Outside of the alley.
Subdistrict Office’s staffs had surrounded Dong Xuebing.
“Director, how are you feeling?” Zhou Yanru asked anxiously. “Are you hurt?”
Dong Xuebing took a deep breath. “I am fine. What is the situation now? Are there any injured?”
Zhou Yanru replied uneasily. “We can’t contact the District Government or the Subdistrict Office. The phone lines had been cut, and we don’t know about their situation.”
“Are there any more residents in the alley?”
“Everyone had been evacuated, and the last few residents are here.” Pang Gang replied.
“Yes. I asked the residents earlier, and everyone is here.”
“Good.” Dong Xuebing is relieved. They had evacuated everyone in time. He looked at the anxious Subdistrict Office’s staff and announced.
“Listen up! The earthquake had happened, which was only the first wave of tremors. There will be more earthquakes later. I know all of you are worried about your families. Those who are worried about your families can leave now. I won’t force you all to stay. Those who had sent their families to the disaster relief centers can stay. The residents need us to save them!”
The Subdistrict Office’s staffs were shocked. No one had expected Director Dong to allow them to leave.
Pang Gang is looking terrible. “Director, the phone lines and other forms of communication had been cut, and we don’t know when the rescue teams will arrive. We can only rely on ourselves to save the residents.”
An officer added. “That’s right. We cannot leave now.”
A Staff Member, who is worried for his family’s safety, gritted his teeth. “We will save the residents first.”
“Bullshit!” Dong Xuebing looks at them coldly. “Are your families not our residents?! If you all cannot protect your families, don’t talk to me about saving others!” He did not force everyone to stay with him. “I am repeating this! Those who are worried about your families leave now! Bring your families to safety first, before coming back!”
Zhou Yanru looked at a staff beside her. “Xiao Wang, your wife, and son, stay in Liu Xiang Estate. Go and check on them first.”
“But I….” Xiao Wang’s eyes turned red.
“Just go.” Zhou Yanru said.
Xiao Wang bit his lips and looked at Dong Xuebing. “Thank you, Director. I will come back after I check on my son!” He turned and ran off.
Another few staff left.
Dong Xuebing nodded and started giving orders to the rest of his men. “Director Zhou, this place is not safe. You and your Staff Members will bring these residents to the relief centers. You must ensure their safety.”
Zhou Yanru stood at attention. “Yes!” She turned to the residents and shouted. “Everybody! Follow me!”
Many of the residents exchanged looks, and a few young men stepped forward. “Director Dong, we can help too.”
“Count me in!”
“Me too! We will help to save others!”
About six to seven residents stepped forward. They were rescued by the Subdistrict Office’s staff earlier.
Dong Xuebing is moved by these people. He shouted. “Alright! You all can follow the rest of the residents to the relief centers and help those you all met on the way.”
Zhou Yanru quickly brought the residents away. There are more than one hundred of them.
Only Dong Xuebing, Pang Gang, and four other Police Officers remained.
The roads were blocked by debris, and they couldn’t drive on them.
Dong Xuebing looked at the damage around him and felt his anger building up inside him.
“Let’s go!” Dong Xuebing looked at his remaining men. “The west side’s damage should be more serious. We will make our way there and try to save as many residents as we can along the way.”
Pang Gang quickly followed. “We only got six people. I’m afraid….”
Dong Xuebing did not say anything as he knew there could do nothing much. But he can’t contact the District Government and cannot gather enough people now.
A few residents are panicking on the streets.
Pang Gang shouted at them. “Go to Guang Ming Gardens now! Don’t move about and stay away from buildings. Go to the relief centers and wait for help!”
The residents heard Pang Gang and did as they were told.
A woman screamed. “Help! Someone, please help!”
Dong Xuebing looked over and saw a woman crying on her knees. She is digging into a pile of debris from a collapsed shop with her bare hands.
Dong Xuebing and his men rushed over. “What happened?”
The woman saw them and cried. “Please save my husband. He is buried inside.”
The shop did not collapse entirely, and they could hear a man’s weak cries inside. That man is still alive.
“Old Pang!” Dong Xuebing ordered. “Go to the other side.”
“Yes.”
The person inside can escape if they can move the massive piece of collapsed wall.
