Back to the teenage years

Chapter 615 Heroes of Fire
Zhang Yunqi returned to Songzhenping, where flames raged.

Under the watchful eyes of his classmates, he and the firefighting team of more than seventy villagers from Heimi Peak once again headed against the flow of fire towards the main fire area in Songzhenping.

The students on the ridge clenched their fists. They watched as flames soared into the sky and thick smoke billowed into the depths. Zhang Yunqi and his group walked on the scorching earth, appearing and disappearing amidst the billowing smoke and occasional bursts of flame. The scene was somewhat reminiscent of the desolate Yi River.

If they could add some melodrama, some sentimental music, and give Zhang Yunqi a close-up with that sassy vibe reminiscent of Xiao Ming, it would probably be a real-life version of "The Bravest".

The true heroes of the fire are the mountain people!
Braving the thick smoke and heat radiation, they led the way, with Zhang Yunqi holding a megaphone in the middle of the group. The group quickly crossed the fire line through the blackened passage on the side, running wildly along the mountainside until they finally arrived below Songzhenping and above the fir forest, where the main fire zone was rapidly approaching.

Once the firefighting team arrived at the location, they had only one task: to prevent the main fire from spreading into the cedar forest.

Guided by the villagers, Zhang Yunqi braved the suffocating smoke and heat and quickly chose a location about 300 meters below the main fire site in Songzhenping as the arson site.

The terrain was flat, covered with low grass and no shrubs, and behind it was a cornfield. Zhang Yunqi immediately ordered the villagers to cut down all the corn to create a natural barrier. This way, even if they couldn't put out the fire, they would have a safe retreat space.

Once the location is selected, the next step is to clean up the baseline.

When it comes to actual work, the villagers of Black Elk Peak are much more enthusiastic than Zhang Yunqi. Not to mention that this is the land on which their ancestors have depended for survival for generations, the one million that Young Master Lu Yuanzhou generously spent is enough for them to risk their lives.

This million is an astronomical figure for the villagers, who live deep in these mountains, toiling away in the fields year-round, likely earning barely a thousand or so to make ends meet. But for a financial tycoon like Lu Yuanzhou, who can leverage tens of millions of dollars at a time, it's not a drop in the ocean, but it's certainly insignificant. The difference between people is often greater than the difference between people and dogs.

These mountain people were also very professional in clearing the baseline. Moreover, with many people, they were able to quickly clear a 2-meter-wide bare area behind the ignition line that Zhang Yunqi had designated, using sickles and hoes.

Zhang Yunqi instructed them to set up an ignition point every 20 meters, with two people working together at each ignition point to be responsible for it. A total of 60 people set up 30 ignition points, which together covered a width of more than 600 meters.

After the ignition point was set up, the main fire zone was still about 100 meters away. At this point, the heat radiation and thick smoke were already very strong and intense. Flying sparks were flying around in the air, and the burning sensation on the skin was particularly noticeable. Zhang Yunqi held a megaphone and shouted, "Ignite! Ignite!"

The villagers immediately lit fires at the same time!
They were burning reeds and pine needles, which were extremely efficient at starting fires. The fire started quickly, and the 30 points soon connected into one. Just as Zhang Yunqi had predicted, this new fire moved towards the main fire area ahead, burning rapidly and leaving behind a patch of black ash.

This means that the strategy of fighting fire with fire was successful.

The students on the ridge saw this and excited voices rang out in the ranks. But their eyes remained wide open, watching nervously as the new fire burned wildly towards the main fire zone. Soon, the two fires clashed! At the moment of convergence, they saw the previously raging fire line suddenly stop advancing.

A huge cheer erupted from the crowd. Some people jumped up with joy, while others squatted on the ground, tears streaming down their faces. The entire ridge was filled with jubilation.

Standing below the main fire zone, Zhang Yunqi breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this scene. He knew that the fire was basically extinguished once he got here.

The method he used, which involved making two streams of fire move towards each other and using fire to fight fire, does indeed violate human intuition and common sense.

According to common sense, if a wildfire burns from east to west, then if a new fire is lit in the same area, the new fire will burn in the same direction as the old fire, also from east to west.

The reality is quite different. Because the temperature in the area where the fire is burning is extremely high, as it spreads, it generates updrafts, creating a low-pressure area. This causes air currents from other directions to converge towards the main fire area, forming a wind that blows towards it. If a fire is lit below the main fire area at this time, the new fire will instinctively be carried towards the main fire area by the air currents and wind. When the two wildfires meet, there is no longer any flammable material around them. Furthermore, the meeting of the two fires depletes the oxygen in between, causing the main fire to extinguish itself.

