Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 286 Target: Bohai Bay

Let's go back to 7 a.m. on July 25, 1976.

The unloading trucks in a temporarily partitioned warehouse area of ​​Wharf Holdings were filled with people: Taishan security personnel, medical staff, Wolf Fang Squad members, as well as Xiaoman, Bai Yifeng, and Shi Bin.

Xiaoman requested to come because she knew He Yuzhu was going this time. Her reason was quite good: she had never formally seen He Yuzhu off before, but this time she wanted to.

Judging from the things He Yuzhu prepared and the training of her personnel, this matter is no small thing, but her brother Zhu Zi will never reveal a single detail.

He Yuzhu stood on the back of a modified "Rock" truck, holding a large megaphone in his hand.

"You will depart in batches today. Due to special circumstances, we cannot disclose your destination at this time."

"The place you're going to is very dangerous, it might be hell on earth!" He Yuzhu said, glancing down below.

A small commotion arose below, but it quickly subsided.

He Yuzhu continued, "We're not going to fight a war, but what we're facing is more terrifying than bullets and artillery fire!"

He paused for a moment, then continued, "So, I'm giving each of you one last chance to choose. Those who are afraid to go, step forward now and leave the line."

The commotion started again, this time lasting a little longer, but no one stepped forward.

"I know what you're worried about—that I might hold you accountable later. Rest assured, after you leave, go back to your original posts and do what you were doing. I, He Fei, guarantee that no one will look down on you, and it won't affect your future prospects at Yellow River!"

There was no response from below; everyone was waiting for him to continue.

He Yuzhu suddenly raised his voice: "But if you choose to stay, it's no different from going to the battlefield. You can't back down, because you're going to save lives, you're going to snatch people from the jaws of death! Now, you can make your choice!"

Those below looked around and, seeing that no one stepped forward, even the fearful ones gritted their teeth and stood still.

one second.

two seconds.

Five seconds.

A full minute passed.

The group of hundreds remained completely still!

"Good!" He Yuzhu's voice warmed for the first time. "I admire your courage, you're all great!"

He jumped off the train and strode to the front of the line.

"Now, let's do the last thing before we leave: write our wills!"

The last three words pierced through everyone's last psychological defenses.

The group could no longer remain silent.

First came a collective gasp of astonishment.

"It's not too late to back out now, but once you're on board, you can't back out," He Yuzhu added.

After speaking, He Yuzhu walked to the area where the table was set up and picked up a pen to start writing.

Shi Bin followed closely behind, said nothing, and sat down to pick up his pen.

Bai Yifeng wanted to, but He Yuzhu gave him another task: to keep an eye on Hong Kong and ensure nothing went wrong during his absence.

"I'll come first!"

Hu Wenxue, the first to emerge from the group, was pale-faced, clearly having gone through a fierce internal struggle. At this moment, his eyes were resolute.

He Yuzhu looked up when he heard the sound, slightly surprised. He didn't expect the first person to come out would be this middle-aged surgeon, which made him think of the four words "a doctor's benevolence".

Once the first one was done, there was a second and a third. Even the last person who hesitated only gritted their teeth and moved on after seeing the nurses write their names.

After Hu Wenxue sat down, he picked up his pen and wrote: "My dear wife Fenfang: Seeing this letter is like seeing you in person. If anything happens to you, do not grieve or worry; the family is entrusted to you; I have wronged you in this life, but I will repay you in the next..."

A young member of the Taishan team had such a shaky hand that the tip of his pen pierced the paper.

A large hand reached out and pressed down on his trembling wrist.

It was Violent Wolf. Violent Wolf didn't speak, but just glanced at him with his beast-like eyes, then let go and continued writing.

The young player pinched his thigh hard, sniffed deeply, and picked up his pen again.

After writing his suicide note, He Yuzhu put it in an envelope, wrote his name on the envelope, and then put the envelope into a box that looked like a donation box.

Xiaoman stood beside the box, her eyes slightly red, trying hard to hold back her tears.

"Brother Pillar"

"Save it carefully and do not open it beforehand."

“Okay, it would be best if we never had to open it,” Xiaoman said.

One by one, envelopes filled with reluctance were placed into the box, and He Yuzhu and Xiaoman, standing beside the box, nodded to each person who came over.

After submitting the last document, He Yuzhu returned to the carriage.

