All the firefighting teams sprang into action.
Since this was a key fire-service facility and a newly built industrial zone, its various safety measures were advanced and comprehensive. There were twelve aboveground fire hydrants within the facility alone, and every building was equipped with indoor fire hydrants. All of them had been treated to prevent freezing and were regularly maintained, so every hydrant was operational. With the municipal water company increasing the water pressure, the water supply was plentiful, giving them a great deal of confidence.
Led by Yan Jue, they divided into groups of four, each team tethered together with reflective guide ropes. Every firefighter carried an extra gas mask before entering the cold-storage warehouse.
The entrance was some distance from the fire. At this point, the temperature throughout the warehouse had not yet risen, and when they first entered, they even felt a slight chill. However, although the temperature was not high, smoke had already filled the entire space. One major difference between a fire in a cold-storage warehouse and a fire elsewhere was that smoke normally rose upward, meaning the lower a person kept their body, the more likely they were to breathe fresh air. In a cold-storage warehouse, however, the opposite was true. Because of differences in density, the smoke accumulated near the ground, where its toxic concentration was higher and visibility was poor, making it extremely easy to lose one’s way.
As they advanced, they shouted for survivors while leaving behind luminous marker strips to guide their retreat.
“Is anyone there? Fire department! Is anyone there?”
Yan Jue gave his orders. “First and Second Squads, head toward the area farthest from the fire. There’s less smoke over there, so people will definitely run toward it.”
“There are too many steel racks in here, and the signal is bad. Once you split up, you’ll have to adapt to the situation. Lay down your markers properly, make sure you leave yourselves enough air in your SCBA tanks, and time your retreat carefully,” Yan Jue instructed.
“Yes, Captain Yan!”
The two squads set off in opposite directions while the remaining firefighters continued deeper into the warehouse. They used their water hoses to clear a path as they advanced toward the fire. Ammonia was soluble in water, so the best way to reduce the danger posed by liquid ammonia or ammonia gas was to dilute it with large quantities of water.
“Someone’s here!” a firefighter shouted.
He picked up a girl in a school uniform who was lying on the ground and fitted a gas mask over her face.
Seeing that she had short hair, Ren Yi knew she was not Gong Feilan. He helped the firefighter unfasten the guide rope.
“Follow the markers. Whatever you do, don’t get lost!”
Yan Jue assigned a firefighter to escort them out.
As they continued forward, they found two more children who had collapsed unconscious from poisoning. Seeing how close they were to death, the firefighters felt terrible.
Several times, Ren Yi tried to contact the other two squads or the personnel outside the warehouse over the radio. He wanted to ask whether they had found a tall girl with long hair, but the radio was filled with static, making communication impossible.
“Fire department, if you can hear me, respond! Fire department, if you can hear me, respond!” Yan Jue shouted at the top of his lungs.
The farther they went, the thicker the smoke became and the more complicated the route grew. When they looked back, they could see at most two or three of the lighted markers behind them. All the others had disappeared into the dense smoke. The towering silhouettes of the storage racks and equipment, barely visible through the haze, loomed all around them like monsters lurking in the smoke, ready to come alive and devour them at any moment.
The sound of drills came from overhead and from farther away. Liang Wei must have identified the points where the walls needed to be breached and begun demolition. Once the smoke vents were opened, much of the toxic smoke could escape. But they couldn’t wait that long. They were racing against the Grim Reaper.
Yan Jue suddenly turned to Ren Yi. “Do you hear anything strange?”
Ren Yi frowned. “I hear all kinds of strange noises.”
“No, listen. It sounds like gas leaking. It’s coming from up ahead.”
“Most likely a liquid ammonia pipeline leak. The ammonia has vaporized.”
“The valves have been shut off, right?”
“They definitely have, but there’s still ammonia left in the pipes.”
“Then we’ll go around it.”
Just as they were preparing to detour, several metallic clangs rang out ahead, followed by a few rhythmic knocks.
Yan Jue barked, “Someone’s there! Hurry!”
Following the sound, they ran toward it. Through their infrared night-vision goggles, they could just make out several figures lying on the ground amid the thick smoke.
As they drew closer, the firefighters could clearly feel the temperature plummeting. The ammonia was taking effect.
Ammonia was commonly used as a refrigerant, but it was also a highly toxic chemical. It could harm the human body through both inhalation and skin contact. Once liquid ammonia leaked from a pipeline, it vaporized rapidly, absorbing heat and causing the temperature to drop sharply. Ammonia was toxic, corrosive, flammable, and explosive. It could also cause frostbite, chemical burns, and the dissolution of cellular tissue. It was, in short, dangerous in practically every way imaginable.
Without any protection, a person exposed to ammonia concentrations above safe levels would be poisoned almost immediately. At high concentrations, exposure could be fatal within minutes.
They didn’t even need to think about it to understand why the people calling for help had fallen silent. Most likely, their throats had swollen or their mucous membranes had sloughed off.
When they finally reached the victims, the situation was even more desperate than they had imagined.
A male teacher and three students lay in the liquid ammonia leak zone. All three students were unconscious, with obvious frostbite marks on their hands, feet, and faces. Only the male teacher retained enough consciousness to keep banging on an iron barrel. Blood was flowing from both his eyes, and his hair, face, and body were covered in white frost. His appearance was horrifying.
