Chapter 24
As they climbed to the seventh or eighth floor, everyone began panting. Ren Yi could feel sweat running down his chest, stinging as it trickled.eBojIiXAmVPgyQgiWXMkDksmRBdvAT
pxrduSqmRNKJyHZAt that moment, Xu Jin’s voice came through the radio, “Ren Yi, what floor are you on?”wBfMKvRwHJCMMUEsdEGLghdLXvaIuw
JRXWudhZiXplmLK“Tenth floor.”CGqcsZLItmdfJIegkDbJmrOcSMnVjM
HtlLNRmHekdYVsT“I just got word, there might be people trapped in the elevator on the thirteenth floor.”iurOTiabkqNhknUPHzFSQaQKqowqUo
MzkVUvrwTmjqHfA“Got it, I’ll send two people over.” Ren Yi instructed Wang Meng’s squad leader to take two people to check the elevator while the rest continued climbing.iasZwJHcvruJIbwAvCRRcYIeKzHkEO
fnHXyCeLXMfOmHEThis apartment had two stairwells on the east and west sides. The fire had broken out near the west, so they were ascending through the eastern stairwell. After the grueling climb to the 21st floor, everyone was gasping for breath, and their legs felt like jelly.AHFrsQvMWjIXRgFVXcXqbPgYRMAIBe
TwjhaeZOuTXaAmiThe 21st floor was filled with smoke, but there wasn’t much visible fire. Most of it was likely burning in the ceiling. Ren Yi leaned against the wall, crouching down as he panted, “Rest for 20 seconds.”qDzihHBWZBCtvaOKIsYjjACdcaebMu
yHnOYdosQhZNqYYRen Yi counted to 20 in his head, then commanded, “Wang Meng, have them start connecting the hoses. Liu Hui, come with me to check ahead.”vnYPrhSSQjgeFwzKZLumNSaQZledud
JZyqspJdvUAponL“Yes, sir.”yLnXVZBRjQgTXcqUnTplQptdKDCOBr
IlxqSfoNsQwiwswRen Yi and Liu Hui donned their masks and climbed to the 22nd floor. The hallway was thick with smoke, and the fire was raging. Ren Yi cautiously opened the door to the stairwell, and a wave of intense heat hit him, making his skin prickle. From the stairwell, he could tell the east side was barely accessible, but the west side was an inferno, wrapped in a hellish combination of red-black flames and smoke. No one knew what the situation was inside.pNVwrNSCfaHbKwYvoXdwKjoAxBBYen
mAdaUQtNsjqpAQhRen Yi told Liu Hui to stay on the 22nd floor while he continued up to the 23rd. Although the 23rd floor wasn’t the one on fire, it was hardly in better shape than the 22nd. As he descended, he asked, “Wang Meng, are the hoses connected?”BkpRQoZFURNuxVcYTrYJJpEcudghZi
HbIWTufHqbvljHmThrough static, Wang Meng’s voice came through, “Yes, they’re ready.”jIVZgawbbrdAmgzhQfbhMeVmFQQWyP
PqnHgSpcHQbiBPJ“We’ll split into two groups. You search the 23rd floor, and I’ll search the 22nd. Everyone, set your breathing apparatus alarm for 15 minutes. Once it goes off, you must immediately evacuate the fire. Understood?”KRKIvrCVRXxUcffqJNFIVPfLvzvhfG
tiMptZWfNEZyJIo“Yes, sir.”agXgHDSkafVYGTLDStOMyiJXkHNWhc
jEHpqQyllnMTnMrRen Yi left two men behind to operate the fire hydrant valves, then grabbed the hose and charged into the inferno.tFErfkHaUHBwpFaKlsOkvXghTJYBfG
NAITjaJbkNZzpCNThe temperature inside was unbearable. Even wearing the fire suit, Ren Yi felt like his skin was going to melt, every pore screaming in pain. Each step forward required immense willpower. Gritting his teeth, he yelled, “Water!”OShkvYCCUZDFOhBodhOcheWAhLbvUH
