The Chance to Shine Has Come Again!

The second update was here. Any Recommendation Tickets left?

Outside the cafeteria.

After hearing about the fire, Dong Xuebin and Tan Limei immediately rushed out of the cafeteria along with everyone else and craned their necks toward the Gray Building. The fire was in the building where the General Office was located, but it was on the second floor, some distance from the General Office, so it probably would not spread there. Thick smoke billowed from the middle of the second floor corridor and poured out through the windows. The fire looked quite serious.

"Whose office is that? How did it catch fire?"

"Call 119, quick!"

"It's already been called!"

Quite a few people had gathered in the courtyard, creating a chaotic uproar.

At first, Dong Xuebin did not take it to heart. A fire was a fire; it had nothing to do with him. But when he turned and saw Li Qing and Zhou Changchun's pale faces, he seemed to understand in an instant. Looking again at the smoke pouring from the second floor, he cursed inwardly. That was Li Qing's office!

Li Qing shouted, "Everyone from the General Office, hurry and come with me!"

Zhou Changchun wiped his sweat in a panic and hurried after Li Qing toward the Gray Building. "Put out the fire! Hurry!"

Guo Shunjie and Guo Panwei had already rushed after them. Knowing the situation was bad, Dong Xuebin ran over with Tan Limei and Zhuangzi. Dong Xuebin knew the fire had to have been caused by that broken electric kettle. Li Qing and Zhou Changchun had forgotten to unplug it before leaving, so the blame would inevitably fall on them. Moreover, the two important documents from that morning seemed to still be in Li Qing's office. If the office burned down, that would be one thing, but if anything happened to the documents, the responsibility would be enormous. The entire General Office might even receive major demerits.

Thick smoke drifted through the second-floor corridor, choking everyone into coughing nonstop.

Several people from the Political Department and Finance were already fighting the fire, splashing basin after basin of water at the burning wooden door.

"The door's warped from the fire! We can't open it!"

"Put out the fire on the door first! Don't let it spread out!"

"Bring more water! This isn't enough!"

Li Qing was truly frantic this time. On the way over, he had grabbed a fire extinguisher and sprayed it repeatedly at the tightly shut door.

At the end of the corridor, a middle-aged man rushed over with a stern face. It was the branch bureau's Top Leader—Iron-Faced Director Yan Liang.

Li Qing said in a fluster, "Director Yan, I... I don't know how the office caught fire."

He was blatantly lying, purely trying to evade responsibility.

Director Yan pointed at his nose. "Don't give me that! Get the useful documents out of there, now!"

"Director Yan, I... I..." Li Qing did not know what to say. "The other documents aren't important, but... but the two documents you told me to deliver to the Confidential Office this morning are... are still inside."

"What did you say?" Director Yan's expression changed immediately. "Say that again?"

Li Qing had also run out of extinguisher spray. He said anxiously, "The Confidential Office was having a meeting this morning, and no one was there to receive them, so I took them back to my office and planned to deliver them in the afternoon. Who could have thought..."

Director Yan roared, "Were those documents something you could leave in your office? Huh? What did I tell you when I handed them over? Those were important files with no backups! Nothing could happen to them! Yet you left them in your office and went to eat? Do you understand the document handling procedures? Do you?"

Zhou Changchun was drenched in sweat nearby.

Li Qing said, "Director, don't worry, don't worry. I'll get them out right away. There's still time, there's still time!" The flames on the door had mostly been extinguished. Li Qing looked over and shouted at Guo Panwei, "Forget the fire for now! Kick the door open and get the documents! They're in the second drawer on the left side of the desk in the inner room! Get them out even if it kills you!"

Guo Panwei understood that if he could get the documents out at this critical moment, it would be a tremendous achievement. He immediately rushed forward and kicked the door. Bang! The door shook, but did not budge.

Dong Xuebin saw the opportunity too, but just as he was about to step forward and kick the door, Guo Shunjie suddenly shoved him aside, took the spot, and kicked the door panel.

Crash!

The door fell inward.

Seeing his chance to distinguish himself stolen, Dong Xuebin nearly cursed out loud.

I've earned some merit now! Guo Shunjie laughed wildly to himself as he prepared to charge into the office.

Guo Panwei did not lag behind either, following closely as he ran inside.

But the moment they crossed the threshold, a wave of heat crashed into them, carrying thick, rolling smoke.

Guo Shunjie and Guo Panwei were scared half to death. They fled in a panic, using every ounce of strength they had to avoid the roaring flames whipped up by the falling door.

Li Qing and Zhou Changchun, both frantic, urgently directed them. "Go in! The second drawer!"

Guo Panwei and Guo Shunjie had thought only the area near the entrance was on fire. They had never expected the entire interior to be burning. The large book-filled cabinet, the promotional documents piled in the corner, the computer, the desk—everything that could burn was burning. Still shaken, they looked at the office, which had become a sea of fire. How could Guo Panwei and Guo Shunjie dare charge in like fools? That would be suicide. No amount of credit was more important than their lives.

"It's impossible. The documents have definitely burned up," Guo Panwei said, backing away.

Guo Shunjie also kept retreating, terrified that more flames would burst out.

Li Qing cursed them as useless under his breath. He clenched his fists and wanted to rush in himself, but after hesitating several times, he still did not have the courage.

Seeing the terrible state of the office, Zhou Changchun slumped against the wall. It was over. He and the director were finished.

"Fire extinguishers are here!" Zhuangzi and Tan Limei ran over from afar, each carrying a fire extinguisher, and began spraying inside.

In truth, everyone present knew that with a fire this large, the documents could not possibly be saved.

Director Yan pointed at Li Qing and Zhou Changchun through gritted teeth. "What the hell does your General Office even do? Huh?" After taking two breaths, he spat out harshly, "Do you know what those documents were? Do you? Your General Office can't even handle something this minor—what use are you? Bring me your resignation letters tomorrow!"

Knowing there was no way to salvage things, Zhou Changchun lowered his head without a word. He had hoped to be promoted to Zhengke Level before retirement, but now...

Tan Limei, Guo Panwei, and the others from the General Office also felt humiliated, each lowering their head as they endured the reprimand.

Li Qing clenched his teeth tightly, unable to say a word. Resign? This job was too important to him. His daughter's medicine cost a huge amount every month. If he lost his job, he did not even know how they would survive. But... now that things had come to this, there was nothing more to say.

Then, with a sudden whoosh from the side—

Someone grabbed a basin of clean water, raised it, and splashed it over his entire body from head to toe. Then, under everyone's dumbfounded gazes, he pushed off with his feet and plunged headfirst into the still-raging sea of flames.

It was Dong Xuebin.

Everyone present was stunned.

This guy was insane. He dared charge into such a huge fire?

"Little Dong!"

"Binzi!"

"Are you trying to get yourself killed? The documents are already burned up! Come back!"

The second update was here. Any Recommendation Tickets left?