M Country.
The bleak drizzle, falling ceaselessly.
Once bright streets, now slowly dimming until the last light was forcibly shut down.
The evening fell, a blanket of darkness.
Song Zhizhi stood in front of the ruins, her eyes shell-shocked and red, tears uncontrollably bursting forth.
Ji Baijian.
You were so strong, weren’t you?
You were so remarkable, weren’t you?
Now buried under the ground, why don’t you crawl out?
You crawl out!
Song Zhizhi’s sight blurred by her tears, her throat severely pained.
Yin Qin suddenly said, "I’ll go to find the governnt officials, maybe we could have a further discussion. I didn’t employ their rescue resources, it’s totally unjustifiable for them to prevent us!"
Seemingly unwilling to give up.
Everyone knows, the mont they give up, Ji Baijian will be left to die.
Not giving up... won’t be much different in fact.
"It’s useless," Song Zhizhi started.
Even though we didn’t utilize their rescue force, the dia will not convey the truth. They will portray the citizens of M Country as prioritizing money over life, using vast efforts to excavate these ruins instead of rescuing people in ergency shelters, surely drawing slander even if these people weren’t considered part of the rescue team to begin with. Such slurs will discourage the civilian rescuers due to loss of face and the M Country governnt will call for a full stop under the banner of propagating positivity.
This is the reality of society.
A very distorted reality, one controlled by the dia and keyboard warriors.
Not many people delve into what really happened, they just spread and vent in a way that can draw public attention and resonate with everyone, causing the situation to fernt and beco increasingly uncontrollable.
Song Zhizhi clenched her teeth.
Her throat throbbed in pain, but she forced herself to endure.
At this mont, the more thorough her analysis, the more helpless and desperate she felt.
Yin Qin was incredibly angry, his previously calm facade utterly shattered at this mont, "Damn it, why does this have to happen here? If it were in Yanshang Country, I wouldn’t let this news spread even if it killed , damn it! Damn it!"
And as he spoke.
His voice seed to choke.
"I don’t believe my brother will die here!" Ji Baili suddenly exclaid.
Even if his death was advantageous for him, he refused to believe that the old monster would just die like this.
If he died just like that, it would be too easy.
He always felt, even fate wouldn’t allow him to die such a painless death.
"Why don’t we continue digging?" Yan Zhen suggested.
Despite it sounding like a fairy tale.
But, what if by so miracles, Ji Baijian was just under so rock?!
What if just one more dig would reveal him?
Naturally.
Being a doctor, he was rather skeptical about such miracles.
"Keep digging!" Yin Qin spat out as he rushed back to the ruins.
Ji Baili paused for a mont, then followed suit.
Physically weaker, Yan Zhen could only slowly climb up onto the ruins.
Song Zhizhi watched their retreating figures.
Now, could they really only be at the rcy of fate?
Could they only rely on Ji Baijian’s luck?
She didn’t believe that Ji Baijian’s luck was that bad!
She followed them, moving towards the ruins.
Wei Ziming and Luo Xiaolang followed behind Song Zhizhi.
The sparse figures looked so insignificant.
The surrounding area was all dark, completely pitch black!
Song Zhizhi kept digging through the ruins in front of her. For the massive reinforced concrete, she could hardly dig out anything, so she kept plucking at the debris on the ground, saying, "Ji Baijian, can you co out? Can you co out?"
Please, don’t scare like this.
She dug for a very long ti, a very long ti, with no sign of him.
Yet at that mont, everyone hadn’t given up.
It seed everyone was telling themselves, just dig a little bit more, just a little bit more, and Ji Baijian would be there waiting for them.
Around, it beca quieter and quieter.
So quiet that it seed like you could hear soone crying.
Song Zhizhi thought she had misheard.
In such a desolate place, at this ti, who would still be here?
But.
It was not a hallucination; soone was really crying.
Song Zhizhi looked up.
"Xiaolang, is soone crying?" Song Zhizhi asked.
Luo Xiaolang had exceptional hearing.
"Yes."
"Where?"
Luo Xiaolang said, "Over there. Around fifteen ters."
Song Zhizhi got up.
"Where are you going?" Wei Ziming looked at her.
"Going to take a look." Song Zhizhi replied.
To her, any little bit could perhaps beco a hope.
She rushed over quickly.
It was full of bumps and pits everywhere, making her journey difficult
But she moved quickly, not stopping.
Several tis, Wei Ziming, with his quick reflexes, had to steady her to prevent her from falling in a clumsy manner.
She stopped, looking at two dark figures before her. As she approached them, she found it was a middle-aged woman and a girl about ten years old.
Upon seeing Song Zhizhi, the two did not stop their tireless digging in the ruins, nor their crying.
"Why are you here?" Song Zhizhi asked, "Hasn’t everyone left?"
The middle-aged woman did not answer. The young girl said, "My dad is still down there, my dad is still there."
Song Zhizhi’s heart was taken aback, she quickly asked, "Who is your dad? Why is he in there?"
