Power and Wealth

“Chief Dong!”

“Chief Dong!”

“Xiao Dong!”

Mud and debris are flying all over the place...

The landslide was like a huge wave of mud and debris, swallowing everything in its path!

After a while, it quiets down, and the torrential rain is easing. The mud and gravel became two meters thicker and had reached where the crowd was standing. But no one cares about it. Xie Huilan and Cao Xupeng were still staring at the spot where Dong Xuebing disappeared. Liang Chengpeng took off his raincoat and threw it on the ground in frustration. Chen Fa, the other officers, and the rescued passengers were crying and shouting Dong Xuebing’s name. All the trapped passengers were rescued, but Dong Xuebing is gone!

There was nothing on the thick mud and gravel!

A few Hui Tian Village Station Officers sat down on the ground helplessly. He is gone! He is gone forever!

Liu Dahai stood there looking at the spot where Dong Xuebing disappeared for a while. Suddenly, he looked around and grabbed a shovel before running forward!

“Chief Liu! What are you doing?” Two officers grabbed Liu Dahai.

Liu Dahai struggled. “I want to save him! Chief Dong is still under the mud!”

The officer said. “You cannot go! The layer of mud and debris is not stable! You might die!”

Liu Dahai gave them a stare. “Let go of me! Chief Dong had saved my life, and my life belongs to him! What’s there to be afraid?!” Another officer rolled up his sleeves and tried to rush forward. But he was stopped by the rest of the rescuers.

Liang Chengpeng roared. “Calm down!”

Xie Huilan shouted. “Why are the rescue vehicles not here yet?! Call them! Call them immediately!”

An officer from the Public Security wiped his tears and took out his phone and called the emergency services. “Hello? Where are you? Huh? At the south junction? The road condition is bad?” Before the officer can say anything, Cao Xupeng snatched the phone and roared. “Is this your efficiency? Ah? Stop finding excuses! If you all can’t reach the scene within 5 minutes, all of you will be fired! You hear me?!”

One minute...

Two minutes...

Liang Chengpeng was pacing up and down. “Send the injured away first!”

Chen Fa and the officers walked towards the passengers unwillingly.

But the rescued passengers shouted. “We will not leave until Chief Dong is rescued!”

The old lady wiped her tears. “I will not leave! Chief Dong will be fine! He will be fine!”

All the rescued passengers and their family members refused to leave and were staring at the spot where Dong Xuebing stood before he disappeared. All of them saw what Dong Xuebing did for them. Without Dong Xuebing, all of them will be dead on the tour bus! But all of them knew Dong Xuebing couldn’t survive!

Is Dong Xuebing still alive?

Dong Xuebing can be considered barely alive.

At the final moment, before the landslide reached Dong Xuebing, he used all his strength to move towards where the little girl was standing. It was where the tour bus door was located. Mud and gravel were seeping into the bus, and Dong Xuebing dive in headfirst, like a swimmer, through the bus door. But before he could get into the tour bus, the landslide reached him. The impact of the rocks, debris, mud, etc. broke both his legs before Dong Xuebing could get into the bus.

Mud is everywhere around Dong Xuebing, and more mud is seeping through the bus door. The space available for Dong Xuebing is getting lesser and lesser.

Dong Xuebing wanted to stand up, but his legs are broken, and he could only crawl towards the bus door. He used a passenger chair to block the door, slowing the amount of mud entering the bus. After that, he laid there in the darkness and sighed. He closed his eyes slowly, to wait for death to come.

The wet mud and gravel had reached Dong Xuebing’s chest, and there is not enough air on the tour bus.

10 minutes. Dong Xuebing should only have 10 minutes left! Even if there is the air on the bus, he will also be drowned by the mud!

Dong Xuebing was trying to lift his head and suddenly regretted his actions. He still has not accomplished many things in life. He still wants to be promoted to Section Chief. Is it worth exchanging his life for a few villagers? If a reporter were to interview him now, he would say it is worth it. Yes, Dong Xuebing felt it is not worth it now, as he is still young, not married, and still have a long way to go. It is not worth killing oneself for others!

Dong Xuebing felt he is too impulsive and rash.

But if given a chance, Dong Xuebing will still choose to save people.

Dong Xuebing is not the type of person who can think rationally. When he got carried away, he will not care about anything. When he was saving the passengers, he had not thought about the consequences and will regret afterward. If he sees any people in danger, he will still step forward, or he will still be regretting not saving others!

To a certain extent, Dong Xuebing is a contradicting person.

One minute...

Two minutes...

Three minutes...

That broken passenger seat cannot stop the two meters of mud and gravel from entering the bus. The mud on the bus had reached Dong Xuebing’s neck, and he is having difficulties breathing. His lungs were burning and tried standing up with his broken legs, despite the pain.

Six minutes...

Eight minutes...

Ten minutes...

Time passes slowly, and Dong Xuebing’s life is coming to an end.

When someone is dying, they will start to think about their lives. Dong Xuebing thinks that if given a chance, he will choose to be selfish, and just enjoy his life before he dies. Official? He must get promoted as fast as possible! Wealth? He must make as much money as possible! Wife? He must get as many wives... Errr... He cannot have too many wives, or it will get messy. Yes... Xie Huilan, Qu Yunxuan, and Yu Meixia. Three wives are enough. Dong Xuebing felt he is quite optimistic. He is dying and still has time to think about this nonsense!

Eleven minutes...

Twelve minutes...

The mud reached Dong Xuebing’s neck again and had almost flooded the bus.

Climb out through the bus door? There is a two meters thick layer of mud and gravel above the bus and Dong Xuebing will be killed!

Wait on the bus for help? There is no more air, and he will still die!

Dong Xuebing is starting to breath faster and is gasping for air. He could not feel any oxygen entering his lungs and start to feel giddy. He is losing focus, and he finally blackout. Dong Xuebing fell into darkness, and he had experienced this feeling during the traffic accident and getting shot in the head previously.

Am I dead?

Sigh... I should be dead.

Dong Xuebing does not know how long it was, and he suddenly heard shouts beside him.

“He is waking up!”

“Quick! Get the doctor! Get the doctor!”

“Xiao Bing!”

Dong Xuebing had no strength to open his eyes, and he felt soreness and pain all over his body. When he heard the shouting and cries, he was stunned. Eh? Am I still alive? After a while, Dong Xuebing finally mustered enough strength to open his eyes. He looked around him and saw he is in the hospital. Beside him are medical equipment, and his mother, Luan Xiaoping, is crying beside him. There are a few doctors and nurses around the bed, checking his vitals.

Luan Xiaoping cried. “Xiao Bing, can you hear me?”

Dong Xuebing forced a smile. “I..., I am not deaf.” He still could not find the strength to speak properly.

Luan Xiaoping covered her mouth and was sobbing.

Dong Xuebing said. “Mum... I said before... I am lucky... and will not die... easily...”

“You nearly scared me to death!”

After that, Dong Xuebing drifted back to sleep, and still have a few dreams. When he woke up again, the sky is dark. He opened his eyes and felt much better. At this time, Luan Xiaoping entered the ward with some fruits. Dong Xuebing weakly asked. “Mum, what hospital is this? This ward is quite spacious. Yan Tai County’s People Hospital does not have such good wards.”

Luan Xiaoping’s eyes turned red. “This is Beijing Jishuitan Hospital.”

Dong Xuebing was surprised. “How come I am in Beijing?”

“What do you think? You are in a coma at Yan Tai County’s People Hospital, and the hospital had even issued a notice of the critical condition. The doctors at the hospital suggest transferring you to Beijing’s hospitals for treatment.” Luan Xiaoping sniffled. When she signed the notice of the critical condition, she almost broke down. “You thought it happened this morning? You are in a coma for three days!”

Dong Xuebing was shocked. “So long?”

Luan Xiaoping replied. “The doctors said you are lucky to be alive. If it were someone else, they would have died.”

Dong Xuebing asked. “Oh, how did I get out of the bus?”

The rain stopped after Dong Xuebing got trapped in the bus, and the rocks and debris stopped falling from the mountain. The rescue vehicles arrived and dug a path to the tour bus. The rescuers managed to pull Dong Xuebing out from the mud, and if they were later by one or two minutes, he would have died!

Dong Xuebing was overjoyed!

“What injuries have I suffered? How come I cannot move my legs?”

“Fractures.”

“Huh? Will I suffer from any condition resulting from my injuries?”

“I don’t think so. The doctor says you will recover after two months of rest.”

“Oh... That’s great.” Dong Xuebing moved his arms, and they are fine. But now, it is his legs that can’t move.

Ring... ring... ring... Dong Xuebing’s phone kept ringing.

Luan Xiaoping is used to it, and she answered. After telling the other party about Dong Xuebing’s condition, she hangs up. In the next hour, more than a dozen phone calls are asking about Dong Xuebing’s condition. The people in Yan Tai County should have received news that Dong Xuebing is out of danger and is calling to find out more.

Dong Xuebing did not answer any calls and asked his mother to thank them for their concerns.

Dong Xuebing saw a copy of the Provincial newspaper on the table beside him, and the headlines is an article about him. He reached out for it and started reading it. The report shared the details of how Dong Xuebing saved the trapped passengers with a shovel in the middle of a landslide.

Suddenly, Dong Xuebing’s mother looked at him. “It’s Chief Liang.”

“I got to answer this call.” Dong Xuebing took the phone from his mother and answered. “Hello, Chief Liang. I am Xiao Dong.”

“You... had done a great job!”

Dong Xuebing laughed. “Sorry to make you worry.”

