144: Chapter 144 The Injury Was Timely

Li Li's Firefighter axe almost swung up.

The person behind the door was wearing a commander's training uniform, their nametag half-obscured by smoke, holding a walkie-talkie in their right hand and pressing their left hand against the doorframe.

"Don't chop."

Li Li lowered the axe by half an inch.

"Your way of making an entrance really tests my legal awareness."

The commander didn't take the bait, instead raising a hand to point inside.

"There is a casualty on the 34th Floor who needs to be transported downstairs."

Li Li scanned behind him.

The smoke in the corridor wasn't thick; there was training smoke inside the door, and drill signs were posted along the walls.

The probability of a real casualty was zero.

But a drill is a drill. The rules are non-negotiable.

Li Li hooked his Firefighter axe back onto his waist and stepped aside.

"My left hand is injured, so I'm not suitable for carrying a stretcher or piggybacking someone."

He spoke quickly and straightforwardly.

In the firefighting profession, tough talk doesn't pay off.

Trying to be a hero with an injured hand doesn't save lives; it just adds to the burden of your teammates.

Han Su squeezed up from behind, his air cylinder bumping against the wall.

"I'll do it."

These two words were spoken firmly.

Young people are competitive.

With the livestream running and the mission right in front of them, taking even half a step back would be a loss.

Gu Zeyan also stepped forward half a pace. "I can do it, too."

Li Li tilted his head to look at him.

Gu Zeyan held his shoulders braced and his chin tilted at a standard angle, his whole demeanor straining to maintain his "on-camera" persona.

His Company was watching.

Someone at the Company was likely glued to the livestream, preparing to edit a trending topic titled "Gu Zeyan is no less capable than Li Li."

It wasn't that the kid couldn't endure hardship. It was just that while enduring it, he also had to perform his love for it.

It was actually quite pathetic.

The commander turned around. "Follow me."

The four of them entered the 30th Floor corridor.

The chest-mounted cameras swayed as they followed.

Emergency lights flickered, yellow arrows were taped to the floor, and the doorplate read "Temporary Casualty Zone."

Li Li walked in the back, using his right hand to steady himself against the wall and casually checking the wall's temperature.

Not hot. Smoke stable. Safe.

But he didn't slow his pace.

Gu Zeyan held his back straight in front. Han Su's footsteps were heavy.

Zhong Ji followed at the very back, having adjusted his air cylinder straps to the most ergonomic position, showing practiced efficiency in saving energy.

They pushed open the room door. All four of them stopped.

There were at least ten people sitting inside the room. Each person had an A4 sheet of paper taped to their chest reading [Casualty].

Some were looking down at their phones. Some were drinking water. There was even a middle-aged man rolling up his pant leg to show his calf to the person next to him.

The scene was very peaceful. It didn't look like a fire scene. It was closer to a community hospital waiting area.

The livestream chat exploded.

[??????]

[I thought there would be a casualty, but it turns out it's a wholesale market for casualties.]

[Is the 30th Floor an NPC spawn point?]

[With "Casualty" taped to their chests, their identities are very transparent.]

Li Li stood at the doorway. "The number of casualties here feels like wholesale pricing."

The commander finally glanced at him. "Every batch of Firefighters that comes up must transport one casualty downstairs."

Han Su's previously tensed shoulders relaxed slightly. Gu Zeyan also let out a soft breath.

One person. That's manageable.

One person carries, one protects, and the other two continue the mission.

The commander raised a hand, passing over a row of "casualties" with average builds, and pointed to the one in the very back. "For your batch, transport him."

On the bench in the very back, a man stood up. It took him two seconds to stand.

It wasn't because he was slow. It was because his sheer mass needed time to unfold. He was nearly two hundred jin.

The [Casualty] sticker on his chest was stretched so tight the corners were curling up.

Han Su's face went blank on the spot. Gu Zeyan's professional persona also glitched.

Li Li looked down at his left wrist. Very good. This injury was very valuable.

Avoid the pitfall reasonably; don't try to create a medical miracle.

The livestream chat was laughing so hard they couldn't even type.

[Hahahaha, the lottery results are in!]

[Who said "I'll do it" just now? Do you still want to?]

[Two hundred jin, going down from the 30th floor—I suggest requesting a resurrection coin for the elevator.]

[Li Li: Hand is injured, don't @ me.]

[This isn't a casualty; this is the hidden boss.]

The "casualty" was actually quite embarrassed, patting his stomach. "Sorry for the trouble. I didn't eat much for lunch today."

Zhong Ji chimed in from behind. "Brother, if you had eaten more, we would be requesting reinforcements right now."

The commander opened the clipboard. "Rules: two people per group. One carries, one protects. No dragging, no dropping, no using the elevator."

Han Su gritted his teeth and stepped forward. "I'll carry him first."

