Chapter 124: The Hero Emerges from the Sea of Fire, Applause Like Rolling Thunder

For ordinary people, a water outage is not a major issue; it is merely an inconvenience. However, for firefighters battling a blaze, a water outage is a catastrophe.

The firefighters currently fighting the inferno had encountered just such a predicament. The hoses in their hands, which had been spraying water perfectly moments ago, suddenly ran dry. As if in the blink of an eye, they had lost their "ammunition."

Under normal circumstances, the water used for firefighting is supplied by roadside hydrants. These hydrants are connected to a different pipeline system than the one supplying residential areas, so water outages are rare. Yet, the hydrants, which should have had a constant supply, were now bone dry.

"Where is the water? Why is there no water?"
"What is going on? Why the sudden outage? How are we supposed to put out this fire without water?"
"Are you kidding me? We still have people inside that inferno! If we run out of water now, what happens to our comrades? Are they just going to die in there?"

Panic spread instantly among the firefighters. Some scrambled to check their equipment for malfunctions, while others ran to the hydrants to investigate.

The commander in charge of the operation was equally incensed by this sudden, inexplicable development, roaring in frustration. Despite his urgency, he maintained his composure and immediately issued adjustments: "Contact the relevant departments at once! Tell them to restore the water supply immediately! Also, dispatch fire trucks to fetch water from the nearest available source! Damn it, a water outage at a critical moment like this costs lives!"

His orders were carried out immediately. Fire trucks roared toward the nearest water sources, and a flurry of calls flooded the relevant authorities, demanding an immediate solution.

Inside the inferno, Li Sichen and the others were oblivious to the chaos unfolding outside the KTV. Ouyang Long, Fang Yi, and Yuan Yifei stared in utter disbelief at the hallway, which now resembled a water-curtain cave, and at Li Sichen, who was drenched like a drowned rat.

They could not fathom how things had turned out this way. Hadn't they been told there was no hope? Hadn't they been told they would burn to death? Why was there suddenly so much water? Where on earth did all this water come from?

The three of them felt their minds reeling, completely unable to process the situation. They only knew that Li Sichen had truly dampened the fire in the corridor. Could this kid actually be a deity? They stood with their mouths agape, unable to believe their eyes.

Li Sichen walked up to them through the downpour and had to shout several times before snapping them out of their daze. "Stop staring! The fire is temporarily suppressed, so let's move! We are short on time."

The "Water Dragon Torrent Formation" Li Sichen had set up was a temporary Feng Shui configuration. It would not last long—perhaps only five or six minutes. But if they didn't waste time, that would be enough for them to dash out of the KTV and reach safety.

"Huh? Oh, right, let's go, let's go..." the three replied subconsciously, still struggling to regain their senses.

Li Sichen shook his head, turned around, hoisted Yuan Yifei onto his back, and strode forward. Ouyang Long and Fang Yi followed closely behind.

"Where did all this water come from?" After a few steps, Fang Yi could no longer suppress his shock and curiosity.

Li Sichen glanced back at him and replied, "From the water pipes, of course. Did you think it would just magically burst out of the concrete?"

"Uh..." Fang Yi felt as though Li Sichen was looking at him like an idiot. If anyone else had dared to give him that look, he would have exploded in rage. But because it was Li Sichen, he didn't dare to get angry. The reason was simple: not only had Li Sichen saved his life multiple times, but his abilities were far superior, more mysterious, and truly... unfathomable.

Ouyang Long stepped in to save his subordinate from the awkwardness. "You misunderstood. Fang Yi was wondering how the water managed to spray out of the pipes like that."

Li Sichen replied, "The water pressure was too high, causing the pipes to burst, so the water sprayed out... As firefighters, surely you understand that principle?"

Ouyang Long was silenced. He exchanged a bitter, helpless look with Fang Yi. Of course, they understood the principle. What they wanted to know was where all that water in the pipes came from. Why hadn't it burst the pipes earlier, and why, after Li Sichen tossed two mirrors and struck a pose like the Terminator, did the water suddenly appear and rupture the pipes? What unknown secret was hidden here?

Ouyang Long was a smart man. From Li Sichen's previous answers, he realized the boy had no intention of explaining. He stopped asking and simply fell into step with Fang Yi, guarding Li Sichen and Yuan Yifei as they raced toward the exit.

Because the deluge had suppressed the flames, their path out was remarkably smooth. Just as they sprinted down the stairs and reached the KTV entrance, the duration of the Water Dragon Torrent Formation expired.

*Whoosh!*

The gushing water stopped instantly, as if an invisible hand had turned off a faucet; not even a single drop fell afterward.

*Boom!*

Without the suppression of the water, the flames roared back to life, burning even more fiercely and intensely than before! Fortunately, this no longer posed a threat to Li Sichen and his group, as their feet had already crossed the threshold of the KTV.

Almost at the exact moment the formation failed, the water supply in the vicinity was restored. The water pressure suddenly surged back into the fire hoses, knocking the firefighter who was inspecting his equipment to the ground. Yet, ignoring his own pain, the firefighter shouted in excitement, "The water is back! The water is back!"

At that same moment, someone spotted Li Sichen and his group emerging from the raging fire.

"Look! It's that lunatic who rushed into the fire! He's been rescued by the firefighters!" someone shouted. To many, Li Sichen's death-defying charge into the flames was the act of a madman.

But soon, more people saw Yuan Yifei, who was being carried by Li Sichen. Her long hair was soaked and draped over her face, obscuring it so that the onlookers could not recognize her as the country's most popular actress.

However, that didn't matter. What mattered was that people saw Li Sichen carrying someone out of the inferno.

"So he wasn't a madman at all. He rushed into the fire without regard for his own life to save someone!" The realization dawned on the crowd.

*Clap, clap, clap...*

Applause broke out. Someone in the crowd began applauding Li Sichen’s heroic act. At first, the applause was sparse, with only one or two people clapping, but soon, more and more joined in.

Within a few minutes, the applause echoed across the night sky like a continuous roll of thunder. Everyone was clapping, including the police and firefighters. They were using this gesture to express their respect for Li Sichen's heroic actions.

Along with the applause came countless cheers:
"Well done, young man!"
"I misunderstood you earlier; I apologize. You aren't a madman—you're a hero!"
"That was so cool! That is what a real man looks like!"