Chapter 36: A Rescue Run Plagued by Mishaps

As the starting pistol fired, the youth training recruits surged forward like wild horses unleashed from their tethers.

Ren Jie and Qing Wa were in the lead, frantically leaping over obstacles until they reached the starting point for the casualty transport drill. Ten mannequins lay scattered there; the recruits were required to carry a mannequin for one hundred meters before placing it on a stretcher to continue the run.

Qing Wa didn't hesitate, hoisting a mannequin and sprinting off—he even grabbed three at once!

Ren Jie reached out to grab a mannequin, but at his touch, it instantly fell apart. Both arms, both legs, and the head popped off and rolled away.

Ren Jie: "???"

How was he supposed to carry this?

He stubbornly tried to pick up the other mannequins, but every single one of them crumbled into pieces at the slightest touch, limbs scattering everywhere.

Ren Jie’s face turned dark. Damn it, were these casualties supposed to be critically injured or what? If they were in this state, they shouldn't even be out in public! Burying them on the spot would be more reasonable! This was rigged! A total setup!

Wei Pingsheng’s face also darkened. Fine! If they couldn't win, they were going to play dirty, were they?

But time was tight; he couldn't afford to waste it. Qing Wa was already almost back to grab his second load.

It was just about carrying people, right? Weren't there plenty of people around?

Ren Jie’s gaze shifted to the spectator stands, locking onto the largest person there. With a rocket-like dash, he rushed over to Mo Wanrou and wrapped his arms around her to lift her up.

Mo Wanrou’s heart skipped a beat as she stared at Ren Jie in astonishment. What was he doing?

Ren Jie’s movements suddenly stiffened as he looked up at the mountain-like Mo Wanrou. This person… she was definitely a person, but damn it, was she a bit too big?

His gaze flicked aside, catching sight of Jiang Jiuli, who was shrouded in shadow, staring at him with wide, bewildered eyes.

Ren Jie’s eyes lit up. The Dog-Head Girl? She was here to join the fun too?

"Sorry, let me borrow you for a second!"

Before she could process what was happening, she was swept up into a princess carry. He turned and bolted toward the track.

Jiang Jiuli: "???"

Beside them, Mo Wanrou’s expression froze, her face turning dark! Why didn't he choose her? Why did she feel like she had just been rejected?

Mo Ji, watching from the side, couldn't help but cover his face. You really know how to pick, don't you? You went straight for the prettiest one.

Jiang Jiuli’s entire body went rigid, her ears turning bright red as she glared at Ren Jie without blinking. He was holding her? He was actually holding her? Usually, if someone tried this, she would have hacked him to pieces.

But... her own arms had been crushed by him, and she owed him so much, so she would help him this once. If she jumped down now, he would lose a lot of face, wouldn't he?

Yeah, that’s it. A mannequin. I am a mannequin.

Jiang Jiuli stayed perfectly still, not saying a word, forcing herself to endure it.

***

Soon, Ren Jie reached the stretcher transfer point with Jiang Jiuli and placed her on the ground. Jiang Jiuli let out a long sigh of relief. Was it finally over? She needed to leave, quickly...

But before she could escape, Ren Jie shouted, "One!" and hoisted her up again, heading back toward the transport start. It was too time-consuming to go back to the stands for someone else. Since he had already borrowed her, why not just use her for all ten trips? It was efficient!

So, Ren Jie began running back and forth on the track with Jiang Jiuli in his arms...

Jiang Jiuli: (⇀﹏↼|||)

Mo Wanrou laughed uncontrollably, watching as he refused to let go once he had caught her. This young man was quite the charmer. She even pulled out her phone to record the scene.

Just then, Lin Huairen, Tian Yu, and the others finally caught up. Seeing that the mannequins were all broken, they were seething with frustration.

"Go to the stands and grab people to help Brother Jie, hurry!"

The recruits swarmed the stands. When they reached Mo Wanrou, they hesitated, instinctively wanting to pick someone else. But the surrounding spectators scattered, none of them wanting to be hauled around. It was just too embarrassing.

Mo Wanrou’s face grew even darker.

Lin Huairen hardened his resolve: "Don't be picky, just take this one. I'll do it!"

