Life is Like a Journey – Chapter 80

Volume 2: Inheritance

Old Friend

“I’m warning you, stay away from her”

As if overnight, the situation had turned upside down, beyond their control. At 6 AM, they discovered the formation of a barrier lake’s water level, and by 7 AM, the maximum water storage had reached ten million cubic meters.

            

The thunderous roar of helicopters echoed overhead, with the heavily camouflaged WZ-10 (Chinese military attack helicopter) circling above the bridge. Soldiers in hunter camouflage uniforms descended one by one, as the military began to establish their presence.

The helicopter quickly departed, and a black Mercedes-Benz business vehicle suddenly stopped at the camp entrance. Several people in suits emerged in succession, followed by armed People’s Armed Police.

Hao Renjie exaggeratedly opened his mouth: “That… that is…”

            

Xiang Nanke also received security duties, loading bullets into the chamber: “You’re not wrong, the Premier and National Deputy Commander of Earthquake Relief and Disaster Response. I need to go work, watch out for your safety.”

The last sentence was directed at Qin Xuan, who for some unknown reason seemed rather listless today and didn’t even lift an eyelid to acknowledge her.

Several cranes and excavators successively entered the camp. Work had already begun under the bridge. Drones took flight, surveying water levels and geography. A small team of combat engineers climbed the mountain range above the tunnel, descending in a line via rope slides, manually installing nets to prevent landslides.

            

Xu Qiankun came running with the official ultimatum: “Other medical teams are starting to withdraw, we should withdraw too.”

“Withdraw where? There’s still a small half of the tunnel that hasn’t been cleared. What if there are still survivors? This is when they need us most,” Lu Qingshi countered during their small group meeting.

“In 24 hours they’re reportedly going to open the floodgates. By then, forget about this place, probably some villages downstream of Jinzhou City will be in danger. Stay here and wait to die?!”

            

The two had long been at odds, and others dared not interject. However, Yu Gui weakly said: “There are still severely injured patients in the tents. What will happen to them if we withdraw?”

Lu Qingshi sat down rubbing her temples, while Xu Qiankun also looked troubled. In just these few short days, a once energetic middle-aged man now appeared haggard with an unshaven face, with blisters forming at the corners of his mouth.

“But Dean Meng also said we should withdraw first, everything should prioritize the bigger picture and follow the disaster relief command’s arrangements.”

            

“Rules are dead but people are alive (Chinese idiom meaning rules should be flexible based on circumstances). Whatever happens, let’s send the injured back first, and we’ll hold our position until the last moment. Any objections?”

Unexpectedly, these young and inexperienced faces before her showed no opposition, everyone nodding in agreement.

Xu Qiankun pursed his lips without saying anything, reluctantly accepting her suggestion.

            

The chief engineer of the Armed Police Hydropower Forces and the people from the Land and Resources Bureau were arguing, each expressing their views without resolution. The man over fifty listened until his head ached: “I called you here to offer suggestions and find solutions, look how high the water level has risen! If you can’t find a practical flood discharge method within half an hour, strip off your uniforms and get out of here!”

The water level at the hydrological monitoring station by the river had already risen past the warning line.

Gu Yanzhi stood there with a serious expression, kicked-up yellow sand splashing onto her trouser legs. Firefighters were working with the Armed Police forces to reinforce the dam with sandbags.

            

“Want one? We meet again, Gu Yanzhi,” A lieutenant wearing hunter camouflage with pine-green shoulder insignia walked over offering her a cigarette.

Gu Yanzhi declined: “Get lost, not in the mood to smoke.”

The deployment of the Hawks (special forces unit) represented the severity of the situation, possibly not just for protecting the high-ranking official above.

            

“You’re going to use explosives, right?”

When it came to familiarity with explosives, no one was more knowledgeable than this Armed Police Engineering University graduate turned demolition expert standing beside her.

He had once become a military legend during a simulation exercise by using explosives accurate to the microgram to destroy the enemy command post while leaving personnel completely unharmed.

            

And the person who had helped him write that legend was now quietly standing beside him.

Cheng Du shook his head: “How did you end up like this?”

Her features now showed signs of weathering, wearing a dirty firefighter’s uniform, face covered in silt, dried mud clinging to her hair tips, her entire body looking like she had been rolling in mud.

            

Where was that spirited special forces soldier’s commanding presence from before?

“Get lost,” Gu Yanzhi ignored him, hefting a sandbag and throwing it heavily onto the riverbank, wiping away the mud water that splashed on her face, then turned back to continue working.