This is what is known as reverse ignition.

Its prerequisite is that it must be used when the wind force and direction are relatively stable. If the wind is strong, the effect will be the opposite, and the two fires will spread wildly and cause a larger wildfire.

By 3:30 p.m., thanks to the efforts of more than 70 villagers, the open flames at Songzhenping were basically under control, and the fire was being cleared of remaining embers.

When the three county fire trucks finally arrived at Black Elk Peak, the main fire had already been extinguished. Their main task then became dealing with the remaining fires and using water hoses to extinguish the smoldering embers that were difficult to reach.

Township government leaders and police officers also arrived.

Now that the fire is basically under control, everyone's attention has naturally turned to settling scores later.

Soon, Li Xiaoman, Lu Yuanzhou, and several other key figures were summoned to the village committee, while the other instigator, Ma Rulong, who stirred up the hornet's nest, was sent down the mountain for treatment. That big fool got away quickly.

On the way back to the village committee, the atmosphere was quite somber, especially among the eighteen- or nineteen-year-old students. They were all unaware of the criminal penalties for arson, whether they would have to pay compensation, or whether they would go to jail. They were all filled with anxiety.

At this moment, two firefighters walked past, led by a villager. These two firefighters were probably heading to the wildfire site to eliminate the hidden fire hazard.

One of the firefighters, walking ahead with a hint of excitement on his face, said to the villager who was leading the way, "You put out this fire beautifully! You even came up with such an advanced tactic of fighting the fire from the opposite direction. If it weren't for this method, by the time we caught up, the fire would have definitely spread into the cedar forest. In that case, not only us, but God himself could have saved this fire."

Upon hearing this, everyone glanced at Zhang Yunqi. Wang Shoudao's dark face became unusually kind and approachable. As he walked, he said with a smile, "This student, we really owe you a lot this time. Saving this mountain is saving the lifeline of our village."

"It's good that the fire is out; everything else is minor."

Zhang Yunqi smiled and waved his hand, displaying an air of "success doesn't have to be mine!" The stench emanating from him almost suffocated Lu Yuanzhou, who was standing next to him.

When everyone arrived at the village committee, Lu Yuanzhou's female secretary, Su Nan, had already caught up from the foot of the mountain. She also brought two legal counsels with her and accompanied Lu Yuanzhou inside.

Zhang Yunqi did not go in.

Those things were none of his business, and he had no interest in getting involved.

He found a bench outside the dilapidated courtyard gate and sat down. Only then did he realize that he was exhausted, his whole body ached, and his face and hands were covered with black ash and red marks. The only thought in his mind was to hurry home, lie in bed, hug a beautiful woman, and sleep soundly.

Li Yufei didn't go in either.

Previously, Wang Shoudao had specially found the village's barefoot doctor to prescribe medicine for the students, but Zhang Yunqi had gone to fight the fire and hadn't been able to apply it.

She remembered it all along. Now that she had some free time, she immediately told Zhang Yunqi to take off his tattered clothes.

The medicine was a bottle of camellia oil infused with half a lotus leaf, a common folk remedy in southern regions for treating boils and carbuncles caused by heat toxins. There was also a small box of multi-purpose oil specifically for treating burns.

As the sun set near dusk, several blisters, the size of soybeans and dark red from sparks, were visible on Zhang Yunqi's back. They were densely distributed along his shoulder blades and spine, some already broken and oozing a pale yellow fluid. His arms also bore several hard lumps from wasp stings, resembling small, protruding hills with tiny, dark red pinholes in the center.

Looking at the shocking wounds, Li Yufei remained silent for a moment before softly saying, "It might hurt a little, just bear with it."

Zhang Yunqi laughed: "It's alright, as long as I don't die."

Li Yufei paused her hand that had already touched Zhang Yunqi's shoulder: "When you talk like that, do you even consider the feelings of the people who care about you?"

Zhang Yunqi was taken aback. The air was quiet, and the girl's soft breathing behind him could be heard clearly. He didn't know why Li Yufei was suddenly so temperamental. He turned his head and asked, "What's wrong, Yufei?"

Li Yufei said, "It's nothing."

She dipped some Tiger Balm in it, placed it on the edge of the largest blister, and slowly began to apply it. After a while, she said, "Why didn't you tell me when you ran over to save Shanwa?"

Zhang Yunqi said, "You saw the situation at the time. Every second wasted was a little more dangerous, and you also really liked that mountain boy."

