Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 426 No Going Upstairs
Fire scene, roadside.

Pu Shu jogged up to Chen Shu, gave him a deep salute, and said, "Captain Chen! We've trained for so long, it's time for us to step up!"

Pu Shu, who is nearly 1.85 meters tall, is rather thin, but his body is quite muscular due to recent training. His words were forceful and authoritative, and as soon as he finished speaking, cheers erupted from the surrounding crowd.

Chen Shu looked up at the building and saw that the windows of the fourth-floor corridor had been shattered by the fire. From the outside, thick black smoke was rising straight into the sky, and the situation was visibly extremely serious.

He pulled Pu Shu, whose face was flushed, to his side and whispered, "The training you've received is all aimed at maintaining stability and subduing criminals. You could say that in this dangerous situation, your training is completely useless. What we should be doing now is maintaining order at the scene, clearing the road, and waiting for the firefighters to arrive."

“I think no matter what, we should go upstairs to check instead of hiding downstairs maintaining order,” Pu Shu said after a moment’s hesitation.

Clearly, for him, who used the word "hide," the torment he was experiencing at this moment was very evident.

He longed to go to the battlefield and save people.

This was both his heartfelt thought and his attempt to use this opportunity to save lives to show his family that this job was also meaningful.

Despite the boos from the onlookers, Chen Shu firmly shook his head: "In situations like this, firefighters are the most professional. They can save people and ensure they can leave the fire alive. You are too young, you haven't studied the relevant professional knowledge, you don't know anything, and it's too dangerous for you to run in and save people like that. I have to be responsible for your safety!"

With the changes in the social situation in recent years, the principle of police handling has also changed from prioritizing people's lives and property to carrying out tasks on the premise of ensuring their own safety.

Sometimes life and death are separated by a single thought.

When Chen Shu was working at the police station, he briefly accompanied community police officers on visits and participated in the aftermath of several fire accidents. He had seen many people suffocate on balconies or be steamed alive in bathtubs; the scenes were all extremely gruesome.

The awe we feel for fire comes from those lifeless corpses.

Chen Chuan, who arrived later, pulled Pu Shu aside and tried to persuade him gently. Pu Shu looked hesitant, but still followed Chen Chuan back to the patrol team.

"Brother Chuan, Captain Chen isn't as brave as the rumors say. Look, he didn't even dare to go upstairs to light a fire like this," Pu Shu said indignantly.

"Cowardly?" Chen Chuan was amused by Pu Shu's angry remark. He was about to give some examples to refute it, but he swallowed the words back.

Yes, just like Pu Shu said, we have to go upstairs and take a look. Even if it's just for show, we have to do it.

Chen Chuan turned around and glanced at Chen Shu, who was standing not far away, his mind also filled with questions.

"Ugh!" Pu Shu got angrier and angrier, stomped his foot, turned around and ran back to where the old man was.

Chen Chuan was too late to stop him and could only watch Pu Shu run away.

Zhang Yang, who was standing on the side, watched the whole scene from beginning to end. It felt like watching a real-life police movie on TV, with thick black smoke billowing behind him and the policeman standing in front of him frowning and standing motionless on the roadside.

As someone who had personally experienced the high-speed train accident alongside Chen Shu, Zhang Yang knew from the bottom of her heart that Chen Shu was not a cold-blooded or cowardly man.

He must be going through a lot of internal turmoil right now.

"Brother Shu, I think you made the right decision. The fire looks pretty big, and the houses are all over thirty years old. We could have lost more lives if things had gone wrong." Zhang Yang comforted him, but he was secretly disappointed.

Which woman wouldn't want her man to be a towering hero?
As a reporter who spends most of her time on the front lines, Zhang Yang has witnessed many dangerous situations and accidents that could cost lives. She is clearly more experienced in handling such situations than younger people like Pu Shu, but as a woman, she was still deeply moved.

Chen Shu pursed his lips tightly and didn't speak, but his gaze remained fixed on the lonely old man sitting dejectedly in the corner.

Just then, a traffic policeman wearing a white hat ran past Chen Shu. Chen Shu suddenly reached out and grabbed him, asking urgently, "Where is the fire truck? Why hasn't it arrived yet?"

The traffic policeman stamped his foot and said anxiously, "I just received a notification that their cars are stuck on Feixiang Road and can't get in. They're all illegally parked cars, even the emergency lane is blocked! Sigh! I'm going to help now! I don't know if I'll make it in time!"

"Has the ambulance been notified?"

"They've notified us! They've notified us! They were the first ones we notified. They're almost here, right at the alley entrance. Hey! A fire truck! Why can't it be the size of an ambulance?!"

