Depressive….
No one made a sound or said anything.
The fire departnt’s vehicles stopped by the riverbank, and around seven to eight staff ca out. Three of them had put on their diving gear and were ready to enter the water.
Wan Fanglei shouted. “Where are you when we need you?! Useless!”
A Public Security Bureau leader added. “Why did you all take so long?! Look at what happened!”
The fire departnt leader quickly explained. “We had just arrived at work and took so ti to prepare the rescue equipnt.”
A Deputy Mayor shouted angrily. “Almost ten minutes had passed! What’s the use of you all coming now?!”
Dong Xuebing had entered the water for ten minutes, and twenty minutes had passed since the incident happened. The fire departnt staff was late, and they dared not retort.
Dong Xuebing is dead.
Everything is too late now.
The City Leaders looked terrible and did not continue scolding the fire departnt staff.
Suddenly, Xie Huilan shouted at the fire departnt staff. “What are you all standing there for?! Go and save them!”
Zhong Zhengwei added. “Stop wasting ti and bring them up!”
Xie Huilan said, ‘save them,’ aning she still hoped Dong Xuebing and that boy were still alive. Zhong Zhengwei felt they should not survive, so he asked the fire departnt to bring them up.
The three divers imdiately jumped into the water.
The fire departnt leader went to a Public Security Bureau leader. “Old Chen, what’s the situation now? How many more people are in the water?”
Old Chen sighed. “Director Dong saved almost everyone. But he returned to the water to save that boy and did not return. It’s been ten minutes.”
The leader drew a deep breath. “Director Dong!? Is it Dong Xuebing, Director Dong?!”
“Who else can it be?”
“But he was badly injured two days ago.”
“Director Dong entered the water with his injuries. Even I cannot bear to look at his wounds.” The Public Security Bureau leader’s eyes turned red. Dong Xuebing has touched many people today. All the leaders knew they would not go that far for the civilians, and Dong Xuebing was beaten up by these people’s relatives two days ago. He forgot about what happened and risked his life to save them.
The fire departnt staff was shocked by what happened.
They were more shocked when the first diver surfaced.
The diver was dragged out of the water by another diver. The first diver was gasping for air and shivering badly. He had entered the water for around ten seconds and could not withstand the cold. The other two divers continue to search for Dong Xuebing.
“Xiao Wang!”
“How are you, Xiao Wang?!”
The other fire departnt staff rushed forward to help.
Xiao Wang was dragged to the riverbank, and he said. “The water was too cold.”
The leader felt embarrassed and shouted. “You are wearing a diving suit!”
Xiao Wang replied. “It was too cold. I think the temperature is below zero. My legs cramped the mont I entered the water.”
Everyone was looking at the fire departnt staff.
The leader took a deep breath. “Get soone else to enter the water!”
Xiao Wang continued. “Sorry…. It was too cold…. I….”
“I understand. Don’t need to feel sorry.” The leader asked his n to carry the diver away.
At this mont, everyone knew what Dong Xuebing had gone through. They understood how strong his willpower was. Even the fire departnt professional divers cannot withstand the cold in their diving suits. Yet, Dong Xuebing had dived into the waters several tis and saved many people.
How wide is this gap?
How strong is his willpower?!
Luo Haiting could not stand it anymore. She went up to that leader and asked. “How is Director Dong now? Is there still hope?”
Liu Hanqing suppressed his anger. “He can still be saved, right?!”
Everyone turned and looked at the fire departnt leader. They were waiting for a professional to reply.
The fire departnt leader looked at them apologetically. “I can only say we will try our best.”
He Shuien frowned. “What do you an by trying your best?! What are the chances of Director Dong surviving?!”
The leader paused for a second and said. Most people will not withstand three minutes underwater at normal temperature, let alone ten minutes in this freezing water. Even those professionally trained divers in cold suits cannot last more than five minutes. It’s been more than ten minutes now….” He stopped for a while and continued. “I’m sorry. Director Dong should be dead. We can only try to salvage his body now.” He would say he would try their best to save if it was a civilian asking. But all the City Leaders were looking at him, and he could not hide this from them.
Dead?!
Dong Xuebing is dead?!
Luo Haiting’s legs gave way and fell on the riverbank.
The fire departnt attended to such incidents several tis each year, and they were professionals. Everyone was agitated when they heard what the leader said.
It was Dong Xuebing’s wife, Xie Huilan, who remained calm.
Xie Huilan looked at that leader. “He is not Dong Xuebing if he dies so easily. Stop saying you all will salvage his body. Just drag him out of the water as soon as possible! He should still be alive! I want to see his body even if he is dead!”
The leader replied imdiately. “Don’t worry, Mayor Xie. I will send soone else in. We will find Director Dong.”
Two firefighters changed into a diving suits and entered the water.
Many people looked at Xie Huilan and did not say anything.
Another minute passed.
A diver surfaced and shook his head. They could not find Dong Xuebing.
Xie Huilan stood there and said. “Continue to search for him!”
Her body swayed and fell against a vehicle.
A City Governnt female staff quickly held her. “Are you alright, Mayor Xie?”
Zhong Zhengwei said. “Go and rest in the car. You cannot stand here in the cold.”
“That’s right.” Another leader added. “You are pregnant and should rest in the car. It’s cold out here.”
“I am fine.” Xie Huilan supported herself against the car and pushed that female staff’s hand away. She continued to stare at the water.
One second….
Ten seconds….
Twenty seconds….
Dong Xuebing entered the water for more than 11 minutes.
Although everyone knew Dong Xuebing could not survive, the City Leaders did not leave. They want to wait for the divers to bring his body out. More and more people accepted the fact Dong Xuebing was dead.
“Sir, we cannot find him!”
“I did not see him in this direction.”
“Maybe…. He might have drifted elsewhere.”
The divers could not stand the piercing cold.
The fire departnt leader shouted. “Switch to another group of divers and continue the search!”
The divers covered themselves in thick blankets after changing out of their suits. They were shivering badly after entering the water for two minutes.
Director Dong is dead, and his body cannot be found.
Many people start crying.
“Director Dong….”
“Why is this happening?”
“Director Dong is only twenty-five.”
“Please God…. Please save him….”
Crying can be contagious. The civilians started crying. None of them felt Dong Xuebing was a corrupt governnt official now. Dong Xuebing saved those whose relatives felt ashad and cried the loudest.
“Director Dong!”
“Why did you leave us?!”
Many leaders also teared up.
When everyone was crying over Dong Xuebing’s sacrifice, sothing happened on the ice far away from them.
Thump!
Thump!
“Eh, what’s that sound?!”
“Who is hitting the ice?!”
“I hear it too. What’s that?”
The few fire departnt staff near the ice paused and looked at an area more than ten ters away.
To everyone’s surprise, the ice cracked and broke!
Ice fragnts flew up from the water.
Everyone was shocked and looked in that direction.
What is going on?! Why is the ice flying up from the water? Did soone break the ice from the water? Why did the divers swim so far from the crack?!
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