In the height of midsummer, July’s scorching sun hung high overhead, roasting the world below. The temperature in the city had at one point climbed close to 40°C.
The small cafeteria was well air-conditioned, and the tightly shut doors and windows kept out the unpleasant heat. Several simple dining tables were covered with the standard six dishes and one soup. The portions were generous, with plenty of meat, but most of the food had barely been touched because the European Championship qualifiers were playing on the television, and every pair of eyes was glued to the screen.
“Go… go… Oh, for fuck’s sake!”
“I told you France wouldn’t make it this year. This year…”
Suddenly, a piercing alarm rang out, loud and continuous, penetrating every corner of the three-story building.
The sound of chopsticks being dropped clattered throughout the room. Everyone stood up in perfect unison and quickly but orderly rushed out the door and down the stairs.
The tall man leading them shouted, “Whoever leaves last, turn off the air conditioning!”
“They scored! They scored! Captain Ren, they scored!”
Ren Yi paid no attention. His long legs moved rapidly, and within seconds he had reached the ground floor. Everyone else soon arrived at the garage as well, efficiently changing into their firefighting gear. It was obvious they were all highly trained.
The communications officer on duty ran up to Ren Yi.
“Captain Ren, a private room in a café on the fifth floor of Changxing Mall is on fire. The dispatch order has been sent to your phone.”
“Okay. Take the first three vehicles.”
There was no air conditioning in the garage. As soon as the garage doors opened, a wave of heat surged inside. Wearing their fire-resistant, heat-insulating firefighting gear was practically like carrying a sauna around with them, and sweat immediately poured down their bodies.
Everyone climbed into the vehicles. Ren Yi wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“Gao Ge, call the person who reported the fire and find out the situation.”
“Yes.”
Ren Yi pressed the radio.
“Headquarters, request assistance from Changxing Road Police Station to direct traffic. There’s heavy traffic around Changxing Mall. I’m worried onlookers will block the roads.”
Gao Ge hung up the phone and said, “Captain Ren, the café has a mezzanine level. There’s an internal staircase connecting the fourth and fifth floors. The fifth floor has no exit. The room where the fire started is on the fifth floor. The fire hasn’t spread over a large area yet, but the ignition point is near the staircase, so the people on the fifth floor can’t evacuate.”
Sun Dingyi, sitting nearby, asked, “A mezzanine? Is this café called something in English?”
“Yeah. Have you been there?”
“My boyfriend and I just went there last week.”
Everyone immediately let out a chorus of “Pfft.”
“You can’t go three sentences without mentioning your boyfriend,” Ren Yi teased.
Sun Dingyi gave a sheepish grin and pulled out his phone.
“Seriously. Look, my boyfriend took a ton of pictures.”
Ren Yi flipped through the photos and frowned.
“The entire floor is covered with tatami mats? That’s a huge fire load.”
“Yeah. This is one of those internet-famous cafés that’s been really popular lately. These little partitions are specifically for girls to take photos. They’ve got various sets and decorations. You can’t even really call them private rooms. The partitions in the middle are made of large-core boards hung from light-gauge framing. They don’t even have actual walls.”
“You’re sure?”
Ren Yi enlarged the photos. They were filled with combustible items such as fabric furniture, curtains, and carpets, as well as high-power fill lights. The material of the walls, however, could not be determined from the pictures.
“I’m sure. I knocked on them myself.”
“With a fire load this high, the fire is definitely going to spread quickly.” Ren Yi pressed the radio. “Engine Four and Third Combat Squad, stand by.”
“Yes.”
Changxing Mall was not far from them. In fact, nowhere was particularly far within their squadron’s twelve-square-kilometer jurisdiction. However, because of Beijing’s traffic conditions, it took the fire trucks thirteen minutes to arrive.
As soon as the truck stopped, Ren Yi jumped down and looked up toward the mall’s fifth floor.
Gray smoke poured desperately from the windows. However, the windows opened downward and could not be used as exits. Several hands reached out of them, waving desperately in despair.
The police station personnel had arrived before them and had already cleared the traffic. Just as Ren Yi had expected, passing drivers and pedestrians all wanted to stop and watch.
The mall manager, drenched in sweat, ran up to Ren Yi with a terrified expression.
“Firefighter, there are at least twenty people on the fifth floor.”
Ren Yi calmly said, “Second Squad, raise the aerial ladder. Bring the forcible-entry tools and pick people up from the windows. Deploy one hose line for cover. First Squad, deploy two hose lines and follow me in through the mall.”
He grabbed the manager.
“Lead the way.”