Looking at the neatly lined-up rows below, He Yuzhu called out loudly, "My wife is keeping the wills for us! I hope we'll never need them, and when we return, I can personally hand them back to each and every one of you!"

"Now, load them onto the ship!" He pointed sharply in one direction at the dock, where two huge Chinooks painted with red crosses, various types of helicopters, and hundreds of trucks, jeeps, ambulances, and construction machinery were parked.

"First squad, turn left, run!"

"Second squad, about-face, march!"

"."

Commands were given from below, and the crowd began to run toward the pre-assigned planes and vehicles.

The crew members on the ship were shocked by what they saw below, and some of the younger crew members even felt a surge of excitement and wanted to join in.

Only the captain and first mate knew the course, as Huo Sheng had instructed them beforehand, and they were to follow He Sheng's instructions in everything.

As for the Bao family's ship, He Yuzhu arranged for it to be placed at the back. It hasn't entered the port yet, and the follow-up matters will be left to Bai Yifeng and He Yuxin.

At 2 p.m. on the 25th, the Fok cargo ships docked at Wharf Holdings began to depart one after another, heading for the Bohai Sea.

July 28, 1976, 6:00 AM, Ho Family Villa, Hong Kong.

The urgent ringing of the telephone in the living room shattered the morning's tranquility.

The early-rising maid hurriedly answered the phone and quickly walked to the bedroom and living room on the second floor: "Knock knock, Madam, there's a phone in the living room for Mr. [Sir's name], it's urgent!"

Xiaoman's heart sank. She left her bedroom in her pajamas, hurried downstairs, picked up the phone in the living room, and asked, "Hello? Who is this?"

"Is Zhuzi not home? Who is this?" The voice on the other end of the phone sounded tired and anxious.

“I am his wife,” Xiaoman said.

"Lingyi, this is Lao Fang. Where is Zhuzi? Can you let him answer the phone?"

"Uncle Fang?" Xiaoman was very surprised. He thought that people from the mainland might come looking for him, because He Yuzhu would not have brought so many ships into the port without permission, let alone bring people ashore. But he really did not expect that it would be this person who made the call personally.

"Yes, it's me. Where's Zhu Zi? I need to talk to him urgently."

"Uncle Fang, Brother Zhu... he's not in Hong Kong."

"Not here?" Old Fang's tone suddenly rose, filled with incredulous astonishment. "Where did he go? When did he leave?"

"Three days ago."

"Where did you go? When are you coming back?"

"He should be in the Bohai Bay now. He left with a fleet on the 25th."

How can I contact him?

His radio frequency is ***.

"Then I'll hang up first."

"Wait, Uncle Fang, Brother Zhu also told me that someone called and asked me to tell the caller something."

"You said."

“We cooperate with the Red Cross in Hong Kong, and we can use the name of the Red Cross if needed.”

"Okay, okay, I understand. Zhu Zi, you've thought this far ahead. I'll hang up now; I have other things to do." Old Fang was clearly a little surprised. With this layer of understanding, this time it wouldn't just be about delivering supplies ashore.

"it is good."

At the same time, in the far north.

On the surface of the Bohai Bay, a fleet of ships consisting of bulk carriers, roll-on/roll-off ships, and container barges is sailing forward, cutting through the waves in the morning light.

The fleet was quite large, but all of them had huge red crosses painted in prominent positions on the sides and decks, making them stand out against the gray-blue sea and sky.

Inside the cockpit of the flagship "Yellow River".

He Yuzhu stood by the porthole, gazing intently at the northern horizon.

“Boss,” Shi Bin strode in, his face grave, “a radio station is calling us, requesting to speak.”

"it is good."

Upon arriving at the radio station's cabin, He Yuzhu picked up the microphone and said, "Hello!"

"Pillar, where are you right now?"

"Uncle Fang, I have reached the outer sea of ​​Bohai."

"There was an earthquake in eastern Hebei. It was very strong, and it even shook Beijing," Old Fang said in a low voice.

"What's going on now?"

"We don't know yet; there's been no news from them."

"So who are you looking for?"

"Hey, I was going to ask you why you didn't give us a warning sooner. I was just assuming things. What did you bring?"

"I brought it," He Yuzhu explained the situation. "Zhuzi, on behalf of the people in the disaster area, thank you!"

"Uncle Fang, let's not talk about that now. I'm going to the disaster area this time. Can you help me figure something out?"

"I called you here to talk about this. Are you sure you want to go ashore? It's very dangerous over there."

