Chapter 326 - 260: Gradually Confirmed News... and Sorrow

"Earthquake! That was an earthquake just now!"

Captain Huang Yi from the First Squadron also confirmed and shouted.

"Karst topography in Guizhou is normal to have earthquakes!" Cao Yi looked around and remarked.

Afterward, he felt the ground carefully, the shaking had stopped, he glanced at the training tower and the main building, and sighed with relief:

"It’s fine, must have been a minor tremor!"

However, Fang Huai wiped away the tear streaks left by his dry heaving and quickly ran over, pulling on Cao Yi and saying, "Quickly make a call to check! It might not be a minor tremor! Call the detachment to confirm! If it’s a major quake, we might be tasked with a mission! We need to prepare our gear!"

Cao Yi now also started to panic a bit, he picked up his mobile phone, found a leader’s number, hesitated for a moment, and dialed.

When the people around heard, they stopped preparing their equipment and looked over here.

After a while, Cao Yi frowned, put down his phone, and glanced at Huang Yi.

"No answer, the Chief of Staff’s phone is busy."

Huang Yi also took out his phone and said, "Let me try!"

After trying for a long time, he got the same response, "Can’t get through! It’s busy!"

All the Detachment leaders’ phones were busy.

Now, everyone started to realize that something big might be coming.

Fang Huai’s phone vibrated.

Today, he had expressly brought his phone for training.

He glanced at it, it was Yang Shaoqing. Fang Huai hurriedly answered and put it to his ear.

This act made all the same year soldiers in the First Squadron envious.

"Hello? Is everything okay?" Fang Huai asked immediately.

Yang Shaoqing’s panting voice came from the other end, "That scared me to death... there was just an earthquake, I’m at Zuen Y Old City, now all the cars have stopped, a bunch of people have gotten out and started running... are you okay?"

"We had an earthquake here too, don’t panic, stay with my parents, find a safe place to stay," Fang Huai said.

Everyone looked at him.

"If you’re okay, that’s good, I’ll talk to your uncle and aunt now! Stay safe!"

"Okay." Fang Huai hung up the phone.

"What’s the situation?" Hao Chengbin asked.

Fang Huai glanced over at everyone and said, "Zuen Y also felt it, it’s a big earthquake, definitely a big earthquake, Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, everyone from nearby provinces, hurry and call home to check!"

Upon hearing this, some of the old soldiers took out their phones and walked to corners.

"There’s no problem in Yunnan! The tremors were quite mild!" Somebody shouted soon after.

But this didn’t alleviate everyone’s tension.

They are firefighters, all educated in disaster classes; a earthquake felt across two provinces was something unimaginable.

"It’s no use, I can’t get through to my family!" a soldier from the First Squadron said.

Soon, Huang Yi returned as well.

His face was grim.

"My family’s phones... my dad’s, my mom’s, can’t get through."

The atmosphere suddenly tensed among everyone.

Fang Huai couldn’t help but wanted to slap himself.

The captain of the First Squadron, Huang Yi, was from Sichuan! He hadn’t even thought to remind him!

"Leader Huang, where is your family from?" Fang Huai quickly asked.

Huang Yi seemed to come to his senses for a moment and muttered, "Chengdu."

"Chengdu’s urban area?"

"Dujiangyan."

Upon hearing this, Fang Huai swallowed hard and dared not speak further.

Dujiangyan... was also severely affected.

Soldier Yang Gaobing from the First Squadron also panicked, "Squad leader, squad leader, can I use your phone for a call? My family’s from Sichuan!"

Fang Huai hurriedly handed over his phone, "Use mine to call!"

The people around started to shout:

"Mom, is everything okay? Hurry outside, find somewhere to hide! Be careful on the stairs! Hello! Hello!"

Fang Huai hadn’t expected the First Squadron to have so many from Sichuan.

At that moment, everyone was guessing.

Hao Chengbin started to look around and approached Cao Yi, asking anxiously,

"Where’s Ye Jiahong? Isn’t his family from Mianyang in Sichuan?"

He was worried. Knowing Ye Jiahong’s impulsive character, if there really was an earthquake in Sichuan, would he leave without permission to rush back to Sichuan?

But Fang Huai shook his head, "No worries, he’s only got his mother, and she’s in Guizhou right now, hasn’t gone back!"

It was he who had suggested to Ye Jiahong to take advantage of the May Day holiday to bring his mother to Guizhou for a visit.

Ye Jiahong had agreed, and on May 2nd, they had all eaten together in the cafeteria.

These past few days, Fang Huai had been constantly asking Ye Jiahong about his mother’s situation. Fortunately, his family had some relatives in Guizhou, and his mother had gone visiting them these past days instead of going back.

At this moment, almost ten minutes had passed since the earthquake, and Cao Yi’s phone rang.

Cao Yi answered, responding loudly with an "Uh-huh" several times.

After hanging up, he shouted, "There’s been a major earthquake in Mianyang! Just now a comrade called me, saying that both Deyang and Mianyang experienced strong earthquakes, but the epicenter should be in Mianyang!"

Cao Yi looked at Fang Huai with a somewhat indescribable expression.

How Ye Jiahong’s mother arrived, he naturally knew.

Fang Huai... was truly a lucky star.

Yet Fang Huai’s heart sank.

Mianyang suffered the most damage, Deyang was next, and they didn’t even mention the real epicenter, Aba.

The communications at the epicenter there were likely completely cut off.

Once Cao Yi’s announcement was out, several from Sichuan started calculating how far their homes were from these two places.

Huang Yi’s expression looked rather troubled, "It’s over, it’s over, my family must be affected."

Some comrades began to console those from Sichuan.

"It’ll be alright, definitely alright."

Fang Huai’s anticipated rhythm was also disrupted.