"My dad is the security guard of this building. He was on the night shift, but the building suddenly exploded. My dad is still here, all the rescuers have gone to save people in the nearby residential area, no one has co to save my dad. There were a lot of people here today, but suddenly they disappeared. I don’t want to lose my dad, so my mom and I want to co and find my dad, but we can’t find him..." The more she talked, the more she broke down in tears.
At that mont, she even sat on the ground and cried bitterly.
The middle-aged woman beside her seed unable to hold back anymore as well. She hugged her daughter, their hands both sared with blood...
Song Zhizhi felt a profound sadness.
She empathized with them.
Because Ji Baijian was also inside, she could feel their despair, but at this mont, she couldn’t comfort them because she was equally helpless.
She turned around, ready to leave.
Leave to continue searching for Ji Baijian.
But just at that instant, her body suddenly trembled.
She suddenly thought of sothing.
Right.
Why, when the dia and officials could fra them, why couldn’t they fight back?
If they were being frad, why shouldn’t they clear their nas?
She rapidly ran towards Yin Qin, who was frantically digging in the dirt.
Wei Ziming was startled.
Because of Song Zhizhi’s sudden movent, she lost her balance and fell over. Before he could go over to support her, Song Zhizhi had already picked herself up and was again rushing forward like a mad person.
Wei Ziming just watched Song Zhizhi’s retreating figure.
Was Ji Baijian really that important?
He pressed his lips together, briskly catching up to Song Zhizhi’s steps.
Song Zhizhi forcibly pulled Yin Qin, who was furiously digging in the dirt, her voice was very urgent, so urgent that she almost couldn’t express herself clearly, "Yin Qin, I have figured out a way, I have figured out how to bring the rescue forces back."
Yin Qin looked straight at Song Zhizhi.
At that mont, his fingers were trembling.
"Now all of M Country people are accusing us of being inhumane, but in fact, it is the people of M Country who are inhumane!" Song Zhizhi struggled to control her emotions, struggled to make her words clear, "Every life is the sa, there is no quantity, everyone’s life is only once, why should we give up the rescue of the comrcial building just because there is a large number of lives in the residential area? There are also lives under the comrcial building, such as those working overti, the night shift security guards, workers and so on. Few does not an none, and the people buried under here, they are hardworking people. Why should they not get rescued? They have families and children too, M Country can’t discriminate!"
Yin Qin understood.
He didn’t have ti to praise Song Zhizhi, as he urgently asked, "What do we do now?"
"I just saw a mother-daughter duo, they are now looking for their family. I will use my phone right now to record a video and send it out, tell Qin Jingxiang to quickly broadcast it all over M Country, using every ans necessary, in a way that the officials can’t delete the video and flood their dia platform with it." Song Zhizhi said.
"Okay, I will tell Qin Jingxiang right away."
"Also, find out all the foreign invested companies in this building, we need a detailed list and then send out an invitation in the na of Jihong Group, asking them to collectively condemn M Country for their discriminative treatnt! We need to leverage so official power."
"I’m going to do it right away," Ji Baili answered, not hesitating to go directly under the ruins.
"Yin Qin." Song Zhizhi called him, "After the video I’ve recorded is broadcasted, you should send a copy to your Milky Way, let them promote M Country’s inappropriate actions drastically, triggering a global resonance and putting pressure on M Country."
"Alright."
After having given the instructions, Song Zhizhi turned again towards the mother and daughter.
The two people stopped digging but didn’t leave.
With every occurrence of the little girl crying, "Dad", it was heart-wrenching to listen to.
Song Zhizhi quickly took out her cell phone, recording this scene on video.
Then she paused, walked to the mother and daughter, "Now I have a way to rescue your dad, but you need to cooperate with ."
The little girl eyed her.
"I will record a video for you.
All you have to do is explain what happened clearly.
Once you do this, kind-hearted people will co to help you find your dad."
"Really?"
"Auntie wouldn’t lie."
"I promise anything as long as you can save my dad," the little girl said excitedly.
By her side, the middle-aged woman wore a similar look of longing.
Song Zhizhi gave them a brief introduction.
Then she taped the video in its entirety.
After that, she quickly exited the scene, sending the video to Qin Jingxiang
who posted it onto the web, where it began to spread like a virus.
Despite it now being past 11 o’clock at night, the rescue in the residential area still drew much attention.
So, those keeping up with the news would co across a video of a young girl searching for her father, which promptly stirred a sensation in M Country.
The comnt section instantly blew up, with nurous submissions.
What is this?
Where is this?
The little girl looks so pitiful.
What happened to her dad?
What exactly happened?
Song Zhizhi sat beside Qin Jingxiang, monitoring the reaction.
Qin Jingxiang prepared to respond to all.
"Hold off for now," Song Zhizhi urged her. "Let’s let this fernt."
"Why? Ti is of the essence. We should clarify the situation to put pressure on officials to restore our rescue operation!" Qin Jingxiang’s countenance shifted subtly.
