Chapter 1118: Saving Someone
Chapter 1118: Saving Someone
Editor: Henyee Translations
Many people had gathered to watch, but the fire was too intense for anyone to attempt putting it out.
Someone had already called the fire department, but the fire engine had yet to arrive.
The onlookers, likely neighbors, murmured among themselves.
“Thank goodness the Shen couple just went out for business. The door’s still locked, so no one should be inside.”
“How did the fire even start?”
“Probably an old circuit issue. At least no one’s inside, but it’s a shame—the house won’t survive this blaze.”
The acrid smell of smoke filled the air, and Gu Yang instinctively pulled Gu Jin and Feng Jue farther back from the scene.
Just then, through the crackling of the flames, she suddenly heard a faint, hoarse voice—a child’s voice.
“Help!”
“Help! Cough, cough!”
There was also the sound of someone banging on the door.@@novelbin@@
Gu Yang suddenly stopped in her tracks.
“What’s wrong?” Gu Jin looked at Gu Yang.
Gu Yang looked at the four little kids beside her. “Did you hear any cries for help?”
Feng Jue was puzzled. “No, sister.”
Gu Jin, Gu Ying, and Cao Cuo also shook their heads.
Was she hallucinating?
Gu Yang felt confused at first, but the knocking on the door grew more frantic, and the cries for help sounded increasingly desperate, like someone was sobbing.
“Sister, are you alright?”
“Help! Help! Help!”
Gu Yang’s eyes darted toward the burning house. The door was indeed locked from the outside, but she could see the lock rattling as if someone inside was trying to open it.
If there really was someone trapped inside…
Without hesitating, she ran toward the crowd of onlookers and urgently called out, “Uncle, Auntie, there’s someone in there! Please help break the door open!”
The adults looked at her in disbelief. “Someone? Young lady, are you joking? The door’s locked, and the family already left. No one’s inside.”
“Yeah, the smoke’s thick here. Go play somewhere safer,” another added dismissively.
Panic gripped Gu Yang as the cries for help continued. Her anxiety peaked, and the smoke stung her eyes, making them water. With no other choice, she started to cry—full-on tears streaming down her face—and tugged on the sleeve of a nearby man.
“Uncle, please help! There’s really someone inside—my good friend from kindergarten! Their parents locked the door when they left. Please, help me save them!”
Gu Yang knew that people like Feng Jue and Gu Jin hadn’t heard the faint cries for help, so she couldn’t say she came because she heard them—no one would believe her.
Instead, she had to act with certainty, insisting that someone was trapped inside.
She also remembered the psychology of responsibility diffusion, known as the bystander effect. If she asked the whole crowd for help, no one might step forward. But if she singled someone out, it would increase the chances of them taking action.
Being just a child, she couldn’t break down the door herself, so she had to rely on someone else to help.
Sure enough, the tattooed man she approached was taken aback. Stopped by an adorable little girl with teary eyes, his fatherly instincts kicked in, and his sense of responsibility soared.
People usually found his burly appearance and tattooed arms intimidating—most kids would avoid him or cry at the sight. But this little girl wasn’t scared at all. She came straight to him for help!
Of all the people she could have chosen, she trusted him. To the man, it felt like she saw the goodness in him that others overlooked.
His chest swelled with pride.
“Don’t cry, little girl. I’ll help you save your friend right now!”
With that, he rushed toward the burning house. Kicking hard at the wooden door, weakened by the fire, it didn’t take long before the entire door gave way under his strength.
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