Chapter 287 - 227: Sending Off A Brother, Returning to the Squadron

After the fire.

Mayor Liu, who had arrived during the drill, once again reached the site.

Accompanying him were numerous leaders from the city.

The accident classification system, implemented since 2007, aimed to provide a basis and foundation for safety management and supervision, as well as to enhance public awareness of safety issues.

Five deaths qualified the incident as a "major safety accident," and with the sacrifice of firefighters, the municipal leaders of the city could hardly sleep well either.

"Reporting, my squadron has completely extinguished the fire! Seven trapped individuals were rescued, five died, two survived, and one soldier was sacrificed, awaiting further instructions!"

Ye Jiahong stood before the assembled municipal and firefighting leaders and reported loudly.

The reporters who rushed over, each with their cameras and recorders, captured the scene for the day’s news, developing a headline that read, "Today in our city, due to the misuse of substandard chargers and the illegal habitation of flammable shops, a major safety accident occurred, fire fighting soldiers..."

For the general populace, this was a topic of amazement to discuss after dinner, musing over "five burned to death," "what to do with orphans," "substandard electrical appliances," and "poor firefighters."

But for the Second Squadron, this was a matter of utmost importance.

Today, Cao Yi struggled to face the downed Little Black, not wanting to steal the spotlight, and found a place to hide.

As soon as Fang Huai emerged from the fire, he lay down beside Little Black to chat, and other soldiers wanted to console him, but as they did, they too started talking and began to cry alongside.

In the midst of chatting, they cried.

Even Hao Chengbin, sent by Cao Yi to comfort Fang Huai, eventually lit a cigarette in silence as he listened.

A reporter who had just seen them crying and wanted to capture a shot was nearly beaten up.

All this reiterated that the mood among everyone was heavily laden.

"The enhancement of public safety awareness is of the utmost priority. Our firefighting soldiers are paying for this lack of awareness with their blood and lives. I hope this tragic lesson will make our citizens take fire safety more seriously..."

Mayor Liu spoke with a solemn tone, and after a touching speech, instructed the Detachment leaders to properly arrange the hero’s funeral.

The leaders of the Detachment then ordered to have Comrade Zhou Yong taken to the mortuary.

However, the firefighters present were sitting around Little Black, none willing to let him go.

If they sent him away, he would truly be gone.

Everyone harbored a simple thought: as long as he was still here, he was still by their side.

The Detachment leaders were at a loss, and Old Teacher He, watching these poor kids, couldn’t bear to speak. Cao Yi was hiding, Ye Jiahong called out several times, but no one budged.

In the end, it was Zhang Zhongting who stepped forward and said:

"Let’s not go to the mortuary just yet. Send Zhou Yong back to the squadron first. Later, I’ll have someone from the Detachment come over, and we can all escort him together from the Second Squadron."

This comforting statement stirred the soldiers, and it deeply touched Fang Huai’s heart.

At half past three in the middle of the night, Fang Huai merely wanted to accompany Little Black, to prevent him from entering a cold coffin alone.

Fang Huai stood up first and saluted:

"Thank you, Regimental commander! Let’s go, bring our brother home!"

Everyone else also stood up, tearfully.

"Thank you, Regimental commander!"

Upon hearing these words, they couldn’t help but think of themselves. If they ever faced such a day, they’d probably wish to return to the squadron for one last look, too.

Together, they carefully placed Zhou Yong on the back seat of Car No.3, which they normally used for duty.

No one felt it was inauspicious for him to ride in the duty vehicle; their brother would only become their guardian angel.

Looking at these innocent and lovable soldiers, Detachment Captain Li could not help but sigh, "You really have a way. Your nephew does have the makings of a leader, quite like you."

"Heh," Zhang Zhongting chuckled, with a flood of memories rushing back, turning his gentle smile once more into a stern one:

"He’s still young, hasn’t seen much adversity. In 1990, I was in Sichuan, during the Liyuanzi Tunnel explosion. Do you know what that was like?

Forty-six overturned tanker trucks, with two thousand tons of aviation gasoline alone. The fire dragon soared dozens of meters high; the entire sky of Daba Mountains was dyed red. The fire was so difficult to extinguish, it was rare even internationally.

The provincial governor himself was on the scene, leading the effort to carry sandbags, to plug the hole, to cut off the oxygen. We were the ones charging up through the flames; if the order had been to use our own bodies to fill the gaps, we’d have done it.

Back then, our combat uniforms were thin, easily burnt through. When they stuck to our skin and couldn’t be peeled off, we’d tear them off, flesh and all.

Cry? There was no time to cry.

During the fire battle, as soon as a comrade fell, we had to pull him aside and continue fighting the fire.

The soldiers now, having grown up in peacetime, we understand we need to take care of their emotions. Back in those days, if anyone dared to sit around and vent their feelings during war, they’d get a slap to the face.

If a comrade had fallen, to cry was to retreat, to sob in hiding. Even so, if discovered by the Big Team leaders, we’d still get yelled at and called crybabies, pansies."

Detachment Captain Li pondered long, seemingly recalling that era, and he couldn’t help but say, "Times have changed, life has become increasingly precious, we can’t measure them with the same standards."

The smile faded from Zhang Zhongting’s face, and he sighed deeply:

"I know... actually, I envy them. The soldiers of the new era receive more care and lead better lives. I am sincerely happy for them."

