The Eleventh Child's Lifesaver

After Zhao Minhui finished interviewing Tong Haojing that day, she returned to the Tangdu City Radio and Television News Department office. Zhao Minhui's heart was unsettled. The young man in her mind was a special forces soldier who had transferred from Unit A. He was so close to where she studied at Hexi College. She then recalled her desperate search for her savior. In recent years, Zhao Minhui had visited schools and hospitals more than once searching for clues about the hero who saved her life, but for some reason, all her efforts were in vain. In her hazy memory, it was several soldiers in uniform who, at a critical moment, rescued her and two classmates from a cave and brought them out of Yunding Mountain Canyon. Fortunately, she and another female classmate were safe, but the other male classmate became a vegetative state due to snake venom. This was an unforgettable, deeply ingrained event in her life.

She vowed to find that savior.

For several days after Zhao Minhui returned, Tong Haojing's image lingered in her mind. She sat in her office, occasionally staring blankly at the narcissus on her desk.

"Could the young man who jumped into the river be... This idea seems a bit far-fetched, or perhaps there are no such coincidences in the world." Zhao Minhui hoped so. She felt an inexplicable closeness to the young man, as if Tong Haojing possessed a magic that drew her in irresistibly. But she dismissed the thought.

Her colleague, Xiao Zhang, noticed Zhao Minhui's distraction and joked, "Sister Hui, are you thinking about your boyfriend?"

"Get out of here! Don't talk nonsense. Watch me sew your sharp tongue shut!" Zhao Minhui blushed like an apple, embarrassed.

Zhao Minhui returned home, feeling dejected.

Her father, Zhao Jinghao, who was sitting on the living room sofa after a meeting, saw her distress and asked with concern, "Are you facing difficulties?"

"Dad! No!" Zhao Minhui said playfully, leaving her father confused.

"Then not. My dear girl, why the long face?" Zhao Jinghao teased. Zhao Minhui was Zhao Jinghao's only daughter, his darling, and his greatest pride. Zhao Jinghao, 52, was the Vice Chairman of the Municipal Political Consultative Conference and an outstanding entrepreneur.

"Dad, you can help me inquire about a soldier who recently transferred back!" Zhao Minhui suddenly thought that her father was acquainted with leaders from the Civil Affairs Bureau and the military department, and perhaps he could find out something.

"Have you found a boyfriend?" Zhao Jinghao chuckled.

"No, it's for news material." Zhao Jinghao saw that his daughter was being evasive and knew something was up. He deeply respected his daughter and didn't need to pry too much into her personal matters.

"Okay, I'll ask. By the way, the Municipal Political Consultative Conference had a meeting today, and I heard people from the Public Security Bureau say that the West City Police Station encountered some trouble. They said two people jumped into the river. A transferred soldier was taken to... West City Police Station. One person's condition is unknown. Could this person be...?"

"What did that person look like?" Zhao Minhui eagerly interjected.

"How would I know what he looks like?" Zhao Jinghao replied naturally.

"Hmph! You're not paying attention. Watch how I deal with you!" Zhao Minhui said playfully to her father, then suddenly felt she had gone too far in front of him, inadvertently revealing how much she cared about that retired soldier.

Seeing his daughter's apparent anger, Zhao Jinghao seemed to understand her feelings but couldn't say it directly. It seemed his daughter was serious about this matter and wanted to figure something out. Zhao Jinghao took off his glasses and placed them on the coffee table, held his breath, and carefully recalled what Deputy Director Hu from the Public Security Bureau had said about the West City Police Station during the Political Consultative Conference meeting.

"Oh, let me try to remember..."

After a moment, Zhao Jinghao suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with surprise as he looked at his daughter Zhao Minhui, "I remember now, the person brought back to the station seemed to be a soldier, but I really can't recall his name!"

"Dad! What's his name? Are you tricking me?" Zhao Minhui was losing patience, thinking her father was deliberately teasing her!

"I can guarantee it, Hu Yuancheng said the person brought back was a soldier, I just can't remember the name!" Zhao Jinghao looked at his daughter's expectant face with a mock-shameless expression.

"Ah! No way! How could a hero be arrested?" Zhao Minhui was a little surprised. She was certain that the person taken to the police station must be that retired soldier, and there must be some misunderstanding. After saying this, Zhao Minhui rushed out of the door, not even taking her handbag, and sped out of the Qingya Residential Area in her Bluebird car.

Zhao Jinghao followed his daughter a few steps and instructed her with concern, "What's the rush? Drive slower!" He watched his daughter's retreating figure, a subtle smile of blessing appearing on his face – his daughter had grown up.

Twenty minutes later, a red, high-end Bluebird sedan stopped in front of the police station. A tall woman with an elegant demeanor, dressed in a white flowing cloud dress, got out of the car. She walked directly towards the third floor of the police station. This was Zhao Minhui, a reporter from Tangdu City Television Station.

"Director Tang! Director Tang!" Zhao Minhui called out a few times.

Director Tang had held his bladder during the meeting and only remembered to go to the restroom after the two directors left and he had arranged for Officer Lan and Lu Tong to run errands. As he was coming out of the restroom, he heard a familiar female voice calling. He recognized it as Zhao Minhui, the reporter from the television station.

