Chapter 260: Floodwaters Recede, People Triumph

August 27, 1998, the torrential flood that had lasted 77 days finally receded.

The turbid river water slowly fell, revealing the blackened ruins of submerged houses and flattened crops. Xiang Fei stood on the embankment, gazing at the land gradually emerging in the distance, silent.

The leader stood beside him, clutching a casualty statistics sheet in his hand, his knuckles white.

"Director Xiang..." the leader's voice was hoarse, "this flood has taken too much."

Xiang Fei looked at the PLA soldiers cleaning the mud in the distance and said in a low voice: "Natural disasters and human errors are unavoidable, but we have done our utmost."

The other leaders nodded silently, and someone took off their glasses to wipe them. The air was filled with the fishy smell of mud and a faint scent of disinfectant.

The loudspeakers at the temporary shelter were playing "Unity is Strength" and the new song "Rice Fragrance" rushed out by Feimin Entertainment with a three-day face value; the disaster victims queued up to receive relief grain.

Xiang Fei led the Feimin group to every tent to bid farewell to the villagers they had lived with for over two months.

"Uncle Xiang, are you leaving?" a little girl tugged at Xiang Fei's coat hem.

Xiang Fei squatted down and patted her withered yellow hair: "Xiao Hua, listen to your teacher and study hard."

The little girl took out a melted candy from her pocket: "For..."

Zhou Huimin turned her face away and quietly wiped the corner of her eye.

The next morning, the Feimin convoy prepared to depart for Beijing.

The leader brought the team members to see them off, and reporters from several media outlets rushed over upon hearing the news.

Xiang Fei walked up to the leader, took a check from his inner suit pocket: "Leader, this is ten million, for post-disaster reconstruction."

The leader was stunned: "Director Xiang, you have already donated so much..."

"Not enough." Xiang Fei stuffed the check into the leader's hand, "A small token from Feimin."

Flashbulbs lit up, and reporters scrambled to record the moment. But Xiang Fei did not stay; he turned and walked toward the convoy.

On the return journey, everyone was unusually silent.

Zhou Huimin looked at the disaster zone scenery rushing past the window and said softly: "A Fei, I was thinking... what will those who lost their homes do in winter?"

Xiang Fei closed his eyes: "Have the Feimin Finance Department set up a special fund to issue subsidies to extremely poor families every month."

"And the children's schooling issues..."

"Contact Project Hope; we will cover all expenses for the out-of-school children."

Zhou Huimin held her husband's hand and found that the calluses on his palm had thickened again.

After the convoy departed, the leader still stood in place.

"Secretary, this check..." the secretary asked in a low voice.

The leader gazed at the "Feimin Entertainment" seal on the check and said to the people behind him: "Feimin is a conscientious enterprise, and Xiang Fei is also a conscientious entrepreneur."

He turned to the reporters: "You must report on such enterprises well."

Three days later, the People's Daily published a commentary article on its front page: "On the Social Responsibility of Enterprises in the New Era," which mentioned Feimin Entertainment's charitable acts multiple times.

The Guangming Daily published a long dispatch titled "Record of Feimin Entertainment's Flood Control and Disaster Relief," detailing the stars' every effort on the front lines.

The most eye-catching was the cover photo of the Beijing Evening News: the side profile of Zhou Huimin squatting on the ground tying a little girl's shoelaces, with the headline "The Most Beautiful Family Member of an Entrepreneur."

Back in the Beijing office, Xiang Fei stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the bustling traffic on Chang'an Avenue.

Cai Wen knocked and entered: "Director Xiang, there's a call from New Zealand regarding 'Avatar'..."

Xiang Fei raised his hand to interrupt: "Put that aside for now."

He turned to face the executives: "The most urgent task is to implement the follow-up assistance plan for the disaster area."

Outside the window, the September sunlight was just right, shining on the bronze plaque of "Feimin Entertainment," making it sparkle.