The street where Yumei Restaurant is located is called Meigang Road. On both sides of the road, there are uniform terraced ercial buildings, three to four stories high. The first floor is filled with various shops, while the sed and third floors have cheaper rents, rger areas, and are mostly used for warehouses or i cafes.

  The area where the fire started had a savings branch of the Industrial and ercial Bank of a on the first floor. A metal door o it led to the sed and third floors. The sed floor was a chess and card room, and the third floor was an i cafe, all pces with high foot traffic. It was hard to believe the fire iion passed. After the fire broke out ohird floor, a rge number of people rushed downstairs. However, the metal door downstairs could only aodate one person at a time, and the crowd blocked the stairway, making it almost impossible to get through. Yi Lehat unless he stepped over people's heads, there was no way to get inside.

  Ohird floor, a row of windows were covered with anti-theft s made of stainless steel hollow pipes, with neon signs from Juyou I Cafe above the windows. Almost all the windows were spewing out fierce fmes, except for the window at the very end, which was untouched by fire. Someone was stretg their hand out through the bars, g for help. That person was Yi Nuannuan.

  Yi Leng spotted his daughter a a sense of relief. At least he knew where she was. In any disaster, the scariest thing is not knowing where your loved ones are. Just as he was about to climb up to rescue her, he saw his daughter suddenly lean back from the window, seemingly being pulled away by someone. In her pce stood anirl—an unmistakable pair of almond eyes—who had bullied Nuannuan earlier that m.

  Twenty minutes earlier, Nuannuan had arrived at Juyou I Cafe. Teically, minors weren’t allowed in i cafes, but this issue was mainly overseen by the cultural administratioment. The shipyard district ecial case. The administrative level of the shipyard factory was at the directeneral level, equal to Jiangwei City, which made it an indepe "kingdom" separate from the city. While Jiangwei’s cultural bureau could teically regute it, they didn’t have enough resources to enforce the rules here, and a little bit of e was enough to open an i cafe without much ht.

  These days, even junih school students were quite tall. Yi Nuannuan, at fourteen, was already 1.68 meters tall. The boys developed ter, and Feng Xiaoxiao, for example, was only 1.70 meters tall, though he would likely reach 1.85 meters based on his parents’ heights. For such tall kids, the i cafe staff didn’t ask for identification; they just handed over a puter.

  Yi Nuannuan was assigo the farthest er of the youth area ier cafe. She saw Feng Xiaoxiao and a few boys, and surprisingly, Yin Weiran was there too, chatting and ughing with Feng Xiaoxiao. Perhaps they had a good retionship or were family friends. Thinking about this, Yi Nuannua a pang in her heart. She sat down quietly, put on her headphones, listeo musid chatted with cssmates from Jiangwei on QQ. She had no friends in Jiangwei, and Feng Xiaoxiao was just pitying her.

  No one knew how the fire started. The fmes quickly grew rger. At first, the i cafe maried to put out the fire with ainguisher, but after using up one ister with no effect, he gave up and fled. The people he fire screamed in panid ran for the exits, but the hallway was too narroeople on the sed floor heard about the fire and rushed to escape as well. Hundreds of people jammed the stairs, uo get out.

  Yi Nuannuan and her cssmates were in the baear the window. They were all immersed in their games, wearing headphones. By the time they realized there was a fire, it was too te. The fmes had blocked the exit, and thick smoke filled the room, making it hard to breathe.

  Fortunately, the area where they were seated was separated from the fire zone, and the fire couldn’t reach them immediately. However, the group was still in panisure of what to do. Feng Xiaoxiao remembered the life-saving teiques taught in safety csses—most people didn’t die from the fire but from inhaling smoke. He told everyoo find water aheir clothes to cover their mouths and noses.

  Many people had drinks when they used the i, and there were bottles of purified water nearby, but it didn’t help much. Whehick smoke filled the area, it was still hard to breathe.

  The windows allowed some airflow, but only those closest to the windows could get fresh air. Climbing out of the window was unrealistice the anti-theft blocked the way. Even if it could be opehe height was enough to cause serious injury or death.

  Yi Nuannuan sat by the window, feeling somewhat fortunate. She leaned out to breathe, but uhe others, she wasn’t afraid. To her, death wasn’t scary. If she died, she would reuh her parents, which might be a form of release.