Cheng Du could only return to his post, cigarette dangling idly from his mouth.

            

Downstream of the Chang River were three million people of Jinzhou City, two counties and eleven districts. If the barrier lake were to burst, at least one thousand million square kilometers of land would be submerged.

When that paper report was handed over, the man over fifty remained silent for a long while, hands supporting himself on the bridge railing, watching the firefighters and soldiers battling below and the turbulent muddy river flow.

“There’s really no other way?”

            

The people from the Land Resources Bureau and the Hydropower Forces stopped arguing, exchanged glances, shook their heads, their expressions somewhat gloomy.

“No.”

The diagram clearly explained the flood discharge plan: dig a drainage channel from beside the Chang River to divert floodwater into the nearby tributary. The flood would pass through several small villages marked on the map, though the permanent population was only 12,000 – choosing the lesser of two evils.

            

The disaster relief commander made an immediate decision: “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

The elderly man added: “Hurry to evacuate downstream residents, strive to safely relocate people from villages like Qinghu Village and Pinggu Village in Zengcheng that might be submerged by flooding within 24 hours.”

“Yes, sir!” The military personnel saluted and turned to leave.

            

Box after box of explosives marked as dangerous goods were carried into the construction site as the Hawks counted their equipment and gear.

Their mission was to climb the barrier body by hand and blast open a flood discharge channel.

“Go ask the combat engineers if the pontoon bridge is ready?” Cheng Du paced back and forth smoking, somewhat anxious.

            

“Report to Squad Leader, the engineering company says the water flow is too fast right now, the pontoon bridge can’t be set up quickly.”

“Damn it!” Cheng Du violently threw his cigarette down and stomped it out. “Should’ve just had the helicopter drop me down there earlier!”

“Let’s go take a look.”

            

A group of armed personnel carrying explosives ran toward the riverside.

“Hold on, don’t let go!” In the rushing river water, the pontoon bridge swayed left and right – forget about people, even animals would get dizzy standing on it.

A group formed a human wall, holding hands with ropes tied around their waists as they waded forward, including Armed Police forces, firefighters, police officers, and some ordinary people who came to help from nearby villages.

            

The combat engineer at the front held a fixing device, driving it deep into the barrier body’s silt: “Great, success!”

As soon as he spoke, the spot where he had inserted it sank deeply, part of the dam collapsed, and mud and rocks poured down without warning. Without even a grunt, he was swept away spinning in the rushing river water.

The human wall instantly scattered, the line of people swaying like kites in the river water. The rope tied to the large rock on the shore was rapidly sliding down, and just as everyone was about to fall into the river, a flame-blue figure lunged forward and grabbed the rope, their pale hands immediately being torn bloody by the sharp steel cable.

            

Gu Yanzhi gritted her teeth, tied the rope around her waist, lifted it onto her back, her combat boots sinking deep into the sandy ground as she slid downward.

Cheng Du slapped the helmet of the soldier beside him: “What are you staring at? Help!”

Twenty had gone down, only seventeen were pulled up, with three others swept away to unknown locations by the rushing river.

            

Gu Yanzhi wrung water from her clothes: “Third squad, take the assault boat to search for them. We need them alive or dead.”

“Yes!”

“Captain, he’s not going to make it!” One of those just rescued lay on the shore, convulsing and rolling his eyes like a dying fish.

            

“Get him on the stretcher, take him to Dr. Lu!” The fire instructor didn’t care that she was soaked through, rushing with others carrying the stretcher toward the medical team’s camp.

Cheng Du stroked his chin wondering: who is this Dr. Lu?

“Put him here, clear the airway, establish IV access, quickly!” Yu Gui limped over pushing the medicine cart.

            

Lu Qingshi turned the patient’s head to one side, removing mud, water plants, and other debris from his mouth.

Qin Xuan rolled up her sleeves: “Move aside, I’ll do chest compressions.”

After three minutes of rotation, Lu Qingshi immediately took over, without any hesitation performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

            

Only after the vital signs on the monitor stabilized did the doctor breathe a sigh of relief, instructing Hao Renjie to watch carefully while she took a bottle of mineral water outside to rinse her mouth.

Gu Yanzhi was waiting outside the tent: “How is he?”

“He wasn’t submerged long, and was brought in quickly enough. He’ll be fine.”