He lunged forward, grabbing Mo Wanrou’s thigh, his face contorting into a mask of agony as he exerted every ounce of strength he had. Mo Wanrou didn't budge an inch.

(ꐦ≥益≤ꐦ) "Damn it, big sister? Were you raised on iron weights? Why are you so heavy? Everyone, help me out! Hurry!"

Tian Yu and the others rushed in. It took four grown men roaring in unison to finally lift Mo Wanrou. She remained in a seated position, veins bulging on her forehead, her face as black as the bottom of a pot!

( ｡▀̿ ̿Ĺ̯̿̿▀̿ ̿ ̿｀)...

Tian Yu’s legs were shaking: "Examiner! This one weighs at least half a ton. Can you count her as three people, please?"

The examiner glanced at Mo Wanrou and waved a hand: (︶益︶〃)ﾂ "Fine, fine, whatever!"

Mo Wanrou: "???"

What the hell did he mean, count as three people? What kind of logic was that? I’m going to lose my mind!

Tian Yu and his team roared as they hauled Mo Wanrou toward the transfer zone. This wasn't carrying a mannequin; it was like moving a stone statue!

Watching this, Jiang Jiuli couldn't help but laugh out loud. But the next moment, Ren Jie placed her on the stretcher and strapped her down.

Ren Jie grabbed one side of the stretcher, narrowed his eyes, and with a sudden burst of strength, lifted the entire stretcher horizontally by himself. He put his head down and started running!

***

Jiang Jiuli: "???" Was this how an inspector usually carried a stretcher?

Ren Jie, looking straight ahead, suddenly felt something was wrong as he ran. His eyes widened. "You actually changed them? Are these panda-print ones this time?"

Jiang Jiuli’s face turned bright red. Her feet were facing Ren Jie, and as he held the stretcher flat, his line of sight was aimed directly at the hem of her skirt. She instinctively tried to sit up, but she was tied down too securely, so she quickly crossed her legs to cover herself.

"Don't look! You're still looking? Close your eyes!"

"I'm in a race! How am I supposed to watch where I'm going if I close my eyes? You're wearing safety shorts, so you can't see anything anyway. What are you worried about? Try to understand!"

"I don't care! Close your eyes right now, or I'll poke them out!"

Ren Jie straightened his expression: (๑ ͡° ʖ̯ ͡°)✧ "How about this? We both make a compromise. I'll keep one eye open and one eye closed. How about that?"

As he spoke, he actually closed one eye.

Jiang Jiuli gnashed her teeth, her emotions fluctuating wildly, and a mist of emotional energy began to seep from the top of her head. What good does closing one eye do? You can still see! I never should have boarded your pirate ship!

Ren Jie continued his frantic back-and-forth relay with Jiang Jiuli, while Tian Yu and the others were using two stretchers to carry Mo Wanrou. They were carrying the stretcher with such ceremony it looked more like they were escorting a palanquin.

Mo Wanrou’s face was as dark as a pot. This was going to be on television—how was she ever going to get married after this?

Despite the minor mishaps, Ren Jie’s team was doing quite well overall. Qing Wa’s team had been in the lead, but their teamwork was poor. Watching Ren Jie’s team move so fast made them increasingly anxious, and they ended up tripping while carrying their mannequin. The mannequin snapped in two, and they frantically grabbed the pieces to keep running—one person carrying the top half, the other carrying the bottom...

Their captain was so angry his face turned green. "You idiots... the casualty is in two pieces! Is it still alive? Is this how you transfer casualties?"

"You, on the stretcher, are you carrying a stretcher or pulling a sled? Stop dragging it on the ground! Lift it! Lift it, for God's sake!"

"Damn it, don't carry it face down! You’re scraping all the skin off! Is this how I taught you?"

"Argh! If I let you guys pass this, I might as well quit being captain! Eliminated! All of you, get out!"

The event concluded. Ren Jie’s team won with a significant lead, while many interns who violated the rules were disqualified.

Jiang Jiuli finally freed herself from the stretcher, shot Ren Jie a vicious glare, and prepared to flee. But before she could get away, a staff member grabbed her.

"We still need a few volunteers for the simulated rescue project. Could you two please help us out?"

Jiang Jiuli froze. No way. Again?

"Oh... okay... sure..."

Who told her she wasn't good at saying no?