fwbZSRDILdcfDmgWhen the water surged through the hose, the pressure almost knocked Ren Yi off his feet. Fortunately, Cui Yisheng was there to help him hold the hose steady. They blasted the fire along the hallway, managing to suppress it and cool the area down. Then they started searching each apartment door by door.EAfitflRQMIRAykzQSNcyIqddBXcDX
vVDMTsnXDPUFEQTOn the east side, there were six units, all fitted with outward-opening security doors, impossible to kick open. The team banged on the doors with all their might, shouting, “Anyone inside? Firefighters!”gDniCNLjuivQXReMZBMfuUGVqEOjTI
HpdgDbnHSFPKztK“Someone’s on the ground!” Ding Qing’s thermal imaging picked up a figure lying prone.yebaIqcRVMaOKdrOhgUhkaNmEuByqT
siwaojtkfCWpLcLThey rushed over and found two people in the hallway, their backs and arms burned, but they still had a pulse.dJMFuHnVAmVaSVwDyibzMwzqPaAEPv
dEAprxPkiAxXBwxAt that moment, a faint voice for help came from inside one of the apartments. They quickly used tools to break the door open.XcisgFKAeTYqDniMJOBIiDmpdooUxo
DNnXZRpnrSVJUXaLiu Hui led a firefighter into the apartment, where they found a father and son in the bathroom. The father was still conscious.nZjCaXejMAUxETEYGlqeqBhFySVDyG
EExsMUAWixqfFnrThey carried the rescued individuals down the stairs.ApfTEJBeASMcKJaGaKfyYUCTVmENEF
NLYPcPOKCiRNDlZThe remaining apartments showed no signs of life. One by one, they forced the doors open. Two of them were empty, and the occupants of the other two had already perished. The unit furthest west, being closest to the fire’s origin, had absorbed so much heat that the security door had warped. Even with two men working on it, they couldn’t pry it open.beiwaAQsdujNGFCyJQvmXpBAzPDsxN
VoMYbFRnVLcYXSSRen Yi made a decisive call, “Saw it open.”yYCRRHSQDBJQPbIOsLBdjeYxJfRAFq
LZXIHnsDUCGnFRRThey swapped to a chainsaw and cut a hole just large enough for an adult to squeeze through.DCGttUadanzKMvWJgiCeVfgizBRAfe
lHkoSsLUmrRSJIHOnce the hole was cut, Ren Yi kicked open the wooden door behind it. Inside was an inferno; visibility was nearly zero.TIdJGaFzhOjwPSTflyRgGYZOyntAcj
YlmRbwxaklIAJSIThey extended the hose into the apartment and doused the flames. Once the fire was somewhat controlled, Ren Yi crawled through the hole, shouting, “Firefighters! Is anyone here? Is anyone here?”fCbxRoMMmliuweWbmZaBZdueGmIjjp
rvQzvBlzsJfxkKX“Captain Ren, hurry, we can’t hold the fire much longer!”AErOltJQDHgbAIMMwujWfEIiyjmCfi
UxjfAKVPtRydfkARen Yi searched the three-bedroom apartment. When he reached the master bedroom, he knelt down and looked under the bed, where he found two children hiding.MAgXaCuBLmzBYEzcCKSOrwBnxwAmVJ
dGVPHlqAoVuXLIQIn residential fires, certain areas often bear the most traces of escape or hiding—windows, doorways, bathrooms, and under beds. These were their primary focus in searches, especially since children often hide under beds.ZtofkDKFVkGvFFGxTokvdIycCQQduS
