Chapter 117: Could That Be Lu Yunzhou?

"Sir, we have arrived."

Suddenly, the windshield wipers swayed. As the military vehicle splashed through the muddy ground, they saw the army conducting rescue operations in the downpour ahead, having established a disaster relief point.

"Zhaozhao?" Shen Mo lowered his head and glanced at Shen Zhaoxi, whose eyes were still a bit red. Her long lashes trembled slightly. Once the cold, peach-blossom-like eyes had recovered from crying, she returned to that expressionless face.

Her voice was somewhat cold. "I have to return later."

The First Military District was still conducting rescues in Jingnan, so she could not leave with her brother for the capital just yet. Shen Mo, meanwhile, had urgent matters to attend to at the military headquarters. Had it not been for her, he would not have made this trip. Therefore, once he saw she was out of danger, he had to depart Jingnan and return to the military department.

Watching the soldiers busy within the rescue point, Shen Zhaoxi got out of the car.

Lu Shiwu frowned. From a distance, he spotted Shen Zhaoxi stepping out of a military vehicle. Isn't that Miss Shen? Why is she here? Didn't the Captain arrange for her to stay at the rest area last night? If she is here, she is just going to be another headache for the Captain, and he is already so busy.

But just as he watched the young girl step out into the rain, he saw a young man in a military uniform step out after her, holding a black umbrella to shield her.

Shen Zhaoxi turned back and met Shen Mo’s dark, profound gaze. "Hold the umbrella well."

His gentle eyes were obscured by the mist, and rainwater cascaded down the ribs of the umbrella, just like his voice—slow, slightly cold, yet pleasant to the ear. "Mind the injury on your hand. Don't let it get wet."

"I know, brother."

Shen Zhaoxi’s voice was low. She stood half a head shorter than Shen Mo, and the man in the military uniform handed the umbrella to her. The scene of her taking the umbrella caught Lu Shiwu's eye.

He frowned and muttered, "Who is that?" Because of the distance, he could not clearly see the man's face. From afar, however, the man appeared tall and handsome in his crisp military uniform, with a side profile that looked quite striking.

"Am I seeing things? Why does he look like an officer?"

Lu Shiwu was from the 13th Military District. Having frequently accompanied Lu Yunzhou to military meetings, he had naturally seen many people with ranks above captain. But with the heavy rain and the dim, gray light, he was lost in thought when someone else’s voice suddenly rang out.

"Make way!"

People carrying the injured walked past him. His expression stiffened, and he quickly stepped forward to lend a hand.

"Where to?" Lu Shiwu asked.

"Up ahead."

"Alright." Lu Shiwu helped carry the stretcher to the rescue point, where they were setting up tents to provide shelter for the wounded and the displaced.

Afterward, he saw that military vehicle start up and drive away from the rescue point. In the vast downpour, Shen Zhaoxi held an umbrella and walked toward the rows of military trucks parked nearby. That was the territory of the First Military District.

"Report, Chief!"

As soon as Shen Zhaoxi entered a military tent, she put away her umbrella and set it aside. Her clothes were damp. Two soldiers inside saluted her and reported sternly: "Since 7:00 PM last night, the first batch of rescue troops from the First Military District has spent fourteen hours conducting seventeen disaster relief operations and nine emergency rescues. We have saved 327 trapped individuals from nearby heavily affected areas. They have all been sent to the medical relief station and are no longer in life-threatening condition. Please advise."

As they spoke, their eyes were filled with solemnity and focus. A cold glint hidden in Shen Zhaoxi's eyes, she turned her head and asked the team leader in a low voice: "Have you settled the living arrangements for the displaced victims you saw along the way from Tongshan Town?"

"Reporting to the Chief, per your instructions, they have all been settled in the nearby rescue points."

"Good."

Shen Zhaoxi spoke softly. She raised her eyes to look at the map on the computer screen, which displayed the rainfall and disaster statistics for the entire Jingnan area, along with markers for where their troops had been deployed. "This rain came too suddenly. The damage in Jingnan is severe. You must be prepared to move out at any moment!"

"Yes!"

This group from the First and Second Military Districts was only the first wave of rescue troops. Later, the military would mobilize units from various districts to assist. Therefore, the first troops to enter Jingnan were bound to have the hardest time; they likely hadn't rested since last night.

***

Shen Zhaoxi followed the troops into the disaster zone. It was a scene of utter devastation. Mud and floodwaters were everywhere. It was filthy.

In a residential building, a family living in the basement was completely trapped. The floodwater was waist-high, but the outer door would not open, and there were security bars on the windows. The rescuers outside had to cut through the protective mesh to save those trapped within the flood.

"Come, be careful."

"Let my daughter go first," said a mother trapped inside. She carefully lifted her little girl up, and together with the father, they hoisted the child high enough for the soldiers outside to reach.

"Alright, take it slow."

Shen Zhaoxi crouched there, working with two soldiers to pull the little girl out. The floodwater was already at the chests of the trapped people, who could only look at the outside world through the iron mesh.

"Don't be afraid, it’s alright."

The little girl’s parents were also rescued. The soldiers had tools to pry open the mesh, but the people trapped inside could not have opened it themselves. Had help not arrived, they would have been drowned alive in the water.

"Big sister, there's also Xiao Guai. Xiao Guai is in the hallway."

Shen Zhaoxi was puzzled. "Xiao Guai?"

"Yes, sister, please help me, will you help me save him?" The little girl cried, grabbed Shen Zhaoxi’s hand, and pointed toward the hallway of the flooded residential building. "Xiao Guai! It's Xiao Guai!..." the girl cried out.

Shen Zhaoxi looked over. She finally saw a small, local dog in the hallway, trapped behind an iron gate, paddling in the water. Its yellow fur was soaked and dirty. The little girl was crying uncontrollably. Shen Zhaoxi pulled her behind herself, crouched down, and said in a calm voice, "It's too dangerous. Let me do it."

After she managed to pick the lock and open the gate, the puppy was nearly drowned. Shen Zhaoxi frowned. The little girl looked at her, crying. After hesitating for a moment, Shen Zhaoxi reached out, waded through the murky, polluted water, and scooped up the trapped dog.

At that moment, the little girl smiled through her tears, her nose running, and she quickly said, "Sister, thank you."

"It's nothing."

Shen Zhaoxi smiled, her voice low. Her brow was furrowed, and faint red rashes began to appear on her fair arms. She covered her wrists with the long sleeves of her raincoat, pretending nothing was wrong, and patted the little girl’s head. "Go find your mom and dad quickly."

"Yes!" The little girl finally smiled, clutching the puppy to her chest as she ran toward her parents.

Shen Zhaoxi stood up. She watched the little girl’s receding figure, a flash of darkness passing through her eyes. She felt uncomfortable, endured it for a moment, and turned around.

As Shen Zhaoxi looked up, she saw the figure of a tall, upright man on the street flooded by the torrent. Amidst the mist and rain, soldiers were coming and going. Shen Zhaoxi saw the man pick up a young woman in the heavy rain and rush her to a rescue vehicle.

Is that... Lu Yunzhou?

Shen Zhaoxi frowned.