The fire brigade captain’s face darkened. “Ma’am, the fire has spread to the sixteenth floor, which is currently the most intense area of the fire, and we…”
He couldn’t bring himself to utter the words “we are powerless” that hung in the air.
The woman continued to kowtow, her voice growing desperate and sorrowful. “Please, I beg you, please save my poor child…”
The experienced firefighters facing this catastrophic blaze knew that charging into it would be futile. They all wore pained expressions, with tears welling up in their eyes at the unspoken reality.
“Ma’am, we’re sorry, but it’s likely your child is no longer with us,” the fire brigade captain said, his voice choking with emotion.
“No, the child is still alive!” a voice suddenly cut through the air.
Everyone turned to look at the person who had spoken.
Leo stepped forward, gazing at the firefighters, his tone unwavering.
The woman changed her focus and clung to Leo’s leg, her voice trembling with excitement. “What did you say? My child is alive?”
Leo nodded.
“Who are you? This place is dangerous; you should leave!” The fire brigade captain pointed at Leo and commanded loudly.
Leo met the fire brigade captain’s gaze directly and responded just as firmly, “Now, give me a set of firefighting gear. I’m going to save the child.”
“You… what are you saying? Are you out of your mind?” The fire brigade captain stared at Leo in disbelief.
“I’m not crazy. I come from a special forces background, and I’ve performed rescue missions in fire zones before. Trust me, I have the confidence to save the child,” Leo fabricated an identity, his expression resolute.
“You’re from special forces?” The fire brigade captain scrutinized Leo with suspicion. “Which unit did you serve in?”
“That’s not important right now. Time is running out, and the child’s life is at stake. Quickly, give me a set of firefighting gear!” Leo urged.
With Leo’s confident demeanor, the fire brigade captain hesitated for a moment, then turned to a firefighter beside him and ordered, “George, take off your firefighting gear and give it to him!”
“Yes!” George responded loudly and swiftly removed his firefighting gear.
Leo accepted the gear and quickly put it on.
“Bro, please prioritize your own safety. If you can’t rescue the child, make sure you get out alive,” the fire brigade captain said, patting Leo’s shoulder and conveying his instructions.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” Leo assured.
“Leo, you’re insane!”
At some point, Sophia had run over and was looking at Leo in shock.
Leo turned to Sophia with a big smile. “Sophia, believe me, I will rescue the child, and I’ll come back safely.”
Leo finished speaking, donned his helmet, and then turned to charge into the burning building.
Sophia stood there, dumbfounded, watching Leo’s disappearing figure, tears welling up in her eyes.
“The man who just rushed in is a true hero!”
“He dares to charge into such a massive blaze; while it’s courageous, he might not make it back.”
“These days, it’s rare to find young people with such strong bravery. This young man, ah, it’s such a pity.”
Surrounding onlookers expressed admiration for Leo’s bravery and, at the same time, felt sorry. They thought he had acted too impulsively.
Leo had already rushed into the building, and of course, the elevator didn’t work out of the question. He had to climb the stairs.
Infusing his legs with spiritual energy, Leo ascended the stairs even faster than taking an elevator.
By the time he reached the tenth floor, even though he was wearing full-coverage firefighting gear, Leo could still smell the pungent smoke. It was evident just how massive the fire was. If it weren’t for the firefighters outside battling it with all their might, the entire building might have turned to ashes.
Leo pressed on, charging directly up to the sixteenth floor.
On the sixteenth floor, even with his protective gear, Leo felt as though he had been thrust into a blazing furnace. Without the aid of his spiritual energy to resist the intense heat, he knew he wouldn’t last more than three minutes. It was no wonder the firefighters had said there was no hope.
The hallway was filled with thick smoke, making it nearly impossible for an ordinary person to see anything. Fortunately, Leo’s eyes remained unaffected by the smoke, thanks to the enhancement of his spiritual energy.
As he rapidly made his way toward Room 1601, Leo could distinctly hear the child’s cries growing weaker.
It seemed that the situation was far from optimistic. Leo could only pray that he hadn’t arrived too late.
“Ladies and gentlemen watching in front of your television sets, an on-site reporter for the Urban Times program. I am currently at the intersection of Riverside Road and Waterloo Road. Behind me is a residential building in the Golden Garden community that has experienced a major fire, triggering an explosion. As of now, the fire has resulted in dozens of casualties.”
A female reporter held a microphone, facing the camera for a live report.
“Firefighters are working tirelessly to control the blaze. It’s reported that all residents of the building have been evacuated. However, just moments ago, a mother claimed that her child was still inside, and due to the raging fire, the firefighters couldn’t conduct an effective rescue.”
“And at that moment, a man who identifies himself as a special forces soldier, dressed in firefighting gear, bravely charged into the building to save the child. His heroic act…”
“Boom!”
Before the female reporter could finish her sentence, a deafening explosion interrupted her, and more debris began falling from the building.
In the crowd, screams and panic ensued once more. Fortunately, the firefighters had managed to forcefully segregate the crowd to a safe location, preventing any casualties from the falling debris caused by the explosion.
The female reporter’s expression revealed a hint of panic as she continued reporting, “Moments ago, there was an explosion on the fifteenth floor. According to the child’s mother, her residence is on the sixteenth floor, which has now been entirely engulfed by the flames.”
Her words deepened the sense of regret in the eyes of those around.
“This is a disaster; both the young man and the child are doomed!”
“With a fire of this magnitude, that young man should never have rushed in.”
“It’s too late to say anything now, sigh…”
The people surrounding the scene held Leo in high regard, mixed with regret. They couldn’t help but feel that he had acted too recklessly.
At the moment of the explosion, Sophia’s vision blurred, and she almost fainted.
“The mysterious man has been inside the residential building for over twenty minutes now. With the recent explosion and the sixteenth floor being consumed by flames, he’s likely…”
The reporter couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence, leaving it hanging with an overwhelming sense of sorrow. “Let’s pay tribute to the hero who charged into the sea of fire to save lives!”
As the reporter’s words trailed off, someone in the crowd shouted, “Look, someone’s coming out! It must be the hero who saved the child!”
“Oh my goodness, it looks like he’s still carrying a child in his arms!”
“Indeed, it’s a child. I can’t believe he actually rescued the child. It’s a miracle!”
At the sight of Leo, the crowd erupted into cheers.
Sophia, overcome with joy, burst into tears.