Chapter 2

Just as he finished reading the text message, his phone rang again. Wang Ke, the deputy director of the first section of the secretary's office, called and instructed Fang Zhicheng to arrive at the compound before 8 a.m. the next day to attend the flood control mobilization meeting of the Municipal Party Committee Office.

The Municipal Party Committee had just completed a change of leadership less than a month ago. After the original Party Secretary was reassigned, the secretary of the Municipal Party Secretary and the director of the first section of the secretary's office were transferred to the provincial level. The first section of the secretary's office is usually headed by the secretary of the Municipal Party Secretary. Since the new secretary of the Municipal Party Secretary had not been determined, Wang Ke was temporarily in charge of the work of the first section.

Wang Ke is the top writer of the Yinzhou Municipal Party Committee, known for his eloquent writing. Any document issued by the office must be reviewed by him. However, he is overly cautious and not flexible enough, which has kept him at the deputy director level.

The next day, as Fang Zhicheng had expected, after the flood control mobilization meeting, the Municipal Party Committee Office drafted a list of personnel to be dispatched. As a newcomer without any background, Fang Zhicheng was inevitably assigned to participate in the front-line flood control and rescue efforts. The flood situation in the front line was very tense, and he needed to set off for Huanhai County immediately. Fang Zhicheng hurried home to pack his luggage and, as he stepped out of the office, he happened to collide with someone.

"Can't you see where you're going!" Shao Lingfeng clutched his chest, rubbed it for a while, and scolded with a frown.

Shao Lingfeng is a large man, but mostly fat. When he collided with the slender Fang Zhicheng, he stumbled back several steps and had to lean against the wall to steady himself.

In fact, Shao Lingfeng deliberately bumped into Fang Zhicheng. Fang Zhicheng reacted quickly, calculated the angle, and deliberately used some force on his shoulder, ultimately making Shao Lingfeng the one who suffered.

Shao Lingfeng, accustomed to a life of luxury, was not as fit as Fang Zhicheng, who often exercised. In the collision, Shao Lingfeng was thrown back.

Shao Lingfeng, having failed to gain an advantage, was unwilling to let the matter rest. He saw his rival, Fang Zhicheng, who had taken his position. If it weren't for Fang Zhicheng, he could have smoothly been promoted to a full position in the Municipal Party Committee Office. After two years of work and using many connections to secure a position for himself, he found it all in vain. His anger from before now erupted.

Fang Zhicheng glanced at Shao Lingfeng, not backing down, and said unhappily, "I was in a hurry, didn't you see?"

Shao Lingfeng sneered, "A good dog doesn't block the way. Those who do will eventually be killed and made into hotpot."

"Victors are kings, losers are bandits. Who is the dog, you know in your heart!" Fang Zhicheng had urgent matters and did not want to waste time arguing with Shao Lingfeng, so he hurriedly walked away.

Shao Lingfeng stared at Fang Zhicheng's back, spat venomously, and sneered repeatedly, thinking to himself that this kid wouldn't last long. Shao Lingfeng's father is the deputy director of the city television station, who had already smoothed the way for him. "That position originally belonged to me, and it will be returned to me. As for Fang Zhicheng, he will be transferred to the cold departments like the CPPCC or the People's Congress, where he will be left to cool off!"

...

Huanhai County is located in the northwest corner of Yinzhou, a remote area, and is the most challenging task among all the support teams. It's not that the situation is particularly severe, but the county road from Yinzhou to Huanhai has not been fully opened, and many sections are difficult to navigate.

The road was winding and muddy, and a female colleague in the car couldn't bear the jolting and vomited into a bag for a long time. Fang Zhicheng was prepared and had bought motion sickness medication from a pharmacy that morning. He now handed a box to the female colleague.

Seeing that Fang Zhicheng had motion sickness medication, others gradually came over to borrow a couple of pills. Even the convoy stopped for a few minutes, as a leader in the front car also had motion sickness and came to ask for the medication...

Due to the heavy rain and difficult road conditions, it took three to four hours for the convoy to reach the Huanhai County government.

The team leader was Qiu Hengde, the deputy minister of the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department. He is well-known in the Municipal Party Committee compound and ranks third in the Organization Department. He is known for his decisive actions. Huanhai is Qiu Hengde's hometown, so he volunteered to come to Huanhai County to support the flood control efforts. Qiu Hengde ordered the team to head to the front line as quickly as possible. After a quick meal at the government canteen, they rushed to Huanhai Lake, where the situation was most severe.

There were about ten people in the group. The rain was getting heavier, and visibility was less than three meters. Fang Zhicheng was very low-key and walked in the middle of the group. When they reached the lake dike, he felt the fragility and insignificance of life.

The raging floodwaters, mixed with broken branches and rocks, rushed down from a distance, continuously pouring into the already turbulent lake. The roaring sound angrily pounded the shore, with waves surging, mountains collapsing, and the floodwaters overwhelming everything!

Qiu Hengde stood at the front of the group, with the Party Secretary of Huanhai County, Yang Fan, by his side.

Qiu Hengde's face showed anxiety as he asked, "Have all the breaches been sealed?"

Yang Fan nodded and said solemnly, "They have been sealed, but the situation in Xinyuan Township is complicated. Xinyuan Township is located in the northwest of Huanhai Lake. If the rainfall continues to increase, there will likely be a crisis tomorrow. We have already evacuated the people, but many are unwilling to leave..."

Xinyuan Township is always a key area for flood prevention. If a severe flood occurs, it will be the first to be abandoned to protect the overall situation. Local government staff have already started the evacuation work. However, the villagers are not easily willing to leave their lifelong homes.

Qiu Hengde looked at the surging lake and said firmly, "Let's go to Xinyuan Township and work with the villagers. We need to persuade each household. If that doesn't work, we will notify the military to forcibly evacuate them. Life is more important than property! As long as you are alive, there is a chance to rebuild."

