45: Chapter 45 His only emergency contact was actually her?

The screens of 45 million people went pitch black in the same second.

The comments didn't stop.

The comments went crazy.

"What happened??? Signal interruption???"

"I just saw an explosion!! It really exploded!!"

"Isn't this a drill?? Didn't they say Dubai was safe??"

"Where is Li Li? Where is Jiang Rumu? Has anyone seen them??"

"I recorded the screen! The last frame was the inflatable castle being blown away!!"

"Someone save them!!"

Black screen.

Continuous black screen.

One second.

Three seconds.

Ten seconds.

Half a minute.

No image returned. Only a shriveled loading circle spinning on the screen.

The number of viewers in the ten livestream rooms didn't drop. Instead, it soared at a terrifying speed.

45 million.

50 million.

60 million.

72 million.

Global social platforms exploded at the same time.

Twitter trending #1: #DubaiExplosion.

Weibo's top three hot searches were instantly occupied.

First: #Water World in Dubai Attacked#

Second: #Dating Reality Show Guests' Lives Uncertain#

Third: #Israel Bombing Civilian Targets#

The style of the comment section changed. No one was shipping couples anymore, no one was scolding "scum men," no one was discussing female celebrities' outfits.

Just three words.

"Where are they?"

Beijing, TikTok Headquarters, Variety Show Department.

The office lights were all on. The sound of keyboards and phones mixed together.

4:17 PM. 8:17 PM Beijing Time.

Chen Wei, the Director of the Variety Show Department, stared at the big screen in the conference room. Ten livestreams, all black.

His thermos flipped on the table. Goji berry water dripped down the edge. No one wiped it.

"Contact Director Pei Zhao!"

The assistant held the phone, fingers trembling, pressing redial.

"Can't get through."

"What about Old Zhou?"

"Can't get through."

"What about the guests? Call all ten of them! Call all twenty-six staff members on site!"

The assistant dialed over a dozen numbers.

All busy signals. Or straight to voicemail.

Chen Wei gripped the table. Nails digging into the desk surface.

The Technical Department manager ran over from next door, his T-shirt soaked at the back, panting heavily.

"The base station signals in Dubai are all cut off. It's not a single device issue; it's a regional communication paralysis."

Chen Wei closed his eyes.

The desk phone rang. The red one.

The assistant glanced at the caller ID, face turning pale. Handed the receiver over.

"It's the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It called three minutes ago; I didn't answer."

Chen Wei took it. Pressed it to his ear.

The voice on the other side was steady, speaking very fast.

"Where is your Production Team located in Dubai right now? How many Chinese citizens are there? Are there any casualties?"

Chen Wei opened his mouth. Throat dry.

He couldn't answer.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs press hall.

20 minutes later.

The spokesperson walked onto the stage. Microphones everywhere. Lenses of over 300 global media outlets aimed at her. Flashes connected into a sheet.

She didn't smile.

"Regarding the military attacks today in Dubai, Tehran, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and other places, China expresses strong condemnation."

"We have noted that there are Chinese citizens in the attack area. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has activated an emergency plan and is now issuing the following announcement—"

She opened the document in her hand.

"One, immediately activate the Middle East war zone evacuation operation. All Chinese citizens and overseas Chinese in Ala Country and Israel, please contact the local Chinese embassy or consulate immediately, register personal information, and prepare to evacuate."

"Two, the embassies in Ala Country and Israel have opened 24-hour emergency hotlines."

"Three, we are working to verify the casualties of Chinese citizens. We will announce it to the public as soon as possible."

She closed the file. Looked up.

"I want to emphasize. The life, safety, and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens are inviolable. Whoever causes harm to Chinese citizens must bear the corresponding consequences."

The sound of shutters exploded throughout the hall.

TikTok Variety Show Department. Conference room.

Chen Wei hung up the Ministry of Foreign Affairs phone.

"They want a list."

He scanned the people in the conference room. Producers, legal, PR, tech, all standing.

"The Chinese citizens from the Production Team in Dubai. Ten guests, twenty-six staff members, thirty-six in total. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants each person's identity information and emergency contact."

The producer opened the laptop. Pulled up guest profiles.

"Jiang Rumu. Company, emergency contact is her mother. Called, connected, the other party said they are contacting the embassy."

"Shen Jue. Company, emergency contact is his father. Called, connected."

"Cen Ye. Independent musician, emergency contact is his mother. Called, connected, the other party cried for three minutes on the phone."

"Yin Ruoying. Emergency contact is her sister. Called, connected."

"Han Xubai. Law firm partner, emergency contact filled in as the law firm receptionist."

Chen Wei looked up.

"Law firm receptionist?"

"Lawyer Han's exact words—'My parents have high blood pressure, don't scare them, if something happens, just find the receptionist to transfer'."

Chen Wei waved his hand.

"Continue."

"Qi Wanyin, agent contacted. Fang Ruowei, agent contacted. Wen Zhuotang, as a non-celebrity guest, emergency contact is her roommate, called, connected. Gu Zeyan, agency contacted."

The producer scrolled to the last page.

Stopped.

Mouse cursor blinking on the screen.

"Li Li."

Chen Wei waited.

The producer looked up.

"He didn't fill in an emergency contact."

The conference room was quiet for two seconds. The sound of the AC vent became very loud.