Not far away, ammonia was still hissing out of the crisscrossing pipelines, while a layer of white fog floated over the ground, reaching knee height.
Two firefighters hurriedly directed their water hoses at the leaking ammonia pipelines, attempting to dissolve the ammonia gas.
Yan Jue ordered his two squad leaders, “Drop the extra gear. Rescue the victims.”
Without a word, Ren Yi began removing his equipment as well.
Yan Jue snapped, “Ren Yi, you weren’t assigned to this task today. This isn’t your job.”
Ren Yi replied calmly, “I’m a firefighter. I’ve sworn to protect the lives and property of the people, no matter what day it is.”
“You…” Yan Jue knew he couldn’t talk Ren Yi out of it. In the most dangerous situations, officers had to lead from the front. That was their principle. Gritting his teeth, he said, “If you’re slower than me, I’ll make fun of you for the rest of your life.”
“Don’t worry. You won’t get that chance.”
They stripped off every piece of extra weight they could. They needed to get the victims out as quickly as possible. Even a delay of a few seconds would allow the extreme cold to penetrate their entire bodies and slow their movements. Moreover, they were wearing rescue suits, not sealed chemical-protective suits. Ammonia gas could penetrate through the smallest gaps. If they couldn’t endure the exposure, they might fail to save the victims and lose their own lives in the process.
The area shrouded in ammonia ahead was like a swamp, attempting to lure them in with its bait before dragging them down and keeping them there forever.
Yan Jue took a deep breath and roared, “Charge!”
The men sprinted forward at full speed.
The moment Ren Yi entered the white haze, he felt as though he had plunged naked into a frozen wasteland. No—it was even colder than that. The cold was so intense that his entire body felt as if it were being pierced by needles.
His lower legs were especially affected because most of the ammonia gas had accumulated below knee level, making the temperature in that lower layer even colder. A small amount of ammonia had also seeped through the gaps in his gloves and collar. The exposed skin burned painfully, and his eyes were extremely uncomfortable, even though he was wearing a gas mask.
They reached the teacher and students and each carried one of the victims on their back.
Even the simple act of crouching down and standing up became almost impossible under the combination of extreme cold and sudden extra weight. Gritting their teeth, they forced themselves upright and carried the victims back at full speed.
They didn’t dare release the breath they had been holding until they reached a safe area.
They laid the victims on the ground and fitted them with oxygen masks. Seeing that all four were in critical condition, Yan Jue assessed the available personnel and made an immediate decision.
“Everyone, withdraw first! We must get them out as quickly as possible.”
Ren Yi glanced into the distance. In truth, he could see nothing but thick smoke and white fog. Silently, he prayed that Gong Feilan had already been rescued. If the person lying on the ground, hovering between life and death, were Gong Feilan, he truly didn’t know how he would face the situation.
Working in pairs, they lifted the injured victims. The others used their water hoses to clear the path and identify the markers along the way. Through their coordinated efforts, they finally managed to carry all four victims out of the cold-storage warehouse.
The emergency medical personnel waiting outside hurried over to meet them.
Ren Yi removed his mask and tried to find someone who had seen Gong Feilan. But when he looked around, everyone was frantically busy. Injured students wearing the same school uniforms were everywhere. Shouts, cries, and the roar of the fire surged into his ears like a flood. The sheer volume of information overwhelmed his brain’s ability to process it, and he could barely make out anything at all.
“Ren Yi! Ren Yi!”
Yan Jue grabbed him by the shoulders and looked at him anxiously.
“What’s wrong? Are you injured? Did you inhale any toxic gas?”
Ren Yi shook his head. “No. I’m fine.”
“Don’t go back inside with us. You can’t work like this when you’re so distracted. Don’t worry, we’ve got the fire under control. It won’t spread any farther. We’ve been rescuing students one after another. Go look for Gong Yingxian’s younger sister. I’ve memorized what she looks like, and I’ll keep an eye out for her inside, too.”
“Okay!”
Ren Yi turned and ran toward the ambulances. More than a dozen were parked at the scene. Some were already on their way to the hospital, while others were still providing emergency treatment on-site.
Ren Yi checked them one by one, showing Gong Feilan’s photograph and asking about her, but no one had any news.
He clutched his head. The helplessness and terror he felt at that moment were beyond words.
“Ren Yi!”
Hearing Gong Yingxian’s voice, Ren Yi’s heart gave a violent jolt. He turned around, hoping to find some sign of hope on Gong Yingxian’s face.
But when their eyes met, each saw the same terror and anxiety reflected in the other’s eyes.
Gong Yingxian lowered his head, his body trembling uncontrollably.
If she still hadn’t been rescued by now, that meant… it meant she had most likely already been injured.
Ren Yi walked up to Gong Yingxian and said with difficulty, “The fire is under control. Everyone will be saved. We’ll find her. We definitely will.”
Gong Yingxian was just about to speak when the phone clenched in his hand suddenly rang.
He opened his palm and looked at the screen.
The name displayed on the incoming call was none other than—
Gong Feilan!