In times of crisis, true gold is forged

The rainy season arrived unexpectedly in southern China. A week of torrential downpours pushed the Qingjiang River's water level to a record high, submerging the entire city of Qingjiang. News footage showed rescue teams navigating the floodwaters, and affected residents being housed in temporary shelters, each face etched with fear.

In the conference room at the foundation's headquarters, the atmosphere was so solemn that it seemed as if water could be squeezed out of it.

"Qingjiang is our key area of ​​assistance," Li Xiaoyu said, pointing to the red area on the map. "Three 'Heart Stations' and two 'Lighthouse Schools' are all severely affected. We must act immediately."

"But..." Public Relations Director Li Feng looked embarrassed. "We have no experience in large-scale disaster psychological intervention. Besides, communications in the disaster area are down, and roads are blocked..."

"Precisely because we lack experience, we must act now." Li Xiaoyu's voice was soft, yet it carried undeniable force. "Zhang Wei, immediately assemble a crisis intervention advance team. Li Feng, you will be responsible for establishing contact with the disaster relief headquarters. Everyone else, marshal all available resources. I want to see a detailed plan in half an hour."

In the face of disaster, the price of hesitation is more hurt hearts.

Just as the team was urgently mobilizing, Moyu's video call came in. She was in the airport terminal on the other side of the screen: "Xiaoyu, I just finished a meeting in Geneva and am now connecting to Qingjiang. Listen, disaster psychological intervention is completely different from our normal work—don't rush into counseling. First, ensure safety, establish connections, and provide practical help."

"Understood. You want to come in person?"

"At moments like this, the founder must be present." Squid's eyes were firm. "But remember, you're the frontline commander. I'm responsible for coordinating resources and responding to the media."

The advance team set out in torrential rain. When Li Xiaoyu and his team arrived at Qingjiang, they were met with a devastating scene. The temporary settlement was packed with people, a cacophony of children's cries, elderly coughs, and the hurried footsteps of volunteers.

The first psychological support center they set up was initially deserted, with the affected people either staring blankly into space or mechanically lining up to receive supplies.

"They don't need psychological help," said Xiao Wang, a young counselor, dejectedly. "What they need is food and shelter."

Li Xiaoyu remained silent. She noticed something: many people stood still for a long time after receiving the supplies, as if unsure of what to do next. She understood this to be a typical post-traumatic reaction—the sudden uprooting of life leaves people feeling disoriented.

"Change our strategy," she decided decisively. "We won't have fixed service points. Everyone should bring supplies and go out to the people."

The decision had an immediate impact. When team members stopped waiting in tents and offered a bottle of water, a pack of biscuits, and asked, "Can I help you?", the ice began to melt.

The first real request for help came from a middle-aged man who repeatedly checked his ID card and passbook, even though they were soaked and the writing was blurred.

"It's all gone... It's all gone..." He muttered to himself, "Thirty years... Thirty years..."

The counselor did not rush to comfort him, but handed him a plastic bag: "Please keep the important documents first, I will help you find some desiccant." It was this simple action that made the man burst into tears.

In the face of trauma, sometimes a concrete help is better than a thousand words of comfort.

However, the real test is yet to come.

On the fifth day of the torrential rain, tragic news arrived: the team delivering supplies to the remote Yunshan Township had lost contact. The team leader was Zhang Wei.

"The last location the satellite phone sent showed them near the winding mountain road," the contact at the rescue command center said gravely, "There have been multiple landslides along that road..."

There was a dead silence in the conference room. Everyone knew what that meant.

Li Xiaoyu felt dizzy, but she forced herself to calm down. "Li Feng, you continue to be in charge of the resettlement site. Xiao Wang, lead the second team to take over Zhang Wei and the others' mission. I'll go to the rescue headquarters."

At the command center, she saw an even more worrying picture: satellite cloud images showed that a new round of heavy rain was forming.

"Secretary Li, it's not that we're not trying our best," the rescue team leader pointed at the map. "Right now, all our resources are focused on ensuring traffic on the main roads. We simply can't spare the manpower to search and rescue a small team..."