"I'm sure. I brought not only equipment and vehicles, but also people who have received disaster relief training," He Yuzhu emphasized.

"Training? How many people?"

"Approximately seven hundred people."

"Okay, okay, I'll go and take care of the formalities for you right away. You can stay in the open sea and not go to the nearshore area."

"I know, don't get the place wrong, this time it's Tianjin Port."

"I know, I know, wait for my news."

Before we could hear from Lao Fang, at nine o'clock in the morning, all the radios on the ship received a broadcast.

“据国家地震台网测定，1976年7月28日凌晨3时42分，冀东地区发生强烈地震……震中位于……震级……初步判断为7.5级……灾情极为严重……伤亡情况尚在紧急统计中……中央已成立抗震救灾指挥部……号召全国军民紧急动员……”

"Level 7.5! Eastern Hebei! A major industrial city!"

Only then did everyone realize where they were going and what they were going to face, but no one had any idea about this 7.5, except for He Yuzhu.

"Boss, is this where we're going?" Shi Bin asked.

"Yes, there will be aftershocks. Are you scared?"

“If you’re not afraid, boss, why should I be?” Shi Bin said. He knew that he had people at home to take care of him, and since such a precious person as his boss had come in person, what was he afraid of? He just needed to follow in his boss’s footsteps.

The rest of the crew were actually quite uneasy, because none of them had experienced an earthquake and had no idea what it was like. Even if it was a simulated ruin, it was still a simulation and there weren't real injured people inside.

At 11 a.m., Lao Fang called again.

"Hey!"

"Zhu Zi, how long will it take you to reach Tianjin Port?"

"The fleet's current location: XX degrees XX minutes North latitude, XXX degrees XX minutes East longitude! At full speed, the estimated arrival time at the designated anchorage in Bohai Bay is 16:00!"

"Okay, I'll have someone rush to make the documents and try to get them delivered to Tianjin Port before you arrive."

"You need to communicate with the sailors in and around Jinmen Port first, otherwise we dare not approach."

"I know, someone has already notified you, and someone will contact you soon."

"Oh, right, there's one more thing. The helicopter formation from last time needs to be transferred over, and we need to send a few more pilots over as well."

"I know, and I will also have the drivers transferred to their positions."

"That's the best."

"Okay, that's settled for now. I'll go arrange other things."

After hanging up the call, He Yuzhu notified the entire fleet via radio.

"Destination—Tianjin Port, all ships turn around!"

"Notify all personnel to prepare for going ashore. Lunch will be served on time, and everyone should eat their fill."

After the order was given, everyone on the ships sprang into action.

"Medical team, conduct a final inventory of all medicines and equipment! Check the blood bank's incubator!"

"Security team, warm up the construction machinery! Check the fuel! Inventory all rescue tools!"

"Helicopter team, conduct one last check to ensure the helicopter is ready to take off at any time."

"Communications team, keep all channels open!"

The fleet arrived at the anchorage outside Tianjin Port on time.

"Boss, a lot of people have come ashore!" Shi Bin put down his binoculars, his voice tinged with tension.

Looking around, He Yuzhu saw that in addition to the port staff and border guards in uniform, there were also squads of soldiers in green military uniforms standing guard on the dock.

Further away, next to several jeeps adorned with red flags, stood several people who appeared to be cadres, anxiously looking in the direction of the fleet.

"Signal and request docking!" He Yuzhu said in a deep voice.

"Yes."

The fleet slowly sailed toward the designated berth.

As soon as the gangway to the shore was erected, a group of soldiers, led by a man with four pockets, quickly boarded the "Yellow River".

"Which one of you is Comrade He Fei?" Four people scanned the deck.

“I am.” He Yuzhu stepped forward.

The four men snapped to attention and gave a crisp military salute: "Comrade He Fei! By order of our superiors, our unit is tasked with assisting your personnel and supplies in registering them, obtaining temporary passes, and providing escort! Please give your instructions!"

He Yuzhu returned the greeting, "Time is of the essence, please begin as soon as possible!"

He Yuzhu's return salute surprised the four men. This military salute was even more standard than their own. The salute only said that he was a businessman, not a soldier.

"Alright, please have all personnel from your department disembark."

"I'll inform them right away."

Registration points were quickly set up at the dock.