  However, she wasn’t actively seekih. As her mother had told her before passing, she o live—struggle to live!

  Just then, someone grabbed Yi Nuannuan’s hair and pulled her away from the window. It was Yin Weiran, who anig. Without thinking, she pulled Yi Nuannuan away. But after taking a few breaths of fresh air, someone else pulled her away. This time, it was Feng Xiaoxiao, but he wasn’t trying to help her breathe. He was attempting to break the window.

  This was futile. A fourteen- or fifteen-year-old child didn’t have the strength to move a stainless steel anti-theft with bare hands.

  Meanwhile, Yi Leng had already reached the ground floor. In an instant, he made a judgment and kly what to do.

  Yi Leng grabbed his daughter, pnning to jump with her. He didn't know what the truck was carrying, but he inteo use his body as a cushion, ensuring that his daughter wouldn't be harmed in the slightest.

  ……

  Five minutes earlier, at the Blue Iseraurant, Xiang Bing was bored and was thinking of finding an excuse to leave. Suddenly, she saeople heading outside the restaurant, and there were also many people on Meigang Road pointing toward the east. Following their gaze, she saw fmes r from the upper floors. Wasn't that the i café where her e?

  Xiang Bing immediately ran out, knog over a chair in her panic.

  At the same time, Yin Bingsong, who was at a nearby KTV, heard from a new arrival that the I café, Juyou, had caught fire.

  Yin Bingso his mind go bnk. His daughter was at that i café. He threw his drink aside and rushed out. Sihe KTV was very close to the café, there was o drive. He spri full speed, reag the se at the same time as Xiang Bing.

  At that moment, the rge truck ushing forward below. Yin Bingsong, however, wasn't as agile. His street-smart abilities were of little use in the face of such a disaster. He could only wat helplessness, but fortunately, he spotted his daughter, Yin Weiran, at a gnce.

  He then saw Yi Leng push aside the already waiting Yin Weiran and pull anirl out from inside. Fury surged in Yin Bingsong's chest!

  What Xiang Bing saw was a kied middle-aged man ohird floor helping people escape, the first person he saved being Yi Nuan Nuan. She immediately felt a sense of relief and gratitude. Thank goodness Nuan Nuan was fiherwise, she wouldn’t know how to expin it to her deceased sister and brother-in-w.

  Yi Leng held his daughter as if she were the most precious and fragile treasure in the world.

  "Rex, close your eyes, and t with me. Owo, three... one!"

  Yi Nuan Nuan closed her eyes and followed, ting to one. Before she could reach two, she felt a distinct sensation of weightlessness, and then they nded. Yi Leng used his body to absorb most of the impact, and Nuan Nuan was unharmed. The truck was carrying cardboard boxes, which were soft and wouldn't cause much damage.

  Someone was waiting below to catch her, and Yi Nuan Nuan was quickly taken down. Xiang Bing rushed forward, hugged her niece, and refused to let go.

  Actually, Yin Weiran was supposed to be the sed one down, but no one offered her the cushion she needed. She was scared, g and refusing to jump. The i café was thick with smoke, and the people behind her were already close to suffog.

  At this moment, Yi Leng climbed back up, urging Yin Weiran to jump.

  "I 't!" Yin Weiran cried out, unwilling to jump and also refusing to leave the window, which offered a bit of breathable air.

  If this tinued, someone was bound to die because of her. Yi Leng didn’t care anymore. He grabbed Yin Weiran and dragged her out, both of them falling to the truck below. Yin Weiran nded on her ah a loud crack, and it was clear she had broken it.

  , others began to escape, one by ohey didn't hesitate, jumping onto the rge truck. Feng Xiaoxiao was at the back of the line. Yi Leng, with a wet towel c his nose and mouth, went deeper into the fire to searore survivors. He saved one unscious person but couldn’t go any further as the temperature became too high for him to handle.

  By the time Yi Leng brought the st person down, the sound of fire trucks could be heard approag.

  Fire trucks, police cars, and ambunces arrived at the se. High-pressure hoses sprayed water on the fmes while fully-equipped firefighters ehe building. The gestion iairwell was finally cleared, though many people were injured due to the stampede. There were not enough ambuo hahe wounded.