"They're not just any ordinary team," Li Xiaoyu said, her voice trembling. "They're a psychological support team. They're in distress to help others."

But she knew how pale such excuses seemed in the face of disaster.

Back at the temporary base, Li Xiaoyu locked herself in her room. On her phone screen was the last chat she had with Zhang Wei—a photo Zhang Wei had sent of several team members pushing a supply cart through the mud, each grinning like a child. The final message read, "Don't worry, we'll complete the mission!"

There was a soft knock on the door. It was Cuttlefish.

"Have you cried?" Squid handed her a bottle of water.

"No." Li Xiaoyu turned her face away stubbornly.

"That's good. A leader can be afraid, but he can't be defeated by fear."

Moyu opened his laptop and said, "I've contacted a civilian rescue team. They're familiar with the mountainous terrain and are willing to take the risk. But we'll need to bear all the costs and risks ourselves."

"I'll pay any amount." Li Xiaoyu said immediately.

"Not only that," Squid stared at her, "you have to prepare for the worst. If...if something unfortunate really happens, how will you face the team? How will you face the family?"

The question hit Li Xiaoyu like a hammer. She fell silent. She suddenly realized that leadership meant not only leading a team to success but also being responsible for the safety of each of them.

The weight of responsibility often becomes particularly real in the darkest moments.

Just as they were discussing their plan, there was a sudden commotion outside. A muddy figure stumbled into the tent—it was Zhang Wei!

"We...we're back..." She could barely stand. "The car was buried, so we walked out..."

When the landslide struck, Zhang Wei, drawing on her experience from rural projects, led her team to abandon their vehicle and hide in a cave. With only the few supplies left in their backpacks, they persevered in the darkness for a day and a night, only finding a way out when the rain eased.

"I'm sorry for worrying everyone..." Zhang Wei hadn't finished her words when Li Xiaoyu hugged her tightly. In that moment, all her professionalism was gone, leaving only the relief of surviving.

This accident became a turning point in the entire rescue effort. Zhang Wei and her team's return revitalized the team's cohesion. The information they brought back was even more valuable: the disaster in Yunshan Township was more severe than anticipated, but the villagers had spontaneously organized a mutual aid network.

"We should believe in the self-healing ability of the people affected by the disaster," Zhang Wei said, her eyes bright despite her fatigue. "They are stronger than we thought."

Based on this understanding, Li Xiaoyu adjusted her work focus: from simply providing psychological services to supporting community self-recovery. She trained "psychological first aid workers" at each resettlement site, teaching residents simple mutual support skills; organized "draw a new home" activities for children; and encouraged the elderly to share stories of mutual support during the flood.

Surprisingly, these seemingly simple activities are more effective than professional psychological interventions. When a child draws a picture of their ideal new home, the whole family begins to look forward to it; when the elderly share their stories of helping each other, the entire community feels empowered.

Disasters can destroy physical homes, but they cannot destroy the connections between people.

Half a month later, the floodwaters gradually receded, and the relief work shifted to the reconstruction phase. The foundation team also left.

Before leaving, the mayor of Qingjiang City came to see me off: "Thank you for everything you've done. But honestly, I initially thought psychological support was just about chatting, but I didn't expect you to be so... tangible."

On the way back, no one spoke. Everyone looked out the window at their homes being rebuilt, lost in thought.

In her project summary report, Li Xiaoyu wrote: "This experience has taught us that psychological support isn't a condescending charity, but rather a journey alongside disaster victims. What matters most isn't the technology we bring, but whether we truly understand their needs."

After driving for a long time, Zhang Wei suddenly whispered, "Secretary Li, thank you for not giving up on us."

Li Xiaoyu looked out the window. The sky, freshly clear after the rain, was exceptionally bright. She knew that after this ordeal, she and her team were different—like gold forged in a fierce fire, finally emitting its own unique brilliance.

At the end of the long journey, there are still more challenges waiting. But at this moment, she is ready.

A sailor trained in calm seas can only become a true captain in a storm.