ODgbMDUllLOmQXeRen Yi carried the two unconscious children, one under each arm, and rushed towards the living room.qyGdHFUFsePAGgJIegiNoizTclwdwc
RVZmiUetAMXPWRt“Cover him, quick, cover!” Liu Hui shouted as he and another firefighter aimed the hose around Ren Yi, spraying water to shield him.rAHicgvkZYJqsrXolLmijkjcUrqtUI
QNpVNoTYqIQlKayRen Yi reached the doorway and passed the two children out through the hole. Then, he crawled out himself.NgwYmMOlSAkEUKzFJHLTiFxaVIRdKT
cwIadLOnjLmexMCThe firefighters began carrying the injured down the stairs, one by one.TVjfnGhsUcftctXPQeMuYvthSgEOnK
oyIzjMbnRiRxMSdPanting heavily, Ren Yi said, “Let’s push towards the west side, as far as we can go.”helRNtJhZJXBGsQlJjOacOnqXqhfow
dIpzpwpeVOqXoKzThey continued to suppress the flames with the hose, attempting to carve out a path through the blaze. However, the steam generated when water hit the flames made the situation even worse. They managed to reach another apartment, but after forcing their way in, they found it empty.GczJKsuJpXsmfjfaPgUtOTgWACLyjT
vLrMsnSbGSPGBKF“Captain Ren, the fire’s origin should be just ahead… It’s too hot. We can’t get through,” Ding Qing said, extending his thermometer as far as he could without getting too close. “Even at this distance, it’s over 700 degrees. Further in, it must be over a thousand. The doors have melted.”aFThszPzrVaVGUJjtjLyEqNaJKfAHQ
wIjhSyCErfjBgioThe sound of glass shattering filled the air, followed by the creaking of the ceiling above. Ren Yi shouted, “Retreat!”TozEewteeHEiUpOzPrJfrxFmTwJKXe
kEcQcCjFSVNOLkNThey all turned and ran, but the flaming ceiling collapsed onto Ding Qing.xwKoybXAHBBGcKfsQUwLqiqXRvkRyb
DnsnxjKAheDUeKtThey immediately doused him with water, while others dragged him out from under the debris. Ding Qing waved his hand, “I’m fine, I’m fine.”JAUQHlDjCbqCqnmjdmpCbEHAAhWoCR
kOuaCKYnEykpFRxWang Meng’s voice came through the radio, “Ren Yi, I need support here. Abandon the 22nd floor.”VgHnXyRPTzAAasAqzOXcBGucIkJSgB
MdlbEKWuHnpRabILooking at the hellish inferno before him, Ren Yi knew it was impossible to go any further. He said, “Ding Qing, your suit’s burned through. Head downstairs.”ZAHOLWEtTEKqEOkQleXYuNJhQpvQOk
mWLPhOlIAWjLwmbDing Qing stood up and inspected the damage, “It’s just a small hole.”cnAYxRLEffyGrEyCYyuUSYneNXpTxA
MKXYkYPaxUNeQfk“Go downstairs.”DiIjkJulrCVvfkCfBjwrCpuHonplOh
kmuOETJhiPtsCIF“Captain!” Ding Qing protested, “It hasn’t burned all the way through, it’s just the outer layer. I’m really fine!”JGnqpGcjSZcfPGalAYoUqVFVOtDdXt
KGvcYVUvNKTPpYqRen Yi locked eyes with Ding Qing, seeing the fire reflected in his determined, bright eyes. In a low voice, he said, “Come on, we’re going to assist Captain Wang.”PZeohcSwuvrOmUeVgjWciJVDCLbWGU
JbMRpvkJamQLAMIThe situation on the 23rd floor was slightly better than the 22nd. Wang Meng’s two squads had already rescued several people. However, the ceiling and wall debris kept falling, turning the floor into a dangerous trap.ETxxeRrXcdxxGORRBaDaAgFYzHZMxl
