Morning.
First Hospital courtyard.
"Don't shove! My leg!"
"Keep order! Don't push!"
"Keep moving up front! Don't block the way! No one can get through!"
"People in the back, stop pushing! What's the rush? The quake hasn't even happened yet!"
At that moment, the courtyard was filled with people pouring outside. Beyond it was a large parking lot, with no tall buildings nearby, so everyone had come out to take shelter. Several hundred people quickly filled the area, and a chaotic din rose everywhere. Nurses moved among the crowd; some pushed mobile hospital beds, while others continued treating the wounded and administering IV drips under the sun. The scene was incredibly hectic.
Before long, people from the district arrived!
Leading them was District Party Secretary Wang Anshi. He had been nearby mobilizing the Rescue Team to save people, and the moment he heard something had happened at the hospital, he rushed over. Behind him were Minister Xue Qingrong of the Organization Department and Director Wen Wei of the Public Security Bureau. Several District Leaders and Party Committee staff squeezed through the crowd and arrived one after another.
"Make way!"
"Let Secretary Wang through first!"
"Step aside!"
As they spoke, Wang Anshi led his people into the courtyard.
Dean Sun and several hospital leaders hurried over. "Secretary Wang, Minister Xue, Director Wen."
Wang Anshi pointed at his nose and shouted, "What the hell are you doing? Who told you to evacuate the injured? Where are they supposed to go after leaving? Your house?"
Dean Sun said bitterly, "It wasn't my instruction. It was Director Dong Xuebin's."
Wang Anshi's brows twitched. "Dong Xuebin? He told you to evacuate, so you evacuated? Did you get the district's approval?"
"Some cracks appeared upstairs." Dean Sun pointed at the hospital's main building. "Director Dong said he was afraid something might happen and the building might collapse, so he used a loudspeaker to have everyone move out. I hadn't wanted to evacuate them either."
Wen Wei looked up. "What building doesn't have cracks now? What's the big deal about that?"
Xue Qingrong said coldly to Dean Sun, "Isn't this nonsense? Why didn't you stop him?"
"I tried, but I couldn't stop him." Dean Sun looked helpless. "Look at the situation now. This..."
Wang Anshi, Wen Wei, and the others all felt a chill in their hearts. Dong Xuebin, that thorn in their side, always had to cause trouble for them. Although Dong Xuebin's willingness to risk his life to save others yesterday at noon had moved even Wang Anshi somewhat, by the time a person had risen to Wang Anshi's position, it was difficult for other emotions to change much. Before the earthquake, the conflict between Wang Anshi and Dong Xuebin had already reached the point where there was no room for reconciliation. So while Wang Anshi viewed Dong Xuebin in a new light because of what happened yesterday, it did not affect his attitude toward him. Earlier, Dong Xuebin and Geng Yuehua had both advocated earthquake precautions and evacuation, but Wang Anshi had refused to listen. The facts proved that Wang Anshi had been terribly wrong. That made it even more important for him to stabilize the situation after the quake, carry out rescue work, and treat the injured properly, in order to make up for some of the political damage. Yet Dong Xuebin had come to make trouble again!
At a time like this, he wanted all the injured moved out onto the street?
How would they handle medical equipment? Accommodations? Infections?
Who knew how many more people would die that way! In Wang Anshi and the others' eyes, this was plainly absurd! Nanshan District already had hospitals that had collapsed badly and could no longer take in patients, so they needed First Hospital's medical support even more. How could they evacuate everyone at such a critical moment?
Wang Anshi immediately ordered, "There are so many injured people! There's no way to arrange for them outside! Get the patients back inside immediately! What kind of nonsense is this?"
Having received the order, Dean Sun immediately began persuading everyone.
First they were told to evacuate, then they were told to go back. Many people were fed up.
"What are you people doing? Are you playing us for fools?"
"I just came out, and now you're telling me to go back? Who exactly are we supposed to listen to?"
"Didn't that building crack? How are we supposed to stay there?"
Seeing this, Wang Anshi took a loudspeaker and shouted, "I'm District Party Secretary Wang Anshi. Listen carefully, everyone. The cracks in the building aren't serious and are within tolerable limits. If evacuation becomes necessary, the district will notify everyone, but not now. Go back inside."
Xue Qingrong and Wen Wei also began persuading them.
They were all District Leaders, and their words carried considerable weight.
After hearing them, quite a few people reluctantly got to their feet, gathered their belongings, and prepared to head back inside.
But Dong Xuebin, who was directing the evacuation in the hospital lobby, saw this and heard Wang Anshi's words. He immediately flew into a rage. Damn you, Wang Anshi! Are you ever going to stop? I told everyone before it happened that there was going to be an earthquake! You refused to believe me! Not only did you stop people from evacuating and taking shelter on their own, you even had the Public Security Bureau send residents back home to wait for death! That's why the quake caused so many deaths and injuries! In the end, it was all because Wang Anshi mishandled things! Most of Nanshan District's casualties could be said to have been caused by Wang Anshi! And now? The building is about to collapse, and this bastard is back again? Telling everyone to go back and die? Wang, what the hell do you mean by this? Just for the sake of a stable situation! Just to avoid a little trouble! You don't give a damn about ordinary people's lives!?