...

On Car No.3.

"You guys from the Special Duty Squad, do you know of any belongings Zhou Yong left behind? We need to hand them over to his mom. His dad’s gone; there’s just an older brother and his mom at home."

Ye Jiahong inquired among those on the vehicle.

Fang Huai, holding Little Black in his arms, shook his head.

Chen Zhenghai blinked, then said:

"I’m not sure about anything else, but under his military pillow, I think there’s a will."

Fang Huai furrowed his brow: "He has a will?... Didn’t he say that sort of thing is both tacky and unlucky?"

Chen Zhenghai smiled and patted Little Black’s leg that was resting on his own, saying,

"Listen to him bragging. This kid cares a lot about face. Instructor Cao always assigns him to lead the interior attack, and every time he asks if he has a will, he says there’s no need to write one.

In fact, he secretly writes it every so often, and changes it every month or two. He and I have always been in the same squad; I’ve caught him at it several times.

He wouldn’t let us see it, but now that he’s gone, nothing’s stopping me. I have to take a look no matter what."

Everyone laughed.

Fang Huai also laughed and patted Little Black’s face, saying,

"Hey, Squad Leader Chen wants to see your will now. Get up and bare your teeth at him, scare the piss out of him."

They joked around with Little Black like this, not needing him to answer as if knowing what he would say, and with one comment after another, it felt like returning home.

The car quickly arrived at the squadron, and everyone placed Little Black on the playground.

Chen Zhenghai looked up and shouted, "Little White, come down quick, your brother is leaving!"

Everyone noticed the relaxed atmosphere of the people coming down from Car No.3, seeming to loosen up a bit.

Ye Jiahong laughed and said,

"Fang Huai, with Little Black gone, you’ll be called Little Black from now on, okay? Since Little White gets along well with you too."

Fang Huai grimaced: "That’s unlucky, and besides, I’m not that dark! I think Instructor Cao fits the role of Little Black better."

On the way back, Fang Huai’s mind gradually cleared up, and he finally remembered that instructor who had kept silent the entire time.

Fang Huai resented the fact that the instructor had sent Little Black to his death, but he also understood that it wasn’t his fault.

In that situation, if it wasn’t Little Black, it would have had to be someone else, perhaps himself, or yet another person.

Someone had to go.

Nobody could guarantee that they would come out alive after going in to save others, not even Fang Huai.

Moreover, in this squadron, he was the secretary, bearing a great responsibility.

In their hearts, everyone held some kind of resentment towards Cao Yi, though just now, Chen Zhenghai’s comment in the car about Instructor Cao always sending Little Black on the interior attacks, also implied blame.

But when they heard Fang Huai bringing up Instructor Cao, everyone looked over.

Cao Yi managed a bitter smile: "I’m not that dark either."

Fang Huai went on: "Instructor Cao, could you read his will to us later?"

"He had a will?"

Fang Huai nodded and chuckled: "Yes, Squad Leader Chen insisted on seeing what kind of will he wrote, being so stubborn about it. He’s already gone up to find it; he knows where it is."

Listened, everyone laughed just like those on Car No.3 had earlier.

"Yo, Little Black, you’re still not up? You’re going to be embarrassed in public soon!" Zhao Jinchen, usually not one to joke, joined in with a rare tease.

Everyone started teasing Little Black.

Han Yong, Song Lin, and Xiao Haishan all wore mournful faces, not daring to laugh.

They didn’t understand why the squad leaders were laughing.

In fact, the old soldiers present were using such humor to relieve their own pressure, and they all hoped that the others wouldn’t be too sad.

They hoped that through these jokes, they could pass down the firefighting soldiers’ attitude of accepting life and death.

They also hoped that Little Black, lying in the midst of people, could feel the warm atmosphere from the usual joking and teasing of the squadron.

Little Black did not like to boast, but he liked listening to others do so, occasionally interjecting a comment or two.

When Chen Zhenghai arrived with the will, Little White also finally came down, exiting the training tower.

It approached close to Little Black and barked twice.

Then, it gestured with its paw, asking him to get up.

Fang Huai smiled: "Little White, he’s being discharged, so say goodbye. From now on, I’ll take care of you."

But Little White walked closer and sniffed.

Very soon, its large eyes suddenly filled with sorrow.

A dog doesn’t need to check for a pulse or heartbeat; it just sniffed and knew.

Its friend was no more.

"Awoo..." Little White howled mournfully to the sky.

As if a soldier firing a salute for his comrade.

Then, Little White leaned against Little Black’s side, lay down, and licked Little Black’s hand.

Everyone approached and patted Little White’s head.

This time, the usually aloof Little White didn’t move, just laying there quietly.

"The will is here!" Chen Zhenghai also ran over, excitedly saying, "Let me read it to you all!"

But Fang Huai stopped him: "Let Instructor Cao read it to everyone."

Cao Yi looked around at the surrounding soldiers with a complex expression in his eyes.

"That’s right, Instructor Cao, you’re the secretary, you should read it. Little Black wouldn’t dare scold you!"

"Ha ha, Instructor Cao, he always talks about your dark face behind your back, saying you’re even darker than him. Reading his will can shame him!"

In the surrounding laughter, it represented the soldiers’ forgiveness.

Cao Yi nodded and smiled: "Okay, give it to me."