When Dong Xuebing and his men tried to lift the wall, they realized it was too heavy.
The wall is too thick and heavy. Without professional rescue equipment, there’s no way for them to move the wall.
The woman cried louder. “Da Wei! Please hold on! The Subdistrict Office’s staff are here to save you.”
The cries for help from inside the shop become softer. That man is getting weak.
Dong Xuebing let go of the wall. “We can’t move it!”
Pang Gang is covered in sweat. “We don’t have enough men. We need to get more people to help.”
Suddenly, a family of three men and one woman ran past them.
Dong Xuebing quickly shouted at them. “Hey! Come over and help us! There’s someone buried inside! Help us remove this wall!”
That family looks at Dong Xuebing and continues running.
“F**k!” Pang Gang and his men cursed.
The woman covered her face in despair. “Da Wei!”
What should I do?!
What can I do now?!
Dong Xuebing is anxious and angry. “Old Pang, our Police Station is two streets away, right? You all continue to talk to Da Wei while I try to get help.”
Pang Gang replied. “Everyone should have gone to the relief centers. There might not be anyone around.”
“Just continue to take to Da Wei and ask him to hang on. I will see what I can do.”
The roads are blocked by abundant cars, trishaws, and collapsed buildings. It is impossible to drive in this situation. Dong Xuebing looked around and saw a bicycle by the roadside. He immediately jumps on it and rides towards the Police Station.
Hurry!
I must get that guy out!
Guang Ming Subdistrict Office is the only place prepared for this earthquake. It is also one of the two areas that had evacuated its residents. That’s why there are almost no people on the streets. Most of the residents had been transferred to the relief centers.
Dong Xuebing used all his strength to speed towards the Police Station.
Suddenly, Dong Xuebing saw a group of men in police uniform looking around anxiously by the roadside.
Those policemen are not from the local Police Station. They are from are Deputy Chief Chu and his men from the District Public Security Bureau Branch. They had been locked up by Dong Xuebing yesterday and were released before the earthquake.
“Chief Chu!” Dong Xuebing shouted.
Deputy Chief Chu and his men saw Dong Xuebing riding a bicycle.
Dong Xuebing quickly apologized. “I was forced to lock you all up yesterday. I’m sorry.”
Chief Chu looked at Dong Xuebing and sighed. “Let’s not talk about it. Why are you here? Why are you not at the relief centers?”
“A few of us are trying to save a resident trapped under the debris. We need help.” Dong Xuebing looks at them, thinking of asking them for help.
Deputy Chief Chu waved his hand. “Director Dong, don’t need to say anything more. Let’s go and save him first.”
The few officers behind Deputy Chief Chu immediately pick up the roadsides’ abandoned bicycles.
Two minutes later, Dong Xuebing, Deputy Chief Chu, and his men arrived at the collapsed shop.
Pang Gang and his men were surprised to see the District Public Security Bureau Branch officers. But this is an emergency, and they did not say anything. They all gathered around that piece of collapsed wall and worked together to lift it.
“One… two… lift!”
“One… two… lift!”
A loud crash and the piece of wall was finally moved aside.
Dong Xuebing cheered and stuck his body under the debris to look for that man. He pulled a bleeding man slowly out from under the debris.
“Da Wei!” The woman cried as she hugged her husband.
The man patted his wife’s back weakly and looked at Dong Xuebing and other rescuers gratefully. “Thank you.”
The woman kneeled and bowed to express her gratefulness. “Thank you… thank you… thank you.”
Deputy Chief Chu quickly helped her up. “Don’t bow to us.” He turns to his men. “Xiao Zhou, help them to the nearest hospital to get treatment. Can you do it by yourself?”
“Leave it to me!” Xiao Zhou shouted.
Dong Xuebing and the rest were exhausted after saving that man. Everyone is covered in dirt and panting. Both sides looked at each other, and it seemed their grudges last night had disappeared. No one mentioned yesterday’s arrest again.
The District Public Security Bureau Branch’s officers are not angry with Dong Xuebing. The situation would be worse if Dong Xuebing did not stop chasing the residents off the streets. Arresting them was saving them from making this terrible mistake. The residents might not escape in time, and countless of them would be dead.
