After Being Reborn, I became a firefighter again?

Chapter 366: Chapter 297 Do You Still Watching Others Breastfeed?

The public’s enthusiasm was overwhelming, yet I only dipped my toe in.

Although none of us discovered the shadow wall like Fang Huai did, just by having a meal outside, we were bombarded with countless gifts from locals.

Eggs, peeled and placed into boxes.

Sealed chicken legs, considered "premium supplies" here, were unwrapped and shoved into our mouths.

There was even someone carrying a bag of stewed peanuts, peeling them and handing them to the Special Duty soldiers.

This meal was endless—the more we ate, the more food appeared.

It was because when collecting the food, the bus driver had reported our unit to help the staff take care of us and had sneakily mentioned our rescue efforts.

The word quickly spread among the staff: we were the troops just out of Beichuan, and the last girl rescued was saved by us!

Everyone was waiting for Ye Jiahong, so after finishing the meal, we could only stay a bit longer. But as the news spread, more and more people gathered around.

The soldiers, already well taken care of, were even more doted upon since they came from the hardest-hit areas, and the public’s enthusiasm reached its peak.

We really couldn’t stay any longer in front of the bustling stadium entrance, so we had to get on the bus and find a quieter place to wait for Captain Ye.

Just as we were about to board, another crowd approached, each presenting us with a long Qiang red scarf.

The driver explained that it was a Qiang ethnic group’s tradition for welcoming honored guests, similar in meaning to the white Hada given by Mongolian and Tibetan peoples, representing good fortune and blessings.

The longer the Qiang red, the higher the honor; these were the longest at twelve feet.

The soldiers declined other gifts but couldn’t refuse this deep expression of affection and had to stand at attention, collectively returning their salute: a solemn military salute.

Just as we were about to board, a local leader arrived, enthusiastically inviting us to stay a bit longer. Cao Yi and Huang Yi could only shake hands with the leader, saying they had to proceed to Hanwang for duty, as orders were as weighty as mountains.

After boarding, the Special Duty soldiers watched the locals wave goodbye, urging the driver to take the bus farther away, even wishing they could leave Ye Jiahong behind in Mianyang and head straight to Hanwang.

If anyone found out they were still in Mianyang, it would be too damn embarrassing.

An hour later, when Ye Jiahong found them using the address sent by Cao Yi’s text, he was somewhat speechless.

"Damn, why are you guys hiding in such a covert place? This underground parking isn’t even finished; I looked for over ten minutes just to find the entrance! And you’re parked on the fourth sub-level! I had to circle around several times to get down here!"

Everyone silently stared at him.

Fang Huai’s mouth twisted, "The fourth sub-level is the parking’s limit, not ours. If the next two levels hadn’t had a height restriction, you would’ve had to search for us on the sixth sub-level."

...

The road back to Hanwang was a bit congested.

The car, with red cloth attached, was among many transporting supplies.

Not only were there Traffic Police from all over the country managing the traffic, but also vehicles from everywhere.

For someone like Fang Huai, who had overworked his brain in this lifetime, such an environment could easily lead to pondering some rather grand questions.

For instance, what is a state, why do we need soldiers, what kind of organization is the Party, and what does communism entail?

How does a state make its people overcome their innate self-interest?

What is the purpose behind people’s charitable acts?

Is it due to human sociality and cooperativeness, or is it cultural factors?

All this thinking led him to exhale a sigh of concern for the country and its people.

All these thoughts were inconclusive because the issues were too large. But in the window reflection, there was himself, full of schemes, looking damn handsome.

It’s better to be a leader. Sitting in the car thinking, and if you come up with a solution, just let those below you do the work.

The process of gradually gaining the power to turn your ideas into reality is called self-actualization.

The conclusion: I must become a leader.

The other junior leader in the car was dealing with much more practical matters.

He was on his phone the whole journey.

"How could the second aunt’s place be as severe as she said! It’s just the building next door that cracked a little! Our building is fine! Nothing at home has been damaged!"

"Oh, that teacup of yours fell to the ground!"

"You didn’t place it properly, leaving it on the edge of the table, whose fault is that?"

"How could the cured meat go bad? Even if it’s buried by an earthquake, you could still pick it up and eat it!"

"Oh, come on! If the stuff in the fridge went bad, so be it! Surviving the earthquake was lucky enough; why fuss over these things?"

"Your tree... It’s been dead long ago! I’m heading to Hanwang for rescue now!! How could I possibly water it for you!"

"Hello! Hello! I’ve got a bad connection! Hanging up, hanging up!"

"Okay, okay! I understand! I understand."

"I didn’t catch that! The signal just improved! Okay, I’m about to enter a tunnel! Bye!"

The moment Ye Jiahong hung up the phone, the whole car burst into laughter.

But after laughing, everyone started pulling out their mobile phones, hesitating whether to assure their families. None wanted to be the focus of curiosity, so the bus was filled with the tapping sounds of texting.

Fang Huai hesitated for a moment, then decided to rest his eyes. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Hao Chengbin thought of him, moved over, and urged him to message his family to let them know he was safe, especially since Hanwang was a severely hit area, and they didn’t know how stable the signal would be.

Fang Huai merely raised his eyebrows and shook his head:

"I’ll call them when I get back."

Reassuring the family was out of the question.

I’m determined to be a hero to the people of Chongqing. Whether I secure the position of family emperor or family junior depends on how tough I am now.

...

At 8:30 in the evening, the bus arrived at the temporary parking lot outside the Hanwang Headquarters.

When Fang Huai got off the bus and looked outside, he suddenly felt not quite as tough.

Below, someone was waiting for him.

Wearing a mask, with a slender and graceful figure, and large eyes filled with murder and arson.

Zhang Zhongting, you bastard.

Fang Huai didn’t need to think to know that Yang Shaoqing being there and knowing precisely when the bus would arrive in Hanwang must have involved his uncle’s help.

Just talk then.

Why didn’t you tell me?!

And the comrades beside him couldn’t wait to call their families to report their safety as soon as they got off the car.

"Eh? You are..." Someone even recognized Yang Shaoqing.

Getting off before her, Hao Chengbin even loudly asked, "Little Yang, why are you here? Did Fang Huai call for you?"

Yang Shaoqing’s face was already redder than the mask could cover, but she still nodded.

Hao Chengbin immediately turned back, frowning, "Fang Huai, what’s this about? Why are you bringing the girl to such a dangerous place? I was wondering why you weren’t making any calls! It turns out she’s already here!"

Fang Huai: ...

You really are a great master to me.

He braced himself and got out of the car.

"Cough, I was just about to call you," Fang Huai said with an awkward laugh.

Yang Shaoqing looked at him, her eyes curving, "Where’s your phone?"

Fang Huai subconsciously patted his pockets.

Emergency rescue suits don’t have pant pockets, just two side pockets, which were completely empty.

Damn it, the mobile phone is in the big bag.

Hao Chengbin finally realized something was wrong and started to smooth things over, "Oh, Fang Huai, your phone’s out of battery, right? Yes, just now in the car, you were looking for a charger!"

Yang Shaoqing’s eyes curved even more.

They were almost squinting.

Lifting her wrist, she held up a blue Nokia 5200, the same model as Fang Huai’s.

With a slide of the cover, the call log appeared:

Turtle Fang, Turtle Fang, Turtle Fang...

Fang Huai glanced at it and then looked up at the sky guiltily, but Hao Chengbin actually leaned in for a closer look.

After a long look, he let out a sigh, "You’ve called so many times..."

Fang Huai saw everyone around him making calls while observing the spectacle here and helplessly stretched out his left hand, palms up, then raised his right hand with the index and middle finger "standing" on it, before bending them.

Kneeling.

This was the ultimate gesture of surrender he had agreed upon with Yang Shaoqing.

Every time he used it, it meant he had to agree to one thing Yang Shaoqing asked, unconditionally.

It worked.

Yang Shaoqing laughed immediately.

"Humph! I’m gonna bite you!"

The tension on Hao Chengbin’s face disappeared instantly. He clicked his tongue, shook his head at Fang Huai, and walked away.

This Fang Huai, he’s such a pain; this girl is so pretty and easy to coax, yet he allows her to be bullied.

Only then did Fang Huai grin and reach out, taking Yang Shaoqing’s arm: "Let’s go, let’s go. How long have you been waiting? Let’s sit over by the tents."

But Yang Shaoqing didn’t move, raising the flyer in her other hand, "I’m a volunteer, I have work to do!"

Then Fang Huai moved closer to examine the thin piece of paper in her hand.

It was about mental health, and from the cartoon pictures on it, it seemed to be meant for kids. freewebnøvel.coɱ

Fang Huai nodded.

Her image was quite fitting for this sort of work.

"The kids are really pitiful, many have just lost their families, and they might act strangely, so when you communicate with them... be extra patient."

Sadness filled Yang Shaoqing’s large eyes.

"I know, I’ve been here for three days now. I’m looking after a lot of kids. I manage their meals and make sure they don’t just wander off with anyone. There are many people in the disaster area, and the kids are very insecure. I have to protect them."

Surprise flashed in Fang Huai’s eyes.

This girl, she’s really doing something substantial.

It’s good too. The bodies we’ve dug out these past few days were all deformed, quite horrific. By protecting the children, making sure they don’t see such things, she’s essentially protecting herself as well.

"My parents didn’t come, did they?"

"Uncle Fang came, but he went to Yingxiu. He bought lots of supplies and has been escorting loads there every day!"

As Yang Shaoqing spoke, there was a hint of surprise in her eyes, "Did Uncle Fang really make a lot of money? When he took me here, he bought a whole supermarket’s worth of instant foods, yay!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Huai said through gritted teeth:

"Damn it, why’s he buying so much food? All of China’s instant foods are being sent to the disaster area, there’s an excess of food, an excess! He’s not buying what should be bought, things like bedding, tents, baby products, lighting equipment, and personal hygiene items are all in short supply! All he knows is to send instant noodles!

The people in the disaster-stricken area are sick of it!

A mere rich man! As soon as he has a bit of money, he squanders it! Donating something and not even knowing how to donate properly!"

"Ah?" Yang Shaoqing blinked, "Things seem to be well-stocked here. Are baby products really in short supply? Are there many children in Beichuan?"

"Short? How could they not be short?" Fang Huai widened his eyes: "Hanwang doesn’t lack because transportation here is convenient, but Beichuan and Yingxiu, you have to take a long detour to reach the city!

Because transportation is inconvenient, the government’s logistics planning has to focus on food and water first. The government delivers food and water, the public does too, and many special supplies have become even scarcer!

Babies are small and less likely to be buried, so many survived but are without their mothers. Baby products and formula are critically scarce. I’ve seen many lactating mothers having to feed two to three children each!"

"Oh..." Yang Shaoqing’s face turned serious: "Should we call Uncle Fang? I think he’s still transporting new supplies to the disaster area today!"

"Go ahead, go ahead, you call him; I can’t stand his nagging," Fang Huai waved his hand.

Yang Shaoqing began to flip through her mobile phone.

As she flipped, she suddenly looked up, a puzzled expression on her face.

"You just said... you’ve seen many lactating mothers, breastfeeding?"