Volume 1: Rise
Instructor
There is only one disease in the world—poverty
“Uncle, remember to cook the pork thoroughly before eating it in the future~” As usual, before finishing work, Yu Gui would walk around the ward. That Uncle who had been in a Land Rover was almost fully recovered and could walk. It was said that he would be able to be discharged in a couple of days.
Uncle’s family was in the livestock business, and seeing her, he was a bit excited, shaking her hand tightly: “I heard from my wife that you were the first one to rush in to save me. When I get home, I’ll get you two jin1 of freshly slaughtered pork to try!”
Since vomiting in the operating room last time, Yu Gui felt nauseous at the smell of meat, let alone pork. Her face immediately turned pale: “No… no… Uncle, I still have to go round the ward… I’m leaving now.”
She ran to the corridor and took out her phone to message Fang Zhiyou: “Zhiyou, I suddenly feel that life doesn’t seem so bad after all.”
Fang Zhiyou was accompanying someone in a game. When her phone screen lit up, she subconsciously picked it up to reply.
The person next to her suddenly took off the headphones and threw them on the table: “Damn Fang Zhiyou, what’s wrong with you?! We were just about to win at a crucial moment, don’t you know?!”
“Brother Li, calm down, calm down, let’s play another round,” the internet cafe owner quickly came over to smooth things over: “Fang Zhiyou, don’t you know what’s good for you! Playing with Brother Li is giving you face, do you understand?! Don’t overstep your bounds! Play well in the next round and beat the damn opponent, got it?!”
While saying this, he also took off Fang Zhiyou’s headphones, cursing and complaining.
Fang Zhiyou said nothing, picked up the headphones, and put them back on. She didn’t know if life was good or not; she only knew that life had taught her patience. At least finishing this round would earn her a few dozen yuan, and this few dozen yuan was her daily living expense.
“It’s not that, big brother, you didn’t provide us with the contact details for the family, so we can’t proceed with the follow-up treatment,” Hao Renjie, who had been persuading for more than two hours, spoke earnestly.
“Yeah, you still owe me for the medical expenses. How did I end up in such a mess just because I ordered for food…” Gu Yanzhi pounded her chest and stamped her feet, almost regretting it endlessly.
The delivery guy lying on the hospital bed wore an oxygen mask. He was already conscious but refused to speak or turn his head to look at them.
“Big brother… If you don’t give us the contact details for the family, we… we will call the police,” Hao Renjie raised his phone and dialed a number.
The big brother’s body shook slightly but still did not turn around.
Lu Qingshi patted his shoulder, signaling him to calm down, and cleared her throat: “Your examination results have come out.”
She raised the medical images in her hand, and the big brother’s gaze was immediately drawn to them. His eyes reflected a mixture of desire, expectation, and the hopelessness of already knowing everything.
Lu Qingshi placed the medical images by his bedside: “It seems you already knew. This time, your upper gastrointestinal bleeding is very dangerous; you almost didn’t make it. If it had been earlier…”
The early symptoms of liver cancer are not obvious, and by the time the patient notices, it is often already at an advanced stage.
A fleeting glimpse of hope appeared in the patient’s eyes but soon faded: “It’s useless… The doctors in the county said there’s no treatment…”
“Although I don’t know what your illness is, if there’s no treatment, why not see your family one last time?” Gu Yanzhi stood up and said.
“If it were me, I would definitely choose to tell them. Rather than leaving regrets, it’s better to calmly accept and live through every moment of the future, because each day you have could very well be your last day.”
The big brother was silent for a long time. Tears suddenly appeared on his emaciated face. It was quite shocking to see a man over 1.8 meters tall crying: “Telling… telling them won’t help… no… no money for treatment… better not burden my wife and the kids…”
From his intermittent sobs, Gu Yanzhi learned that the delivery guy’s real name was Wang Youshi. He was from a rural area in the northwest. In recent years, with poor harvests, he came to the city to work. Without education, he had carried cement and moved bricks. When food delivery became popular, he started delivering food with his fellow villagers, working from dawn till dusk in wind and rain. The little money he earned was all sent back home to support his family of four, with three daughters and another one on the way, said to be a boy. The whole family was looking forward to it, but now, at this critical moment, he had been diagnosed with this illness. His fellow villagers advised him to go home and take care of himself, but he insisted on staying in the city to earn a little more money, holding on until the baby was born.
In the most difficult times, he would split a bun in half and eat it, dipping it in leftover pickles that customers didn’t want, and still buy nutritional supplements for his wife.
Gu Yanzhi went outside to smoke halfway through, but the nurse came over and stopped her: “Hey, miss, smoking is prohibited here.”
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She had to put the cigarette back in the pack and light it outside the emergency center. In the haze of smoke, her face looked somewhat unpredictable.