After saying that, he didn't even bother to say goodbye to Chen Shu. He hurriedly ran to the motorcycle parked by the roadside, got on, stepped on the gas, and sped off.

Chen Shu wasn't familiar with this place, but he could tell from the traffic police's tone that the fire truck wouldn't be able to get in anytime soon.

Yu Guangzhong noticed that the old man who had been sitting in the corner had stood up unsteadily and was stumbling towards the building's stairwell. Without thinking, Chen Shu ran to the old man, grabbed him, and said, "Grandpa, don't go upstairs."

I wanted to say a few words of comfort that the fire brigade would be there soon, but I just couldn't bring myself to say anything to lie to them.

The old man was over sixty years old, with a white beard and an ordinary appearance. However, the vicissitudes of life that had settled in his eyes, along with a touch of sadness, could not be concealed.

He stared directly into Chen Shu's eyes.

“Sir, I heard what you said earlier. If the fire brigade can't come, my wife and grandson will die. What's the point of me living if they die? I might as well go down to the underworld with them. I'm worried about them going too far away, since they're old and young.”

"Grandpa." Zhang Yang had followed us over at some point and was now standing to the side, covering his mouth with tears in his eyes.

Pu Shu, who had somehow returned, suddenly shouted at Chen Shu, "Captain Chen! If you're too scared to go, don't stop me! I'll go!"

Chen Shu took a deep breath, looked directly at the young special police officer in front of him with bloodshot eyes, and his mind raced.

If we don't save them now, Pu Shu will regret it for the rest of his life and blame himself for it. But this young man hasn't received any systematic fire and rescue training. He'll just have to avoid causing trouble if he goes in; he might even get himself killed!

Although Chen Shu is not a professional in fire protection, he did participate in several fire inspections and drills with community police officers when he was working at the Zhongshan Police Station.

It's somewhat better than Pu Shu.

Pu Shu was too impulsive. In rescuing people from a fire, besides experience and expertise, a calm and composed personality is equally essential. Fighting fires and rescuing people is actually like fighting a war.

Chen Shufu took another deep breath, and at the same time, the scene of the old man with gray hair kneeling on the muddy ground and kowtowing to the team when their Zhengming Special Police Brigade rushed to the rescue of the high-speed train accident flashed through his mind, just begging the police to save his grandson.

By then, the person was long gone, and even if Chen Shu were reborn as the Jade Emperor, there would probably be no way to help him.

But things are different now; the old man's wife and grandson should still be alive.

Most likely alive!

"Captain Chen! Aren't you going to make a decision yet? If you're not going, then I will!" Seeing that Chen Shu didn't react, Pu Shu grabbed Chen Shu's forearm urgently and urged him on.

Pu Shu's impulsiveness was surging into his mind, and if it wasn't stopped, something bad could easily happen... Chen Shu raised his head and stared at the stairwell entrance on the fourth and fifth floors, from which black smoke was constantly billowing out, as if it were the gaping maw of a ferocious beast that could devour human lives.

Chen Shu took out his walkie-talkie and asked the command center, "Command center! Command center! This is Chen Shu from the Zhengming Special Police Brigade. Where are the fire trucks now? How long will it take for them to arrive at the scene?"

"Zizzizi..."

A moment later, a male voice came through the walkie-talkie: "We're stuck outside, don't know how much longer. Sigh!"

time does not wait!
Since the fire department couldn't come, he was the only one who had to go!
Chen Shu first shouted sternly at Pu Shu, who was panting heavily, "Nonsense! Pu Shu, listen to me, you're going to go with Chen Chuan to carry out the mission right now! Listen, this is an order! I'll handle the situation upstairs myself!"

Pu Shu was pulled back by Chen Chuan who had rushed over, and calmed down a bit. He was also intimidated by Chen Shu's imposing manner, so he could only nod in agreement and dared not object anymore.

Chen Shu nodded to Chen Chuan, took off his training uniform jacket and draped it over the old man, saying in a deep voice, "Grandpa, just wait downstairs, I'll come up and check. By the way, what's your address?"

"402!"

After silently reciting the house number a few times, Chen Shu turned around and glanced at Zhang Yang standing to the side, signaling him to look after the old man temporarily. Then, he gestured a few times to Xu Mingliang, who was directing the team members to maintain order.

Zhang Yang paused, wondering why this person, who had been firmly against going upstairs to rescue people, had suddenly decided to rush upstairs.

While she was still in a daze, Chen Shu had already rushed into the building's stairwell.

She stared blankly at the dark entrance to the passage, feeling both nostalgia for the man she admired and considerable worry.

I hope everything will be alright.

He is Chen Shu, the police officer Chen Shu.

(End of this chapter)