Chapter 5 - The Burning Internet Café of Friends Gathering

The street where Yumei Restaurant is located is called Meigang Road. On both sides of the road, there are uniform terraced commercial buildings, three to four stories high. The first floor is filled with various shops, while the second and third floors have cheaper rents, larger areas, and are mostly used for warehouses or internet cafes.

The area where the fire started had a savings branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China on the first floor. A metal door next to it led to the second and third floors. The second floor was a chess and card room, and the third floor was an internet cafe, all places with high foot traffic. It was hard to believe the fire inspection passed. After the fire broke out on the third floor, a large number of people rushed downstairs. However, the metal door downstairs could only accommodate one person at a time, and the crowd blocked the stairway, making it almost impossible to get through. Yi Leng felt that unless he stepped over people's heads, there was no way to get inside.

On the third floor, a row of windows were covered with anti-theft nets made of stainless steel hollow pipes, with neon signs from Juyou Internet Cafe above the windows. Almost all the windows were spewing out fierce flames, except for the window at the very end, which was untouched by fire. Someone was stretching their hand out through the bars, crying for help. That person was Yi Nuannuan.

Yi Leng spotted his daughter and felt a sense of relief. At least he knew where she was. In any disaster, the scariest thing is not knowing where your loved ones are. Just as he was about to climb up to rescue her, he saw his daughter suddenly lean back from the window, seemingly being pulled away by someone. In her place stood another girl—an unmistakable pair of almond eyes—who had bullied Nuannuan earlier that morning.

Twenty minutes earlier, Nuannuan had arrived at Juyou Internet Cafe. Technically, minors weren't allowed in internet cafes, but this issue was mainly overseen by the cultural administration department. The shipyard district was a special case. The administrative level of the shipyard factory was at the director-general level, equal to Jiangwei City, which made it an independent "kingdom" separate from the city. While Jiangwei's cultural bureau could technically regulate it, they didn't have enough resources to enforce the rules here, and a little bit of connection was enough to open an internet cafe without much oversight.

These days, even junior high school students were quite tall. Yi Nuannuan, at fourteen, was already 1.68 meters tall. The boys developed later, and Feng Xiaoxiao, for example, was only 1.70 meters tall, though he would likely reach 1.85 meters based on his parents' heights. For such tall kids, the internet cafe staff didn't ask for identification; they just handed over a computer.

Yi Nuannuan was assigned to the farthest corner of the youth area in the internet cafe. She saw Feng Xiaoxiao and a few boys, and surprisingly, Yin Weiran was there too, chatting and laughing with Feng Xiaoxiao. Perhaps they had a good relationship or were family friends. Thinking about this, Yi Nuannuan felt a pang in her heart. She sat down quietly, put on her headphones, listened to music, and chatted with classmates from Jiangwei on QQ. She had no friends in Jiangwei, and Feng Xiaoxiao was just pitying her.

No one knew how the fire started. The flames quickly grew larger. At first, the internet cafe manager tried to put out the fire with an extinguisher, but after using up one canister with no effect, he gave up and fled. The people near the fire screamed in panic and ran for the exits, but the hallway was too narrow, and people on the second floor heard about the fire and rushed to escape as well. Hundreds of people jammed the stairs, unable to get out.

Yi Nuannuan and her classmates were in the back, near the window. They were all immersed in their games, wearing headphones. By the time they realized there was a fire, it was too late. The flames had blocked the exit, and thick smoke filled the room, making it hard to breathe.

Fortunately, the area where they were seated was separated from the fire zone, and the fire couldn't reach them immediately. However, the group was still in panic, unsure of what to do. Feng Xiaoxiao remembered the life-saving techniques taught in safety classes—most people didn't die from the fire but from inhaling smoke. He told everyone to find water and wet their clothes to cover their mouths and noses.

Many people had drinks when they used the internet, and there were bottles of purified water nearby, but it didn't help much. When the thick smoke filled the area, it was still hard to breathe.

The windows allowed some airflow, but only those closest to the windows could get fresh air. Climbing out of the window was unrealistic since the anti-theft net blocked the way. Even if it could be opened, the height was enough to cause serious injury or death.

Yi Nuannuan sat by the window, feeling somewhat fortunate. She leaned out to breathe, but unlike the others, she wasn't afraid. To her, death wasn't scary. If she died, she would reunite with her parents, which might be a form of release.

