Chapter 163 - 158 Company Commander (3083 characters)
After nearly half a month of heavy rain in Mulan County, various natural disasters occurred frequently. First came the floods, then mudslides and landslides followed. The soldiers sent on rescue missions—military personnel and armed police hydropower team members—did not dare to relax for even a minute. Entire villages were submerged, houses were reduced to ruins, with many people trapped and struggling amidst wreckage and rubble. The soldiers were covered in mud, sticky and filth, even their faces.
"This flood is getting worse, it looks like the water will keep rising." The water had reached Fang Tongzhou’s armpits, and occasionally surged high enough to submerge them completely. He struggled to ask, "This area has been searched thoroughly. No one’s left—can we pull out now?" With that, he turned to look at the young man beside him.
"There—over there, it looks like someone’s still moving. There’s a survivor." Before the man could reply, a soldier pointed ahead and spoke.
Jiang Jinghuai looked into the distance. A frail little figure was splashing about in a wooden tub. It was likely a ten-year-old girl—delicate and petite, vulnerable to the point that one felt an urge to protect her. The critical issue was that the tub was being tossed by the water violently, teetering at the edge of flipping over any moment.
The current was flowing downstream, pulling everything along, including the tub. The girl and the rescuers were upstream, making the rescue particularly difficult.
"I’ll go save her. The rest of you, stay put and be ready to assist at any moment." Jiang Jinghuai darted a sharp gaze forward, decisively swimming downstream without hesitation.
"Captain, be careful!" The water had grown fiercer, and there was a real risk that he might lose his life rescuing the girl. But they weren’t afraid—they were eager to act. Yet, before they could step forward, someone had already taken the lead.
Amidst the raging current, it seemed they could still faintly hear the little girl crying out for help, her voice heart-wrenching.
In a moment that felt both fleeting and eternal, the little girl in the tub suddenly felt herself being embraced. A glimmer of hope ignited in her eyes as she clung to the rescuer tightly in terror.
Jiang Jinghuai held her close and swam toward a large tree on the riverbank.