Chapter 007: Force Majeure (4)
Senior photojournalist Jang Deok-su grinned happily.
Right? Even I could fall for him, and I'm a man!
On top of everything else, even Death Patch followed him around constantly, but they couldn't find anything.
Apparently, he never goes anywhere except his house, the fire station, and the company.
The gym, Yoon-hee corrected him.
Ah! Right. The gym.
Even with such a ridiculously busy schedule, he never skips his morning workouts. Don't you think that's amazing?
Hey, that's not even everything!
Even when he's already gone home, he'll immediately rush back to the fire station if he hears that they're short on staff.
Talk about dedication to his duties!
He even saw an accident on the news once and rushed to the scene to rescue people!
Yoon-hee looked increasingly irritated.
She simply couldn't understand it.
Haah. Exactly! That's what I'm saying! Why the hell would Choi Hee-soo do something like that?
Maybe a new generation of chaebol heirs has finally appeared. Someone who genuinely practices noblesse oblige.
Senior Deok-su, please stop saying such ridiculous things. There's no way.
Really? You're that certain?
Don't you know who I am?
Of course I do. You're the daughter of Samhan Ilbo's owner.
Exactly. Obviously, our family can't compare to a giant conglomerate like Suseong.
But I know the nature of wealthy business families extremely well.
After all, I've grown up surrounded by them.
Well, that's true.
When it comes to media companies, there isn't a group bigger than Samhan Media Group.
So, based on your experience, you're saying that Choi Hee-soo's current behavior doesn't make sense?
Obviously! Everything about it feels completely unnatural.
Jang Deok-su tilted his head.
But isn't that true for you too? How many daughters of media company owners start out as ordinary reporters and work themselves to the bone like this?
However, his words never reached Yoon-hee.
Her eyes had narrowed sharply as she stared at Hee-soo's photograph.
She was becoming increasingly convinced of her suspicions.
He's definitely hiding something.
Besides, the way he joined the rescue team was suspicious from the beginning.
There's definitely something going on.
And I'm going to uncover it, no matter what!
Yoon-hee's determination burned fiercely.
Ding-dong-dang! Ding-dong-dang!
Rescue dispatch! Rescue dispatch!
The moment the announcement came through the speakers, the rescue team reacted almost instinctively.
They immediately rushed toward their rescue vehicle.
Hee-soo was already sitting inside.
He was preparing to put on the appropriate protective equipment depending on the situation.
Another announcement came through the vehicle's radio.
We've received a report from the Cheonhwa Paint warehouse in Dobong-dong, Dobong District.
A worker who was cleaning a chemical chamber has lost consciousness and collapsed inside.
Dobong Fire Station's rescue team, please respond immediately and report the situation.
Has the first response team arrived yet?
No teams have arrived so far.
Then we'll probably be the first team on the scene?
Yes. That's possible.
Understood.
Hee-soo immediately began putting on his firefighting gear.
The deputy captain turned toward Captain Gu.
What should we do?
What do you mean? Put on your firefighting gear. All of you. Hee-soo's already doing the right thing.
Yes, sir.
The rescue team captain addressed the firefighters as they hurriedly put on their equipment.
There's a very high possibility that the worker is suffering from oxygen deprivation and toxic gas poisoning inside the chamber.
First, we'll insert a ventilation fan to circulate the air inside.
Then we'll lower three oxygen tanks to increase the oxygen concentration and dilute the toxic gases.
Once the gases have been sufficiently diluted and the oxygen concentration has risen to a safe level, two firefighters will enter.
Each firefighter must carry one additional oxygen tank.
As soon as they enter, they'll put a breathing mask on the victim, secure a rescue harness around the victim's body, and wait.
We also need to prepare for the possibility of a fire, so...
Suddenly, Hee-soo interrupted him.
I disagree.
What?
The firefighters who had been putting on their protective gear immediately turned their attention toward the two men.
They looked rather interested in what was about to happen.
Captain Gu was clearly furious at Hee-soo's sudden interruption.
He desperately tried to hide his anger.
However, his ears were already turning bright red.
After suppressing his irritation, he asked Hee-soo,
Why do you disagree?
In accidents involving storage tanks or chambers that may contain toxic gases, the most important factor is time.
The longer a victim remains exposed to toxic gases, the higher their chances of dying.
In other words, we don't have enough time to ventilate the chamber and wait for the gases to be diluted.
That's what the manual says we have to do. We must secure the environment before entering.
Then you can follow the manual, Captain. My priority is saving the victim. If that person dies, this entire rescue operation will have been meaningless.
Captain Gu was extremely irritated by Hee-soo's argumentative attitude.
Furthermore, as the rescue team captain, he had an absolute responsibility to protect the safety of his firefighters.
However, he also understood the victim's situation.
In accidents like this, the golden time for saving someone was often no longer than five minutes.
Although less than a minute had passed since they were dispatched, they had no idea how much time had elapsed before someone reported the accident.
Captain Gu quickly considered the situation.
Fine. Then what do you suggest?
The moment we arrive, I'll enter the chamber, put a breathing mask on the victim, and begin emergency medical treatment.
The driver suddenly spoke.
We'll arrive in thirty seconds.
The deputy captain immediately objected.
That's far too dangerous.
As Hee-soo said, we have absolutely no idea what the conditions inside the chamber are like.
Our firefighters could be seriously injured.
We can't simply enter without taking any precautions. We need to follow the proper procedures.
Captain Gu quickly made his decision.
This time, Hee-soo has a point. The accident might have happened long before anyone called for help.
Since it's so dangerous, I'll be the one to enter.
Hee-soo immediately interrupted him.
I'll go inside. You're not suitable for this, Captain.
What the hell are you talking about?
Why does it have to be you?
This isn't something you should take lightly. Nobody knows what kind of unexpected situation might occur.
Since we need someone who can respond properly to an emergency, it makes sense for me to go. I have the experience.
Sending a complete rookie inside is out of the question!
Hee-soo responded without hesitation.