“Yes, this way, this way.”
The manager led them into an elevator that was already waiting. They reached the fourth floor as quickly as possible.
The entire mall had already been evacuated. Smoke filled the café, but there were no visible flames.
Gao Ge led two firefighters to connect to the mall’s fire hydrant.
They entered the café and saw that the upper section of the steel spiral staircase had already been burned red-hot. Cries for help could be heard from the fifth floor.
Ren Yi ordered, “The two of you, use the hose line to cool the staircase and cover us while we go up.”
“Yes.”
“Why aren’t you going up there and spraying water first?!” the manager shouted. “The entire upper floor is on fire!”
Sun Dingyi rolled his eyes at him.
“We have to rescue the people first. If we spray water directly, we’ll steam the people upstairs alive.”
Ren Yi put on his mask.
“Go!”
He charged up first, with the firefighters from First Squad right behind him.
Under the cover of the water curtain, they climbed upstairs. The staircase groaned beneath their feet, and there was a risk that the metal could fail. Massive heat radiation struck them head-on.
No matter how many times they entered a fire scene, no matter how good the heat-insulating gear they wore was, the hundreds or even thousands of degrees of heat released by a fire would always make human beings feel pain and fear.
Ren Yi felt as though countless needles were pricking his skin. Waves of heat surrounded him from every direction, making his skin feel scorching hot as sweat poured from his entire body.
The fifth floor was filled with thick smoke, and flames had already swallowed half the café. Just as he had predicted, there were far too many combustible materials here, and the fire had spread extremely quickly.
“Is anyone here?! Is anyone here!” Ren Yi shouted. “Once you find someone, try to get them out through the aerial ladder!”
Ren Yi activated his thermal imaging camera and searched the fire scene for trapped people. A figure soon appeared on the screen.
He hurried over and found a man lying on the floor. He had suffered minor burns and had already fallen unconscious from smoke inhalation.
The man was tall and heavily built. Ren Yi’s entire set of equipment weighed more than twenty kilograms, and he struggled to drag the man by the armpits toward the window. Halfway there, Sun Dingyi came back and helped him lift the man. They carried him to the window, while the other firefighters gradually located more trapped people who had lost the ability to move.
The window had already been breached by Second Squad. The aerial platform basket was packed with people.
Ren Yi handed the man over to the firefighters from Second Squad.
“We can’t fit any more people. Go down once.”
“Captain Ren, now that the window is open, the fire’s going to spread even faster. I’m afraid there won’t be enough time to come back up. You guys should take the stairs.”
“The stairs won’t last much longer either. Hurry.”
“Yes.”
Ren Yi returned the way he had come.
Several people groped their way forward through the smoke and sea of flames. They searched all the way to the last partition, where they found three more injured and unconscious people.
Gao Ge said, “Captain Ren, there shouldn’t be anyone left.”
“You guys go first. I’ll search one more round along the walls.”
“Captain Ren, the fire is spreading along the tatami toward the windows. We won’t be able to get through there soon!”
“I know. Get the people out. I’ll be right behind you.”
Gao Ge, Sun Dingyi, and the others carried the injured toward the window. Ren Yi quickly searched the partitions one more time.
There was heavy smoke in the fire scene, making visibility extremely poor. Thermal imaging could easily make mistakes, especially when someone was blocked or covered by something.
Just as Ren Yi was about to withdraw, he suddenly heard a faint groan behind him.
It was almost inaudible amid the raging fire, but Ren Yi still heard it.
He immediately ran back toward the sound and discovered someone trapped beneath a collapsed large-core board.
Ren Yi braced the board up with his shoulder and pulled the person out.
It was a young girl, seemingly only in her teens. Miraculously, she had not suffered any burns. Though she was in a complete mess, it was still possible to see that her features were remarkably delicate.
The girl weakly opened her eyes halfway and looked at Ren Yi.
Ren Yi knew she was already close to suffocating. He took off his mask and placed it over her face.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll get you out.”
He waited until she had taken several breaths of air before putting the mask back over his own face. Then he hoisted the slender girl onto his back and ran out of the partition.
In the mere two minutes that had passed, the fire had already reached the windows.
Fire was like a desert thirsting for sweet rain, like a beast craving blood—it desperately craved oxygen.
When a fire burns inside an enclosed space, the moment an opening appears, the flames will rush toward the oxygen-rich area without hesitation. Now, the fire had followed the tatami mats and completely blocked the path to the windows. Everywhere he looked, flames were raging.
Ren Yi turned around.
Although a hose line was cooling the staircase, it was close to the point of origin, and the fire there was still intense.