Liang Chengpeng was relieved to hear Dong Xuebing’s voice. “It’s great that you are well. You had done well this time. It’s seven lives, and you saved them all. Do you know that what you did is published in our Provincial newspaper? Even the Provincial TV station reported about your deeds. It even made a special episode about you, detailing your contributions in the hostage case and saving the man jumping from the building.”

Dong Xuebing was overjoyed. “That’s great.”

“You deserved this honor. Take care of yourself, and I will help you get the credit after you return!”

“Err... Is it second-class merit or first-class merit?”

“You... Hahahaha... The City Government had praised you, and it’s a first-class merit award!”

During this peaceful time, it’s extremely difficult to get a first-class merit award. Many people with significant contributions could not get this award, and this piece of news got Dong Xuebing in a good mood. His achievements consist of a first-class merit award, second-class merit, and third-class merit, and he is one step closer to getting nominated for promotion. “Thank you, Chief Liang. I will get well and return to work at the frontlines as soon as possible!”

Liang Chengpeng quickly stops Dong Xuebing. “Stop... The County Government had given you three months to recuperate and don’t think of coming back during this period!”

“Err... Yes. I understand.”

“Alright. I shall not disturb your rest. Hahaha... You have done our Public Security proud!”

After hanging up, Dong Xuebing’s phone rang immediately. He looked at the number. It is Liu Dahai.

Dong Xuebing laughed and answered. “Old Liu, it’s me.”

Liu Dahai paused for a second and asked with a hoarse voice. “How are you now?”

“Haha... It’s just some minor injuries. My upper body is fine, and I had only broken my legs.”

“Chief Dong, I... I...”

“Stop beating around the bush and say what you want. I am waiting to hang up and eat fruits. Hahaha...”

Liu Dahai gritted and said. “Chief Dong, I owe you my life and let me know if you need me in anyways!”

Dong Xuebing laughed. “Alright... Stop talking about this. I might not be able to return to Yan Tai County these few months. You must work hard, and don’t mess up!”

“Don’t worry!”

After hanging up, Chen Fa, Deputy Team Leader Feng, Qin Yong, Tang Jin, Dong Xuebing’s relatives, and friends called. But Dong Xuebing did not answer all the calls as he was still very weak, and he asked his mother to help him answer the calls. He also wondered why Xie Huilan had not called him and did not even ask about him.

In the end, Dong Xuebing can only call Xie Huilan.

The line got through, but the other party did not say a word.

“Hello? Mayor Xie?”

“......”

“Errr... I am Xiao Dong. Ermmm... I am calling to report my condition to you. I am fine now.”

“......”

Dong Xuebing knew Sister Xie is angry with him and quickly said. “Sorry... I am sorry... this time... err... you are also at the scene, and if I don’t go and help them, they will all die. I... I promise I will stay away if I encounter such situations again, ok?”

Xie Huilan finally replied. “You are very capable now. Everyone in the County knows who Chief Dong is.”

“Sister Xie, I’m sorry. I will not do it again.”

“You are not in the wrong. I am the one who is in the wrong. I should not help you get a transfer here!”

“Ah... Don’t be angry, please... I am alright now.”

Xie Huilan smiled and replied. “Yes. You are alright. You had only broke both legs, scratches all over your body, got into a coma for three days, and almost died. Haha, you are alright... these are all minor injuries, right?”

Dong Xuebing replied embarrassedly. “Sorry to let you get worried about me.”

“Haha, I am not worried. You are Chief Dong. Even ten armed convicts cannot beat you. Bullets will not hit you, rocks can’t hit you, and even landslides cannot do anything to you. Hahaha... why should I get worried about you? Even if you are thrown into the pacific ocean today, you will be alive and kicking in front of me tomorrow!”

Dong Xuebing’s face turns red. “Stop poking fun at me. This time is an accident.”

“Alright... I got to go to a meeting.”

“Don’t be angry with me, please. I will not fall asleep if I know you are angry with me.”

“I am not angry.”

“If you are not angry, you will not speak to me in this tone.”

“What do you want me to say? Do you want me to tell you that I barely ate anything because I am worried about you? Are you expecting me to tell you that I slept less than three hours over the last two days because of you? Are you expecting me to tell you that I called the hospital several times to ask about you?”

Dong Xuebing was touched to know Xie Huilan was so worried about him.

Xie Huilan calmed down slightly and said. “I need to go to a meeting. Take care of yourself.”

“Ok. You should also take care of yourself. I am fine.”

“Rest well. I will deal with you when you return to Yan Tai County!”

“Huh... You can do anything to me, but please don’t remove me from my position.” Xie Huilan had mentioned this previously.

“Hehe... You are still concerned about your title at this time?!”

After hanging up, Dong Xuebing laid on the bed, looking at the ceiling.

It’s good to be alive!

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