He thought back and forth but hadn’t foreseen that the first hurdle they would need to overcome was amongst their comrades.

It was still manageable for the Second Squadron, with only one Ye Jiahong from Sichuan.

Old Teacher He, whom he had inquired about, had long-lived parents, both by his side.

But even if their parents were unharmed, everyone had friends and family currently ensconced in the unknown.

It was inevitable that they felt concerned.

Fang Huai had not participated in this rescue in his previous life and did not know the details of the action, but he felt that time should not be wasted. He quickly reminded them:

"Leader Huang, you’re the captain. Go back and get ready first. If we are to be deployed across provinces, we border Sichuan and will definitely need to go. Hurry to the supermarket and stock up on water, compressed biscuits, and various types of light supplies, as well as all kinds of rescue equipment which need to be checked!"

He had arranged this "challenge" to remind the First Squadron of these things.

During the first few days, supplies, especially water, are extremely important.

People can live a long time without food, but without water, they might die in three to five days.

No matter what, they were destined to be the first group to enter Sichuan, and along the way, they might encounter many thirsty and hungry disaster victims.

These supplies were not meant for them alone.

As Huang Yi was trying to call a relative back home, he heard Fang Huai’s words. It was as if his eyes found focus again. He immediately put down the phone and nodded:

"Yes! In a major earthquake, we will definitely go!"

Huang Yi stepped forward and gave Fang Huai a firm pat on the shoulder, then turned to the people of the First Squadron and shouted loudly:

"Brothers, stop making calls. I, too, am from Sichuan, and I’m not panicking. What are you anxious about? Pack up the equipment, let’s go!"

The members of the First Squadron immediately quickened their pace in packing up the equipment.

"Let’s go! Back to the squadron!"

Cao Yi also hurriedly called out to everyone, "Put all the equipment back in place and onto the trucks. Chen Gong, open the equipment storage, break and prop equipment, stretchers, engineer shovels, firefighting axes, and that set of life detectors, open and check everything. Charge all batteries, drain the diesel, and the petrol in the machines; get the spare fuel tanks and drive to the gas station to fill them all up!"

"Instructor, why... empty the fuel?" someone asked.

Chen Gong immediately replied, "If we have to rush out on foot with full fuel equipment, it’s easy to leak fuel and flood the engines!"

Fang Huai couldn’t help but admire the situation internally.

Indeed, the elected secretaries of the two squadrons had really solid mental strength. In the face of a major crisis, even when facing disaster in their own hometowns, they didn’t get bogged down.

But at this moment, Ye Jiahong, who had stayed in the Squadron Department, also came down with a phone in hand.

His face looked as if it had been soaked by tears, a bit swollen.

In the short span of just over ten minutes, he had already learned a lot of information from home.

Relatives who still had communication said that family members had been buried.

His mother called to say that she couldn’t get in touch with his uncle either.

Fortunately, the people closest to him were still by his side.

The rest, he dared not think about. Just those unanswerable phone calls already occupied a large part of the memories of his life.

If his mother...

As Ye Jiahong approached, looking around and seeing Fang Huai, his body suddenly softened.

"Brother! Thank you, thank you..."

Fang Huai was shocked and quickly stepped forward to support him.

A moment ago, Ye Jiahong had wanted to kneel before him.

"What are you doing! Wearing a military uniform and going all limp at the first sign of trouble, what kind of look is that?!"

Fang Huai quickly came up with an explanation, propping up Ye Jiahong so that the people behind wouldn’t know what he had just attempted, thinking he had just fallen down.

Cao Yi, incensed yet heartbroken for Ye Jiahong, quickly stepped forward to shield him as well.

"Ye Jiahong, you’re the captain!" Cao Yi grabbed his collar, preventing him from collapsing.

But Ye Jiahong, leaning against Fang Huai, seemed boneless, just sobbing incessantly.

"My family is gone, so many people... are gone..."

Those from the two squadrons that were about to walk to the front yard were startled by this scene.

They all heard earlier that Mianyang was the epicenter. Captain Ye’s reaction had given them a side glimpse of how dire the situation must be on site.

There must be so many cries.

Fang Huai patted Ye Jiahong’s face and commanded in a low voice, "Isn’t your mother still alive? What do you mean your home is gone?! You’re lucky! Get up! Look at what Leader Huang is doing! What are you doing? Do you even deserve to be a soldier?!

Right now, you should be hurrying to lead everyone in preparing the equipment for battle!

Forget being a soldier, with millions of your locals suffering, you’re here crying. Are you being fair to your homeland? Get up!"

"Yes... my mom is still alive, my mom is still alive."

The body in Fang Huai’s arms slowly straightened up.

Ye Jiahong slapped his own face, drying the tears, his gaze slightly stunned as he looked into the distance.

Suddenly.

"Smack, smack!"

Ye Jiahong harshly slapped his face twice.

After slapping himself, he turned around and headed straight for the equipment storage.

Fang Huai quickly signaled Hao Chengbin with a look.

Hao Chengbin got the message and rushed up, catching up with Ye Jiahong in strides.

At this moment, Cao Yi let out a long sigh and patted Fang Huai again.

"Good thing you’re here... otherwise today, Ye Jiahong would have tarnished the face of the Second Squadron."

Fang Huai shook his head and sighed, saying slowly, "That’s his home. If you consider him a brother, you shouldn’t say such things about him. He’s just a twenty-something-year-old kid, also a pitiful person struck by a natural disaster at home."

Hearing the tremble in Fang Huai’s voice, Cao Yi turned back in surprise, suddenly realizing that the face of Fang Huai, who had just been shouting, was etched with vicissitudes.

(Chapter 3 is in progress, expected around 11 p.m.)