[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-being-reborn-i-became-a-firefighter-again":3,"chapter-after-being-reborn-i-became-a-firefighter-again-after-being-reborn-i-became-a-firefighter-again-chapter-339":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","After Being Reborn, I became a firefighter again?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},711987,950,"Chapter 339 - 272: The Street After the Earthquake","after-being-reborn-i-became-a-firefighter-again-chapter-339",339,"\u003Cp>After four hours of arduous rescue, Ma Xiaofeng was finally out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her emergence eased the soldiers’ tension a bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire rescue process took at least 20 hours less than initially expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, this girl was the most mature and sensible of them all; while trapped in the rubble, she asked Xue Xiao to sing the \"Yellow River Chorus\" and pop songs to keep him awake and not fall asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of a desire to comfort everyone, and her relatives, she even refused the stretcher when she was coming out, insisting on walking out on her own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The figure, who limped out of the debris, told everyone with her deeds that perseverance and optimism give hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These children were all so sensible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They lost their school, their childhood shattered, and they grew up in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The good news spread quickly throughout Hanwang, intentionally disseminated by the Command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Qianqiu, Xue Xiao, Ma Xiaofeng...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a small school of a thousand people, out of two hundred trapped individuals, there were so many inspiring figures that lifted the nation’s spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Huai, the firefighter who had risked his life multiple times in the rescue, had his wish to join the Party conveyed to the ears of the Command leadership through Battalion Commander Liang’s report.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was dinnertime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite Battalion Commander Liang’s repeated persuasions, urging him to rest, Fang Huai still took Little White to search through the rubble of the school again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The People’s Liberation Army soldiers equipped with life detectors and the Earthquake Rescue Team, accompanied by three search dogs, were also looking everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A German Shepherd search dog named \"Flying Tiger\" missed its step in front of some debris, injuring its foot, but still found no signs of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Parents of children who had been rescued from the rubble rushed over, crying and shouting outside the cordon, while parents who had been waiting in the same spot for their own children began to collapse with emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone could only slowly direct the mechanized troops to enter the stage of mechanical-assisted search and rescue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mechanization was very unfavorable for survivors, but under the circumstances where all other means were exhausted, everyone could only come up with a plan: peeling off layers, searching layer by layer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Huai was directing an excavator in front of rubble No. 4 when suddenly Battalion Commander Liang patted him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go, the Command is calling for you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Huai turned back in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Command? How would they know me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being one of the currently identified severely affected areas, the Command had a high level of authority, worlds apart from a soldier like him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battalion Commander Liang then shook the two-way radio in his hand, saying:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We have been on the scene for more than twenty hours, you came earlier, right? You got here yesterday afternoon and have hardly rested since. Did you manage just a few minutes’ sleep at noon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can’t order you around anymore, so I had to ask the Command to inform your leadership and order you to rest!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Huai was taken aback for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Battalion Commander Liang! I did rest! Why bother leadership over such a small matter?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough, enough!\" Battalion Commander Liang waved his hand. \"You might think it’s a small matter, but watching you, you’re almost worn out to death!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you don’t rest, at least let your Little White rest, okay? The poor thing had our soldiers’ meals at noon today! Quickly take it to the dogs’ supply area, let it have something to eat and take a rest!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It... it’s not a police dog; I can feed it with my own biscuits,\" Fang Huai said with difficulty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why isn’t it?\" Battalion Commander Liang crossed his arms, declaring loudly, \"It has saved lives! That makes it a police dog! And a very excellent one at that! Over two hundred of us can vouch for it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Woof!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little White, silent since the afternoon, gave a rare bark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding firefighters and members of the Earthquake Rescue Team looked over, all agreeing:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right, Little White is a police dog! It performed exceptionally well! Take it for some rest now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Woof!\" Little White then raised a paw, dabbed it with some saliva, and washed its face. Looking at a few of its \"colleagues\" sitting on the ground, it tilted its head again, showing a hint of disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those around understood Little White’s pride and smiled, but they refrained from joking on the sad rescue scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Huai sighed helplessly: \"Alright, I’m heading over now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the third day after the earthquake, signs of life were visible again in Hanwang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All over the streets, tents of all colors could be seen everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many people had been given face masks, and at every intersection, staff reminded people to put on masks to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and infections among the injured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A staff member saw him leaving the school and approached, offering him a new face mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The public buses on the road, even taxis, and unclaimed private cars with shattered glass, had become places to sleep, some remodeled to serve as beds for people to lie sideways on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he walked along, he observed people’s expressions, as if visiting a funeral home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some accepted reality quickly, sitting by the roadside fires they had made, eating and talking, their faces tinged with sighs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others were still immersed in sorrow, their expressions revealing an unmistakable lack of attachment to the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, the entire nation was cheering for the disaster area, donating money and goods, sending warmth, but some sorrows cannot be relieved by material means.