Inside the hospital, many nurses and patients who were about to leave stopped in their tracks.
"Hey, look outside. Why are they standing up?"
"Are they coming back? I think I heard someone shouting something."
"If everything's fine, are we still leaving? I've already packed my things."
Dong Xuebin quickly looked at his watch. There were less than two minutes until the aftershock, and most of First Hospital had already been evacuated. Only the last group remained!
Dong Xuebin decisively gripped the loudspeaker. "Keep moving! Nobody stop!"
Zhan Rourou helped an injured patient out at a brisk pace. "Director Dong, I think the District Party Secretary is here. I heard him from the window saying everyone should..."
"To hell with what he says!" Dong Xuebin cursed. "Listen to me! Move! Move!"
A few people were frightened by Dong Xuebin's fierce expression and hurried out of the main building, but several remaining patients frowned and still hesitated where they stood!
There weren't even two minutes left!
Dong Xuebin cursed, stepped forward, grabbed a nurse and an injured patient, and forcibly dragged them both outside. "Move!"
The tense atmosphere instantly spread.
Many people were affected by Dong Xuebin's urgency and became nervous as well. They stopped talking, grabbed their things, and hurried outside.
In the courtyard.
Those preparing to go back inside ran into those fleeing out.
"Don't come out. The District Party Secretary told us to go back in."
"What are you talking about? I think this building really might collapse."
"Really? Who said that? Why is everyone saying something different?"
"A leader inside told us to get out fast! He sounded really urgent! I don't think he's lying!"
"That's Director Dong. I know him. He was the first one to publish an article in the newspaper saying there would be an earthquake."
"What? That's Dong Xuebin? The first one to predict the earthquake?"
"Exactly. The district didn't listen to him back then, and that's why the earthquake caught them so unprepared. I think Director Dong must be right."
In an instant, more than a hundred people were blocked in the middle of the courtyard. They exchanged words quickly, unsure whether to go in or retreat. But without exception, no one dared return to the hospital. The earthquake had terrified them all, and now they would rather believe it than risk being wrong.
"Leave the courtyard! Hurry!" Dong Xuebin shouted from the entrance.
When Wang Anshi, Xue Qingrong, and the others heard that, their faces darkened.
Furious, Wang Anshi strode forward. "Dong! What the hell are you causing trouble for? Who gave you the authority to falsely issue orders and clear out the hospital? Huh?"
Wen Wei added, "Dong Xuebin! Things are chaotic enough already! Stop making more trouble!"
Xue Qingrong said to the crowd, "Go back inside! Don't stand around here! How are people supposed to receive treatment here? How are they supposed to get medicine? Go back quickly. The hospital won't collapse!"
The injured, doctors, and nurses became uncertain again. It was too chaotic. Who were they supposed to listen to?
Wang Anshi was so angry his face turned green. He said to Wen Wei, "Organize people immediately! Get the injured back inside!" With that, Wang Anshi headed straight toward Dong Xuebin, with Xue Qingrong following him.
Dong Xuebin did not even look at them. He hurriedly helped a patient outside, then turned back and asked, "Is anyone still inside?"
A female nurse who had just come out said, "Everyone's out. There are still some medical supplies. Zhan Rourou and Xiao Ting are moving them."
Dong Xuebin immediately raised the loudspeaker. "Xiao Zhan! Get out! Stop moving things! Get out here, now! Do you hear me? Stop moving them!"
Less than one minute remained!
There was no time! The aftershock was coming!
Suddenly, there was a commotion at the entrance. Discipline Inspection Committee Secretary Wu Liang, Executive Deputy District Governor Shen Fei, and several other District Leaders rushed over. "What's going on? What happened?"
Forty seconds remained!
Wang Anshi had already stormed up to him. "Dong Xuebin! What exactly are you trying to do? Isn't the situation chaotic enough for you? Stop immediately! Go back and nurse your injuries!"
Dong Xuebin looked at him coldly. "The building's about to collapse! What injury am I supposed to nurse?"
"Who told you it was going to collapse? Who told you that? Stop talking nonsense!" Wang Anshi pointed at him and said, "I order you now—go back to your hospital room immediately!"
"Fuck your uncle!" Dong Xuebin exploded. "If you want to die, I won't stop you! But I can't let ordinary people die with you!"
Wang Anshi's face went white!
Xue Qingrong shouted angrily, "You still dare curse people?"
"I'm cursing you bastards!" Dong Xuebin roared. "The building is cracked like this, and you're still making ordinary people go back in to die? You can't accomplish a damn thing, and you're still causing me trouble? Bullshit!" Dong Xuebin turned and shouted inside, "Xiao Zhan! Are you out yet? Hurry up!"
One after another, several more young nurses ran out carrying medical supplies.
Less than twenty seconds remained!
Everyone was stunned when they heard Dong Xuebin's tirade.
There had long been rumors that Dong Xuebin feared neither heaven nor earth, that he never feared offending anyone. But few had witnessed it firsthand. Now that they saw Dong Xuebin pointing at the District Party Secretary and telling him to get lost, they finally believed it. They had seen officials before, but never one who acted like this!
He even cursed out the District Party Secretary?
He was making enemies to the bitter end!
Before you continue