The news of the earthquake in BS Province quickly spread across the nation and even the world.
"Major Earthquake Strikes BS Province, Magnitude as High as 8.0!"
This shocking headline instantly dominated the front pages of all news outlets.
TV screens continuously broadcast images from the disaster zone: landslides, shattered roads, towns almost razed to the ground—a hellish scene that gripped the hearts of every viewer.
Survivors, faces covered in dust and still shaken, stood dazed on the rubble, staring at their unrecognizable surroundings. Rescue workers desperately called out in front of piles of debris. Beside collapsed school buildings, fragments of desks and chairs lay scattered...
These scenes pained viewers thousands of miles away, bringing countless citizens to tears.
Yet, amidst the sorrowful reports, miraculous sparks of hope were constantly being ignited.
"Miracle! Tens of Thousands of Teachers and Students Survive Due to Outdoor Training Drill!"
"'Egg Marathon' Proves Its Worth! Citizens Avoid Disaster While Collecting Supplies, Astonishing Survival Rate!"
"An Entrepreneur's Responsibility: An 'Ill-Timed' Charity Sports Event Coincidentally Saves Tens of Thousands!"
"Hope"!
"........"
Major media outlets vied to report in detail how a sports event and a public marathon organized by a certain enterprise had coincidentally helped large numbers of students and citizens escape the disaster.
Newspaper front pages published photos of children safe and sound in open areas, forming a stark contrast with the collapsed school buildings in the distance.
On TV news, survivors, with tears in their eyes, recounted how they had luckily escaped because they had gone to collect eggs or to participate in their children's outdoor training activities.
Strangely, however, all the reports referred only to "a certain enterprise" without mentioning its name in detail.
This was actually specifically requested by Liu Yutong, as she did not want to capitalize on the tragedy's attention.
Although many companies and individuals might use opportunities like donating to disaster areas to gain publicity, she did not want to, nor did she need to.
The current steady development of the Wanlong Hui was just fine. If it suddenly received too much attention, with too many eyes fixed on the Wanlong Hui Group, it might actually become a constraint for them.
Despite their low profile, many locals and rescue workers remembered those special volunteers dressed in black with dragon emblems on their chests.
After settling the teachers and students, Liu Yutong, Yun Cheng, and the others immediately returned to North C to participate in rescue efforts.
This continued until five days later.
The intensive rescue operations temporarily came to a stage, with the main life-saving phase largely concluded. The focus began shifting toward the resettlement of disaster victims and epidemic prevention.
The members of the Wanlong Hui, including Liu Yutong and Yun Cheng, had almost all reached their physical limits.
For five days, they had suffered severe sleep deprivation, working day and night on the rubble.
Everyone's face bore heavy exhaustion, their clothes stained with mud and dust. Many had even sustained injuries, but fortunately, no one was seriously hurt.
Although physically exhausted, everyone was in good spirits—perhaps this was the sense of fulfillment that came from saving lives.
As Liu Yutong gathered the Wanlong Hui members to prepare for withdrawal in batches, Zhu Silin hurried over, his expression serious. "Sister Yutong, my father called. A very important leader wants to meet you at the temporary command center."
Liu Yutong was slightly taken aback.
Uncle Zhu was already a high-ranking leader himself. For him to personally relay the message and describe the other as "very important" hinted at an even higher level.
"Right now?" Liu Yutong glanced at her own appearance, which she hadn't had time to tend to for days.
Zhu Silin nodded, lowering his voice. "Father specifically emphasized that the leader knows you've been working hard for days and just wants to have a brief word with you in person to express thanks. A car is already waiting outside."
Liu Yutong's mind raced.
At this moment, for such a high-ranking figure to want to see her was surely not merely to express gratitude.
It likely meant that her previous actions, and the capability and sense of responsibility displayed by the Wanlong Hui, had already caught the attention of the leadership.
Thinking this, she felt an inexplicable mix of excitement and nervousness.
After all, neither in her past life nor this one had she ever met a leader of this stature.
"Alright, I'll go right away. Silin, help me tidy up a bit. Can't be too disrespectful."
"Okay."
.............
The next day.
Liu Yutong took a flight back to Da Nan City.
Mingzhu City didn't have an airport, so the nearest airports besides the provincial capital were Da Nan City. She chose Da Nan City first because important matters awaited her there.
The others returned by car to Mingzhu City to rest.
During the return journey, she kept thinking about what the leader had said to her.
"You are still young, with a long road ahead. You must remember one phrase: Great merchants strategize for the nation."
"A true entrepreneur must have a vision that transcends immediate gains and losses in one place. Only by closely integrating one's own development with the needs of the country and the well-being of the people can one walk a longer, farther path..."
"'Great merchants strategize for the nation'... How well put," Liu Yutong murmured to herself.
The plane landed smoothly at Da Nan City airport.
After Liu Yutong, Zhu Silin, and Yun Cheng walked out of the arrival gate, the sight before them made them both laugh and cry.
Outside the VIP passage, the members of the Yunshan Society, led by Gu Yebai and Zhou Muchen, were all present, dressed in suits and looking spirited.
The most exaggerated part was that they had actually unfurled two bright red banners.
One read: Welcome Back, Heroes!
The other made Liu Yutong utterly speechless: Sister Yutong, you are electricity, you are light, you are the one and only myth!
Zhou Muchen was the first to rush forward, holding an exaggeratedly large bouquet of flowers almost big enough to hide his entire person, and presented it to her.
"Sister Yutong, you're finally back! You know, we were scared to death when we saw the news! An 8.0 magnitude earthquake! And what do you do? You lead tens of thousands of teachers and students in a real-life escape act! Amazing!"
"Sister Yutong, I want to apprentice under you, I want to learn the secret art of foretelling the future. Have you been secretly cultivating some divination technique? Can you know the future?"
Before Liu Yutong could explain, Zhu Silin slapped him on the back of the head.
"Know your head! Sister Yutong just had good luck. Who can predict the future nowadays? That would make her a god!"
"But isn't Sister Yutong a god..."
"Exactly, Sister Yutong is a god among humans. The things Sister Yutong does, we couldn't think of or accomplish them in eight lifetimes."
To be honest, when the earthquake happened in Wen C, they, like everyone else, were deeply distressed. Some even cried watching the news.
They had even wanted to go help, but reason told them they might just get in the way, so they held back.
Especially after they later learned about what Liu Yutong and the others had done, they were genuinely impressed and fully accepted her as their big sister.
She had heart, loyalty, and a strong sense of responsibility.
Compared to Liu Yutong, they felt like they were nothing.