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the roadside, a backpacked volunteer and police officer were attempting to engage a lonely old man in conversation, inviting him to join them for a meal to ease his emotions. The man kept thanking them and smiling but didn’t budge from guarding a spot where the debris had already been excavated down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moved by the sight, Fang Huai couldn’t help but approach and ask the police officer about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The police said that the bodies had been excavated from the old man’s home—four family members with nowhere to go, so they had been sent to mid-mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man insisted on staying here, repeatedly thanking the government, yet refusing to leave or eat anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked extremely emaciated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Huai pulled out over a thousand yuan he had and stuffed it into the old man’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he refused to take it, only smiling in response, \"The money’s no use to me now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Huai had no choice but to force the money on him, and then rather un-Marxist-like, he said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How is it of no use? Go up the mountain and have a look, tidy up your family’s belongings, buy some paper maids and big villas to burn for them. Moreover, in the coming years at every festival, someone still needs to burn paper money for them! Otherwise, they’ll have a hard time over there!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone needs to be alive to burn money on their death anniversaries to pave their way! Burn it for a full eighteen years!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, remember to erect tombstones for them, make sure you get the details of their birthdates right. If you burn for the wrong person, they won’t receive it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The firm and serious tone of Fang Huai’s voice shocked both the police and volunteers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one expected this firefighter in his orange uniform to be so persuasive!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, those words deeply struck the old man who had just been uninterested in everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Really... really?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Huai had to craft another convincing story, counting on his fingers, he earnestly said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Before I joined the firefighting team, I studied at a Taoist temple! It’s very true! Everyone has a spirit! When they die, they go to the Pure Land. Spending over there relies on incense offerings! Without someone taking care of it, they’ll be poverty-stricken for generations!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hasn’t the earthquake been over 50 hours? It’s the third day. If they have completed all their paperwork over there, then there are only a few days a year when they can receive the items burned for them. If you’re any later, you may miss the time!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, the old man believed it wholeheartedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right, right, you’re right. They can’t be without offerings, I need to go see them!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, he hurried towards the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After taking a few steps, he turned back and took out the money Fang Huai had stuffed into his pocket, insisting on returning it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, kind-hearted person...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Huai immediately said, \"I’ve practiced Taoism. The money I gave you carries my qi! If you use it to buy things to burn for them, they can receive blessings from the Three Purities! Helping you also contributes to my spiritual achievements! I didn’t help you for nothing! Now hurry!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moved to tears, the old man thanked Fang Huai, calling him \"Master Tian\" as he left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Huai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that the old man’s intelligence had declined, but at the brink of desperation, everyone looks for hope. Once they latch on to that thought, they desperately cling to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Huai spent over a thousand yuan to help him, claiming it was for \"cultivating spiritual merits,\" which only solidified the old man’s belief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To save a life devoid of the desire to live, Fang Huai turned himself into a con artist preaching the divine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he turned back, the police and volunteers were astounded by the sight of the old man hurriedly walking away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Comrade... did you really work in a Taoist temple?\" asked a volunteer, obviously more naïve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Huai smiled, \"I lied to him, don’t you believe it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the police officer spoke excitedly, \"Comrade, about this kind of knowledge... is there any reference book or something? This, it seems more effective than psychology!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Huai sighed, \"The main thing is to let him go up the mountain to see his relatives and talk, to let out his emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Psychological comfort and venting pain, that’s all psychology, psychology isn’t useless, it’s just that practice is too difficult. We had no other choice to get the job done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Comrade police officer, since you’re from the same town, if you know him, you’ll have to check on him now and then, comfort him more.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, the police officer saluted Fang Huai with respect, \"Thank you! I learned a lot from you today!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Huai returned the salute, saying, \"Put it to good use.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he turned to leave, the local police force had gained a kindly swindler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked on and saw the Red Cross, reporters, and a group of medical staff moving someone from a van used to transport the injured onto a stretcher, with two high school-looking kids assisting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was also a young man with dyed blonde hair, looking like he was from the streets, wearing transparent gloves, quietly waiting to help as he wiped his nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This natural disaster changed many people, and some scenes were truly heartwarming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, some were devoid of humanity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few steps further, on the opposite side of the street, there were two volunteers taking photos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reorganized town government had thanked the assisting volunteers, assigning them tasks according to their abilities, while also providing them with yellow volunteer vests and certificates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these two were clearly different from the volunteer who sincerely helped the old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only did they eat a piece of bread in front of Fang Huai, casually throwing the wrapper by the rubble, but they also took turns posing with a sign bearing a company logo in front of the ruins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the men, with a shoulder bag and a bright smile, looked quite out of place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two passersby paused and glanced at their vests, but said nothing and moved on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you doing? Get out of there!\" Fang Huai stood across the street, pointing at the two and shouting loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man in a clean white shirt, with a slick side part looking like a boss, hearing Fang Huai, laughed loudly and shouted back:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Comrade, we’ll be careful! It’s completely collapsed here, it won’t collapse anymore! Once we’re done taking photos, we’ll leave!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This reply completely infuriated Fang Huai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who the hell cares about your safety? No taking selfies at the ruins! Pick up your trash!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter 2 audit)\u003C\u002Fp>",2078,"2026-06-02T10:16:52.042Z",1,"novelbin.me","1a99b004b9a227a7ecbb1e369329ddb87bd897ad6b57fe895fa2822283322541","after-being-reborn-i-became-a-firefighter-again-chapter-340","after-being-reborn-i-became-a-firefighter-again-chapter-338",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-being-reborn-i-became-a-firefighter-again-cover.jpg"]