CHAPTER 1384: CHAPTER 1384: ALL HANDS ON DECK

Elder Rong watched the car’s taillights disappear before closing the door and returning to the house.

Rong Daniang asked, "They’ve left?"

Elder Rong nodded, "This is how their work is—usually it’s manageable, but when an emergency arises, they must comply unconditionally."

When Luo Qiao left, she gave Elder Rong Miao Shuang’s phone number, instructing him to call her at dawn so she could bring the car over early and not affect the kids going to school.

She was worried that the rain might not stop by morning, and the kids would have trouble getting around.

Elder Rong carefully stored the piece of paper and mentioned it to his wife, worried he might forget because of his memory.

After all the commotion, Rong Daniang also found it hard to sleep. She said, "I’ll get up, knead the dough, and let it rise. I’ll steam some buns for them. When dawn comes, you and Qi Ling can take them over. People need food to stay strong; only when they’ve eaten their fill can they accomplish more."

Elder Rong glanced at the quartz clock in the room. "Alright, I’ll help you chop the filling."

As soon as the decision was made, the two of them got busy and headed to the kitchen together.

******

When Luo Qiao arrived at the hospital, many medical staff who had received the notice were also arriving, quickly entering a battle-ready state. The night shift and emergency room staff had already rushed to the site of the incident.

The hospital director and several deputy directors were also present, preparing for all sorts of emergencies.

As personnel got into position, the first batch of rescued wounded was transported in from the site.

Given Luo Qiao’s medical expertise, she was assigned the critical patients. All the operating rooms lit up with "In Surgery."

The patient Luo Qiao was assigned had suffered a severe head injury, and a scan revealed the immediate need for a craniotomy. Because these critically injured patients lacked present family members, surgery consent forms were signed jointly by hospital administrators and the project site representatives.

Though it was a typical craniotomy to clear a blood clot, it took two hours. As soon as the surgery ended, a nurse came over. "Director Luo, Operating Room No. 6 has been fully sanitized, and the patient is about to be moved in. The director said this surgery is entrusted to you."

Luo Qiao nodded, "Okay, I’ll go disinfect and change now."

During the break to change clothes, she took care of her physiological needs and secretly drank a cup of Spatial Well Water to boost her energy.

Without any delay, she entered the next surgery—a ruptured spleen, possibly caused by secondary injury. The tremendous blood loss had led to coagulation dysfunction, making the situation extremely dire.

For most other doctors, handling this type of case would be challenging, as widespread bleeding in the abdominal cavity could lead to life-threatening difficulties in controlling hemorrhage.

Luo Qiao had no choice but to first use a Silver Needle for hemostasis. At this point, complete bleeding control using acupuncture alone seemed unlikely. She had to use the Silver Needle to transfer her Special Ability, stabilize the condition, and continue the surgery.

Two more hours passed, and the colleagues in the operating room witnessed yet another miracle. For most other doctors, performing such an operation would require significantly more time, even under the prerequisite of successfully stopping the bleeding.

When she emerged from the operating room again, it was already close to nine o’clock. The moment she stepped out, she saw Elder Rong waiting outside, holding two insulated containers. Luo Qiao’s eyes immediately turned red with emotion.

They might not be blood relatives, but their bond felt stronger than that. Having such genuine and caring "family" was a blessing for her entire household.

Luo Qiao hurried forward. "It’s still raining, yet you came all the way here."

Elder Rong held out the insulated containers. "Is there time for a meal now?"

A nearby nurse said, "Director Luo, you should eat first. The majority of the incoming patients have been taken care of already. If more come in, I’ll call you."

Luo Qiao asked, "Has everyone eaten?"

A nurse replied, "When there weren’t many patients earlier, everyone took turns eating. You should go quickly."

Luo Qiao then brought Elder Rong to the office. Eight-treasure porridge, side dishes, steamed buns—the temperature was perfect.

It truly warmed her heart and stomach.

******

Meanwhile, when Lu Yichen arrived at the construction site where the incident occurred, the scene was filled with cries and chaos.

Firefighters, police officers, and government personnel had also begun arriving, immediately organizing and deploying teams for rescue operations.

The continuing rain added significant challenges to the rescue work, which continued until around 8:00 in the morning before wrapping up.

Several department heads held a briefing to discuss the next steps. Just as the meeting ended, Lu Yichen turned and saw Qi Ling standing nearby, raising two insulated containers in his hands.

Lu Yichen greeted the other leaders briefly and walked over to Qi Ling. He noticed others approaching, also carrying lunch boxes—it seemed they had the same intention as Qi Ling.

Striding toward Qi Ling, he asked, "Did Elder Rong go to deliver food to your sister-in-law?"

Qi Ling nodded, "Yes, Elder Rong went over."

Lu Yichen found a sheltered spot from the rain and quickly finished the brought food. He sent Qi Ling back and told him there was no need to deliver more, then immediately rushed back to the rescue scene.