Chapter 387: Saving Lives and Dicing with Death

He couldn’t do it!

In the distance, the faint wail of fire trucks and ambulances could be heard.

But the sirens were too far away to help. Every second was a matter of life and death.

The crowd of bystanders, who had originally gathered around, were now backing farther and farther away.

From their distance, they could clearly see just how intense the fire had become. The entire vehicle looked like it could explode at any moment.

When they saw Gu Heng, instead of leaving, dive back into the car, they all couldn’t help but gasp in shock.

“He’s got a death wish!”

“Get out of there! It’ll be too late if you don’t run now!”

“I’m recording this. If this kid manages to save everyone and the province doesn’t give him a medal for heroism, I’ll fucking go straight to Yanjing!”

“There are still so many good people in the world. I’ve got a wife, kids, and parents to support at home, otherwise I would’ve jumped in to help. But with a family depending on me, I just don’t dare.”

“The fire is spreading way too fast! It’s only been, what, six or seven minutes since it started!”

“The main thing is, it’s a range-extended electric vehicle. It’s got both gas and a battery. If it were a pure gasoline car, it would’ve lasted at least ten or fifteen minutes, no problem until the fire trucks got here!”

While the crowd was chattering, Gu Heng was truly risking his life.

Raging flames slithered into the car like fiery serpents, burning the skin on his right arm raw. The expensive dress shirt he’d been wearing had long since been reduced to tattered rags during the rescue, and his entire body was covered in blood and grime.

At this point, Gu Heng had thrown all caution to the wind. The insane surge of adrenaline made him seemingly immune to pain and exhaustion.

He quickly unfastened the child safety seat’s buckle, grabbed the toddler by their clothes, and yanked them out of the car.

The rolling heatwave felt like it was roasting Gu Heng in a furnace.

The car’s metal frame, once cool to the touch, was now as searingly hot as a branding iron.

Once clear of the car, Gu Heng ripped off what was left of his shirt. He used the tattered fabric as a makeshift sling to strap the child to his chest. Then, hoisting the weak woman and the unconscious old woman under each arm, he sprinted madly toward the open space where the crowd had gathered.

“AHHH!”

At this moment of life and death, Gu Heng couldn’t help but let out a furious roar.

This time, his gamble had paid off.

BOOM—!

Just as Gu Heng had run a few meters forward, the Li Auto L9, consumed by the raging fire, finally erupted in a massive explosion.

Countless pieces of shrapnel shot out in all directions. The sheer force of the blast even launched a car door high into the air before it crashed heavily back to the ground.

Gu Heng could feel the rolling heatwave at his back and the powerful shockwave from the explosion, but his eyes were fixed only on the crowd ahead and the first responders—firefighters and paramedics—sprinting toward him.

Finally…

The two groups met.

THUD!

Gu Heng, who had long since exhausted all his strength and was running on sheer willpower, collapsed on the spot the moment he knew they were safe.

DRIP… DRIP…

Gu Heng looked down and suddenly froze.

The white snow was gradually turning red with blood, and he felt something sticky on his body.

Raising a hand, he felt his back.

Blood!

His hand was covered in it!

The sight of the blood made Gu Heng’s head roar.

The furnace-like heat that had coursed through him rapidly faded with the biting wind, replaced by an endless weakness and cold.

From a God’s-eye view, one could see three pieces of metal shrapnel embedded in Gu Heng’s well-muscled back, the largest of which was the size of an adult’s palm.

Blood was pouring from these three wounds at an alarming rate. The force of the explosion had driven the shrapnel deep into Gu Heng’s body.

“Hurry!”

“We need a medic!”

Just then, the nurses and firefighters surrounded him.

“Hang in there, kid!”

“Don’t fall asleep! Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep!”

An older firefighter held Gu Heng by the shoulders, his booming voice so loud it almost made Gu Heng’s ears hurt.

Gu Heng hadn’t felt sleepy at all, but as soon as the man said that, his eyelids suddenly felt incredibly heavy, and a severe wave of dizziness washed over him.

‘Shit!’

‘I think I really overdid it this time!’

‘Why do I feel like I’m about to die?!’

Gu Heng’s breathing grew ragged, and the dizziness intensified. Cursing inwardly, he used the last of his strength to rapidly tap the object on his right index finger—what looked like a silver ring, but was actually a micro-sensor.

Rapid tapping was the signal for a high-risk distress call.

At this moment, Gu Heng trusted that the security department of the Zhao De Inheritance had already received the signal and had used the “silver ring” to pinpoint his real-time location.

With the Zhao De Inheritance as his safety net, Gu Heng let out a small sigh of relief. He could no longer fight the overwhelming wave of “sleepiness.” His head slumped to the side, his world plunged into darkness, and he instantly passed out…