However, she wasn't actively seeking death. As her mother had told her before passing, she needed to live—struggle to live!

Just then, someone grabbed Yi Nuannuan's hair and pulled her away from the window. It was Yin Weiran, who was panicking. Without thinking, she pulled Yi Nuannuan away. But after taking a few breaths of fresh air, someone else pulled her away. This time, it was Feng Xiaoxiao, but he wasn't trying to help her breathe. He was attempting to break the window.

This was futile. A fourteen- or fifteen-year-old child didn't have the strength to move a stainless steel anti-theft net with bare hands.

Meanwhile, Yi Leng had already reached the ground floor. In an instant, he made a judgment and knew exactly what to do.

Yi Leng grabbed his daughter, planning to jump with her. He didn't know what the truck was carrying, but he intended to use his body as a cushion, ensuring that his daughter wouldn't be harmed in the slightest.

...

Five minutes earlier, at the Blue Island Western Restaurant, Xiang Bing was bored and was thinking of finding an excuse to leave. Suddenly, she saw many people heading outside the restaurant, and there were also many people on Meigang Road pointing toward the east. Following their gaze, she saw flames roaring from the upper floors. Wasn't that the internet café where her niece often went?

Xiang Bing immediately ran out, knocking over a chair in her panic.

At the same time, Yin Bingsong, who was at a nearby KTV, heard from a new arrival that the Internet café, Juyou, had caught fire.

Yin Bingsong felt his mind go blank. His daughter was at that internet café. He threw his drink aside and rushed out. Since the KTV was very close to the café, there was no need to drive. He sprinted at full speed, reaching the scene at the same time as Xiang Bing.

At that moment, the large truck was pushing forward below. Yin Bingsong, however, wasn't as agile. His street-smart abilities were of little use in the face of such a disaster. He could only watch in helplessness, but fortunately, he spotted his daughter, Yin Weiran, at a glance.

He then saw Yi Leng push aside the already waiting Yin Weiran and pull another girl out from inside. Fury surged in Yin Bingsong's chest!

What Xiang Bing saw was a kind-hearted middle-aged man on the third floor helping people escape, the first person he saved being Yi Nuan Nuan. She immediately felt a sense of relief and gratitude. Thank goodness Nuan Nuan was fine; otherwise, she wouldn't know how to explain it to her deceased sister and brother-in-law.

Yi Leng held his daughter as if she were the most precious and fragile treasure in the world.

"Relax, close your eyes, and count with me. One, two, three... one!"

Yi Nuan Nuan closed her eyes and followed, counting to one. Before she could reach two, she felt a distinct sensation of weightlessness, and then they landed. Yi Leng used his body to absorb most of the impact, and Nuan Nuan was unharmed. The truck was carrying cardboard boxes, which were soft and wouldn't cause much damage.

Someone was waiting below to catch her, and Yi Nuan Nuan was quickly taken down. Xiang Bing rushed forward, hugged her niece, and refused to let go.

Actually, Yin Weiran was supposed to be the second one down, but no one offered her the cushion she needed. She was scared, crying and refusing to jump. The internet café was thick with smoke, and the people behind her were already close to suffocating.

At this moment, Yi Leng climbed back up, urging Yin Weiran to jump.

"I can't!" Yin Weiran cried out, unwilling to jump and also refusing to leave the window, which offered a bit of breathable air.

If this continued, someone was bound to die because of her. Yi Leng didn't care anymore. He grabbed Yin Weiran and dragged her out, both of them falling to the truck below. Yin Weiran landed on her ankle with a loud crack, and it was clear she had broken it.

Next, others began to escape, one by one. They didn't hesitate, jumping onto the large truck. Feng Xiaoxiao was at the back of the line. Yi Leng, with a wet towel covering his nose and mouth, went deeper into the fire to search for more survivors. He saved one unconscious person but couldn't go any further as the temperature became too high for him to handle.

By the time Yi Leng brought the last person down, the sound of fire trucks could be heard approaching.

Fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances arrived at the scene. High-pressure hoses sprayed water on the flames while fully-equipped firefighters entered the building. The congestion in the stairwell was finally cleared, though many people were injured due to the stampede. There were not enough ambulances to handle the wounded.