All personnel, whether they were members of the "Wolf Fang" team, Taishan security personnel, or medical staff, lined up in long queues and, under the guidance of soldiers, registered their names, identity information, and affiliated units (all uniformly registered as "Yellow River Charity Foundation International Rescue Team"). They then received a temporary cardboard badge stamped with a large red seal and a number, which also bore a prominent red cross symbol.

Everyone had a brand new Red Cross armband tied around their left arm.

Meanwhile, the unloading operation proceeded at an astonishing speed.

Large cranes roared as they unloaded trucks painted with the Red Cross and the words "Yellow River Rescue," Warrior Jeeps, modified ambulances, and massive excavators, bulldozers, and loaders from the roll-on/roll-off ship.

These huge vehicles astonished the people of Tianjin Port. How rich must they be? This isn't just a few cars; there are hundreds of them, big and small. Is this their entire fortune being used for disaster relief?

Everyone has even greater respect for He Fei, who was featured in last year's newspaper.

On bulk carriers, boxes of tents, prefabricated house components, medicines, compressed biscuits, water purification tablets, diesel generators, blood bank incubators... are transported off the dock by forklifts and manual labor in an assembly line fashion, and quickly sorted and stacked in designated areas.

He Yuzhu did not participate in unloading or registration.

He led several core members, including Violent Wolf, straight towards the two massive CH-47 Chinook helicopters.

Ground crew were busily conducting final flight checks. Beneath the rotor, a mountain of wooden crates was being pried open—inside were tightly wrapped first-aid supplies, blood plasma bags, surgical instrument kits, portable generators, spare fuel, boxes of compressed biscuits, and bottled water.

"Boss, everything's ready! Fuel full, avionics working!" The technical team leader in charge of helicopter maintenance reported, wiping away sweat.

He Yuzhu nodded, his gaze falling on the jeeps with Red Cross flags on the shore.

He strode over and extended his hand to one of the middle-aged cadres, who was wearing a Zhongshan suit and had a solemn expression: "Comrade, I am He Fei."

"Comrade He Fei! I've heard so much about you! I'm Li, the liaison officer sent by the Jidong Earthquake Relief Headquarters!" Liaison Officer Li firmly grasped He Yuzhu's hand.

"Can we set off now?"

The other party was clearly taken aback for a moment, but then he understood when he saw the helicopters. He said, "Comrade He Fei, the situation is worse than we thought! The railways and highways leading to the epicenter are almost completely destroyed! Telephone lines are all cut off! The epicenter is now an isolated island! There are hundreds of thousands of people inside! The command center urgently needs to know the specific situation, and even more importantly, it needs to send the first batch of life-saving supplies in!"

"I'm mentally prepared."

“You can’t go by yourselves, I’ll help you find someone.”

"Understood," He Yuzhu replied.

A short while later, the four-pocketed man in charge of registration returned with the liaison officer surnamed Li.

"Comrade He, our Third Company is ready! We can board the plane at any time!"

"Then board now. You don't need to bring anything. These seven helicopters, besides seating people, are fully loaded with the most urgently needed first-aid medicines, blood plasma, surgical instruments, food, and communication equipment. My medical team and some personnel will depart on board."

He Yuzhu pointed to the two Chinook helicopters and five smaller transport helicopters behind him.
“Besides,” he said, looking at Liaison Officer Li next to him, “all the soldiers in my company obey my command, otherwise I might as well not bring them at all.”

"You!" The four pockets immediately became anxious.

"Company Commander Zhou, what are your orders from your superiors?"

"We will fully cooperate with Comrade He."

"Okay, I'll give you five minutes to make a call. Remember, you only have five minutes. Time is life," He Yuzhu said.

"Okay." Company Commander Zhou immediately ran to make a phone call.

"Comrade He, is there anything else you need to tell me? I will fully cooperate. My leader said you are an old acquaintance of his."

"Your boss?" He Yuzhu asked, puzzled.

"Deputy Commander Zhao."

"Old Zhao, Zhao Fengnian?" He Yuzhu asked.

"Yes, Deputy Commander Zhao, he was the mayor of the industrial city before."

"I understand. Where are the others?"

"In the disaster area."

"I understand. You stay here and coordinate my people and supplies, and make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Rest assured, all supplies will be delivered to the disaster area, and your personnel will also arrive."

"That's good."

As the two were talking, Company Commander Zhou ran over and saluted He Yuzhu.

"Comrade He Fei, my superiors have ordered my company to obey your command from now on until the disaster relief is over."

(End of this chapter)