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墨書 Inktalez
After returning from the mission at the reservoir, our superiors received a report from the government praising us. We performed well, responding quickly and handling the situation effectively. The entire unit was also very satisfied with our performance, and during a meeting in the Entire Unit, we were commended. This led to a mobilization for Flood Control efforts, calling on everyone to learn from us and embody the spirit of being battle-ready at all times.
This was not just a slogan; the most obvious change was that after our return, the troops had completely halted regular professional training and shifted to specialized training for Flood Control. The Flood Season had arrived, and preventing flood disasters became our top priority because we are the Flood Rescue Emergency Unit.
Since the People's Liberation Army soldiers and civilians overcame a catastrophic flood in 1998 with their sheer willpower, the General Staff Headquarters decided to build a force with specialized skills in Flood Control based on the Engineering Corps, moving away from previous tactics of overwhelming numbers. In 2000, the General Staff Headquarters designated a group of Engineers and bridge-building units as the Flood Rescue Emergency Unit. This marked the first time in Our Forces' history that such a unit was established without increasing personnel numbers or altering existing combat training missions or command relationships.
The Flood Rescue Emergency Unit is an important assault force for Our Forces tasked with Flood Control missions. It boasts advantages such as tight organization, strong technical skills, rapid response, and powerful assault capabilities, playing a crucial role in leading rescue efforts and serving as the backbone during disaster relief.
By May 2000, our unit and 19 other Engineering Corps across the nation were designated by the General Staff as the Flood Rescue Emergency Unit, responsible for flood control missions across seven major river basins, nine rivers, and two large lakes including the Yangtze River, Yellow River, Huai River, Haihe River, Liao River, Pearl River, and Min River. In these flood control efforts, we would primarily utilize specialized techniques and equipment to conduct inspections of dangerous sections of levees, emergency repairs, sealing breaches, as well as water rescues and controlled flooding through blasting—tasks that are urgent and challenging.
In our future training sessions, we will increase specialized technical training content related to Flood Control and conduct comprehensive drills. Our goal is to develop these 19 Engineering Corps into a well-equipped, technically advanced, well-trained force capable of rapid response and strong disaster relief capabilities over the next five to ten years. They should be able to provide various operational engineering support while also completing flood control missions. Recently, we received a batch of new equipment from above; I heard that one of the most advanced items is a command boat that integrates command, communication, rescue, and patrol functions equipped with global positioning and alarm search systems. There are also multifunctional rescue floating boxes and steel-wood-soil composite dams for sealing breaches, along with leak-stopping materials like piping stops and expansion flow bags, as well as a device known as "underground ultrasound" for detecting subsurface cracks and holes. However, aside from the floating boxes which everyone frequently uses, it seems that other equipment is mainly utilized by the Technical Company; I haven't seen them myself.
Notably, shortly after our return, every soldier was issued a red armband featuring the letters "khyj." When we received this armband, everyone was curious since it hadn't been distributed in previous years; last year seemed particularly uneventful in Hunan regarding emergencies. We gathered together to discuss its significance. Xuanhua led a group of new recruits debating its purpose—just like how soldiers wearing Red Cross armbands are not considered targets in combat—what practical function does this serve? They were deep in discussion.
Watching them argue passionately about it made me decide to tease them a bit. I approached them mysteriously and said, "You mustn't underestimate this armband; it signifies our special status during Flood Control missions. More than anything else, it means that if we deem it necessary during these missions, we can requisition local vehicles and materials to fill any gaps in embankments! Remember—any kind of vehicle!"
"What about luxury cars?!" Murong Qian asked timidly.
"Any vehicle! A Rolls-Royce Phantom would be wasted there; if needed, it goes right in!" I chuckled. Little did I know that my offhand joke would later lead to significant trouble!
"Wow!" Everyone looked excited. "That's amazing!" Jinghe exclaimed while Xuanhua smugly said, "See! Otherwise why would they issue this armband?! I'm telling you all—we're likely going to face big tasks this year!"
"Why?" Sheng Xiong asked in confusion.
“Heavy Rain! Haven't you noticed that the rainy season has arrived? Floods often occur at this time!” Xuanhua said with a feigned seriousness.
I chuckled to myself, walking away with my hands behind my back. Standing in the corridor, I looked outside. Indeed, the rain had not stopped; even when it cleared up briefly, it was only for a short while at most. The days of continuous rain had drained the energy from Crow Pudding, which was usually so lively. By evening, its feathers were damp and its spirit seemed low, and it hardly made any noise.
