161: Chapter 161 A Code Name That's Both Strange and Familiar

"Motorcyclists, assemble! Time to put out the fire!"

As soon as Li Li finished shouting, a dozen motorcycles roared to life simultaneously.

Zhang Xue slapped the motorcycle keys into the hand of a burly man with a buzz cut.

"Can you ride a KLX?"

The burly man with the buzz cut mounted the bike and kicked the kickstand.

"I could ride this with my eyes closed."

"Keep them open," Li Li added, holding a megaphone. "The mountain road is narrow; don't give the emergency response team extra work."

The burly man with the buzz cut gave an OK sign.

Zhang Xue turned around and pointed to the motorcycles inside the shop.

"Who else doesn't have a bike?"

Several motorcyclists who had hitched a ride raised their hands.

"This one, that one, and that ADV—roll them all out!"

The shop assistant rushed to get the keys, his soles slipping as he ran.

Shen Jue and Ji Shen were strapping fire hoses onto the motorcycles. Gu Zeyan stood nearby, handing them the straps; his movements were stiff, and red marks appeared on the back of his hands from the friction.

He had never done this kind of work before.

But he didn't stop.

Ji Shen tugged on the hose.

"Tighter. If it falls off halfway, it'll block all the bikes behind us."

Gu Zeyan gritted his teeth and pulled harder.

He glanced toward the cameras.

The lens wasn't pointed at him.

He felt a sense of relief and lowered his head to continue strapping the hoses.

Jiang Shiyu tore open the packages of non-slip gloves and distributed them pair by pair.

"We don't have enough gloves. I'll have my assistant go buy more."

He glanced at Gu Zeyan's hands.

"Don't ruin your hands; you still need to play the guitar."

"Mind your own business."

"Fine, fine. Pretend I didn't say anything."

Li Li retreated to the command vehicle and took off his gloves.

The heels of his palms were chafed, with blood seeping from the edges of the raw skin.

Jiang Rumu walked over with an ice pack.

"Apply this."

Li Li took it and pressed it against his palms.

"Don't go up there," Jiang Rumu said, looking at his hands.

"I won't," Li Li replied, pointing at the group of motorcyclists. "They're more professional than I am. My job is to organize the personnel."

He picked up the megaphone.

"Everyone, listen up."

"We are only delivering supplies up the mountain; do not enter the forest, and do not touch the fire line."

"Keep to the right when going up, and to the left when coming down. Do not overtake on sharp mountain curves."

"Drop off water at Point 1, fire hoses at Point 2, and medicine and tools at Point 3."

"If you crash, push the bike to the side immediately; do not block the road. If someone is injured, report your location immediately."

"Anyone who doesn't follow instructions will be kicked by Zhang Xue and taken away by the police."

Zhang Xue raised a hand nearby.

"I'm not joking. I really will kick you."

None of the motorcyclists laughed.

Everyone started registering, checking their protective gear, and strapping on the fire hoses.

Shen Jue leaned in toward Li Li.

"Brother Li, it's a pity you aren't posting about your hands on Weibo to garner sympathy."

Li Li shot him a glance.

"You talk too much."

"Aren't I just helping you solidify your persona as the 'Fan Growth King'?"

"Then go solidify the water tank; the third bike is about to lose its load."

Shen Jue turned and ran.

"Coming!"

——

On the mountain.

The fire line was pushing north.

Station Chief Chen Tao swiped away a branch covered in sparks; his voice was already raspy.

"Have the hoses arrived?"

Zhang Chao rushed up carrying a fire hose, his face covered in soot, followed by two Firefighters.

"Connect it!"

The coupling was tightened.

The water pump roared to life.

A jet of water shot out, suppressing the flames by a significant margin as white smoke billowed upward.

Station Chief Chen Tao wiped his face.

"Keep pushing!"

The sound of chainsaws rang out nearby.

Several men in plain clothes were cutting down dead trees, sawdust flying everywhere.

"Big brother, we'll handle this side!"

A man wearing glasses shouted.

"We're from the Landscaping Bureau, and we're off today!"

Station Chief Chen Tao raised his hand.

"Thanks, brothers! Stay safe! Pull back once you're done, don't push yourselves!"

Han Su held the water gun, his shoulder bracing against the water pressure, sliding back half a step.

Zhong Ji was behind him, helping to support the hose.

"Han Su, your legs are shaking."

"It's the water pressure!"

"You said the same thing just now."

"Shut up and hold it steady!"

Qin Xiaoshan ran over holding two bottles of water.

"Drink!"

He shoved the water into Han Su's arms and then went to hand some to Zhong Ji.

Zhong Ji unscrewed the cap and took a gulp.

"Where did this come from?"

"Sent up from below."