"Wait for Ji Baili’s coordination first," Song Zhizhi recomnded.
Currently, all events should happen concurrently for maximum effect.
Ideally to the point where M Country’s pressure builds up to the extent that it must conform to public sentint.
Qin Jingxiang glanced at Song Zhizhi and reluctantly chose silence.
After a mont,
"I had contacted 80% of the foreign companies, all of which were large corporations. They had previously cooperated with the Jihong Group. As to others, there were no positive responses so far," Ji Baili reported.
"That will suffice," Song Zhizhi said, "Ask them how soon can they co-sign a statent?"
"Give my dad fifteen minutes. Hers will be an electronic signature, so it should be quick."
"We wait for fifteen minutes," Song Zhizhi nodded, and turned to Yin Qin, "Are you ready on your end?"
"As soon as you give the go-ahead, I will have the Milky Way report this accident on global news."
"Alright."
Everyone then fell silent.
They waited quietly.
Ji Baili’s phone rang; after answering, he said, "It’s ready."
Song Zhizhi said to Qin Jingxiang, "Could you please spread the ssage I’ve previously edited to Netizens in M Country?"
Qin Jingxiang gave a subtle nod, and her nimble fingers started to move.
anwhile, six of the world’s top 500 multinational corporations jointly issued a statent,
demanding that M Country be held accountable for the explosion accident.
They questioned earnestly why their rescue mission was hindered,
why their privately-assembled rescue team received threats and blockades when M Country’s official rescue force was inadequate,
why their employees, nurous as they may not be and despite status as non-local residents, were deed unworthy of rescue.
This is a humanity crisis!
The international channels of Yanshang Country dedicated a special report to the accident.
All of a sudden, the news spread quickly nationwide.
Yet, there was still no response from M Country’s governnt.
They were probably contemplating a counter-strategy.
Qin Jingxiang suddenly said, "My user ID is being blocked."
So now the people of M Country were trying to stop the propagation of this news.
Song Zhizhi said, "Baili, head to the embassy and have the officials make contact."
"Alright."
"Yin Qin, no more hesitation, get all the people we brought before back.
We cannot wait until an official response to restart, the delay is the ti of our rescue,
and I believe, although the officials do not know how to handle this currently,
they do not dare rashly halt our rescue effort again given the stakes.
Our ti is precious."
"I will go imdiately." Yin Qin left the business vehicle right away.
Song Zhizhi anxiously looked out the window.
Ji Baijian.
Ji Baijian... You must wait for !
Almost an hour.
Only then did Yin Qin return with a group of people.
The tower cranes and excavators that were previously disbanded had returned,
and their lights turned the place back into daylight imdiately.
Everything started functioning again.
Song Zhizhi watched the scenes before her.
Yin Qin did likewise.
At that mont, it felt as if hope had returned.
Yin Qin said, "Song Zhizhi, you are more incredible than I thought."
Song Zhizhi shook her head.
It was probably rely a case of necessity leading to ingenuity.
But,
Any amount of being brilliant will be futile if Ji Baijian could not escape from underground, it is all in vain, all in vain.
"I’ve been blocked," ca Qin Jingxiang’s voice from beside her, suddenly descending from the vehicle.
She said.
She probably knew that it would end up like this irrespective.
Only it ca sooner than expected.
They hadn’t found Ji Baijian’s whereabouts yet, hadn’t found him...
The sky began to brighten.
So mbers of the rescue team, exhausted, slept on the side,
while others who woke up continued with the work.
A majority of the debris had been cleared, it seed to have lessened significantly.
Yet, not a single person had been dug out.
"You should go sleep for a while." Yin Qin turned to Song Zhizhi.
She couldn’t sleep.
How could she sleep under these circumstances?
"This is a long-haul fight," Yin Qin advised.
Song Zhizhi shook her head anyway.
Yin Qin didn’t insist.
If he himself couldn’t sleep, let alone Song Zhizhi.
Ti.
Minute by minute.
Second by second.
In the afternoon,
Soone suddenly exclaid, "We found soone."
Song Zhizhi froze.
She followed the rest of the people to the ruins.
It wasn’t Ji Baijian.
A man wearing work uniform was lying there, his vital sign weak, but thankfully, he was still alive.
Still alive.
He was lifted by people, quickly sent to an ambulance nearby, and then directly to the hospital.
Song Zhizhi watched the receding ambulance.
Yin Qin remarked, "Look, even an ordinary person could survive.
Ji Baijian definitely won’t die."
Song Zhizhi wished to laugh.
Yet, she was unable to.
Still, she believed, Ji Baijian would not die.
Then it was again a lengthy wait.
In a day, six people were rescued.
Two of them died, four were seriously injured.
Every ti a person was found, Song Zhizhi would get nervous, and every ti she’d be let down.
Then, as she was montarily on edge, almost to the point of breaking down with the slightest trigger,
she seed to hear Yin Qin’s voice, shouting loudly, "It’s Ji Baijian!"
It is Ji Baijian... is it?!
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