Yang Fan nodded and immediately instructed the county secretary.

The group traveled about five to six kilometers by car, but the road ahead was completely destroyed. Deputy Minister Qiu ordered everyone to wade through the water and enter Xinyuan Township on foot.

Half an hour later, they finally reached the dam in Xinyuan Township. Many people were working to reinforce the dike with sandbags and wooden stakes.

The Party Secretary of Xinyuan Township, Liang Dahai, reported, "We are taking two steps. First, we are reinforcing the dike, and we have mobilized all the able-bodied men in the township. Second, we are working to persuade the people to evacuate. The villages of Zengba and Longhe are in the highest-risk area, and we are working to evacuate them urgently."

Qiu Hengde nodded and walked along the dike. Not far away, there was a commotion.

"What's happening?" Qiu Hengde asked, frowning.

Liang Dahai was not sure and guessed, "It might be the villagers unwilling to evacuate, causing a disturbance on the dike."

It was already dark, and as they approached, they saw that about ten elderly villagers were crying and refusing to leave.

Qiu Hengde sighed and quickly walked over.

Yang Fan closely followed Qiu Hengde and introduced himself, "Fellow villagers, I am the Party Secretary of the county, Yang Fan. The person next to me is the Municipal Party Committee leader, Minister Yang, who represents the Municipal Party Committee to visit you. Please don't be anxious, let's talk things through!"

Qiu Hengde's voice was loud and penetrating, and he said firmly, "Fellow villagers, I know you don't want to leave, but this is a natural disaster. We are asking you to evacuate to protect your lives. Once the flood is over, the government guarantees that we will support you in rebuilding your homes!"

"Our homes are our lives. Without our homes, I don't want to live!" one of the elderly men pounded his chest and said painfully.

The scene was chaotic, with about thirty to forty people, all talking at once, making the situation increasingly serious. This could undermine morale and affect the progress of reinforcing the dike.

Qiu Hengde made a quick decision, left the group, and walked into the crowd. He bent down and helped the elderly man who was sitting on the ground to stand up. At that moment, a bad feeling swept over him, making his hair stand on end. Suddenly, a strong force came from his side, pushing him hard.

Qiu Hengde stumbled and rolled on the ground twice. Just as he was about to stand up, his feet slipped, and he started sliding down the slope of the dike.

"Trouble! Minister Qiu has fallen into the lake!"

The wind and rain were fierce, and the water was roaring.

Huanhai Lake, which was usually gentle, now showed its ferocity. The undercurrents, like monsters, swallowed Qiu Hengde in one bite. In a few seconds, he was swept away, and he was about ten meters from the shore.

Qiu Hengde could swim, but after a few strokes, he felt a sharp pain in his leg, and it cramped!

His clothes became heavier, like a spider web, tightening around him. Qiu Hengde tried to breathe, but the murky lake water kept flooding into his mouth, making him almost faint.

Am I going to die? Qiu Hengde was terrified. Who can face death without fear?

"Quick, save him!"

Yang Fan shouted anxiously on the dike, but no one responded or took action. The water was so strong; who would dare to jump in? That would be suicide!

"I'll go, quickly notify the rescue team!" Fang Zhicheng stepped forward, starting to take off his clothes. He didn't know why, but a fire burned in his chest.

"Right! Quickly notify the rescue team!" After Fang Zhicheng's reminder, someone quickly took out their phone to call.

Far water won't quench near thirst. Qiu Hengde was being swept away by the waves, and in the dim light, only his struggling figure could be seen in the water.

"Plunk..."

Fang Zhicheng jumped into the water. The cold made his scalp tingle. He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and slowly swam toward the direction of the waves.

Fang Zhicheng's confidence in jumping into the water came from his experience in the university swimming team, where he had achieved good results in the university league.

However, after swimming a few meters, he regretted it.

The undercurrents were fierce, and human strength was insignificant. If he tried to fight the waves, he would be swallowed.

Fang Zhicheng gritted his teeth and swam with all his might. There was no turning back; since he had jumped in, he had to go all out and move forward!

Qiu Hengde's body had already sunk, and in ten seconds, it would be even harder to find him.

Fang Zhicheng took a deep breath and dived into the water. The surface was rough, but the water below was slightly calmer. He kept his mind clear and swam in the direction he remembered.

The water was murky, and visibility was low, making it difficult.

After a minute, he felt lucky to finally see Qiu Hengde's figure. His spirits lifted, and his sore and swollen legs gained more strength, moving him closer to Qiu Hengde.

Fate seemed to favor Qiu Hengde. If Fang Zhicheng had been a second late, Qiu Hengde would have lost consciousness and been swept away by the waves.

Fang Zhicheng approached Qiu Hengde, almost exhausted. He switched to a backstroke, one hand around Qiu Hengde's waist, the other supporting his chin, and floated to the surface. The people on the shore were extremely excited, and cheers of joy rose from the crowd.

However, the danger was not completely over. Fang Zhicheng, though a good swimmer, found it difficult to save someone in the raging lake. He gritted his teeth and slowly moved toward the shore. Qiu Hengde had lost consciousness and needed to be treated as soon as possible.

Ten meters, eight meters, five meters... A long rope was thrown from the shore, and Fang Zhicheng quickly grabbed it. With the pull, he slowly drifted toward the shore.

Saved!

Fang Zhicheng lay on the dike, panting heavily. After a few minutes, the sound of an ambulance could be heard, and it stopped nearby. Medical personnel carried a stretcher and moved the unconscious Qiu Hengde onto the ambulance.

Cheers and praise surrounded him, but Fang Zhicheng felt his ears ringing, exhausted and dizzy, and passed out.

...

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