Qin Xiaoshan grinned.

"Miss Su bought it. It's sweet."

"Mineral water doesn't taste sweet, you idiot."

"It tastes sweet because she bought it."

"You're hopeless, kid."

Li Li's voice came over the walkie-talkie.

"Supplies at Point 3: medicine kits and ice packs have arrived; prioritize the personnel on the mountain. Point 2, don't let goods pile up; clear the bikes as soon as they're unloaded."

Station Chief Chen Tao pressed his earpiece.

"Received."

He looked back.

Another off-road motorcycle charged up the stone steps with two rolls of fire hose strapped to the back; the rider jumped off and immediately began untying the straps.

The supply line was alive.

——

On the mountain road.

Zhang Xue rode the off-road bike upward, with four rolls of fire hose strapped to the back.

The wheels bounced over the stone steps.

Upon reaching Point 2, they planted one foot on the ground.

"Unload!"

Two Firefighters rushed over to untie the straps.

As soon as the hoses hit the ground, Zhang Xue turned the bike around to head back down.

"Next trip!"

The burly man with the buzz cut came up with a Firefighter. The Firefighter sat on the back, holding two boxes of water.

"Brother, be steady!"

"Don't worry, I've raced in rallies."

"Don't talk to me about racing; all I want right now is to get off this bike alive."

"Then hold onto the water tight."

A domestic ADV motorcycle stopped at the medical station behind them.

The rider was a girl.

She tossed a first-aid kit to the medical staff.

"Are there any more injuries?"

"None for now!"

"Then I'm heading down for another run."

She twisted the throttle and left.

A young Firefighter nearby was stunned.

"Are female riders this fierce nowadays?"

The older Firefighter beside him slapped him on the back of the head.

"What are you looking at? Move the hoses!"

The young Firefighter immediately bent down.

"Moving, moving."

——

The plaza at the foot of the mountain.

New motorcyclists were still arriving.

Police were registering people, Firefighters were screening the vehicles, the Production Team was moving supplies, and volunteers were persuading onlookers to leave.

Li Li stood by the command vehicle with a megaphone.

"Anyone who knows how to operate a chainsaw, take your tools and go to the South Gate."

"If you don't know how, don't crowd around. The mountain needs skilled people, not just the brave."

In less than ten minutes, dozens of people arrived carrying chainsaws.

A lean old man ran in front, his chainsaw casing worn and aged.

"I've been logging in my hometown for thirty years."

Li Li checked his identification and then his tools.

"Follow the police and listen to the Firefighters' instructions."

The old man nodded and left with his chainsaw.

"Don't worry, I won't cause trouble."

Ji Shen carried two boxes of water to the distribution point.

Gu Zeyan dragged a box of salt tablets over; his hair was plastered to his forehead, and his clothes were covered in dust.

He had no styling.

And no one reminded him about styling.

Tao Qianzhi was carrying bread and supported his waist when he set it down.

Ji Shen saw it.

"Brother Tao, take a break."

Tao Qianzhi waved his hand.

"I can still move two more loads."

"That doesn't sound very credible."

"Then just one more."

Beside the command vehicle, Qi Wanyin, He Manzhou, and Su Nianzhi set up folding tables.

Boxed meals, steamed buns, mung bean soup, and iced watermelon were piled on the tables.

As soon as the Firefighters and motorcyclists retreated, He Manzhou shoved boxed meals into their hands.

"Eat. Eat before you go back up."

A motorcyclist waved his hand.

"I'm not hungry."

He Manzhou pressed down on his shoulder, forcing him onto a stool.

"Where will you get the strength if you don't eat? Sit down."

The motorcyclist held the boxed meal and didn't dare to refuse again.

Qi Wanyin handed out mung bean soup, her movements quick and efficient, with few words.

"Put the cups on the left when you're done."

Su Nianzhi handed a wet wipe to a young Firefighter whose face was blackened by smoke.

"Thank you for your hard work."

The Firefighter quickly stepped back.

"Thanks, I'll do it myself."

Su Nianzhi paused, then turned to pick up water and handed it to the next person.

"Then drink some water."

Jiang Rumu walked to Li Li's side and handed him a steamed bun.

"Eat something."

Li Li took a bite.

"Meat filling. Not bad."

"How are your hands?"

"They won't fall off."

Jiang Rumu placed another bag of medicine at his feet.

"Re-bandage them in a while."

"It won't affect me holding the megaphone."

"Your greatest value right now is to shut up and rest for two minutes."

Li Li chewed the bun without arguing back.

Xiao Chai was lying nearby, gnawing on a ham sausage.

Xiao Qian was crouching not far away, with the Leopard Cat crouching beside it.