He took a deep breath and spoke into the radio.
“Gao Ge, have all of you gotten out?”
“Captain Ren, we’re all out. You can’t get through on the window side anymore. Take the stairs.”
“First Squad, cover with the hose lines.”
“Yes!”
The two firefighters handling the hose lines downstairs moved up the staircase, using the force of the water to suppress the flames.
Ren Yi was about to take the girl down through the staircase.
Just then, the steel staircase suddenly let out a sharp, ear-piercing creak.
“Captain Ren, the stairs aren’t holding! They look like they’re about to collapse!”
“Get down, now!”
The moment he finished speaking, the steel framework of the staircase collapsed with a thunderous crash right in front of Ren Yi, slamming onto the floor below. The entire floor shook violently with it.
Ren Yi hurriedly shouted, “You two—”
“We’re fine!”
“Wait below and receive us.”
Ren Yi untied the rope from his body, secured one end to the staircase railing at the far corner that had not been exposed to the fire, and quickly tied a figure-eight knot.
Then he wrapped one arm around the girl’s waist and slowly slid downward along the rope.
Because it was only the height of one floor, and because the girl was very light, he dared to descend this way.
The people below caught his feet first. Several people worked together to support them and safely lowered both of them to the ground.
After landing, Ren Yi picked up the girl and walked toward the emergency medical personnel waiting outside.
“Reduce one hose line downstairs. Don’t put any more load on the floor. Put the fire out as quickly as possible.”
Only after placing the girl on the stretcher did Ren Yi remove his mask and take a deep breath.
Suddenly, he felt his sleeve being tugged.
He lowered his head and saw that the girl had grabbed onto his sleeve.
Ren Yi looked at her bloodshot eyes, patted her head, and gently reassured her.
“Don’t be afraid. You’re safe now.”
She had a breathing apparatus in her mouth and couldn’t speak. She could only blink before slowly releasing her hand.
Ren Yi turned around and went back into the café. The manager followed closely beside him.
“Captain, when will this fire be put out?”
“It hasn’t spread to the neighboring restaurant. It’ll be out soon.”
The manager took a deep breath and cautiously asked, “Are we… going to be fined?”
Ren Yi shot him a sidelong glance.
“What do you think? I’ve already seen six fire-safety facilities that don’t meet the requirements.”
“Captain, about this… let’s exchange phone numbers…”
“That isn’t my department.”
Ren Yi pushed him aside and went up to direct his firefighters in extinguishing the blaze.
The fire was not particularly large, and it was extinguished before long. Because it had been brought under control properly, the neighboring restaurant suffered no damage either.
Ren Yi left Second Squad behind to inspect for remaining embers and handle the aftermath, while he led the rest of the team back first.
On the way, he called the hospital to ask about the injured, especially the girl he had rescued last.
He was told that several people had suffered moderate burns, but none were serious. Most had minor injuries. Those who had inhaled smoke were still under observation, but they should not be in any danger of losing their lives.
Only then did Ren Yi finally breathe a sigh of relief.
He told the other firefighters the good news, and everyone applauded.
He suddenly remembered something.
“Hey, how’d the game go? Who won?”
“Whoa, let me see.”
Sun Dingyi opened his phone.
“France, 2–1.”
“Huh? They actually won.”
With their faces covered in soot and exhaustion written all over them, the men excitedly began discussing the soccer match.
By the time they returned to the squadron, it was already past three in the afternoon. They had barely eaten anything before leaving, so naturally, everyone was starving.
They went upstairs and opened the door.
Ren Yi narrowed his eyes.
“Who left last?”
Everyone shifted their eyes around but said nothing.
“Who was the last one out and didn’t turn off the air conditioning?” Ren Yi gave a low chuckle. “Confess. We’ve got surveillance cameras in this building.”
“Captain Ren, maybe… it was me,” Lu Jingchuan said.
“Did your dad come to the squadron?”
Everyone burst out laughing.
“How should I punish you? You tell me.”
“I… I’ll go run laps right now.”
“No need. We just came back from a call, and everyone’s pretty tired.”
Ren Yi spoke in an understanding tone, grinning.
“Just don’t turn on the air conditioning in your dorm tonight. Wouldn’t want you to catch a cold.”
A chorus of wails immediately rang out.
Sun Dingyi shouted, “Captain Ren, I’m skinny. Look, can I squeeze into your bed with you tonight?”
Ren Yi rolled his eyes at him.
“Trying to take advantage of me?”
Everyone burst into laughter again.
They sat back down around the tables and wolfed down the lunch that had already gone cold.