The Beauty CEO's Personal Expert

Chapter 1532 - 1837: Fire Rescue (Part 7)

In addition to the equipment, the large backpack Tang Yuan just threw over contained several small oxygen tanks. These tanks aren’t as big as oxygen cylinders and are about the size of a regular thermos, making them ideal for carrying around. However, the oxygen stored in these tanks isn’t much; one tank can last for a mere seven or eight minutes at most.

With three oxygen tanks strapped to his waist, Ling Chen hastily packed, slinging the oxygen cylinder over his back. The oxygen cylinder was almost used up, with only one-fifth remaining. For Ling Chen, it could barely hold out for a short while.

Coming out of the office, Ling Chen rushed straight down the stairs. At present, everyone had been rescued, leaving only Nanrong Wanqing and Leng Feifei in the whole building. Find them both and get them out; his task would be considered complete.

At this moment, time is life, and Ling Chen isn’t sure whether Nanrong Wanqing and Leng Feifei can last that long. It didn’t take long for Ling Chen to confirm the elevator’s position at the twenty-sixth floor.

"Wanqing, Feifei!" Ling Chen shouted their names loudly while walking, hoping for a response from them.

However, the fire in the building was getting fiercer with flames everywhere, turning Ling Chen’s firefighter suit almost black. Looking at the worsening environment, Ling Chen didn’t know how to describe his mood.

So hot! Ling Chen panted, his clothes already soaked with sweat. Within the surrounding heat waves, he felt like his skin was about to be roasted dry.

"Wanqing... Wanqing..." Ling Chen wanted to search along the corridor for Nanrong Wanqing and Leng Feifei’s whereabouts. But the rooms on both sides of the corridor were engulfed in flames, with fierce fire continually spewing forth. If he continued forward, he might be consumed by the flames, with no chance of survival.

Moreover, if Nanrong Wanqing and Leng Feifei were really on this floor, they couldn’t possibly survive. Hesitating for a moment, Ling Chen gave up on the idea of moving forward and instead rushed downstairs. As long as one is sane, when the building explodes, they would surely hurry to escape the building.

Nanrong Wanqing and Leng Feifei were in the elevator below on this floor; they should continue descending along the stairs, so they are more likely trapped downstairs.

When he came in earlier, Ling Chen recalled Xia Mutong saying that the tenth-floor safety exit was blocked by the explosion, preventing rescue personnel from entering. If that’s the case, then Nanrong Wanqing and Leng Feifei should be between the tenth and twenty-fifth floors.

Searching fourteen floors in a short time is indeed a challenging task.

Ling Chen did not delay, searching floor by floor downwards. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, he wouldn’t give up.

However, the further down he went, the stronger the fire became, which was becoming unbearable for Ling Chen, with several areas on his body burnt by the flames. In no time, ten minutes had passed, and Ling Chen was already on the nineteenth floor. Seeing the entire floor filled with fire, a trace of despair instantaneously welled up in Ling Chen’s heart. In such an environment, and after such a long time, could Nanrong Wanqing and Leng Feifei really survive?

In the midst of pondering, Ling Chen’s gaze was suddenly drawn to a heap of rocks. Due to the collapsed ceiling, many large stones had fallen. At the base of that pile of stones lay a person, their face charred black.

Someone else? Ling Chen quickly ran up to the person, leaned down to take a closer look, discovering it was a man dressed in a cleaner’s uniform. Presumably, he encountered the explosion while cleaning and didn’t escape in time, getting buried by the stones that fell from above.

Checking the man’s breathing, Ling Chen helplessly shook his head; the man’s breath had completely disappeared. If only he had been spotted a few minutes earlier, he might still have been saved.

Sorry! Ling Chen silently said. If time permitted, he would transport the man’s body out to his family. But now, he urgently needed to find Nanrong Wanqing and Leng Feifei, having no extra time to waste.

Now, Ling Chen stood up, turned around ready to leave. After walking less than a few steps, Ling Chen suddenly stopped, sniffing the air. Strange! This smell... why does it seem somewhat familiar. Ling Chen looked around, seeing a cleaning cart next to the deceased cleaning personnel, with its contents scattered on the ground, emanating that peculiar odor.

Ling Chen stepped forward, picked up a bottle of cleaning liquid, opened the cap, and sniffed.

Indeed! Ling Chen’s expression changed, a colder edge appearing in his gaze towards the cleaning personnel. These bottled cleaning liquids weren’t cleaning liquids at all but potent chemical agents with strong combustive properties.

Looking at the contents inside the cleaning cart, Ling Chen took everything out and even found several detonators. No doubt, these were the leftovers after they installed the bombs.

He originally thought this fire was an accident; now, it seemed it wasn’t accidental but someone intentionally trying to commit murder.

And Ling Chen himself had been too careless; the man in his thirties or forties didn’t look like a cleaner from any angle. Moreover, men of this age typically don’t engage in such work.

Chen Chong... Of course! Suddenly, Ling Chen recalled Chen Chong, whom he had saved earlier, also dressed as a cleaner. Could these two guys be in cahoots?

Thinking of this, Ling Chen tore a piece of torn cloth from his own clothes, then took the dead middle-aged man’s finger, pressing it onto the torn cloth for a fingerprint. The man’s hand was charred black, leaving a very clear print.

Taking out his phone, Ling Chen photographed the fingerprint and sent it to Tang Yuan’s phone, accompanying the photo with a call explaining the situation.

"Old Tang, what happened to that cleaner named Chen Chong?"

"He was sent to the hospital for treatment."

"Immediately have someone watch him, and investigate his identity. I suspect his identity isn’t simple; this fire was likely caused intentionally by him."

"Is that so? Got it! Leave it to me to handle it."

Ending the call, Ling Chen also dragged the middle-aged man’s corpse out from beneath the pile of rubble, soon finding a phone on the person.

No time to check the phone’s information, Ling Chen quickly tidied up and continued searching downstairs. Before long, Ling Chen arrived at the building’s seventeenth floor. Upon reaching here, Ling Chen was unable to proceed further down. The safety stairs leading to the sixteenth floor were already encircled by flames, below was a sea of fire, with no way of entering.

Could it really be hopeless? Ling Chen clenched his fists, his eyes red with frustration. He searched from the top all the way down here yet couldn’t find Nanrong Wanqing or Leng Feifei. If they were downstairs, there was absolutely no chance of survival.

Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang!