Chapter 109

At dawn, Yang Lei’s cell phone rang.

The cell phone rang repeatedly, pressingly, and unceasingly. After the fifth or sixth time it rang, Yang Lei turned to pick it up.

“Yang Lei! Return to the unit immediately!” The voice over the phone was serious.

“Commissar, I’m busy. I’m asking for leave,” Yang Lei replied quietly and hoarsely, about to hang up.

“Your leave has been canceled! There is an emergency, do you hear me? Return to your unit immediately!” The commissar’s tone was urgent.

“I have family issues. I can’t come back. I’m sorry.”

Yang Lei’s voice was hoarse.

“You! …” The commissar was exasperated: “Listen, just now an urgent task has been assigned. Widespread landslides and mudslide disasters broke out across Meng County, threatening the lives of the people. The higher authorities asked for an immediate rescue organization, a rescue at the front line! You will organize an emergency response force. Yang Lei, you must return to the unit immediately. Right now, immediately!”

“…” Yang Lei clenched his cell phone!

“If you delay one more second right now, one more life will be lost!”

The commissar did not know what had happened to Yang Lei, but right now, all personal problems were not worth mentioning in the face of life and death!

“This is an order!” the commissar said sternly. “Don’t forget, you are a soldier!”

“…Yes!”

Yang Lei was in pain and clenched his cell phone…

When Fang Yu came back, his friend told him that someone had come to look for him and waited in the room all night. He left before dawn for some urgent matter.

“What’s the last name?”

Fang Yu asked.

“Didn’t say. I haven’t seen him before. He’s tall, looks very energetic, and handsome.”

“…”

Fang Yu stopped.

“Say, why is your brother as strange as you? Last night, I kept hearing him play your old song. What’s so good about that song? It’s not enough for you to listen to it alone, but he also can’t stop listening to it? I don’t know how many times he played it…”

Fang Yu entered the room, but the room was empty.

On the table was the recorder and the tape…

That day, urgent news aroused the attention of the whole country.

Heavy rain fell in Meng County, Yunnan, causing flooding. In the early morning, a mudslide broke out, and it already caused the deaths of 16 people. The number of people directly affected by the disaster reached hundreds, and nearly one thousand people were quickly evacuated. People’s Liberation Army troops and armed police officers and soldiers rushed to the disaster area overnight for emergency rescue. The disastrous situation in Meng County touched the hearts of people all over the country…

The car wash was progressing very quickly. These brothers were all nimble and capable. They had already found a place, and the shop had been purchased. The equipment consisted of imported goods that Fang Yu purchased through old connections. They were just waiting for renovations before they could do business. Fang Yu had many old brothers from the past. Even if they all had their own paths now, hearing that Fang Yu had returned and was resuming business, many came back to help and lend a hand. With people taking care of this and that, the car shop was soon about to open.

The cost of the car shop was low, the amount of investment small, and the operation fast. Er Hei had already chosen a good day to open the car shop.

“We’re just missing Yang Lei. I don’t know if he can ask for leave that day and whether he can come.” Er Hei was thinking about Yang Lei.

Fang Yu didn’t speak. Sound came from the TV, which was broadcasting pictures of rescue and disaster relief in Meng County.

“…We found Commissar Lu, a commander of a certain division in the People’s Liberation Army. The rescue officers and soldiers are…” The reporter’s voice came through the screen.

Fang Yu turned his head.

“Isn’t that Lei-zi’s army?” Er Hei looked at the TV. Last time he went to the military camp, he saw Yang Lei greet this commissar. “Their troops also went?”

On the screen, rain was still falling. The reporter was swaying from the wind. The soldiers, who were wearing raincoats and braving the heavy rain as they anxiously rescued people, were struggling to dredge a path in the muddy water.

“…The viewers can see that heavy rain is still falling here. It is very dangerous. There is a possibility of another landslide at any time…”

On the screen, the commissar with graying temples had a serious yet anxious expression.

“There are still people trapped in the mountain, waiting to be rescued. We already sent out a rescue team to do search and rescue on the mountain. Carefully selected cadres and soldiers are on this team. They bear the most dangerous task, and they have already gone into the mountain for one day and one night.”

The reporter turned to the camera, their voice becoming anxious.

“Currently, this rescue team has already lost contact with the outside world. Right now, we don’t know how many people are waiting to be rescued in the mountains, and we don’t know the situation of the officers and the soldiers. We can only anxiously wait for news. Let us say the names of these brave people’s army soldiers and pray for their blessings. They include: training officer of the regiment headquarters, Yang Lei; leader of the second company and first platoon, Wang Zhicheng; leader of the third company, Huang Guotao…”

Er Hei looked at the TV, shocked.

“Yu Ge, just now… Just now, was that…”

Er Hei was stammering. He turned around, froze, and chased after him and out the door:

“Yu Ge! …”