Soon, Lu Qingshi came out as well and ran into Yu Gui outside. Yu Gui didn’t know how long she had been standing there, her face full of hesitation: “Lu… Teacher Lu?”
Lu Qingshi couldn’t be bothered with her. In her mind, Yu Gui was just a troublemaker.
“Lu… Teacher Lu… Is there really no way to treat his illness?”
Lu Qingshi did not turn around, with her hands in her white coat pockets: “There is only one disease in the world—poverty.”
Stepping out of the emergency center, the cool night breeze dispersed the lingering smell of disinfectant from her nostrils.
Lu Qingshi took a deep breath and sat down on the steps. Her stomach rumbled at an inopportune moment. After all the busyness, she felt nothing else except regretting that bowl of vegetable noodles.
She took out her phone intending to order some takeout, but after scrolling through a few pages, she seemed to think of something and put it away.
On the steps, someone conveniently handed over a skewer of lamb kebabs. Gu Yanzhi, with her long limbs and casual demeanor, was sitting on the long bench, her feet resting on the flowerbed on top of it, quite unrestrained.
“It’s cold, but still somewhat decent.”
“Thank you,” Lu Qingshi said, taking it and nibbling on it lightly. Indeed, the cold had given it a unique flavor. She quickly finished one skewer, and another one was handed over from the steps.
After sharing all the takeout, Lu Qingshi couldn’t help but laugh: “You’re quite peculiar, still remembering to bring food at a time like this.”
Satisfied, Gu Yanzhi leaned back on the bench: “The world is big, but eating is the most important.”
Lu Qingshi was about to leave: “Don’t clean up things in the middle of the night in the future.”
But Gu Yanzhi suddenly stood up, leaning against the bench, and slightly bowed her head to look at her: “I always feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
The bench was next to the steps, and the distance was suddenly shortened. Her clear pupils reflected her own image with a hint of surprise, as Lu Qingshi stood up.
“Isn’t this way of striking up a conversation a bit too old-fashioned?”
“Is it?” Gu Yanzhi scratched her short hair, and by the time she came back to her senses, the person had already walked away. She murmured to herself, “But… I really feel like… I’ve seen you before…”
Jinzhou City Fire Brigade.
Dinner was at 7:30, and by 7:10 the playground was already empty. However, the cafeteria was crowded with people.
Gu Yanzhi whistled as she looked at the empty playground and casually lifted a 10-kilogram hose, carrying it on her shoulder as she headed toward the cafeteria.
“Hey, weren’t we supposed to have a new instructor come today? Isn’t it a bit early for us to be eating?” Some newly recruited reserve firefighters were anxiously discussing.
An old soldier beside them tapped his chopsticks on their heads: “What a load of nonsense, I heard it’s a woman. What can a woman do in the fire brigade? Is she here to sleep with us big guys?”
A group of people burst into laughter.
“Exactly, exactly. The commander must be getting senile!”
“Otherwise, it’s to see that the brothers are training too hard every day, so let’s treat them to some meat!”
It was still that same troublemaker who had stirred things up earlier. As soon as his words fell, a soaring jet of water hit him so hard that even his own mother wouldn’t recognize him. Soaked from head to toe and turned into a drenched rat, he threw down his chopsticks and stood up from the table.
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“Damn it! Which son of a bitch did this to me!”
Another precisely aimed jet of water hit him directly in the face. The force of the high-pressure water gun pushed him back a few steps, knocking over several chairs and leaning him against the dining table.
“Your mouth is too dirty, clean it out.”
Gu Yanzhi had one foot on a chair, holding a high-pressure water gun in one hand, aiming it at everyone: “And you guys too.”
The cafeteria immediately erupted into chaos, with clattering dishes and utensils flying everywhere. Everyone was ducking for cover, kicking over tables and chairs, trying to avoid the relentless water gun attacks. The scene was a complete mess.
Outside the window, the face of the Level Two Commander was also quite dramatic: “This is too much!”
Instead, it was the elderly man with gray hair, wearing a shoulder badge with two stripes and a six-pointed star, who stopped the commander’s words: “Sometimes, using violence to counter violence does have some merit.”
Since the national firefighting system reform, all fire brigades have withdrawn from active service and been reorganized into administrative units, unified under the National Emergency Management Department. A large number of excellent personnel have been lost, and the recruits now are mainly idle individuals from society, retired soldiers, etc., with varying quality. The experienced firefighters from the old generation have mostly retired, leaving behind only troublemakers who are more aggressive but less capable in actual combat. If it weren’t for this situation, they wouldn’t have thought of asking Gu Yanzhi to come back and teach.
“Where did this crazy woman come from! Brothers, let’s get her!”
