Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Geng Yunye was placed in...

Geng Yunye was assigned to be on duty at night.

As night falls, the river shimmers in the moonlight. The chirping of cicadas and frogs disappears, leaving only the gurgling river.

He stood straight and wore a straw raincoat. Even though he had left the army, he still maintained the rigor that is unique to a soldier.

Geng Yunye and his partner Lao Zhang walked side by side on the river bank, patrolling along the embankment, with flashlights in their hands sweeping across the water and the embankment.

Suddenly, he stopped and his keen hearing caught something strange.

The water flow speed of this section of the riverbank suddenly increased, and the water level rose significantly in a short period of time. The soil on one side of the riverbank showed signs of slight loosening. He looked closer and saw a very thin stream of water slowly seeping out. Although the flow was very small, the slight sound of water was particularly clear in this quiet night.

He carefully checked along this area again and found that the surrounding ground showed signs of slight subsidence.

Geng Yunye was shocked and realized the critical situation. There were serious hidden dangers in the river bank, and it was very likely that a pipe burst would occur. Once the pipe burst expanded, the river bank would be in danger of bursting at any time.

Geng Yunye looked solemn, and quickly turned to Lao Zhang and said, "Something is wrong with the riverbank. There may be a big problem. Continue to inspect this section of the riverbank carefully, pay attention to changes in the water level and the embankment, and come back to me immediately if there is anything unusual."

Old Zhang was frightened by his serious expression. He nodded heavily and walked quickly in the direction specified by Geng Yunye.

Geng Yunye arrived at the brigade and pushed the door open. These days, the brigade cadres were divided into two shifts to be on duty day and night, and the kerosene lamps were still on in the office in the middle of the night.

He spoke with an unquestionable sense of urgency: "Captain, I just inspected the river bank and found that the water level is rising too fast. The river bank is showing signs of loosening and it is very likely to burst. We must call the commune immediately and ask them to send reinforcements, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous."

Wang Fugui's face turned pale instantly, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He knew that if the dam really broke, he, as the team leader, would have to bear heavy responsibility and face accountability from the commune.

He spoke with a trembling voice: "Comrade Geng, are you drowsy and dazzled in the middle of the night? The rising water level may be only temporary. There will be no problem if we reinforce the riverbank in the spring. If we call the commune now and nothing happens, the commune will definitely think that our brigade cadres are not reliable. How can they trust us in the future!"

Geng Yunye continued, "Captain, I have dealt with similar situations in the army. This is a very dangerous sign. The river bank has partially collapsed. We cannot take chances. Once the dam breaks, the lives and property of the villagers in the entire brigade will be seriously threatened. Requesting support in time can minimize the losses."

Wang Fugui still had concerns. He gritted his teeth and waved his hands, saying, "No, we can't make this call. Let's observe and see. Maybe the situation isn't that bad."

Seeing Wang Fugui's firm attitude, Geng Yunye knew that no amount of persuasion would change his mind.

He thought for a moment and said, "Captain, since you feel there is no need to report to the commune, then as the on-duty personnel, I have the responsibility to take necessary measures. I plan to borrow a phone from the next brigade and report the situation here to the commune truthfully. The more protection, the safer it is. I hope you can understand." He nodded to Wang Fugui, turned around and walked into the night with steady steps.

After Geng Yunye left the river bank, Lao Zhang also discovered several abnormal conditions on the bank during his inspection, and he was rushing back in a panic.

Geng Yunye rode his bicycle to the next brigade and successfully borrowed a phone, and immediately reported the emergency to the commune. The commune leaders attached great importance to the breach and quickly organized a group of experienced flood prevention personnel, who rushed to the scene with tools in the wind and rain.

Lao Zhang trotted back to the place where he had parted with Geng Yunye, but there was no sign of Geng Yunye. He thought to himself that something was wrong.

The river water was rising faster and faster, and large chunks of mud had begun to slide into the river from the loose river bank.

Lao Zhang didn't have time to think. He ran towards the brigade while shouting loudly for the members on duty nearby to come and help.

Two hours later, the commune's rescue team rushed in through the wind and rain. After arriving at the scene, they immediately went to the river bank to meet Lao Geng Yunye.

The gap in the riverbank was nearly half a meter wide, the river water was gushing out violently, and the surrounding ground began to show signs of collapse.

Geng Yunye and the person in charge of the rescue team quickly formulated a rescue plan and decided to split the team into two groups. One group was responsible for carrying sandbags to reduce the impact of the water flow, while the other group was responsible for finding suitable wooden boards and stones to block the gap.

Geng Yunye carried the sandbags and walked towards the gap, overcoming the huge resistance of the water flow with every step. The guards joined the team to carry the sandbags, and everyone lined up in a long line, and the sandbags were quickly passed to the gap.

The water flow was too fast and the newly stacked sandbags were washed away in a blink of an eye.

The gap has expanded to more than one meter wide, and what gushes out from the joints of the stone slabs is no longer a trickle but a turbid water column wrapped in sand. The situation is extremely critical.

Geng Yunye shouted, "Everyone, work harder and fix the board first!"

Several strong young men immediately jumped into the water and put up wooden boards to try to stop the surging water. However, the impact of the water was too great and the wooden boards were shaken as soon as they were put up.

Geng Yunye immediately called on the people around him to use their bodies to hold up the wooden board, and at the same time directed others to pile stones and sandbags around the wooden board for reinforcement.

"Hurry, add more sandbags, hold on!" He clenched his teeth, the veins on his arms bulged, and all the muscles in his body were tense.

At this moment, everyone has only one common belief in their hearts: they must stop the flood from breaking through the dam.

Geng Yunye shouted to the people around him, "Listen to my command. Let's take turns to hold up the wooden planks to ensure that there is no interruption! The rest of you should speed up, stack the sandbags in an alternating manner and use stones to block the gaps!"

Everyone responded in unison and immediately acted according to his instructions. Geng Yunye and several young men formed a human defense line.

The river water still madly hit the makeshift defense line.

Under the organization and encouragement of Geng Yunye, everyone worked together as one to wage a thrilling tug-of-war with the flood.

As time passed, the sandbags and stones piled up higher and higher, and the pressure on the wooden boards was gradually relieved.

Geng Yunye noticed this change and encouraged loudly: "Everyone stay steady and continue to reinforce. We are almost there!"

Everyone was encouraged and became more motivated.

After nearly an hour of hard work, the gap was finally blocked successfully. The river was blocked again and the water level gradually stabilized.

Geng Yunye and the young rescue workers collapsed in the mud. Everyone's face was covered with mud and it was impossible to recognize who was who. But everyone, without exception, was filled with joy and pride at having survived the disaster.

“We did it!”

“We won!”

Looking at the devastated farmland, the commune leaders looked solemn and severely criticized Wang Fugui and other brigade cadres on the spot, pointing out his serious dereliction of duty in flood warning and response.

Wang Fugui lowered his head in shame, his face ashen.

The commune discovered Wang Fugui's inaction and did not suspend him on the spot. His mess needed someone to clean up, and he would only be taken further action after the problems were thoroughly resolved.