This was due to Zhao Minhui's frequent visits to the West City Police Station to dig for news leads. Director Tang had been flustered by the beautiful reporter, always afraid of being exposed for any slip-ups.

"Beautiful reporter, thank you for your live recording!" Director Tang said.

"Oh, I just happened to capture it by chance," Zhao Minhui replied modestly.

"I heard you've locked up a hero who acted bravely for a just cause?" Zhao Minhui teased.

"You can't say such things. It was a misunderstanding. The Public Security Bureau handled it according to procedure!" Director Tang's words were flawless, and he appeared unusually cautious.

"That day, our news department was filming by the Tangdu River, and everyone saw Tong Haojing fighting those thugs. Oh, you have no idea, that young man was truly brave, one against two, no, one against three. Bare-handed, he disarmed the thugs of their weapons. I saw it with my own eyes, it's absolutely true. How is he now? Where is he?" Zhao Minhui asked with apparent concern.

"Beautiful lady, you don't know, our director personally requested him for the Public Security Bureau. He's to report in a week." Director Tang told Zhao Minhui about the two directors visiting Tong Haojing. Zhao Minhui's heart warmed, and her face lit up with a smile. She murmured to herself, "Now that's the style of the Public Security Bureau!" Zhao Minhui's lips curved into a dimple, looking endearingly pleased.

"Director Tang, where is he?" Zhao Minhui asked.

"Oh, his family just left," Director Tang said.

Zhao Minhui was somewhat disappointed. Without even entering Director Tang's office, she hurried downstairs, got into her red Bluebird car, started the engine, and sped off in the direction of Tong Haojing's home.

In reality, Zhao Minhui didn't know which direction Tong Haojing had gone. She was just chasing aimlessly, seeking some emotional solace. She really wanted to see this young man.

Tong Haojing and his mother had escorted Wang Xigui home and were heading home with Uncle Mumu. On the way, Tong Haojing's phone rang: "Hello, great hero, why haven't you contacted me!"

Tong Haojing didn't recognize the voice. "Who is this?"

"You noble people forget easily. It's Zhao Minhui!" A crisp, sweet voice made Tong Haojing recall his memory.

"I remember! You're... a reporter!" A woman remembering a grown man, Tong Haojing knew what that meant, and he blushed.

"When do you report..." Zhao Minhui asked a few more rapid-fire questions.

"How did you know?" Tong Haojing felt a bit strange. How could a reporter know about this?

"I won't tell you. Anyway, I know you're going to the Public Security Bureau, right? Can anything in Tangdu be hidden from me?" Zhao Minhui became more pleased and more boastful as she spoke.

"In a week, Director Zheng said so." Tong Haojing lacked confidence. He hadn't reported to his unit yet, and he was still uneasy.

"Okay, handsome guy, can I ask you a small thing?" Zhao Minhui felt an inexplicable nervousness and became a little reserved in front of Tong Haojing.

"What is it, say it!" A while ago, when Zhao Minhui interviewed Tong Haojing, a detail had caught her special attention. Tong Haojing was a soldier.

"You said you transferred from the military that day. Which unit were you in?" Zhao Minhui curiously asked again.

"Why are you asking this? Is it useful?" Tong Haojing asked with suspicion.

"N-nothing, just asking around!" Zhao Minhui said with a relaxed, indifferent expression, showing no signs of pretense.

"Unit A, Special Operations Reconnaissance Company! But..." Tong Haojing said proudly, though a hint of helplessness flickered across his face as his voice trailed off.

"Unit A is right next to Hexi College, very close," Zhao Minhui chimed in. Suddenly, she noticed a slight change in Tong Haojing's tone. "What's wrong?"

Tong Haojing remained silent for a long moment, then let out a long sigh. "Ah! The Special Operations Unit was disbanded, and all our members were transferred to civilian jobs!"

Zhao Minhui, listening intently, keenly sensed Tong Haojing's sadness. His attempt to hide it was obvious in his voice and demeanor. A man doesn't cry easily unless deeply moved. Tong Haojing clearly had deep feelings for the Special Operations Unit, and she hadn't expected to touch such a sensitive nerve.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked about that!" Zhao Minhui seemed a little regretful. Then, out of the blue, she added, "Handsome, I graduated from the Journalism Department at Hexi College, which is right next to Unit A."

"What, Hexi College? Does that have anything to do with me?" Tong Haojing snapped back to reality from his memories.

"Remember to keep in touch!" With that, Zhao Minhui hung up, feeling a sense of unfinished business. In her heart, she had already decided that Tong Haojing was her savior.

Zhao Minhui's sweet voice sent Tong Haojing's thoughts drifting. A warm current of emotion surged through him, igniting his spirit. The nourishment of her affection filled him with immense pride as a demobilized soldier. A person's breakthrough often begins at a turning point in life, and Tong Haojing firmly believed his turning point had arrived. His dream of becoming a police officer was realized. After this extraordinary experience, Tong Haojing's eyes held both surprise and uncertainty. He knew that his future path as a police officer would be a challenging journey filled with unknowns.

On their way home, they crossed the Tangdu River. Tong Haojing happily recounted the day's events and experiences to his mother, also discussing their future lives.

Uncle Mumu walked alone behind them, looking dejected. He thought of his daughter, Mei Tingyu, who was away from home