"Then I'd rather not like it."

These words came out of Li Yufei's mouth, and then she felt a little sad and muttered to herself, "Am I being selfish? And in a meaningless way at that?"

The air fell silent.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the two women, overlapping on the uneven, muddy ground. Li Yufei, pulling herself out of her reverie, said, "Such a big thing happened, Xiaoman and the others…"

Zhang Yunqi thought for a moment and said, "The fire didn't spread into the cedar forest, so they'll be fine. Most likely, they'll just have to pay some compensation, or at worst, they'll be detained for a few days. It's not a criminal offense."

Li Yufei asked, "How did you know?"

Zhang Yunqi said, "I guessed."

He was unclear about the relevant legal basis for causing a wildfire by negligence, but he estimated that the burned area of ​​the fire should be between 100 and 200 acres, which should not meet the standard for criminal offenses. There were minor injuries, and a lot of camellia, fruit trees and other economic forests were burned. The direct economic loss should exceed 10000 yuan, which is quite serious. The question is, is money a problem for Lu Yuanzhou?

The 90s were different from later years. In that era, everything was centered on economic development, and people did not pay enough attention to environmental protection. Arson was all too common in rural areas. Seriously speaking, burning down a hundred or two acres of mountain usually meant a few days of detention and a few hundred yuan in compensation.

As for the fire at Black Elk Peak, to put it bluntly, it didn't burn into the cedar forest and was still some distance from the core area of ​​the mountain range, so the possibility of a criminal case being filed was very low. Specifically, it was even lower for Young Master Lu.

Of course, if Zhang Yunqi hadn't thought of the reverse firefighting method or hadn't intervened, and the fire had spread into the cedar forest, it wouldn't just be a matter of a few hundred acres; Lu Yuanzhou would definitely be in jail doing sewing! The problem is, he wasn't putting out this fire for Lu Yuanzhou's sake. If murder weren't illegal, he would have stabbed that bastard to death.

It's important to understand that the general principle for handling forest fires at the grassroots level in the 1990s was that collective responsibility outweighed individual responsibility. They all bore responsibility for this fire, especially those with whom he had good relationships, such as Li Xiaoman, Ma Rulong, and He Lin.

Of course, besides the reasons related to friendship, the more important reason is that this place is not only the land where those poor villagers have lived for generations, but also a national forest park in the future. In the depths of the mountains stretching for hundreds of miles, there are countless rare plants and wild animals. If he just watched a fire burn down a national forest park in the future just to send Lu Yuanzhou to jail, it would be somewhat inhumane.

You can summon Cao Cao as you wish.

Just as Zhang Yunqi was pondering this matter, Lu Yuanzhou suddenly walked out of the village committee entrance, followed by his tall, overseas-educated female assistant Su Nan, and two legal professionals in suits.

Lu Yuanzhou, sporting a swollen face, gave Li Yufei a deep look, then turned his gaze to Zhang Yunqi and said, "This time I admit defeat, Mr. Zhang. A bet is a bet, I'll take the million."

"How do you scoop it out?"

"Within three days, the one million yuan will be in place. I will work with Heimi Village to set up a fund, of which two hundred thousand yuan will be distributed to the villagers who fought the fire today, and the remainder will be used for the ecological restoration of Heimi Peak, to subsidize children's education, and to help poor farmers."

Zhang Yunqi stood up: "No matter how big the conflict is between us, on this point, I have to admit that President Lu did a really good job."

Lu Yuanzhou said, "There's no need to flatter us. The matter isn't over yet. I believe the issues between us will soon be resolved."

This was the first time Lu Yuanzhou had so blatantly threatened Zhang Yunqi, and it was right in front of Li Yufei. He had completely torn off his mask, speaking each word with an almost sinister tone: "When the time comes, I'll make you taste what you've been through today!"

After saying that, Lu Yuanzhou turned and left.

"Wait a minute," Zhang Yunqi called out to Lu Yuanzhou.

Lu Yuanzhou stopped in his tracks: "Is there anything else?"

Zhang Yunqi said, "Take care of your health."

As he spoke, he picked up the remaining half of the Lobelia chinensis oil ointment and tossed it to Su Nan: "Your CEO Lu got stung quite badly by the wasps, remember to apply some ointment to him on the way."

Lu Yuanzhou said, "Mr. Zhang, you're very kind."

Zhang Yunqi waved his hand and said, "No, I was worried that you would be poisoned by wasps before the matter was even finished."

******