vWqWZIRivTWLEHSAt this point, only six firefighters remained on the scene, and their breathing apparatus alarms began sounding, signaling their air supplies were running low. Racing against time, they worked together to force open the last two apartment doors, finally completing the search of the entire floor.ObVWFoDaLCQpxGPFBTohhQkSDHVTpF
VwNTNQPPnPEtIprRen Yi gave the order, “Retreat.”HCBdPrWjhorsfrmtpdOwNBzAaawPXY
dxnVpPvPtuFTgJOThey began descending, but just one floor down, Xu Jin’s voice came through the radio, “Ren Yi, Qian Yue found a family of eight on the 24th floor. They need backup.”VzdqSVJVPoUvoWuJXKsDJLPKbwlroV
MFoAbMjcbEGQFwLRen Yi glanced at the timer on his air supply—it had less than five minutes left. “On my way.”BBqCKYaidQRCgFUctAxcNusCLgYxJJ
WpWtoBiJBgtYVer“Captain…”ExygxWmEvNUasTVgvgXcXPzOgFuzBn
GTUeMWxpVTAVOOhRen Yi quickly responded, “There’s no fire below the 20th floor. You six leave two air tanks as spares, and the rest give your tanks to me and Captain Wang.”gvuAkDtLizwZPMlQsGGMTrnwfbIeLG
RMwDcIRQXsWrEmKThe firefighters looked at each other, hesitating.AQwDVyZjFKeBDwEWNdhsuNPMkMKBeT
hXzhmWAjcWvwmSj“Hurry up!” Wang Meng urged.XLmYvsZWWadcdNjtnIIQUkjiEMMYNH
ORfSlubhpObGeDmFour of the firefighters detached their air tanks and handed them over to Ren Yi and Wang Meng.HFBDiNWhRVuuFGbmSSnPXmaHriCVXn
KjvmvHpohTvyFRC“Get downstairs now!” Ren Yi ordered.QhEdTuhfltjMsEHwXdUIUdbylayieZ
jpyinPpRQRVeMWmHe and Wang Meng each grabbed two tanks and rushed to the 24th floor.sqBDzcYCWBBtizuUyMjVoJmrNiIyWu
TdXsYbVQPdNkwbRSwitching channels on his radio, Ren Yi said, “Qian Yue, this is Ren Yi. Which side are you on?”aliWIKIHqNyoiCFphyYUAQBCGrrnoU
oJqJucbsbdrQWXj“We’re in the middle! Hurry, this family has too many people—four of them are elderly.”JKUbjavisutKFCHnIlltLCZBLckgjd
PsAZPFqBCGnDyDaAfter climbing up, they navigated through the thick smoke, following the sound of voices until they finally reached Qian Yue and the others.lxzaSWabPZUFNVxmztwFmrkupFbWES
YuCeIbofRRFfjEUQian Yue was directing the firefighters to carry people downstairs, but they were short on hands. He shouted to Ren Yi, “Two of the elderly can’t walk. You’ll have to carry them!”CbkhNfEDDsaztxvIurEEKKyWaDVaSj
PHkMSlnHmScUHtcRen Yi quickly swapped his air tank. “Let’s go.”jOloimZNPxZuQnmzMxsVbAsCnZuWzV
rtODTIJbEVPDUzZInside, a voice shouted, “Auntie, stop grabbing things! Let’s go! Leave it behind!”EgmZtPwQZxSmODKyIvYUZWhwgkaxHr
nIAsNOHCpobEqKEA young firefighter was forcibly dragging a middle-aged woman out of the house, as she frantically tried to gather her belongings.oUYNqXsRXpWArOhRhFIZBHPDxKauAa
jPEBndBGOsxzdszWang Meng watched the waves of fire rolling overhead like a tide. “It’s going to flash over—we have to evacuate now!”nURcRzXhsNgGwZmWKIxSnvmpIsyxMH
cYULWonkZypUiOtRen Yi hoisted an elderly person onto his back, his legs trembling under the heavy weight as he gritted his teeth and headed for the stairwell.egQuNvjiHvyLtCZjuJyAnCEvVYlyQl
BfAJbmDNyePZFGb“My bracelet! My bracelet!” the woman screamed, her voice breaking with desperation.WbWtTkzobomirNpnCkpnsWXwIsdvax