            

The fire instructor also sat down relieved, using her sleeve to carelessly wipe the mud from her face, only managing to make it more messy.

Lu Qingshi couldn’t help but smile, pulling tissue from her pocket to offer: “Use this to wipe.”

“Oh, good,” Gu Yanzhi took it and wiped a few times before suddenly stopping: “Other medical teams have withdrawn, you should withdraw with them. Tomorrow… there might be flood discharge.”

            

Lu Qingshi frowned: “Isn’t Jinzhou City downstream?”

Gu Yanzhi quickly shook her head: “No, no, no, over there—” she stood up pointing: “Can you see? There’s a small stream behind the mountain. Tomorrow we’ll work with the combat engineers to dig channels to divert the water. Work has already begun.”

The roar of excavators hadn’t stopped since dawn.

            

“I remember there are several villages over there…”

Faint wisps of cooking smoke could be seen rising from among the majestic mountains.

Gu Yanzhi’s expression darkened slightly: “This can’t be helped, but fortunately the Armed Police have already gone to help the villagers evacuate.”

            

“That’s good then.”

People can evacuate, but how can houses, farmland, and livestock be moved? However, compared to floodwaters rushing into Jinzhou City, this was the best possible outcome.

“Well, I won’t keep talking. Qingshi, you must evacuate before five o’clock this afternoon. That’s the final deadline, understand?”

            

Lu Qingshi nodded: “Don’t worry, ambulances have been coming and going, already rushing to transport patients back to the hospital.”

Gu Yanzhi said no more and got up to leave. Lu Qingshi took a few steps, then called out to stop her.

“What about the remaining tunnel search?”

            

“Drones carrying life detection equipment have already gone, but hopes are very slim. Currently, all manpower and resources are focused on reinforcing the dam, we can’t spare any extra hands.”

Lu Qingshi nodded once: “I understand.”

Gu Yanzhi smiled, feeling she had more to say: “What else?”

            

Lu Qingshi squeezed the mineral water bottle in her hand: “You… be careful.”

A smile spread from her lips gradually reaching her eyes. Gu Yanzhi strode over and pulled her into an embrace, ruffling her hair.

“Don’t worry, I won’t make you shovel my sh*t (Chinese idiom meaning ‘won’t make you deal with my aftermath/problems’).”

            

Around them, Hao Renjie led others in whistling, making Lu Qingshi’s face flush red as she pushed her away: “Get lost already!”

Gu Yanzhi wasn’t angry, just turned and waved, leaving gracefully.

“Wait for me to return.”

            

Cheng Du stood on a diesel barrel blocking her path: “She’s pretty, but a bit too old. Must be over thirty.”

Without a word, Gu Yanzhi swept his legs with a kick. The diesel barrel flew up as Cheng Du perfectly avoided it with a back flip.

Gu Yanzhi followed up without letting him steady himself, throwing a punch. The two became entangled, exchanging blows back and forth, parrying each other’s moves, with every hit landing solidly.

            

Cheng Du’s uppercut struck her stomach. Gu Yanzhi didn’t even grunt, using the momentum to grab his hand and violently twist it, causing a crisp crack from his wrist as sweat beaded on his forehead.

Gu Yanzhi flipped up, wrapping her legs around his neck and slamming him to the ground. One hand pulled a knife from his boot, fiercely stabbing down toward his brow.

That cold metallic glint reflected in his pupils grew larger as Cheng Du tensed up, cold sweat running down his temples.

            

“What are you doing?! Stop immediately!” Someone ran over from afar, shouting sternly.

The knife spun once at her fingertips, its sharp end stabbing into the soil, less than an inch from his head, cutting a small bloody nick on his ear.

Gu Yanzhi released him, picked up her fallen coat and left: “I’m warning you, stay away from her.”

            

Cheng Du wiped the blood from his lip corner with his hand: “Damn, still as vicious as ever…”

“Zhiyou, you should go back with the ambulance,” Yu Gui persuaded earnestly.

“What about you? How much longer will you stay here?”

            

“Umm…” Yu Gui hesitated: “I’ll go back with the medical team tomorrow.”

Fang Zhiyou was furious: “You’re not part of the medical team anymore, and you’re still injured. What are you staying here for?!”

“Although movement is a bit inconvenient, I can still help with injections and changing bandages. A few colleagues… no, doctors went back with the ambulance feeling unwell, we’re short-handed now…” Yu Gui hemmed and hawed, then added, fearing her anger:

            

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely come back to you when work is done!”

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