Yin Weiran had broken her ankle, and she was sweating from the pain. Yin Bingsong was furious. No social connections or influence were useful in such a chaotic situation. The ambulances wouldn't prioritize his daughter's treatment, so he had to carry her himself and drive her to the hospital.

Before leaving, Yin Bingsong shot a murderous glance at the man who had caused his daughter's injury. He committed the face of the person to memory. That man was the cook from Yumei Restaurant.

The scene was chaotic. There were countless onlookers, and the injured couldn't retreat in time. First aid workers handed out foil blankets for people to rest under while waiting for the ambulances. Yi Nuan Nuan, wrapped in a golden foil blanket, was supported by Yi Leng into Yumei Restaurant, where she went to the kitchen to fetch hot water.

Xiang Bing checked Nuan Nuan for any injuries and finally felt relieved. Today had been such a disaster—meeting a strange matchmaker, nearly losing her niece—it was too much. She didn't feel like talking to anyone else, so she decided to leave. She pulled Yi Nuan Nuan away, not giving her a chance to speak.

"Aunt, but..." Yi Nuan Nuan didn't have much say in the matter as she was dragged away.

Yi Leng came out holding a cup of hot water. Nuan Nuan was already gone. He sighed but didn't say anything.

"Big Brother!" Ruo Mingrui walked over, giving a thumbs-up. "Big Brother, you're the man. I'm impressed. I won't say anything more, but if you ever need something, just let me know."

People in the underworld were clear about who owed favors. Originally, Kang Peng didn't value such matters, but when he saw how Yi Leng had acted bravely to save lives with his impressive skills, he respected him as a fellow hero. There was no more reason to look for trouble.

"Wait." Yi Leng stopped him and tossed him an iron bar. "Thanks. I couldn't have saved so many without your help. If you ever have time, come by for a drink."

"Sure, I'm free anytime," Ruo Mingrui said as he waved his hand, signaling his brothers to leave. Kang Peng, feeling ashamed, had already disappeared.

The street was still crowded, and the police lights flashed. Huang Pihu closed the restaurant door, took a pack of cigarettes from the counter, opened it, lit one, and silently smoked. His hands trembled slightly. He was still in shock. He realized how lucky everything had been. Any mistake in the chain of events, and his daughter wouldn't have made it.

If his daughter hadn't been at the window, if the walls had been solid, if the truck hadn't been filled with cardboard boxes—he didn't even want to think about it.

An ashtray was placed in front of him, and Wu Yumei sat next to him.

"Get ready for your award. You'll definitely get a Good Samaritan award," Wu Yumei said.

"I want to take a few days off," Huang Pihu said. "I don't want to be in the spotlight."

Wu Yumei was surprised. "Why? This is a good thing. You'll gain fame, and our restaurant will benefit from it. Besides, it's good for you, too."

Her words were subtle. Wu Yumei knew Huang Pihu had been released from prison. Such people were often under close scrutiny by the authorities. Winning a Good Samaritan award would significantly improve how others saw him.

...

At the shipyard's affiliated hospital, Yin Weiran had an X-ray done, revealing a fractured ankle. She would need a cast and hospital treatment, and her recovery would take three months, causing her studies to be delayed. If the bone didn't heal well, she might end up with a limp.

While his wife took care of their daughter, Yin Bingsong stepped outside to smoke. He called a colleague from the criminal police team and asked them to look into the new cook at Yumei Restaurant on Meigang Road. He suspected the man was hiding something.

It didn't sound convincing enough, so Yin Bingsong added, "I suspect he set the fire at the Juyou Internet Café."

The next day, at the shipyard's affiliated hospital, after Yīn Wèi Rán had an X-ray taken, it was confirmed that her ankle was broken in a horizontal fracture. She needed to have a cast and undergo inpatient treatment. The recovery period would take three months, which would delay her studies. If the bone didn't heal well, she might end up with a limp.

While his wife was taking care of their daughter, Yīn Bǐng Sōng stepped outside to smoke. He called his contacts in the criminal police division and asked them to look into the new chef at the Yùméi restaurant on Méi Gāng Road, as he suspected that this person was hiding something.

It sounded a bit vague, so Yīn Bǐng Sōng added, "I suspect the fire at Jùyǒu Internet Café was started by him."

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