The Leopard Cat jumped onto the table and stared at an unopened boxed meal.

Xiao Qian let out a call.

The Leopard Cat froze.

Two seconds later, it jumped back to the ground.

Xiao Chai tried to inch over there.

The Leopard Cat raised a paw.

Xiao Chai sat down on the spot and started gnawing on the ham sausage packaging.

Jiang Rumu looked down at it.

"Xiao Chai."

Xiao Chai spat out the packaging, pretending nothing had happened.

——

After it was completely dark, the fire on the mountain was still burning.

But the fire line was no longer pushing downward.

The supply line kept running trip after trip.

There were more water guns.

The sound of chainsaws didn't stop.

10:00 PM.

Station Chief Chen Tao reported.

"The containment line is complete."

No one in the plaza cheered.

Everyone kept moving supplies.

11:30 PM.

The fire line on the north side suddenly flared up.

The walkie-talkie was full of static.

"Pressure on the north side is increasing!"

"We need more hoses at Point 2!"

Li Li picked up the megaphone.

"Point 2 will only accept hoses; all other supplies are to be sent to Point 1."

"Zhang Xue, take three bikes up there."

"Buzz-cut, don't stop after you get down the mountain; go straight to resupply Point 2."

Zhang Xue had already put on the helmet.

"Received."

Three motorcycles charged onto the mountain trail.

A dozen minutes later, Station Chief Chen Tao's voice came over the walkie-talkie.

"Point 2 is connected."

"The north side is suppressed."

Someone in the plaza who was sitting on the ground stood back up upon hearing this.

12:00 AM.

"Open flames on the south side extinguished."

1:00 AM.

"Fire line on the north side controlled."

2:00 AM.

Over the walkie-talkie, Station Chief Chen Tao's voice was extremely hoarse.

"All open flames... have been... extinguished!"

"Entering the cleanup and monitoring phase!"

All movement in the plaza stopped.

The water bottle in Zhang Xue's hand dropped to the ground.

Shen Jue sat down hard.

A shout from Han Su came from the mountain, loud enough to ring in one's ears even through the walkie-talkie.

The next second, the plaza exploded.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!!!"

People were shouting, slapping each other on the shoulders, or just sitting on the ground panting.

Shen Jue collapsed on the ground.

"Damn, I've never been this tired in my life."

Ji Shen leaned against the fire truck and raised his hand slightly.

"We held it."

Gu Zeyan slumped in a chair, lacking even the strength to wipe his face.

Zhang Xue got off the bike and lay down by the side of the asphalt road.

"I'm exhausted."

The burly man with the buzz cut sat down beside him and handed him water.

"Boss, two bikes were crashed."

Zhang Xue closed their eyes.

"Put it on me. Repair them."

"And one of them lost its rearview mirror."

"Repair that too."

"And one of them cracked its exhaust pipe."

Zhang Xue sat up abruptly.

"Who did that?"

The burly man with the buzz cut pointed to himself.

Zhang Xue stared at him for two seconds.

"Come to the shop tomorrow to repair the bikes."

"For free?"

"You'll work for me to pay it off."

The burly man with the buzz cut laughed until he coughed.

——

"Except for the personnel remaining on duty, everyone else should register and then evacuate."

The Firefighters began packing up their equipment.

The motorcyclists patted each other on the shoulders.

The public spontaneously began picking up trash.

The Production Team members were so tired they were sitting all over the ground.

Li Li stood up; the pain in his palms had gone numb.

He took out his phone.

The screen was full of unread messages.

Mother Zhang: [ Li Li, are you and Mumu okay? I was so worried watching the news.]

Li Li replied: [ I'm fine. The fire is out.]

Xiao Chai walked past a Firefighter and raised its front leg again.

The Firefighter looked down.

Xiao Chai immediately put its leg down and ran off, wagging its tail.

The Firefighter stood there, stunned.

"Did it just try to scam me?"

The person next to him patted him.

"Don't ask. If you do, it's an award-winning actor."

Li Li scrolled down through the messages.

A missed call remained on the screen.

Captain Qiu Xiaofeng.

He walked to a tree nearby and called back.

The call was answered quickly.

"Is the fire out?" There was the sound of papers turning on Captain Qiu Xiaofeng's end.

"Just now."

"The arsonist has confessed."

Li Li leaned against the tree trunk.

"So fast?"

"He was just hired to do a job. We caught his superior too, but the trail ends at the level above."

"How does it end?"

"The person on the other end is from overseas, using a temporary number and a fake identity. They only left behind a codename."

The night wind blew, and the smell of burning had not yet dissipated.

Li Li switched the phone to his other hand.

"What codename?"

Captain Qiu Xiaofeng paused for half a second.

"Yossi."