If this continued, the Xiangjiang basin would surely experience flooding this year. I gazed outside with concern. It wasn't that I feared Flood Control; rather, I couldn't bear to see scenes like those reported during the catastrophic floods of '98. Even if people were rescued from disaster areas, they would still be displaced and uprooted, leaving behind a scene of desolation.
Sighing again, I picked up the recently issued report and began to study it carefully. The report was lengthy and mainly described the local conditions: we are located in the Subtropical Monsoon Humid Climate Zone, characterized by mild and humid weather with distinct seasonal changes. Winters are cold and summers hot; spring and autumn are brief while winter and summer are prolonged. Situated in an alluvial basin, our summers are hotter than in other regions at the same latitude, making us one of Jiangnan's “Four Great Ovens.” The average sunshine duration is 166 hours, with an average evaporation rate of 116. The annual average precipitation ranges from 100 to 1700 millimeters, with significant interannual variability; typically, the maximum annual precipitation ratio is between two to three times. The distribution throughout the year is uneven, with April to June being the rainy season, accounting for about 51% of annual rainfall. Due to the large area of the Xiangjiang basin and its dense river network, once floods occur in tributaries, it leads to a significant flood process downstream in Xiangjiang, triggering a series of secondary flood disasters.
We have already comprehensively initiated Flood Control training. Do not simply think that Flood Control means just piling sandbags to block water; there is a lot of knowledge involved here—Piping, collapses, landslides, breaches... The New Guidelines have also specified targeted training content for the Flood Rescue Emergency Unit, including overcoming Piping, stabilizing landslides, and blocking breaches. We must learn to handle various emergencies proficiently. At our Water Training Complex, we can already conduct training for over a dozen types of emergency situations. Additionally, we need training in rope connections, throwing ropes, water rescue techniques, and equipment deployment.
Since 2000, to meet the professional training needs for Flood Control rescue operations, new classrooms for Flood Rescue Training have been established. Each Unit has been issued specialized training materials for Flood Control, including lesson plans for patrolling dikes and constructing emergency levees. We have also created training posters for water rescues and blocking breaches as well as teaching models for sand filtration wells and steel-wood composite earth dams. Every night I study these materials thoroughly so that I can explain them to everyone by the second night.
During regular professional training sessions, I rarely lose my temper; however, I have lost my cool twice during Flood Control training. The first time was after returning from the reservoir when some soldiers were joking around during training, which made me very angry. I grabbed two soldiers and scolded them for a full ten minutes in front of the entire unit.
The second time was during water rescue training when a few soldiers disregarded safety protocols by not wearing life jackets or following proper procedures; they received a stern reprimand from me as well.
Old Tang is softer-hearted than I am. After those two incidents, he talked to me about hoping I could be less impulsive. They don’t realize that my anger stems from concern for everyone's safety. Unlike bridge-building tasks, flood rescue operations are fraught with danger; if soldiers do not start taking things seriously now and pay attention to details, they will pay a heavy price in the future. During the floods of '98, people only remember one famous name—Li Xiangqun. But how many nameless Li Xiangquns were lost along with him? Regardless of what others speculate about my emotional state privately, all I want is for everyone to stay safe amidst potential difficulties; I hope they understand my good intentions!
Fortunately, according to reports from headquarters staff members, there may soon be plans to establish simulated riverbanks where we can directly practice common emergency response drills during Flood Control operations.
However, within my own Unit, I know clearly that we still have much to strengthen regarding our training for flood rescue missions. Besides reviewing professional knowledge, we also need to enhance swimming skills, self-rescue and mutual rescue training, as well as water machinery training.
If only we had a bit more time... I thought to myself.
Often, things do not go as one wishes. Indeed, we were not given much time to prepare. Less than ten hours later, the troops received orders to mobilize completely!
A mountain flood had erupted in a certain area, causing the river levels to rise dramatically. Many flatlands were already submerged, and several villages were exposed to danger. The troops were ordered to urgently deploy, with the primary mission being to evacuate the civilians.
This mission was extremely urgent. I noticed that the Special Operations Unit had mobilized entirely, leaving only a single platoon behind for security. Old Bi had also put on a life jacket, but due to the haste of the situation, I could only hurriedly greet him.
Thus, even the logistics convoy could not keep up; the troops were only issued rations for everyone before heading straight to the target location—a remote, low-lying township.
There, we spent two unforgettable nights that would remain etched in our memories for a lifetime. Those nights were filled with countless stories… too many to recount fully. Unfortunately, I can only describe a portion of them with my pen.
(To be continued; more exciting developments tomorrow!)
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