YUvzKDVdVQmkqRr“Are you trying to get yourself killed? Forget it and move!”nHNyLDEQGjblPkUclcaJjIEGchyzOQ
WBqdezyquAduUnf“Someone stop her—”dAEpZdhYEWmyLdrDyezUWQSJbQQDia
uwkWMxyTqfQqSFmSuddenly, the floor beneath them trembled violently. Before Ren Yi could react, there was a deafening crash. Both he and Wang Meng were thrown off balance, stumbling at the stairwell entrance.SHsHVsBGMmtDADotgKbStbUKznuDmM
hOZgSWHuuNziDDQRen Yi scrambled to his feet, his face pale. He and Wang Meng, almost crawling in their haste, rushed back to see what had happened. What they saw froze them in their tracks.UnAbKBFEJnsuIoeFtxcdOpjwbFnHqT
YJKTcyVyFNDMmgOThe floor had collapsed.UshYJtHmVynoRzIGWcUtVITluSYrLu
HTvpxuDopMNclrlThe 24th-floor slab, which was the ceiling of the 23rd floor, had fallen through, taking the 22nd-floor ceiling down with it. In front of them was now a massive pit spanning two floors.haHQisGkRcfBTabFdnGGGVunwsDnBN
iwyVWUEMZpobLJFThe people who had fallen were buried in the debris and smoke, completely out of sight.pnlAHLqmSdujqeqmbcMqgsYrgtJBcn
voZYKsKQKtmOvLBQian Yue let out a heart-wrenching scream, and the other firefighters seemed on the brink of madness, shouting the names of their comrades as they yanked at their ropes, desperate to descend and rescue those trapped.JPzgredjilEzaCIiTxHEFrMZteXwkl
qVOctVQWJaGAGNtRen Yi grabbed Qian Yue tightly. “Qian Yue, calm down! You can’t go down there—it’s not safe!”GeIQzkMdCRKRByYZHQSItJZKYPKoiS
zHITItYcoRrsXUl“Let go of me! Xiao Zhou is down there!” Qian Yue shoved Ren Yi away.KNkXjDvlxiaHovEVDTaIjHucgxsIQn
OeuYnTYPgbJlMTV“Go down from the 23rd floor! It’s too far from here!” Ren Yi shouted, “Qian Yue!”FyhrCqhmHIbwvRuslnkOtCNAistulA
iWGmjMBkFvkWjPWQian Yue ripped off his mask, wiping his tears with a trembling hand, and said shakily, “Down… down the stairs.”BrRLEruNzmCDNRfKPrCWncnwIFtkti
pgEtHtTIgIqPfEzRen Yi grabbed his radio, “Command, 23rd floor requesting urgent support. The floor has collapsed, a firefighter is trapped, we need assistance!”TFxyeemVWRMwNBAdlXGRcIDMoMNJQM
zAJFkWflZhEYRDG“Copy that.”EEFWKeWWMNllvEdbtYiZidrMDPwyEo
FMZYPuFZHFqwxuvChoking back sobs, Qian Yue said, “Ren Yi, get the injured out. I’m going to save my people.”HETGqHcAHTRFwDcMyYqBSmEgCucEjN
DnYEpJwkmUrlNVgRen Yi replied firmly, “Qian Yue, don’t act rashly. Wait for backup.”YagqSuXnpjhIVtSrdVPlrUziqbGPcr
souaMInlmJwflAzQian Yue didn’t answer and quickly descended the stairs with two other firefighters.ZIjnBtxukqolxJAdnQDyNScOuvplgR
WAAHmQTKcBQKZOmRen Yi and the remaining team members lifted the injured onto their backs and began the difficult descent.sgNUShbdXYijILyjpVjigqMJgLaTBg
nrZcPmEryoudLWbBy the time they reached the ground and handed the injured over to the medics, Ren Yi’s legs gave out. He collapsed to the ground, unable to get up for a long while.GMIrvcRADniacnrVULGfqsHQcKTFxL
BTwVhJzyBTpcqUXSome of his teammates rushed over to help him up.hHWVXLSPmGTFXVOirVAFXSdEaOmPQI