"What do you mean didn't fill it in?"

"The column on the application form is empty. At the time, the editor in charge of the review wrote a note—'This guest is from an orphanage, no immediate family, recommended to fill in later'."

"Did they fill it in?"

The producer flipped two pages.

"No."

Chen Wei slammed his pen on the table.

"Thirty-six Chinese citizens in the explosion zone, and one of them doesn't even have an emergency contact? How do I explain this to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?"

Legal pushed up glasses.

"According to the process, we need to find his social contacts. Friends, colleagues, exes. Anyone who can prove a connection to him."

The producer opened Li Li's application file. Flipped through it.

Education: 985 undergraduate architecture.

Work: Freelance architect.

Family: Orphanage. No immediate family.

In the social relations column, only one name.

Su Wantang.

Note— "Ex-girlfriend, broken up."

The producer stared at that name for three seconds.

"Should we contact her?"

Chen Wei rubbed his temples.

"Contact her."

Hangzhou, Binjiang District, Xinglan Mansion.

Su Wantang was livestreaming.

4 million viewers online. She sat in front of the fill light, eyes red. Responding to netizens' questions about the "apology for taking things out of context."

"I really didn't mean to. I was just too sad, so I didn't pay attention to the context when I took the screenshot."

Phone vibrated.

She glanced down. Unknown number, Beijing area code.

Didn't answer.

Vibrated again.

Same number.

She smiled at the camera.

"Wait for me a second, I have a call."

Switched to the phone. Answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Ms. Su Wantang, this is the TikTok Variety Show Department."

Su Wantang's back straightened.

"Um, what's the matter?"

"Regarding your ex-boyfriend Li Li. He is currently in Dubai participating in the show Dating in Travel. This afternoon, Dubai suffered a military attack, the Production Team's communication was interrupted, and we are temporarily unable to confirm the guest's safety status."

Su Wantang's fingers stopped on the edge of the phone case.

Dubai. Attacked.

"Li Li did not fill in an emergency contact in his application materials. After verification, you are the only traceable contact in his social relations. We need your cooperation for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' information registration—"

"Wait."

Su Wantang interrupted the other party.

"You said, he didn't fill in an emergency contact?"

"Yes."

"Not even one?"

"Not even one. The information shows he is from an orphanage, no immediate family. You are the only—"

"I know."

Su Wantang hung up the phone.

She stared at the phone screen. Five seconds.

Her brain spun rapidly.

Dubai was bombed. Li Li's life is uncertain. He is an orphan. She is the only contact he has in this world.

What a good script. What a perfect chance to clean up her image.

As long as she shows enough sadness now, all the previous negative news, all the curses, will vanish in the face of life and death. Netizens will sympathize with her, will feel heartache for her.

She doesn't even need to act. Because this news itself is shocking enough.

She looked up. Looked at the livestream camera mounted next to the fill light.

The assistant was standing outside the camera range, scrolling on the phone, not yet noticing what call she had answered.

Su Wantang sniffled.

Fingers pressed on the screen. Switched the livestream screen back to her face.

"Family."

Her voice trembled. A tremor that was desperately suppressed.

"I just received a call. From the TikTok Variety Show Department."

The comments slowed down.

"Something happened in Dubai. Everyone should have seen the news, right? Water World was bombed."

Comments accelerated.

[Know it, know it! The dating show one!]

[All ten guests are inside!]

[Still can't reach them now!]

Su Wantang held the phone. Raised it to the camera.

Call log.

"TikTok Variety Show Department" — call duration 1 minute 47 seconds.

"They contacted me because..."

She paused.

"Li Li didn't fill in an emergency contact."

Comments filled the screen.

"He is an orphan. No family. TikTok went through all his materials and found—"

Her hand shook a little.

"His only social relation is me."

Comments exploded.

[??? The only contact???]

[So Li Li... has no family at all??]

[Tang Tang is his only person???]

Su Wantang took the phone back. Put it on the table.

"I don't know how he is now. No one knows. Communication is completely cut off."

She looked down.

"But. No matter what happened between us. The emergency contact he has filled in for the past four years has always been me."

The direction of the comments, at this moment, completely changed.

[He never changed the contact...]

[I suddenly don't know who to scold...]

[Wait! This isn't right! He went on the show after breaking up! He had no one else to fill in!!]

[The person above is right... but isn't that even more miserable...]

Su Wantang stared at the lens.

Tears fell. Slid down her meticulously made-up cheeks.

"I know many of you hate me now. Think I took things out of context, think I lied. But at this moment, I only hope he is safe."

The assistant finally realized. Rushed over from outside the camera.

Su Wantang ignored her.

"Li Li, if you can see this—"

She faced the camera.

"Come back alive. We can talk about everything else later."

Livestream online count. 7 million.

Still rising.

The comments were mixed with tears and doubts, stirred into a pot of porridge with indistinguishable flavors.

7,000 kilometers away.

Dubai. Atlantis Water World.

The air defense siren was still ringing.

The originally azure wave pool was now a turbid muddy yellow. Floating on the water were wreckage of broken inflatable castles, broken lounge chairs, and large patches of plastic debris.

Camera zoomed in.

A piece of red one-piece swimsuit fabric hung on a charred metal fragment. Floating up and down with the turbid water waves.