Gu Zeyan looked at Han Su seriously and immediately followed. "I'll protect. I'll swap for the next leg."

After a half-second pause, he added, "I can do it."

Hearing this "I can do it," Li Li mentally revised his notes on him.

This time, it wasn't just acting. Underneath the shell, there was still some backbone.

The commander nodded. "Here's the carrying harness for you."

Han Su crouched down, and the harness was wrapped around his shoulders. Gu Zeyan stood to the side, fastening the buckles.

He failed to fasten it the first time. The second time, he fastened it backward.

The "casualty" sat on the bench, looking down at them bustling about. "Should I just walk myself?"

Han Su immediately looked up. "No!"

Gu Zeyan also spoke up. "No."

After the two of them finished speaking, the air paused for a beat.

Li Li stood to the side. "Don't fight over lines; fight over the buckles first."

Zhong Ji reached out and flipped the harness over. "It's backward here. Han Su, right shoulder forward; Gu Zeyan, pull the bottom strap."

Han Su did as told. Gu Zeyan pulled the strap. Click. It was fastened.

The commander raised his pen. "Begin."

Han Su sank downward. When the "casualty" climbed onto his back, he stumbled forward half a step.

Gu Zeyan quickly braced his backpack. "Steady."

Han Su squeezed two words through his teeth. "I'm fine."

The chat switched from "hahaha" to "let's go."

[Han Su is actually pretty good!]

[This kid was quite arrogant just now, but he's really carrying the weight now.]

[Gu Zeyan, don't let go!]

[Carrying someone from the 30th floor—Firefighters really aren't joking around.]

Gu Zeyan used one hand to protect the casualty's back and the other to hold the stair railing. "Slow down, next step."

Han Su inched down step by step. His boot soles pressed against the edge of the stairs, each step heavy.

Li Li watched at the stairwell for three seconds. Gu Zeyan didn't mess up the rhythm. Han Su's center of gravity was still stable.

He turned around. "Zhong Ji, continue upwards."

Zhong Ji raised a hand to signal "OK." The two continued upward.

31st Floor. 32nd Floor. The smoke began to press downward.

At every corner, Li Li stopped for half a second to listen for activity inside the door before feeling the airflow near the gap at the bottom of the door.

Zhong Ji followed behind without rushing him. This local young master usually liked to slack off, but at critical moments, he kept a cool head.

The 33rd Floor inspection was complete. Li Li pressed the walkie-talkie. "33rd Floor is safe, continuing upward."

Over the walkie-talkie, Cheng Songyan responded briefly. "Received. Pay attention to the smoke levels on the 34th Floor."

Li Li stepped up to the 34th Floor. As soon as he reached the landing, the grey smoke at the bottom of the fire door had already merged into a solid mass.

Smoke was spewing out from the door gap at a significant speed. Li Li stopped. Zhong Ji stopped too.

"Should we open it?" "We cannot open it."

Li Li pressed the walkie-talkie with his right hand. "Smoke volume inside the 34th Floor door is high; suspected fire source is on the inside. Requesting external smoke extraction or window breaching for verification."

The walkie-talkie was silent for less than two seconds. Cheng Songyan replied quickly. "Wait in place. Drone team is preparing."

The main livestream feed immediately cut to the plaza downstairs.

A black firefighting drone was pushed to the takeoff point. The technician checked the magazine, pulled the red safety pin, and loaded a window-breaching projectile into the launch module.

He Manzhou's first-person view was currently outside the building. She stood behind the safety line, looking up as the drone took off, and couldn't help but blurt out, "This thing even carries a cannon?"

A nearby Firefighter corrected her. "It's a window-breaching projectile."

He Manzhou nodded. "Got it, a more civilized cannon."

The livestream chat went wild again.

[Sister He is our spokesperson!]

[Firefighting Drone: I am not a cannon; I just have a bit of attitude.]

[This show is burning through its budget.]

The drone lifted off. The sound of propellers drifted in from outside the building.

Li Li stood outside the 34th Floor door, his right hand pressed against the door panel, not moving.

In a fire scene, the cheapest thing is bravery. The most expensive thing is judgment.

Once the door opens, smoke will flood into the stairwell, and everyone behind will be affected. If you need to wait, you wait.

[He was right not to rush in just now, right?]

[Definitely. Opening the door directly is too risky.]

[I used to think firefighting was just rushing in; now I realize it's all about using your head.]

[Li Li is most handsome when he's not putting on an act.]

Outside the building. The drone hovered outside the 34th Floor window. The pilot stared at the screen.

"Distance seven meters." "Angle corrected." "Window-breaching projectile ready."

Cheng Songyan stood beside the command vehicle, his waist belt cinched tight, sweat on his forehead. "Fire."

