"Did they pour gasoline on it?" Qiao Xinruo asked. Besides the thick smoke, there was also a pungent smell of gasoline in the air.
"Yes!" the soldier said gravely. "It's been burning for a while now, but there are still people inside!"
"Aren't we going in to rescue them?" Qiao Xinruo asked.
With such a raging fire and thick smoke, even if a person isn't burned to death, they could still fall into a coma or even die from inhaling excessive smoke.
"Help—" came a weak cry for help.
Qiao Xinruo's heart tightened. She recognized the voice as that of a young girl, and it was very weak.
"Come on, don't you want to save people anymore?" The enemy agent was extremely arrogant, constantly provoking the soldiers.
In the current situation, rushing in haphazardly may not be the best approach.
"What should we do?" someone asked.
Qiao Xinruo was just a military doctor. She and Xu Luxin came to the front line to treat some emergency injuries. They had no right to interfere with the execution of military missions, and they didn't even have the right to speak.
Just then, a man in military uniform suddenly stepped forward.
"Did you bring the water?" the man asked.
The subordinate immediately brought out two buckets of water.
The man picked up a bucket, lifted it above his head, and poured the water over him, instantly soaking him completely.
Then, the second bucket was poured in as well.
The man rushed into the raging flames—
"Battalion Commander Zhou!"
"Battalion Commander Zhou!"
Many soldiers shouted loudly at that resolute figure.
Qiao Xinruo had noticed Battalion Commander Zhou when he was being watered, but now, upon hearing the repeated calls of "Battalion Commander Zhou," her gaze seemed to freeze, her eyes filled with astonishment as she followed the figure in disbelief.
Battalion Commander Zhou?
Is it what she thinks?
The battalion commander of the southern unit, Zhou, looked to be about the same age as her, perfectly fitting the description of an "honest officer."
"His surname is Zhou? Is he your battalion commander?" As the figure disappeared into the flames, Qiao Xinruo turned to ask the soldier beside her.
"Yes, that's our Battalion Commander Zhou. The battalion commander was too impulsive. Even though he got wet, rushing in like that could easily have cost him his life... Although saving lives is the priority, he can't disregard his own safety!" The soldier was extremely anxious.
"What's his name?" Qiao Xinruo asked again.
The soldiers found it strange that the doctor kept asking about Battalion Commander Zhou.
But he still answered.
"Zhou Jinglan".
Qiao Xinruo: "..."
She didn't ask any more questions, but just stared intently at the leaping flames.
I wonder if Zhou Jinglan will ever be able to get out of there.
Using his soaked clothes as cover, Zhou Jinglan rushed through the flames, covering his mouth and nose with his wet arms as he began searching for the little girl.
Is anyone there?
Is anyone there?
Zhou Jinglan made sounds from time to time, intently searching through the thick smoke.
"Help--"
The little girl's voice grew weaker and weaker, but Zhou Jinglan still caught it. He quickly confirmed the direction and continued to search deeper in that direction.
"Where are you?"
"Here, I'm here..."
"Help me..."
The little girl's voice was filled with immense fear. She was coughing constantly because she had inhaled a lot of smoke, and she was huddled nervously in the crevice of the collapsed cabinet.
Zhou Jinglan followed the sound and finally found the little girl. He immediately tore off a piece of his inner shirt.
"Use it to cover your mouth and nose, take a deep breath, hold it, and try to minimize your breathing, understand?" Zhou Jinglan said as he picked up the little girl and held her tightly in his arms.
The little girl could barely make a sound anymore. She nodded obediently and nestled in Zhou Jinglan's arms.
Zhou Jinglan retraced his steps, trying to find a way out while continuing to search for anyone who might still be trapped inside the fire.
Is anyone else here? Is anyone here?
There was no response, so Zhou Jinglan decided to get the little girl out first before thinking about what to do next.
Zhou Jinglan held the child, his gaze fixed on the front and his surroundings, ignoring what was above him. The little girl, however, could see right above her head: the shaky roof beams, seemingly about to collapse at any moment.
Flames leaped wildly, like dancing demons.
Thick smoke billowed, resembling a living hell.
"Uncle, it's falling—" The little girl saw the roof beam broken by the fire and falling straight down from above, right in the direction they were heading.
Upon hearing the sound, Zhou Jinglan did not immediately look up, but quickly dodged to the side, causing his exposed skin to be licked by the flames, and his clothes, which had been dried by the high temperature, to catch fire—he was not thoroughly wet to begin with.
He quickly tackled the flames and, ignoring the pain, extinguished them.
His skin was burned, and he was rolled on the ground and rubbed repeatedly, causing him unbearable pain.
"Uncle, are you alright?" The little girl was terrified. She saw that a patch of her arm, which was wrapped around her arm, was burned and must be in excruciating pain.
"It's alright, don't be afraid." The man's voice didn't tremble at all.
Thick smoke obscured their vision, and falling objects further blocked the way out. Turning back the way they came was out of the question, so Zhou Jinglan could only carry the little girl and keep trying to find a way out.
The interior of the burning house was extremely hot, as if it would melt a person.
"Cough—" Because he was holding the little girl, Zhou Jinglan couldn't cover his mouth and nose and was choked by the thick smoke, coughing incessantly.
Finally, I saw some light ahead, and guessed that I had found the exit.
He stepped over the obstacles, trying to get out as quickly as possible—
At this moment, everything on the door fell down, and large wooden stakes and cabinets all around were smashing towards Zhou Jinglan, who couldn't dodge them.
In a critical moment, he decided to stop hiding and take a gamble, charging outwards.
Go as far as you can.
"Close your eyes," Zhou Jinglan said gently to the little girl, then bent down and wrapped her completely in his arms before rushing out as fast as he could.
Things kept falling down—
He was hit on the back, and he stumbled, getting closer and closer to the exit.
"Then—" Zhou Jinglan shouted, and then with all his remaining strength, he "threw" the little girl in his arms out, throwing her as far as possible.
Ever since Zhou Jinglan rushed in, several soldiers have been guarding the burning house.
"It's Battalion Commander Zhou!" The soldiers were excited when they heard Zhou Jinglan's voice.
This at least proves that Battalion Commander Zhou is still alive!
"then--"
When they saw a little girl being thrown out, several soldiers reacted quickly, preventing her from rolling further away due to the force of the impact, and intercepted her halfway.
"Little girl, don't be afraid!" the soldier said.
"Uncle is still inside." The little girl was both surprised and scared. She had been rolling around in pain the whole way, but she was still thinking about the soldier uncle who had saved her from danger.
"Battalion Commander Zhou!" a soldier shouted, peering into the edge.
Before Zhou Jinglan could throw it with all his might, he tripped and fell to the ground, and then the beam slammed down hard on his legs.
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