carrying a deliberate attempt to soothe him, but his eyes were sharp as knives. "Comrade Lan Tian, don't get agitated. Your current status is special, and it won't be easy for you to come to the military region with me."
Okay, first write a statement explaining your situation and your demands in detail. This will help me report to my superiors and advocate for you. Commander Li, I have paper and pen here.
He Yanzhi gestured to Li Tieshan.
Li Tieshan immediately took the letter paper and pen from the table and pushed them in front of Lan Tian.
Lan Tian hesitated for a moment, seemingly sensing that things had taken a turn for the better.
She wiped away her tears, picked up her pen, and began to write.
He Yanzhi stood to her side and slightly behind, his gaze fixed on her hand holding the pen and the words she wrote.
The more he looked, the colder his gaze became—the handwriting of the person in front of him was delicate and graceful, but weak and feeble, completely different from the handwriting on the paper he had put away.
His savior's handwriting was strong and powerful, seemingly carrying a sense of integrity.
His doubts deepened. He cleared his throat and began to speak casually, "Speaking of which, time really flies. There was a big river where you saved me back then. I wonder if it has changed."
I remember it very clearly. The place where I fell was very close to the river. If you hadn't pulled me up in time, I might have been swept away. There were two of you at the time. Was the man with you your older or younger brother?
They're like my saviors; I'd like to help them if they ever have any difficulties.
He fell at the foot of a mountain, where there was no river.
Moreover, the voice calling "Sister Blue Sky" was a woman's voice at the time.
But Lan Tian, who was in the room, almost immediately replied with a sense of certainty, eager to prove himself, "It's my brother, Commander He, you have such a good memory! My memory is a bit bad, I don't remember things from back then very clearly, and I didn't even recognize you just now."
"..."
He Yanzhi and Li Tieshan looked terribly grim!
The room was silent for a while, then Li Tieshan suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "Blue Sky!"
"!" Lan Tian froze, cautiously raising his head.
He Yanzhi's voice was icy cold, devoid of any warmth, "Are you sure the person with you that day was your brother? Are you sure you saved me by the river?"
Lan Tian was intimidated by the two's imposing presence, her face instantly turning pale. Realizing something was wrong, she stammered, "I...I...maybe I remembered wrong...I was too nervous at the time..."
Li Tieshan shouted sternly, his voice booming, "Lan Tian! You tell me the truth! What exactly happened?! There was no river where Commander He fell, and the two women who saved him that day were also there!"
There were no men present! Furthermore, Commander He was on a mission and couldn't reveal his identity, so his face was disguised, covered in ugly scars—completely different from how he looks now!
He Yanzhi pointed to the paper on the table, "And your handwriting! Your handwriting is completely different from hers! Tell me! Why did you impersonate my savior?!"
His dark, unfathomable eyes were filled with rage, his gaze seeming to pierce through her.
The lie was completely exposed, and Lan Tian trembled violently, unable to hold on any longer.
She collapsed to the ground with a thud, covering her face and wailing, "Waaah...waaah...I'll tell you...I'll tell you the truth! I...I've never saved anyone! I don't even know Commander He!"
Commander Li suddenly told me that the people I had saved were coming, so I... I lied. I desperately wanted to escape my current predicament!
Li Tieshan's voice was low and suppressed, "So, you impersonated someone's savior and took advantage of their gratitude? You...you're simply awful!"
Li Tieshan didn't know what to say.
If the person in front of him were a male soldier, he would have kicked him long ago!
This is absolutely shameful!
Lan Tian sobbed uncontrollably, "I...I can't do anything, Commander He! My family has a bad class background...they say I have ideological problems...they want to criticize and denounce me...locking me in solitary confinement is just the beginning...I...I heard you're the commander, and you're especially loyal and compassionate..."
I just wanted to... I just wanted to grasp at this straw... Waaaaah...
I just wanted to leave this place... to leave this deadly ingredient... Waaah... I was wrong!
I really know I was wrong! Please... please, Commander Li... forgive me... I'll never do it again..."
The blue sky lay prostrate on the ground, weeping uncontrollably.
For a moment, only Lantian's desperate cries filled the office.
He Yanzhi stood silently, looking at the girl collapsing on the ground with a complex expression. There was anger and disappointment, but deeper still, there was a chilling coldness and intense anxiety about the whereabouts of her true savior.
Li Tieshan's face was ashen, and he sighed heavily. "Old He, I also bear responsibility for this. I was reckless. When she was locked in the dark room, I just wanted to comfort her and give her some hope, so I didn't think to test whether she was the Lantian you were looking for."
"It has nothing to do with you. I was just anxious. I've been searching for so many years, and suddenly someone with the same name and about the same age appeared. I got so excited that I lost my mind."
He Yanzhi's voice was cold and weary as he said, "Since she's not the person I'm looking for, I really can't vouch for her. I'm handing her over to you. Handle her according to the rules."
"No! No!" Lan Tian turned pale with fright. She never wanted to go back to that dark room again. She crawled on her knees to He Yanzhi and tried to hug his leg. "Commander He, please, I really know I was wrong. You must help me!"
He Yanzhi dodged in time, giving her one last cold glance at the trembling woman on the ground.
He turned and strode out of the room, leaving the heavy sound of the door closing echoing in the oppressive air.
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