Chapter 783 - 510: Taking You Out for Seafood (Suggested to Read During Holidays Together)_3

The entire courtyard was in chaos.

...

The lonely mountains and rivers had the winding highway for company.

A journey long enough to cross China, thus began.

The cost along the way, needless to say, was significant.

Fire trucks, although exempt from highway tolls, still incurred a hefty sum for fuel alone for these nine vehicles.

The Fire Brigade’s fuel cards could only be used within the province, so they had to pay for fuel in cash outside and then claim reimbursements; oil costs alone were over ten thousand, not to mention the issue of vehicle maintenance.

When Fang Huai brought this up with the Regimental commander, he felt a bit guilty.

Fortunately, the Second Squadron had won countless honors for the Detachment throughout the year, and on long-distance reinforcements, it had enhanced the image of the entire brigade; the Regimental commander said nothing, only expressing that the soldiers had been on the go all year and deserved a good rest when they returned.

Upon returning, a rest was indeed in order.

Fang Huai had a rough idea of the heart-stopping situation in Dalian on the night of July 16th.

In fact, he was very worried now.

The timing was just too coincidental.

It was originally planned to depart on July 12th, exercise on the 14th, and then he would take the opportunity, while assisting Liaoning with the new system, to see if there was any chance to prevent the fire directly.

Yet man proposes, God disposes.

On July 11th, a team of 35 outdoor enthusiasts was invited by a club to explore "Tanzhang Gorge" in Chongqing Wanzhou.

Seeking excitement, they took dangerous passes without tickets, and despite the warnings of local farmers, they entered areas not yet open to the public for a "challenge," resulting in them being struck by a sudden flash flood at the "Di Feng Gorge" location.

people were rescued, and none of the remaining 19 swept away by the flood survived, even though the expert mountain rescue Second Squadron arrived as quickly as possible, along with two local professional rescue teams and 300 firefighters searching the mountains simultaneously. However, the golden window for rescue in a flash flood is just six minutes, and they spent three full days searching in the mountains, only to find bodies.

The day the Second Squadron left, many well-known figures in outdoor sports from across the country came to mourn, dubbing July 11th as "a dark day in the history of outdoor sports".

On-site, Fang Huai was so incensed he nearly lashed out at the reckless survivors and the event organizers.

The Second Squadron returned just last night after rushing around post-emergency, and even the exercise time was delayed.

It seemed like fate, not giving Fang Huai time to prevent it.

Actually, Fang Huai held little hope of stopping the fire, as it was one of the top-rated ports in the nation and China National Petroleum Corporation’s territory; how could they possibly heed his calls?

However, rushing to the aid of China National Petroleum Corporation and still paying them quite a bit for fuel en route was quite ironic.

...

The next day, daylight deepened.

5:16 in the afternoon.

At the highway toll booth exit.

"We’ve arrived, we’ve arrived!"

"Damn, that’s beautiful, you see that? There’s sea on both sides! Is Dalian built on the sea?"

The beautiful and fertile Dalian, with the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west, is a city surrounded by the sea on three sides, with a GDP of over 320 billion, ranked 21st among municipal-level cities nationwide, even slightly ahead of the provincial capital of Shenyang.

It even surpasses Shenyang in terms of vitality.

The surrounding environment is so tranquil that Fang Huai wondered for a moment whether the fire would ever happen in this lifetime.

However, Director Cao Gang ahead in a car, smiling and waving with a few firefighting cadres, pulled Fang Huai back to reality.

"Director Cao! You even personally came to pick us up!"

Fang Huai got out of the car, advanced two steps smilingly, and shook hands with each of the Liaoning cadres, asking, "Has everyone from Hunan arrived?"

Cao Gang adjusted his glasses and said, "They arrived long ago! They’re waiting for you guys at the dining place, probably getting hungry! We’ve arranged a seafood stall for you!"

As he spoke, he gestured to Fang Huai with a tilt of his chin and smiled:

"How about a beer today? No problem, right? On our table, we’ll opt for some liquor."

"A gout set meal, huh!" Fang Huai’s eyes widened as he performed a tactical step back.

Then he glanced at his watch and said sternly, "Absolutely no alcohol! During the mission, we must adhere strictly to military discipline! Drinking will lead to mistakes; anyone who does will face punishment upon return!"

Fang Huai’s uncompromising stance left Cao Gang a bit embarrassed, resorting to loud laughter to conceal it: "You see? This is our nationally famous iron-willed cadre! We should really learn from him!"

Seeing that the several accompanying cadres were also smiling somewhat reluctantly, Fang Huai had a change of heart and joked:

"Eh, Director Cao, you don’t understand. Even buffet strategies say you must eat your fill before drinking anything! Otherwise, how can you stuff it all in? First eat up, then fill with liquids! If we drink beer first, half our stomachs will be occupied, how will we fleece you then? Can’t afford it, can you?"

With that, everyone’s smile blossomed.

"Haha... alright, eat all you want! Once full, we can drink!"

(I have to drive someone tomorrow, taking a day off, intended to leave a cliffhanger at the end, but didn’t dare. The ending is near, let’s meet on May 5th when the holiday ends.)

(Happy holiday to the big bosses.)