Bang. The window-breaching projectile hit the 34th Floor outer window. The glass shattered, and white smoke rushed out from the window.

The volunteers downstairs all retreated in unison. He Manzhou let out another "Wow." This time she wanted to cover her mouth. It was too late.

[Sister He: Wow!]

[Even a retired national team athlete can't resist watching the excitement.]

[This show is getting more and more hardcore.]

Outside the 34th Floor door. The smoke pressure dropped.

Li Li glanced at the pressure gauge and then looked at Zhong Ji. "Enough air?" Zhong Ji scanned the gauge. "Enough."

"After we enter, stick to the right wall and find the fire hydrant first. If you find a casualty, report the location first; don't move them alone." "Received."

Li Li opened the door a crack. The smoke surged out but was quickly carried away by the ventilation from the broken window.

He lowered his body and pushed the door open to enter.

Visibility in the 34th Floor corridor was very poor. There were training fire markers on the floor, and an orange light shone from the doorway of a room in the distance. It wasn't a light. It was a real fire brazier. The drill level was maxed out.

Li Li had only walked two steps when a heatwave swept past the edge of his helmet.

He raised his axe with his right hand, not using his left hand recklessly, and braced his shoulder against the doorframe to check behind the door first. No casualty.

"Zhong Ji, fire hydrant on the right." Zhong Ji hugged the wall and felt his way over. "Found it." "Open the box, connect the hose."

As he walked, Li Li pressed the walkie-talkie. "Open flames discovered on the 34th Floor, in the east room. Fire is controllable. Requesting hose support. Stairwell is currently safe."

Cheng Songyan replied immediately. "Received. Team 2 is moving up to support. Drone, continue smoke extraction."

The heat was higher at the room doorway. Li Li didn't enter directly. He first tapped the lower part of the door with the axe head, then the upper part. Thump. Thump.

There was fire on the inside of the door panel, but it wasn't out of control. "Zhong Ji, water pressure." "Not up yet." "Hurry." "I want to be fast too, but the water doesn't listen to me."

Zhong Ji cursed under his breath, not stopping his hands, and tightened the connection again. The hose bulged. It was here.

Li Li took the water gun, controlling it with his right hand, using his left arm only as an auxiliary pivot point to avoid putting force on his injured wrist. His movements were fewer, but steady.

The water jet slammed into the door gap. White steam rushed out. The livestream chat went silent for a few seconds. They were laughing at the two-hundred-jin guy just a moment ago; now it was actually burning.

[Li Li's left hand is still injured, right?]

[He hasn't used his left hand to apply force the whole time.]

[Firefighting really isn't something ordinary people can do.]

Command area downstairs. Zhang Yu stared at the monitor and spoke in a low voice. "His gun control is quite steady."

Station Chief Chen Tao didn't respond, just raised a hand to tap the screen. That gesture wasn't exaggerated. But a comment from the Station Chief was an acknowledgment.

On the other side. Gu Zeyan and Han Su had just carried the two-hundred-jin casualty to the 27th Floor landing.

Han Su's legs had already started shaking. Gu Zeyan's undershirt was soaked, but he hadn't let go.

The walkie-talkie broadcasted "Open flames discovered on the 34th Floor."

Han Su looked up. "Is it actually burning up there?"

Gu Zeyan supported the casualty, his Adam's apple moving. He didn't mention Li Li. He didn't mention the cameras either. He just spat out one sentence. "Get the person down first."

Han Su looked at him for half a second. "Fine." The two continued downward.

The Company wanted to pit Gu Zeyan and Li Li against each other. But the thirty flights of stairs taught them a lesson. In a fire scene, there is no top billing. There is only work.

34th Floor. Li Li lowered his body, sweeping the water gun along the lower edge of the door. The fire was pushed back into the room.

Zhong Ji dragged the hose from behind, his shoulder braced against the wall, his boot soles inching forward.

"Li Li, there's another door on the left." "Control the main fire first; don't split up." "Received."

Suddenly, a knocking sound came from the end of the corridor. Three times. Very light. Thump. Thump. Thump.

The water stream from the gun in Li Li's hand paused for a beat. Zhong Ji stopped too.

The livestream chat cleared out significantly.

Li Li pressed the walkie-talkie. "End of the east corridor on the 34th Floor, suspected response from trapped personnel via knocking. Main fire has been preliminarily suppressed. Requesting Search Team support."

The walkie-talkie hissed. Cheng Songyan's voice pressed into the earpiece, sounding very urgent. Because no drill personnel had been assigned to the floor where the fire started.

"Li Li, hold your position! Do not go in alone!"

Li Li handed the water gun to Zhong Ji, drew the Firefighter axe with his right hand, and shifted one step toward the end of the corridor with his body pressed against the wall.

The knocking sound rang out three more times. This time, it was closer. Thump. Thump. Thump.