Long Yuan was an ordinary fellow.
Working 9 to 5 in a dead-end job, married to his right hand and living in a cramped flat on the edge of town, you could even say he was below average.
Until he died saving a little girl from a fire.
One day, the apartment complex he lived in had caught on fire from poor maintenance down in the boiler room, but due to the sleazy owner's stinginess, there were no fire alarms installed beforehand, and it took until half of the building was on fire for the authorities to arrive.
Long Yuan's flat was, unfortunately, on the tenth floor, leaving both him and the other inhabitants trapped.
Luckily, the local news broadcast he was watching at the time reported that multiple helicopters were on standby above the building, ready to receive anyone who was trapped inside. Hearing this, he immediately began preparing to leave.
However, before he could start the trek up the stairs, he heard a cry that shook him to his bones.
"Yuan'er! Please, help me save my daughter!" He recognized that voice: it was his neighbour downstairs, Qin Dongfeng.
At first, the two men were complete strangers, with nary an interaction between them. But after he had gone to the man telling him his daughter, little Qiqi, could've been followed home by a stalker, they became fast friends. Even now, he still wonders why he did what he did. He could've completely ignored their plight; keep his head low and mind his own business. It would've been safer for him too if the bruises on his cheek that night were anything to go by.
But he spilt; told Qin Dongfeng of his suspicions and ever since then, the father-daughter pair would come to spend time with him, keeping him company every so often.
And now, they needed his help once again.
"..." Long Yuan swivelled around to stare at him, a grim look on his face, "Where is she?"
***
Qin Qingfeng had never been so scared before.
One moment she was playing with a doll her father had bought for her, and the next she found herself locked in the bathroom, the room outside in flames.
Her father had burst in at one point, his cries piercing through the crackle of the fire.
He shouted, "Qiqi! Qiqi where are you?!"
"Here papa! I'm here in the bathroom!" After that, she could hear shuffling and whispered cursing, though they were too soft for her to make out.
"Qiqi! Are you hurt?"
"No, papa! I'm fine!"
A sigh of relief. Then: "Just wait a little bit, darling! Papa's going to get some help okay? Can you stay there for me? Don't move, okay?"
She nodded, "O-Okay!"
The sounds of shuffling could be heard outside the door before... nothing.
Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes turned to infinity. The silence was as oppressive as it is pervasive, and soon, she feared he wouldn't be coming back for her at all.
"Papa!" She cried, getting up to bang on the door. It wouldn't budge, "Papa!!!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"P-Papa..." It's no use. She was going to die here, wasn't sh—
"Qiqi! Qiqi where are you?!"
"Big bro Yuyu!" She brightened up almost instantly, hope returning to her eyes, "But wait... where's papa?"
"I'm here, Qiqi. Sit tight, Yuan'er and I will get you out of — cough cough — get you out of there,"
Although she knew they couldn't see it, Qiqi was nodding her head furiously.
"Okay, Big bro is going to knock down the door, so get far away from the door, got it?"
She followed, and scurried to the back of the bathroom.
-BOOM!-
Although she'd expected it to be loud, the sound of his foot meeting the door made her flinch and cover her ears with her hands. However, to her surprise, even with all the force behind that kick, the door didn't seem to budge.
-BOOM!-
Again, the thunderous crack of wood breaking boomed into her ears, and this time, the door began to show signs of collapsing.
-BOOM!!!-
Finally, only after a third try did he successfully break down the door, sending millions of tiny wood chips flying.
"Big bro Yuyu!" She rushed into the man's arms the moment they saw each other. Then, she turned to her father and hugged him too, "Papa! You're safe! I was so worried!"
Qin Dongfeng wrapped his daughter in his arms, rubbing her back soothingly.
Long Yuan meanwhile, turned to stare at the rapidly encroaching flame, a worried look on his face.
"Mr Dong, we have to go. Now." He said, "The sooner we can get to the roof, the safer it'll be for Qiqi,"
Qin Dongfeng nodded and lifted his daughter into Long Yuan's arms, "Let's go."
***
'That was it, huh? My whole life was leading up to this? To die saving someone with a future infinitely brighter than mine? Hah... Damn it... Damn you, god! Damn you, world... Damn you!!'
When they arrived on the topmost floor of the building, the iconic sound of a helicopter's rotor blades greeted them. At first, they thought that they were safe, that they didn't have to fear for their lives anymore.
How wrong they were...
Long Yuan's last memories before he fell into the restful clutches of death were of him and Qiqi. She was barely holding onto the rebar, powered only by desperation and the fiery hell that awaited her should she fall.
Qin Dongfeng had already got on board the helicopter, and there was no one else that could help her but him.
It was his moment to shine, his five minutes of fame... and he took it.
With one swift motion, he grasped her hand and brought her up, and with the last of his strength, he tossed her into the helicopter. Just in the nick of time too, as the ground below him gave, and he fell...
***
-Knock! Knock! Knock!-
"Urgh..."
-Knock! Knock! Knock!-
"!!!" Long Yuan sat up with a start, a bewildered expression painted on his face when he noticed his surroundings.
'W-Where is this?'
-Bang! Bang! BANG!!!-
"Wah?!" Long Yuan visibly flinched at the shrill sound of fist meeting door, and involuntarily let out a shriek.
It seemed the person outside heard it, as they called out from the beyond, "Wake up ya bastard! Yer gonna be late for class!!"