He was a disabled military officer who doted on his research work in the Northwest.

"You'll lead the team to the machinery factory. There are three main tasks—" Mu Qinghan extended three fingers, bending them one by one, " "First, assist the factory's fire department in controlling the fire and preventing secondary explosions. Second, cooperate in the search and rescue of buried workers. Third, cordon off the accident site and protect the debris and components in the explosion's epicenter—the provincial investigation team will be arriving soon."

"yes!"

He paused for a moment, his gaze fixed intently on Chen Zhiyuan.

"Remember. Saving lives is the priority, but don't be reckless. The rubble is structurally unstable. Before going in, assess the load-bearing support points and make sure it's safe before you start. I don't want to see something like what happened last time."

Last time—Chen Zhiyuan felt a pang in his heart. It was the last time he acted rashly.

Did you hear me clearly?

"Listen carefully!" Chen Zhiyuan straightened his back, his voice louder than usual. After speaking, he turned and led the team away. The rhythmic sound of military boots hitting the ground gradually faded into the distance.

Mu Qinghan watched his retreating figure and gripped the armrest of her wheelchair.

"To the hospital," he said to the communications soldier pushing the wheelchair.

The two had just reached the courtyard gate—

"Shen Tang!"

A slightly panting voice came from outside the courtyard.

Lu Yanzhi stood at the door, his face pale and his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat. He had just reached the entrance of the compound when he heard a loud explosion.

"What's wrong? That sound just now—"

"The machine factory exploded," Shen Tang said. "We need to go to the hospital."

Lu Yanzhi's expression froze for a moment, then he immediately said, "I'll go too! I can help carry the patient!"

Mu Qinghan frowned. More people meant more strength; now was not the time to haggle.

"Walk."

The three men got into the jeep. Xiao Li started the engine, and the military jeep roared out of the compound.

Less than two minutes into the drive, Mu Qinghan had already completed the deployment of instructions via walkie-talkie:

"Director Wang of the Logistics Department—arrange for two military trucks to be filled with tents, blankets, hot water, and first-aid kits, and delivered to the gate of the machinery factory. Also, gather all the spare dry rations from the canteen; we may need to spend the night on site."

"clear!"

He put down the walkie-talkie and glanced at Shen Tang.

She sat in the passenger seat, gripping the edge of the seat with both hands, her eyes fixed on the column of black smoke that was constantly spreading on the horizon.

"Are you scared?" he asked.

"Don't be afraid." She shook her head, then turned to look at him. "I can help."

Mu Qinghan looked into her eyes—those eyes held no fear or hesitation, only determination.

His throat moved, but he only said in a low voice:

"Don't overexert yourself when you go. You're there to help. If anything happens, just let me know."

……

The military jeep stopped at the entrance of the hospital.

Shen Tang and Lu Yanzhi jumped out of the car and ran towards the emergency room. Mu Qinghan followed behind on crutches, her steps quick, the crutches tapping the ground with a "thump, thump" sound.

The emergency room was in an uproar.

All non-emergency patients were temporarily cleared out. Nurses were quickly making beds and setting up equipment. Dr. Chen stood in the middle of the corridor, directing operations in a loud voice:

"Clinic Room 3 is ready for surgery! All orthopedic surgeons are on standby! Double the supply of disinfectant and gauze!"

He saw Mu Qinghan enter and quickly walked over: "Commander, everything is ready. The blood bank has blood, and all medical personnel are on duty. When will the wounded arrive?"

"The first batch within ten minutes," Mu Qinghan said, "with priority given to the seriously injured."

"Understood." He saw Shen Tang next to Mu Qinghan.

"I'll help," Shen Tang said.

Dr. Chen nodded without hesitation: "Okay, go to clinic number three. There are a few patients there who need their bleeding stopped."

Shen Tang nodded and turned to leave.

Upon seeing Lu Yanzhi, Dr. Chen asked, "You are...?"

"I work at the agricultural research station. I don't know any medicine, but I work in the fields all the time and I'm strong!"

Dr. Chen quickly sized him up; he was not tall and had a somewhat frail, intellectual air about him.

"Okay, but don't overexert yourself," Dr. Chen said quickly. "If you can't move them, you can go to the corridor and help register the wounded, allocate beds, and coordinate with their families—anything is fine, don't just sit around."

"Understood." Lu Yanzhi nodded immediately, rolled up his sleeves, and headed towards the corridor.