  Yin Weiran had broken her ankle, and she was sweating from the pain. Yin Bingsong was furious. No social es or influence were useful in such a chaotic situation. The ambunces wouldn’t prioritize his daughter’s treatment, so he had to carry her himself and drive her to the hospital.

  Before leaving, Yin Bingsong shot a murderous g the man who had caused his daughter's injury. He itted the face of the person to memory. That man was the cook from Yumei Restaurant.

  The se was chaotic. There were tless onlookers, and the injured couldn’t retreat in time. First aid workers handed out foil bs for people to rest under while waiting for the ambunces. Yi Nuan Nuan, ed in a golden foil b, was supported by Yi Leng into Yumei Restaurant, where she went to the kit to fetch hot water.

  Xiang Bing checked Nuan Nuan for any injuries and finally felt relieved. Today had been such a disaster—meeting a strachmaker, nearly losing her was too much. She didn’t feel like talking to anyone else, so she decided to leave. She pulled Yi Nuan Nuan away, not giving her a ce to speak.

  “Aunt, but...” Yi Nuan Nuan didn’t have much say iter as she was dragged away.

  Yi Leng came out holding a cup of hot water. Nuan Nuan was already gone. He sighed but didn’t say anything.

  “Big Brother!” Ruo Mingrui walked iving a thumbs-up. “Big Brother, you’re the man. I’m impressed. I won’t say anything more, but if you ever need something, just let me know.”

  People in the underworld were clear about who owed favors. inally, Kang Peng didn’t value such matters, but when he saw how Yi Leng had acted bravely to save lives with his impressive skills, he respected him as a fellow hero. There was no more reason to look for trouble.

  “Wait.” Yi Leng stopped him and tossed him an iron bar. “Thanks. I couldn’t have saved so many without your help. If you ever have time, e by for a drink.”

  “Sure, I’m free anytime,” Ruo Mingrui said as he waved his hand, signaling his brothers to leave. Kang Peng, feeling ashamed, had already disappeared.

  The street was still crowded, and the police lights fshed. Huang Pihu closed the restaurant door, took a pack of cigarettes from the ter, ope, lit one, and silently smoked. His hands trembled slightly. He was still in shock. He realized how lucky everything had been. Any mistake in the of events, and his daughter wouldn’t have made it.

  If his daughter hadn’t been at the window, if the walls had been solid, if the truck hadn’t been filled with cardboard boxes—he didn’t even want to think about it.

  An ashtray ced in front of him, and Wu Yumei sat o him.

  “Get ready for your award. You’ll definitely get a Good Samaritan award,” Wu Yumei said.

  “I want to take a few days off,” Huang Pihu said. “I don’t want to be in the spotlight.”

  Wu Yumei was surprised. “Why? This is a good thing. You’ll gain fame, and our restaurant will be from it. Besides, it’s good for you, too.”

  Her words were subtle. Wu Yumei kneihu had been released from prison. Such people were often under close scrutiny by the authorities. Winning a Good Samaritan award would signifitly improve how others saw him.

  ……

  At the shipyard’s affiliated hospital, Yin Weiran had an X-ray done, revealing a fractured ankle. She would need a cast and hospital treatment, and her recovery would take three months, causiudies to be deyed. If the bone didn’t heal well, she might end up with a limp.

  While his wife took care of their daughter, Yin Bingsong stepped outside to smoke. He called a colleague from the criminal police team and asked them to look into the new cook at Yumei Restaurant on Meigang Road. He suspected the man was hiding something.

  It didn’t sound ving enough, so Yin Bingsong added, “I suspect he set the fire at the Juyou I Café.”

  The day, at the shipyard's affiliated hospital, after Yīn Wèi Rán had an X-ray taken, it was firmed that her ankle was broken in a horizontal fracture. She o have a cast and undergo inpatient treatment. The recovery period would take three months, which would dey her studies. If the bone didn’t heal well, she might end up with a limp.

  While his wife was taking care of their daughter, Yīn Bǐng Sōng stepped outside to smoke. He called his tacts in the criminal police division and asked them to look into the new chef at the Yùméi restaurant on Méi Gāng Road, as he suspected that this person was hiding something.

  It sounded a bit vague, so Yīn Bǐng Sōng added, “I suspect the fire at Jùyǒu I Café was started by him.”

  [----------------°-------------]

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