I Got Together With the Fake Heiress - Chapter 45

The fire department responded very quickly. In less than ten minutes, Wen Yimeng heard the siren coming from the street, but strangely, the fire truck stopped as it reached the entrance of the residential area.

“Why aren’t they driving in? Is the road blocked?” Wen Yimeng was worried. “The black smoke seems to be getting thicker.”

“The fire lane is probably blocked, and the other entrance must not be convenient to bypass,” Wen Yunqing said. “Do you want to go take a look?”

Wen Yimeng frowned. “But we promised the boss we’d watch the shop.”

“It’s fine, we just need to close the door.” Wen Yunqing led Wen Yimeng outside, then jumped up to grab the handle of the roller shutter door and quickly pulled it down most of the way.

Looking at the storefront, which was now only open by a small gap, Wen Yunqing satisfactorily brushed the dust from her hands. “That’s good enough.”

The two of them did not move very quickly, taking seven minutes to reach the entrance of the residential area. Ridiculously, after those seven minutes, the fire truck was still blocked at the entrance—because private cars were parked on both sides of the lane, leaving insufficient space for the fire truck to pass.

“Where are the owners? Don’t they know there’s a fire inside!” The driving firefighter was furious, looking at the cars parked on both sides. He even felt an impulse to just drive straight through.

“We’re contacting them, we’re contacting them! They’ll be over soon!” The property manager, who was in charge of the gate, was also sweating profusely and kept making calls.

A moment later, a firefighter ran out from inside. “Where is the building layout map? Give it to me quickly!”

Although the fire truck was blocked at the entrance, the firefighters who had arrived had already rushed inside with their extinguishing equipment and began fighting the fire using the residential area’s own water pumps.

“I have it here, I’ll get it for you right away!” The property manager ducked into his office and, a minute later, produced the floor plan for the corresponding level.

Wiping his sweat, the property manager asked, “Are there any residents trapped inside?”

“Yes, according to the emergency call, there is one adult and two children inside,” the firefighter said. After confirming that the layout map was correct, he rushed back inside.

“Yunqing, is there any way to get the fire truck through?” Wen Yimeng was anxious. The fire was on a high floor, and without the fire truck, it would be difficult to properly extinguish the blaze. After all, manpower was limited, and if the water pressure was too high, people wouldn’t be able to control the direction.

Wen Yunqing thought for three seconds. “I think the fastest way is to crash through with the truck itself. Since these people parked their cars here, they should be prepared for them to be totaled.”

“Ah, crash through directly?” Wen Yimeng could hardly believe what she heard. “Isn’t there any way to move the cars?”

“There are ways, but it’s unnecessary.” Wen Yunqing walked forward, going directly to the firefighter who had been driving the truck. “Hello, I have a way to get the fire truck through. Do you want to try it?”

While speaking, Wen Yunqing deliberately added a subtle hint of suggestion, causing the young firefighter to become slightly distracted and nod in agreement. “Okay, as long as we can get in, let’s try it.”

Before the young firefighter had finished his sentence, Wen Yunqing directly bypassed him and climbed into the driver’s seat. She took three seconds to familiarize herself with the cabin layout, started the truck, and slammed down on the accelerator.

“Holy cow, don’t drive forward!” The property manager couldn’t help but curse. “Stop! You’re going to hit them! Stop!”

Wen Yunqing completely ignored what the property manager was shouting. Holding the steering wheel with one hand, she drove unreservedly straight through the middle. The bumper of the truck pushed the cars parked on both sides apart, leaving not a single scratch on the fire truck itself.

The young firefighter only reacted after a moment of stunned silence, exerting all his strength to chase after the fire truck. “Student, wait! You need to turn left ahead! Don’t take the wrong way!”

“Comrades behind, follow up! The road has been cleared!” The young firefighter’s voice was loud and sounded very anxious, yet there seemed to be a hint of delight in his urgency.

A minute later, Wen Yunqing opened the door and easily jumped down from the truck. “What is the fire situation now? Have the people in the apartment been rescued?”

The fire brigade chief stared blankly at Wen Yunqing. “Why were you driving? Where is the driver?”

“Chief, Chief, I’m here!” The young firefighter caught up a step behind and stood at attention. “Chief, the team has entered. Please give instructions!”

“Raise the aerial ladder first. Observe the situation inside while fighting the fire,” the Chief commanded, not dwelling on Wen Yunqing. “Number One, Number Three, put on your fire-resistant suits and come with me into the fire zone for search and rescue!”

“Yes!” The two men called out immediately put down their hoses, opened the fire truck compartment, and got ready in less than a minute.

“Final check,” the Chief said. “Go, follow me to save the people!”

Before his voice faded, the Chief led Number One and Number Three rushing into the building, heading toward the burning floor via the fire escape.

“Your home is on the ninth floor?” Wen Yunqing quickly found the man who had come to the shop for the locksmith nearby. Compared to his appearance in the shop, he now looked a little haggard, with a lot of sweat on his forehead.

“Yes, my home is on the ninth floor.” The man seemed surprised that Wen Yunqing was talking to him. Meeting her scrutinizing gaze, he subconsciously began to explain, “I had just gotten up to the ninth floor with the locksmith when the fire alarm was triggered. The temperature was quite high then, and we couldn’t open the lock.”

Wen Yunqing noncommittally continued to ask, “When did you call the police?”

“W-when we came down. We called the police while descending the stairs,” the man said, realizing the conversation was going south. “Why are you here? Didn’t the boss ask you two to watch the shop?”

