Chapter 1: The Rescue

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Summer, 1993.

The summer in Jinan was dry and scorching, with waves of heat rolling through the city. Vendors selling crispy pancakes took advantage of the cool early mornings, riding their bicycles through alleyways and neighborhoods. The riverside morning market was crowded with stalls, and the vendors’ shouts echoed one after another, bringing a touch of lively bustle to this ancient northern city.

Lin Xiyu, carrying her schoolbag, rode her bicycle through the morning market. She bought a stick of fried dough and bit into it as breakfast, savoring each bite.

“Someone’s fallen into the water…”

“Help! Somebody, help!”

Suddenly, the screech of brakes pierced the air ahead. A mother and her child on a bicycle were struck by a car and thrown into the river.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Lin Xiyu dashed forward, shrugged off her bag, vaulted the railing, and leapt into the water.

The city moat in summer flowed gently, its waters clear to the bottom, allowing for perfect visibility even beneath the surface.

She first swam toward the child, grabbed their clothes, and dragged them back to the riverbank.

By now, a crowd had already gathered. A few good Samaritans leaned over the railing, stretching out their arms to help pull the child up.

Seeing the child safe, Lin Xiyu breathed a sigh of relief, pushed off the stone wall with her feet, dove back underwater, and swam toward the woman.

The woman couldn’t swim; after swallowing a few mouthfuls of water in her struggle, she began to sink.

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It took considerable effort for Lin Xiyu to haul her out of the water. The young woman’s skin was pale and luminous, her delicate face streaked with water. In the morning light, she resembled a lotus emerging from the water, radiating an enchanting glow.

The crowd waiting anxiously on the shore erupted into cheers.

Encouraged by their grateful shouts, Lin Xiyu took a deep breath and dragged the woman back to the bank.

The woman had been underwater a little too long; by the time she was brought ashore, she had lost consciousness.

Chaos broke out along the riverbank. Someone ran to the nearest public telephone booth to call for an ambulance. Others pressed on the woman’s chest, administering first aid on the spot. Most were berating the driver at the center of the turmoil, their scolding voices flying thick and fast.

In a hurry to reach school for her exam, Lin Xiyu paid no mind to the commotion. Dripping wet, she scrambled up the bank, grabbed her schoolbag, jumped back onto her bicycle, and sped away like a gust of wind.

At that moment, she was unaware that a local television reporter, coincidentally nearby, had recorded the entire rescue.

——

Jinan No. 7 High School.

On the final day of the college entrance exam, students filled with hopeful anticipation for the future lined up, spirits high, entering the examination halls in an orderly procession.

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By the school gate, the supervising teacher from No. 7 High School kept checking his watch, waiting for the clock to strike eight so he could close the gate.

The seconds ticked closer to eight. The teacher’s gaze stayed fixed on his watch, his expression growing ever more solemn.

At precisely eight o’clock, the ear-splitting bell rang out across the campus. At the teacher’s command, the school gates began to close, inching together from both sides.

“Wait! Let me in!”

Lin Xiyu came tearing through on her bicycle, just as the gates were about to shut. Her front wheel jammed perfectly in the narrow gap.

The heavy iron gates slammed together with a deafening clang, quivering violently.

The impact numbed Lin Xiyu’s wrists and left her dazed for a brief moment.

Behind thick glasses, the supervising teacher shot her a frosty glare, clearly displeased by the reckless student who dared challenge his authority.

Lin Xiyu stood there, drenched from head to toe except for her schoolbag. Water dripped from her hair. Her blue-and-white summer uniform was streaked with dark green patches of mud and moss, scraped from the riverbank’s stone wall, the wind drying some spots while others remained stubbornly smeared and conspicuous.