Soaked to the core by the water gun again, the troublemaker shouted and was the first to charge forward.
No one saw how she moved, but the chair under her combat boots had already been thrown out, hitting the troublemaker squarely in the chest. The several hundred-pound man crashed heavily to the ground, clutching his chest and unable to get up for a while.
“I… Damn… Go… Get her…” A few people exchanged glances, assumed attacking positions, but none dared to move forward.
Gu Yanzhi put down the water gun and beckoned them with a wave of her hand: “Come, let’s play.”
Her nonchalant attitude instead enraged everyone. A few bolder ones roared and charged at her, with one attacking from the left, one from the right targeting her vital points, and another kicking from the front to sweep her legs.
The gust of wind lifted her bangs. Gu Yanzhi neither dodged nor avoided, catching the punch from the right with her right hand, twisting it backward. The attacker let out a scream of pain, and Gu Yanzhi took the opportunity to punch him in the face, causing blood to spurt from his nose. He fell to the ground, crying and howling, unsure whether to hold his hand or wipe his nose.
The person on the left was a bit dazed, unable to see how she struck. His already unsteady punches became even more chaotic. Gu Yanzhi didn’t bother to dodge, landing an uppercut on his jaw, knocking out two of his front teeth, causing him to clutch his mouth and scream in agony.
As for the person trying to kick her legs, Gu Yanzhi looked down, forcefully stomping on his stomach with her combat boots twice, causing him to emit a heart-wrenching wail. Annoyed by the noise, she dug at her ears and kicked out, smashing the tables and chairs piled in the corner into a scattered mess.
“Anyone else want to try?” Gu Yanzhi loosened her muscles, her fists cracking.
The room fell into a deathly silence. The overhead fluorescent lights cast a pale, ghostly pallor on everyone’s faces. The six-pointed star on her shoulder gleamed with blinding light. With four stars and one stripe, it indicated at least a commander-level fire officer rank.
The troublemaker hung his head, knowing that he had run into a tough opponent today.
After dealing with the troublemaker and a few other new recruits, this group of people became noticeably more subdued. They were gathered on the training ground by Gu Yanzhi, with the members of the first team crouching obediently, their heads in their hands, resembling criminals.
Gu Yanzhi stood with her hands clasped behind her back, her posture straight and tall, dressed impeccably in deep flame-blue training uniform. The six-pointed star on her shoulder epaulets shone brightly, and her soft chest badge displayed her number: 716050119.
“My name is Gu Yanzhi. For the next year, I will be the chief instructor of the Jinzhou Fire Brigade,” she introduced herself briefly. When she was nonchalant, she was carefree, but once she became serious, her gaze was as sharp as a knife, and an invisible pressure spread out, making it almost suffocating.
There was some whispering below. Gu Yanzhi gestured to the adjutant to pull someone out. She squinted at the person’s chest badge: “4047, right? Troublemaker, huh? Remember to file a report when you speak in the future.”
“What… what do you want…” someone started to say, but was silenced when two water hoses were brought over.
Gu Yanzhi used her gloves to cover his mouth: “I dislike people who don’t know when to keep their mouths clean. I’ll clean you up thoroughly today.”
She snapped her fingers, and two high-pressure water guns formed a giant dragon pouring down, hitting him head-on. The water on the ground was icy and bone-chilling, and the impact alone could knock an adult down. The troublemaker curled up on the ground, wailing silently, unable to make any noise. He crawled out of the water gun’s shooting range countless times, only to be pulled back by his collar.
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“Everyone, attention! At ease! Right face!” She called out the commands, and the squad quickly moved to their positions and stood correctly.
Gu Yanzhi was satisfied. The adjutant hung two water hoses on each person, each weighing ten pounds, making a total of twenty pounds.
“Now, physical training begins. Five kilometers with weight, prepare—run!”
With Gu Yanzhi’s command, everyone rushed out. At first, a few people were still dawdling at the back. She sat in the off-road vehicle with a loudspeaker, shouting at the top of her lungs: “Adjutant, give 0027, 4593, and 1346 a shower! Anyone who finishes last will do two hundred push-ups and will not be allowed to have lunch!”
“Why?”
She nearly shoved the loudspeaker into the person’s ear: “Because trash doesn’t deserve to waste food!”
“Give 3394 a shower! Anyone who talks to the instructor must file a report!”
“Report, Instructor! I can’t run anymore!” Someone fell behind, walking and gasping for breath, with two long water hoses dragging on the ground, threatening to trip him up.
Gu Yanzhi said nothing. She opened the off-road vehicle’s fence, and two black, agile figures shot out in a flash.
From a distance, he hadn’t yet seen what it was, only hearing barking dogs. Suddenly, his soul seemed to flee, and he tumbled and scrambled forward.