91: Father

Qiu Gu was confused and hadn't realized what Gao Xiaofan was saying before he saw Gao Xiaofan fall to the ground.

Panicking, he scrambled up to head down.

"debris flow!!! debris flow!!! Go back and warn them!"

Just as he stood up, Qiu Gu's face froze and his limbs went cold; this time, he heard it clearly.

Gao Xiaofan struggled to get up. Seeing Qiu Gu still dazed on the slope, he ignored the mud on his face and shouted angrily.

"What are you standing there for! Run!"

"I'll wait for you, let's go together~"

Qiu Gu snapped out of it and shouted back quickly.

"Wait for what?! It's not like I can't run!"

Gao Xiaofan was fuming; Qiu Gu still couldn't grasp the gravity of the situation.

"Once the debris flow gains momentum, no one in xiushui village will be spared."

Qiu Gu glanced hesitantly at Gao Xiaofan, who was still running through the mud with all his might, then turned and ran toward xiushui village.

Before leaving, he glanced at the water's surface; it seemed to have risen slightly~

What on earth was the Program Production Crew doing, losing the signal at a time like this... Once a person makes a choice, their thoughts change. As Qiu Gu ran, listening to the faint roar of the mudflow, his heart was in his throat, like being on a pirate ship ride.

I'm not going to die here, am I?

At first, Qiu Gu tried to maintain his balance, but eventually, he just gave up and sat on the mud, sliding down the rain-slicked slope. It was many times faster than running.

He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but Qiu Gu seemed to hear the sound of something cracking.

Seeing Qiu Gu turn and leave on the hillside, Gao Xiaofan couldn't help but feel relieved.

There were nearly 200 people in xiushui village including the staff. If they didn't evacuate in time, they would likely all be buried here. As for himself...

Gao Xiaofan gave a self-deprecating smile. He was all alone; if he died, no one would be sad.

Hearing the sound of the waves getting closer behind him, fragments of memories flashed through Gao Xiaofan's mind.

Do people see these things before they die? Gao Xiaofan's thoughts wandered.

Age three: Gao Xiaofan watched his father fishing by the pond.

"Daddy, don't fish, play with Xiaofan~"

"Alright, alright, my little Xiaofan. Daddy won't fish anymore~"

His father tossed it aside, and the rods stuck firmly into the mud, their tips quivering.

Age five: Gao Xiaofan watched his father fishing by the lake, pouting.

"All you do is fish! What's so fun about fishing~"

"Oh, Xiaofan caught me again. Let's go, no more fishing, let's go home."

Caught in the act, his father gave an embarrassed smile. With a flick of his wrist, the fishing rod, which had been bent like a heavy bow, snapped back. The float that had been trembling in the air fell limply onto the water and drifted away quickly.

His father jerked the rod back with one hand, the sections retracting naturally into the handle. He tucked it behind his back, picked him up, and walked toward home.

Leaning on his father's shoulder, he saw a huge splash suddenly rise from the water.

"Daddy, a big fish!"

"Mm-hmm, not that big..."

Age seven: Gao Xiaofan was on the phone, crying uncontrollably.

"Daddy, where are you and Mommy?"

"Be good, Xiaofan. We'll be back in a few days~"

"You went fishing again!"

A woman's voice suddenly came through the phone, cold and detached—it was his mother.

"Xiaofan, we want to spend more time with you too, but you have to understand your father and me. Your father works very hard, and I miss you very much too."

After age eight, Gao Xiaofan never saw his father fish again, but life became strange.

When he was nine, their house caught fire. The family of three barely escaped. His father's face was terrifying as he crouched by the ruins, talking to himself.

When he was ten, Gao Xiaofan got up to pee one night and found his father standing alone by the fish tank in the living room. He was holding a toy fishing rod and repeatedly lifting it, each time pulling an ornamental fish out of the water.

Gao Xiaofan walked dizzily into the bathroom.

"I said, I just want to be with my child. Give me some time."

His father's suppressed growl echoed in the living room. When Gao Xiaofan finished and came out, the living room was empty.

When he was eleven, his father disappeared for three days. When he returned, he looked exhausted.

When he was thirteen, his parents were in a car accident, but they were in high spirits. That night, the two of them, who never drank, had some alcohol.

"Finally free, Xiaoxi. We won't have to suffer anymore."

When he was fifteen, Gao Xiaofan had just started high school. During class, he was suddenly called out of the classroom by his homeroom teacher.

"Gao Xiaofan, hurry to the hospital. Your parents have been in a car accident."

When he reached the hospital, his father, holding onto his last breath, looked at him with the same loving eyes as when he was a child.

"Xiaofan, Daddy can't be with you anymore. Fishing was my favorite thing, but since I had you, I only wanted to be with you every day and watch you grow up~"

"If you ever come to like fishing too, you must remember..."

The scenes in his mind brought Gao Xiaofan to tears as he ran, and then the memories stopped abruptly.

A wave of mud rose and slammed Gao Xiaofan away. Before he could struggle, the receding mud wave swallowed him up and dragged him into the flow.

In the entire valley, there was no longer any sign of life, only the constant roar of the mud waves crashing.

The camera on the hilltop still hung quietly from the tree, its network signal light blinking.

"Searching for signal..."

...Qiu Gu didn't know how long he had been running. He was completely numb. As he ran, he saw muddy water flowing out of the cracks in the mountain. When he reached the pond and saw the churning water, he couldn't stop shaking.

The crystal-clear pond had become incredibly murky. It was like a boiling pot, with yellow water constantly bubbling and churning.

Qiu Gu pulled himself together and ran toward Xiushui Village, the roar behind him growing louder.

Xiushui Village.

"Did you guys hear something?" Qu Lang stood outside, looking at the staff members who were still repairing the lines, and couldn't help but ask.

Cheng Yan paused and listened carefully.

"Seems like it. Maybe the wind?"

Qu Lang shook his head and continued to watch the staff in front of him.

"How much longer?"

The staff member didn't look back.

"Just a few more minutes."

Qu Lang nodded and turned toward the control room.

"Let's go. Once the signal is back, we'll check the situation over there immediately."

Returning inside, Qu Lang paused, looking suspicious.

"Why do I feel like I heard Qiu Gu's voice~"

Cheng Yan couldn't help but laugh. "I think you're just too tense."

Inside, Jing Yu heard the commotion and gave a disdainful smile.

Qu Lang ignored them, turned to open the door, and stood at the entrance, listening carefully.

"Run! Run! The debris flow is coming!"

Qiu Gu's voice, thick with tears, reached everyone's ears clearly.