“That’s not important.” Wen Yunqing withdrew her scrutinizing gaze. “Your wife and children are inside the room. Aren’t you nervous?”

“Of course I’m nervous!” the man said, then sighed. “But it’s better to leave professional matters to professionals. If I went in, I would only be getting in the way, and if I delayed the rescue time because of my interference, I would regret it for the rest of my life.”

Wen Yunqing let out a small chuckle. Finding that Wen Yimeng hadn’t caught up yet, she went directly to the truck compartment, retrieved a helmet and a fire-resistant jacket, and slipped into the building herself.

“Don’t go! Come back! The fire zone is dangerous!” The young firefighter was busy fighting the fire and only realized what was happening when Wen Yunqing ran inside.

“Chief! Chief! That young girl who drove the truck just now also went into the building! Pay attention to her later!”

“Nonsense! How could you let a child run in! Doesn’t she know the danger?” The Chief scolded. The jumping red flames in front of him illuminated his furrowed brow.

“Is anyone there? We are firefighters! Don’t be afraid! We are coming to save you right now!” the Chief shouted, using the memory of the layout map to search from the living room towards the bedrooms.

“Chief, no one in the side bedroom,” Number One reported.

“No one in the balcony or kitchen either,” Number Three reported.

“No one in the master bedroom either! Check the study and the guest bathroom!” The Chief said, unable to stop himself from coughing. While the fire-resistant suits prevented them from being burned by the flames, the surrounding temperature was simply too high. Wearing the suits was like being in a sauna, and sweat poured out freely.

“Chief, the fire is too big. We can’t get through,” Number One said.

The layout of the room was somewhat unfortunate. The guest bathroom was located in the innermost area, surrounded by walls on three sides except for the door. While this could temporarily shield them from the fire, it also blocked all possible escape routes.

If no one came to save them, they would surely die, and there was hardly any ventilation in the area. As time passed, the dense smoke in the bathroom continued to increase.

Perhaps by coincidence, an old wardrobe and an old mattress were placed right outside the guest bathroom door. Likely due to uneven burning, they had fallen across the ground, blocking the way.

“Step aside!” The Chief said, stepping back a few paces, apparently intending to jump over the obstacle with a running start.

Just then, Wen Yunqing, wearing a fire-resistant suit and helmet, arrived at the scene. Her movements were quicker than the Chief’s. Before anyone could react, she easily stepped over the debris.

The Chief, who was about to start running, widened his eyes and shouted, “Danger! Come back quickly!”

Wen Yunqing paid no attention. She grabbed the hot doorknob directly and opened the bathroom door.

“A girl about half a head taller than me, have you seen her?” Wen Yimeng asked. “She should have driven the fire truck in.”

“Drove the fire truck in?” The onlookers quickly made the connection. “That young girl seemed to have gone into the building wearing a fire-resistant suit. She must have gone to save people.”

“Do you know her? Is the burning apartment your relative’s house? How many people are inside?”

Wen Yimeng shook her head, looking up at the apartment still spewing black smoke. Many conjectures flashed through her mind, and finally, she couldn’t help but close her eyes, using deep breaths to calm her emotions.

Wen Yunqing was not reckless. Since she dared to rush in, she definitely had confidence in getting out and wouldn’t easily let herself get hurt.

After about five minutes, the fire gradually subsided thanks to the efforts of the fire brigade. Several people rushed out of the building. Three firefighters emerged in succession, each carrying a person.

“Has the ambulance arrived? They’ve passed out and need treatment!” the Chief said. He was carrying a woman about thirty years old, and the remaining two firefighters each carried a child.

Wen Yimeng’s gaze didn’t linger on them but fixed on the building entrance. When she saw Wen Yunqing emerge, single-handedly carrying the fire helmet and suit, she slowly exhaled.

Wen Yunqing handed the equipment to the young firefighter and walked over to Wen Yimeng. “It’s alright. Everyone has been rescued.”

“Wen Yunqing, who told you to rush in?” Wen Yimeng asked, her voice sounding slightly different than usual.

Wen Yunqing rubbed her nose. “Weren’t you worried about the people inside? So, I just helped out.”

If Wen Yunqing had been alone, she might not have intervened. After all, accidents happen everywhere; life and death are destined. But Wen Yimeng was different. She knew Wen Yimeng’s personality, and if those three people had died in the fire, she would definitely be heartbroken for a long time.

It was a crucial period approaching the college entrance exam, and Wen Yunqing didn’t want her girlfriend to be affected by other things.

Hearing this, Wen Yimeng was both angry and close to tears. She raised her hand, intending to hit Wen Yunqing to make her remember the lesson. But remembering that everything she did was for her own sake, she couldn’t bring herself to strike, changing the action to an embrace, holding Wen Yunqing very tightly.

Wen Yunqing cooperatively rested her head in the curve of Wen Yimeng’s neck and gently explained, “Were you worried something happened to me? I won’t do anything I’m not confident about. An ordinary fire can’t hurt me.”

“You never told me that,” Wen Yimeng said muffledly. Rationally, she knew Wen Yunqing wasn’t someone who would do something foolish, but a fire is merciless. What if something had happened to her?

“Is it too late if I tell you now?” Wen Yunqing whispered, simultaneously reflecting on her own actions.

While driving the fire truck without permission wasn’t a severe issue, she forgot to bring Yimeng along, which she needed to correct next time.

Also, next time she went to fight a fire, she should inform Yimeng. She should demonstrate her abilities more often in the future so Yimeng wouldn’t worry about her getting hurt.