hHsogAqFyMHOHlPRen Yi removed his mask and waved them off, “Let me sit for a bit. How’s Captain Qian?”PvrMnvfruAmrlFxbjZRvAWaJGXkqSK
ZziPGcJmYrakgquCui Yisheng shook his head. “No idea. What happened up there?”XkdcqUMzweXejRpZSSzpTurFQLqBlm
sKMLDQDWbaFmFAY“The floor collapsed. A young firefighter… he…” Ren Yi’s voice quivered, trailing off as he struggled to continue.UyqjhwxgRXkWJUwvrpTHjvjjgOLnYk
QqNXvUFIOFJJogcThe group fell silent.KMkOzpheGNFrDBcbXoPoFCDVHujOsg
tgVQPIyjajJmzoSQRUsMQrGETuPWRjPHWbEblQwvIRBOO
uimZdRWlyIzcuxy“Ren Yi.” A calm, clear voice sounded in Ren Yi’s ear, like a sudden cool breeze in the scorching heat, offering brief but welcome relief from the pain.AubXrVVrLwgoTnCVmRCfoUzKpweNCA
hmcjQTgFYcWKPyERen Yi looked up to see Gong Yingxian standing before him. Bent slightly at the waist, the golden light of the setting sun outlined his figure, casting his handsome face in shifting shadows. Ren Yi couldn’t tell whether the concern and heaviness on Gong Yingxian’s face came from the interplay of light or something deeper.jbhVBeOYgzakFsmiQvQPeuEJDVQQQr
lHjPKAnaPSJpxlIStaring at him, Ren Yi felt a sudden warmth in his eyes, an unexpected urge to cry. He desperately wanted to. He had just witnessed a young firefighter buried under the rubble, his fate uncertain. As the commanding officer, Ren Yi couldn’t allow himself to cry. But now, facing Gong Yingxian, the urge was almost overpowering.ktUnYhWkrmPzpaYekvsGlcqIqlnxUn
UJNxZwOvdZZMzEJWhat’s wrong with me?McUFOMoWNWqVFZFmIFeWpnHcgjXVZL
BBLHyZJDtMcBpxzGong Yingxian crouched down, offering him a bottle of water. His voice was soft, “Are you okay?”vlgSehldGwTvMAmnlebrJhyducAhgK
zvyZqcUwHGothhCRen Yi nodded, taking the bottle and drinking deeply. He emptied it in one go and, after tossing the empty bottle aside, shook his head. “Not okay.”CFpAGRVFNaJUnSbcmjGGxFbgMzzaHx
NUVoGqKfOnsWZLUGong Yingxian glanced up at the towering building. “I know what’s in there.”mlEXgzYvittVOAQyqBpSisbBDLQhWs
zeZXgImeIExAHcd“…”XTLqhvZvmgNsishRhEJKkJBOjbrQIH
fjxkLegwbGSTdOG“I’ve been in there.”texUnFggtueyMIEtYgEAEDmHkbdCCx
IpLEnVtiCPPERZkRen Yi understood what Gong Yingxian meant. He opened his mouth but found he didn’t know what to say. The image of the two children he had just rescued came to mind. Was the Gong Yingxian of the past like them, once hiding helpless and terrified under a bed?lgMGKIGbbujriBNTKnpbwqKojatqLX
qGtzAAgEkkvVIDYWhy? Why do these human tragedies have to happen over and over again?!UWUBVdcVmugJsuAIEKivCIPuEqUQwb
pTOzsuxBUWFagrTGong Yingxian extended his hand to Ren Yi. “Get up. Whoever’s responsible, I will find the truth.”wILapCqJIxrGEdMsSxtUvnyluSpmfN
NEIeyQYMaOGwoFHRen Yi hesitated for a moment, then grasped Gong Yingxian’s hand, allowing him to pull him to his feet. He felt the strength radiating from Gong Yingxian’s grip—solid, reassuring. It made him feel a sliver of peace.gQGYOOJjAcPXDhVKRKBLWVroaNLmQn
oFUzUjpTSDRYkVeGong Yingxian looked intently into Ren Yi’s eyes. “We will find the truth together.”piMMxXekDVuAIViNnXNozkkjEDIFGY
JhcHcLsuyVDFxRwSEzKwbuBhlnsFALWuhfDcofwuaJdxj