Chapter 792 - 513 I Forgot to Write My Will

Fang Huai was relatively relaxed because he knew how things were going to end.

But for the soldiers entering the fire scene, it was a process that went from an involuntary shiver running through their bodies to gradually becoming numb.

Fang Huai’s ease was abruptly blown away by an underground pipeline explosion at 8:40.

A manhole cover flew into the sky just five or six meters away from their position, and upon landing, it smashed onto their high-spray truck.

This indicated that there was a surge flowing beneath them.

Everyone felt the searing heat from the ground, not just from the tank in front.

The heat coming from all directions made Fang Huai think of four words: shut off the valve and stop the flow.

It wasn’t about shutting off the tank but the valves in the pipeline. Upon their arrival, the pipeline that exploded was spewing fire outward, located between two tanks. Unless that line was shut off, crude oil from tank 103 and the adjacent 106 would keep gushing out, causing the oil to burn repeatedly and making it impossible to extinguish the blaze.

Crude oil, typically transported in large quantities, is generally something people don’t dare to ignite, but as it turned out, it’s really hard to burn.

When it’s cool, it’s a semi-solid mass. It’s like how in gangster movies from Hong Kong they light a cigarette and casually toss a Zippo lighter into it to set it ablaze, only to find that the fire won’t catch even after finishing the cigarette. This is also why, thus far, the tanks at a greater distance have been relatively quiet.

But now, with the tanks and nearby pipelines at temperatures of a thousand degrees, once they ignite, the oil softens and turns into a flowing sea of fire, highly combustible and difficult to extinguish, containing a great deal of energy. Without cutting off their interconnectedness, this fire could last a month.

Thinking this, Fang Huai shouted loudly,

"Don’t panic! The pressure release from the underground is a good thing! There’s crude oil leaking underground with great pressure! The explosion opened an outlet, we’ll be safer here!

Instructor Cao, Director Zhang, keep an eye on the tank in front! Watch for explosion signs! Be ready to organize a retreat at any time! I’m going to the Command!"

"Alright! Go ahead, don’t worry!"

Zhang, from Changsha Special Division 1, gave him a thumbs-up from beside him, and Cao Yi quickly stepped up from behind to take over his position as the front-line commander.

Fang Huai immediately ran toward the rear command.

Unexpectedly, as he approached the Command, he discovered that Chief Cong and he had the same thought; Chief Cong was already arranging to shut off the valves.

A group of people surrounded the Command, their posture indicating government leadership was present. There were also a few reporters, cameras set up, with Chief Cong deep in the crowd, pointing at a map of the oil depot and making arrangements.

"Sang Wu, organize an assault team from your squadron, led by you..."

Instructor Sang Wu of Special Division 2, slightly overweight, also looked tense, but still maintained a confident posture, ready to respond with "Yes."

"Heroic Blaze" had captured the cause and aftermath of this huge fire, with shutting off the valve and cutting the supply being the most exciting part.

But, having just been close to several of the tanks, Fang Huai had already observed the valves of the oil tanks up close. Unlike what was depicted in the "Heroic Blaze" movie, shutting off the valve didn’t require overcoming great obstacles, as if playing a level in a Mario game. The manual valve was on the platform three meters beside the tank, reachable by climbing up a ladder, which would allow for the manual shutdown process.

However, the danger was genuine. Approaching the area meant entering next to the most intensely burning fire scene, completely exposed, right next to tanks that could explode at any time, with all the ground’s pipelines beneath one’s feet. The three people who went in were essentially joining the King of Hell for a game of mahjong.

"Wait! Regimental commander, are you planning to close the valve and cut the supply?"

Chief Cong looked up, a hint of a smile on his face: "Little Fang has arrived? How are things on your end?"

Fang Huai shook his head, saying, "The closer we get to tank 103, the more the tank seems to make hissing noises. We can’t advance any further! We’re only about a hundred meters away, using two high-spray trucks for foam cooling on the tank! But the effect is not significant! It might explode!"

Upon hearing this, Chief Cong nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, that’s exactly what I think! Fighting the fire this way, it’s definitely impossible to extinguish! Once it explodes, our pressure will be even greater! Shutting off the valve and cutting the supply is a crucial step! We have already clarified the situation with the engineers and technicians of the oil depot’s process flow. The power is out, and the power supply trucks can’t get in, so we’re preparing to send an assault team in to shut off the valves manually!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Huai looked towards the two technicians wearing safety helmets, his brow furrowing:

"What’s the specific situation, which valve should be closed?"

His tone was noticeably cold.

At that, the engineer who had been speaking confidently now stumbled over his words when faced with Fang Huai’s sharp gaze:

"Uh... mainly... we need to shut off the valves adjacent to tank 103, and now it seems... it’s best to shut off all four valves on tanks 102 and 106."

"How do you shut them?" Fang Huai asked again.

"They are on the external platform of the oil tank, you go up there by a handrail..."

Fang Huai, listening to the engineer describe the external platform, nodded and then asked:

"How long does it need to be closed?"

Now, the command leadership turned their gaze towards Fang Huai, feeling that his questions were a bit too many for such a crucial moment. They had already asked once before, and this repeated questioning seemed like a waste of time.

And there were reporters around! If the public saw this hesitancy, what would they think?

But the command leadership didn’t feel they could speak up, after all, they were brothers-in-arms with considerable power who had solved a major problem.

Yet Sang Wu spoke up to the leadership: "Leaders, I’m clear on the situation inside, I’ll go arrange for some guys to go in with me!"