Just then, the roar of a truck engine came from outside the hospital gate. The first batch of wounded had arrived.

……

One stretcher after another was carried in.

Burned, fractured, covered in blood from metal shards—some were screaming, some were unconscious.

The entire emergency room hall instantly turned into a battlefield.

Shen Tang didn't hesitate. She rushed to the nearest stretcher—a man in his thirties, his right calf pierced by a steel bar, bleeding profusely, his face deathly pale.

"Here—stop the bleeding!" she cried.

The nurse ran over and handed over the gauze.

Shen Tang glanced at the wound—the steel bar was still stuck in his calf and couldn't be forcibly pulled out, otherwise it would cause a second tear. But if the bleeding didn't stop, this person wouldn't last more than ten minutes.

She took out her silver needle pouch from her pocket.

Three silver needles were precisely inserted into three acupoints on the outer side of the calf: Xuehai, Sanyinjiao, and Chengshan.

The blood flow slowed down at an almost visible rate.

The nurse was stunned for a moment: "This, this is—"

"Apply pressure to stop the bleeding, then use acupressure to seal the blood vessels." Shen Tang didn't even look up. "Go and handle the next one."

She got up and walked to the next stretcher.

A female worker in her forties had two fingers on her left hand severed by a machine, leaving a blurry, unsightly wound.

Shen Tang crouched down, quickly examined the wound, then turned and shouted, "Dr. Chen—this needs immediate surgery! The finger can still be reattached!"

Doctor Chen rushed over, glanced at the situation, and nodded: "Move to the operating room!"

The stretcher was pushed away. Shen Tang stood up and saw Lu Yanzhi helping to move the stretcher. He was wearing that old, dusty gray shirt, his forehead was covered in sweat, his arms were trembling but he kept steady as he followed the medical staff to lift one wounded person after another off the truck.

A nurse accidentally knocked over the instrument tray, and sterilization forceps and gauze rolled all over the floor.

Lu Yanzhi squatted down and quickly picked them up, placing them back on the tray in order, then handed it to the nurse: "Take them in this order to save time."

The nurse paused for a moment, took the paper, and found that the order he had arranged was indeed more convenient than before.

"Thank you—who are you?"

"From the agricultural research station." Lu Yanzhi wiped his sweat. "Just let me know if you need anything moved."

He turned around and continued to move the stretcher. Although he was an academic, he was quite strong; he and another medical worker could steadily lift the stretcher that would normally require two people to carry.

Seeing this, Shen Tang realized that although the teacher didn't know anything about medicine and wasn't very strong, he was logical, quick-witted, and could be of help.

She didn't say anything and continued to treat the next wounded person.

Two hours.

Shen Tang treated thirteen wounded soldiers—stopping bleeding, cleaning wounds, administering acupuncture for pain relief, and assessing the severity and urgency of their injuries. Her white coat was covered in blood, as were her hands, but her movements remained steady and precise.

Lu Yanzhi was also busy.

He quickly took over the triage and coordination work in the emergency room hall—classifying minor injuries, serious injuries, burns, and fractures, directing the stretcher team to send people to the correct departments, and taking stock of the drug inventory. He managed to create an orderly assembly line amidst extreme chaos.

Liu Fang was also in the emergency room lobby.

She was wearing a light blue blouse, her hair was perfectly styled, and she was holding an enamel teacup filled with freshly brewed brown sugar water.

"Brother, have some hot tea." She handed a mug to a lightly wounded soldier with a gentle smile, "Drink slowly, don't burn yourself."

The injured man took it and thanked him.

Liu Fang turned around and poured herself another glass.

Just two hours earlier, when news of the explosion at the machinery factory reached the compound, Liu Fang was at home preparing vegetables.

Chen Zhiyuan hurriedly dressed and went out: "Liu Fang, something happened at the machinery factory. We need to assemble and go on a mission. It might be all night, so don't wait for me."

"Zhiyuan—" her voice was so soft it could melt your heart, "Be careful. I...I'll wait for you at home."

"Um."

Liu Fang put down the celery in her hand, wiped her hands on her apron, and stood in the kitchen in silence for a few seconds.

Chen Zhiyuan's attitude towards her has been somewhat subtle these days.

It wouldn't be described as indifferent.

He still cares about her and still comes home for dinner on time. But there's always an inexplicable sense of distance—as if there's a layer of separation between them.