Chapter Twenty-Seven: Rebirth After Calamity
I stopped being Song Ji-hyo's strategist and refused to run errands for her. I admit, I had my own selfish motives; I didn't want her to be with Chu Zhen, but I couldn't tell her because I didn't know Chu Zhen's feelings. However, I didn't refuse Chu Zhen coming to my office or even picking me up and dropping me off at work.
"Lin Dang, hurry up and go to the salted meat hot pot restaurant on Fangxiang Road. I heard there was just a gas explosion there. I don't know what the situation is like at the scene." Song Huai rushed into the office. It was lunchtime, and I was just about to go to the cafeteria when I was assigned this task.
"Okay, I'll head over now." I put on my recorder and press pass, and Song Huai brought a senior photographer to accompany me.
Firefighters, police, and medical personnel have arrived at the scene, and a cordon has been set up outside, but there are still many people watching, and the police are constantly dispersing the crowd.
"Hello, I'm a reporter from the TV program 'Today's Livelihood'." After I identified myself, the police officer agreed to my interview.
"The explosion happened right at lunchtime, and this restaurant is one of the busiest in the area. Firefighters are still searching inside. The number of casualties is currently unknown. You should also stay away; there are many gas cylinders inside, and there's a possibility of another explosion at any time." The police stopped us outside the cordon. The fire was now under control, but thick smoke was billowing out. Firefighters were constantly carrying injured people out to medical vehicles.
I ran to the medical vehicle, where there were already more than a dozen injured people of all ages. I didn't interview the medical staff; for them, it was a race against death.
“My daughter is still inside. She went to the restroom by herself. Can you help me look for her over there?” A woman, mistaking me for a doctor, grabbed my hand and said. Her face and hands were covered in blood, and her skin was burned.
"Okay, I understand. Don't worry, there are firefighters here. They will rescue you safely," I reassured you.
"She's in the bathroom, in the bathroom! Please tell the firefighters for me, I'm afraid they might have missed her. She's so young, only five years old, please!" Tears streamed down the woman's bloodied face.
"Okay, okay, I'll go tell the firefighters right now." At that moment, I forgot my identity as a reporter. I only knew that I couldn't let down a mother's entrustment, and there was also a little life waiting to be rescued.
Everyone was on the front lines of the rescue effort. I crawled into the firebreak and saw firefighters constantly moving back and forth. No one noticed me. I don't know what I was thinking at the time. Seeing that the fire inside had been extinguished, and remembering the children's cries for help, I decided to go in without hesitation. This salted hot pot restaurant is quite a popular spot; Huang Yanyan and I had eaten there before. I knew which way the restroom was, and relying on my memory, I quickly reached it. It didn't seem to have been affected much. Amidst the noise, I heard the cries of children.
"Don't cry, don't cry, your big sister is here to save you." The little girl cowered timidly in the corner.
"Mommy, Mommy, I want my mommy!"
"Okay, sweetie, Mommy's already outside. Your sister's here to rescue you." I picked her up and ran outside.
"Who let you in?" We ran into firefighters as we were walking out. The child's crying caught their attention. "Follow me." One firefighter led the way, and another followed behind, leading us to safety.
"Lin Dang, are you out of your mind?" Chu Zhen appeared in front of me as soon as I got to the ambulance.
"What's the matter?"
"Do you know how dangerous it is for you to go in alone? Do you know there are gas cylinders inside that could explode at any moment? Don't you have any sense of safety?" Chu Zhen scolded him.
"Don't say anything, I was scared too, my hands are still shaking." I held out my hand, I don't know where I got the courage from, thinking about it now really makes me shudder.
Chu Zhen grabbed my hand. "It's alright, I'm here!" He slowly pulled me into his arms. Feeling his rapid heartbeat, I suddenly calmed down. Perhaps that was what people call a sense of security, a sense of security that came from Chu Zhen.
How did you know I was here?
"Such a big news station even notified us, so your program was the first thing I thought of. But when I found Song Huai, he said you went to the scene early. When I arrived, the cameraman told me you went into the fire. Lin Dang, you've really grown up." Chu Zhen's expression was exactly the same as when he was caught during the undercover investigation that night. I was somewhat infatuated.
Fortunately, no one was killed in the explosion. Afterwards, the little girl's mother presented a banner to the department to thank me for saving her daughter. Although it was an act of bravery, I didn't receive any recognition. In Chu Zhen's words, this was a bad example; you have to trust firefighters, they have the ability to rescue anyone trapped.
Because I entered the fire without any precautions, I inhaled a large amount of carbon monoxide, and felt dizzy and vomited. The station approved my stay at home to rest for a few days.
During this time, Huang Yanyan and Chu Zhen took turns criticizing me, and Chen Weiqi, unlike his usual self, also gave me a lecture. After I responded to their attacks with silence, they actually changed the subject and began to discuss my illness.
Huang Yanyan said that inhaling large amounts of carbon monoxide can cause oxygen deficiency in the heart and brain, which is why she felt nauseous and vomited. Although she has recovered now, she will still have the sequelae of dementia and mental instability.
Chen Weiqi said, "It's okay. Just eat more vitamins and exercise more in the future. Maybe that will reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease."
This was the first time I'd ever seen Chen Weiqi and Huang Yanyan chatting back and forth, and it was also the first time I'd heard such inappropriate things from Chen Weiqi. He said he'd specifically searched for it online.
Chu Zhen didn't say anything, just quietly watched me and the two of them banter.
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