The explosion occurred the next day, September 26th.
chapter 24
Song Ran didn't know the consequences of that explosion until a long time later.
At the moment of the explosion, she was hit by a frontal shock wave. Her spleen was ruptured, the canthus of her eyes and membranes were partially damaged, and she suffered multiple lacerations on her body.
She was rushed to Hospitals Without Borders, then transferred to the capital Gama, and soon back to the country.
Along the way, Song Ran was unconscious most of the time. Sometimes she seemed to have a glimmer of consciousness, but the severe pain made her unable to move. The world was dark, and her ears were filled with words she didn't understand.
She vaguely remembered being carried on a stretcher, the helicopter propellers creating huge waves, the doctors arguing, and hearing a familiar Chinese voice on the plane at a certain moment.
But among those vague memory fragments, Li Zan was not there. He never came to her again.
Most of the time, she slept in endless nightmares. In the dream, extremists dressed in black and holding guns swept through the streets with expressionless faces. Bullets penetrated women's chests and bayonets cut off children's heads.
At the end of the nightmare, she heard someone shout "A-Zan", and Li Zan rushed behind her and passed her by.
She had no time to react and watched the bomb explode before her eyes.
…
When Song Ran woke up, he was lying in the ward of Liangcheng Hospital, with thick gauze wrapped around his eyes, unable to feel a trace of light.
A low-pitched quarrel came from outside the ward. It was Song Zhicheng and Ran Yuwei:
"I didn't agree with her going to Dongguo at the beginning, but you kept supporting her. You will pretend to be a good person in front of your daughter, but the evil one will come back and ask me to do it! What do you want to do now that she is like this?"
"Don't get excited. The doctor said it's not serious and just need an operation. No one wants to have an accident. Don't I feel bad for you? But this is the job she chose. You can see her success..."
"I finally see you clearly. Vanity! Hypocrisy! You have accomplished nothing, and you expect your children to sacrifice their lives for fame!"
"The more you talk, the more outrageous it becomes!"
"You have many daughters, but I only have this one. If something really goes wrong with her eyes, I'm not done with you anymore!"
Song Ran was a little panicked and reached out to grab it in the dark, but only caught the sheets.
"Sister, are you awake?" Song Yang grabbed her hand.
"sister!"
"slowly?"
"Ran Ran wakes up!"
For a moment, the ward was full of voices, Yang Huilun, Song Yang, Ran Chi, uncles and aunts...
Soon Ran Yuwei came in: "Ran Ran? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?"
Song Ran felt uncomfortable and painful everywhere, as if there were countless torn wounds in her body. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She opened her mouth with difficulty and said in a hoarse voice: "Eye...what's wrong?"
"It's okay." Ran Yuwei touched her face and said, "She suffered a minor injury. It will be fine with a minor operation in a few days."
Ran Chi also came over: "Sister, don't be afraid. It's okay."
Song Ran didn't react at all, as if he didn't even feel sadness or fear.
She stayed for a while and then suddenly said: "I smell the fragrance. Is it flowers?"
Auntie said: "Many people have come to see you. The ward is full of flowers. You will be able to see them when your eyes heal in a few days. A lot of them have been moved out."
She stayed for a while and asked, "Who came to see me?"
"The leaders and colleagues of your TV station."
"...Oh." She stopped talking.
It seemed like someone else was talking to her in the ward, but she didn't listen, and her thoughts drifted away like smoke.
A few days later, Song Ran underwent corneal repair surgery, which was successful. During the few days she was hospitalized, Xiaoqiu and the others visited her several times, but there was no one else.
That person was in the distant Eastern Kingdom and could not come to see her.
On the day when the gauze was removed, everyone in the family was there except Yang Huilun. Ran Yuwei couldn't bear to be in the same room with her.
The doctor checked Song Ran's eyes and found that there were no major problems in all aspects. He could stay in the hospital for observation for a few days and then be discharged to work and live normally. But be careful to avoid strenuous exercise and head impacts.
Song Ran squinted her eyes slightly to adapt to the light, and looked out the window. At the beginning of October, autumn entered Liangcheng. The window was slightly opened, and the wind blowing in was a little cold.
That evening Xiaoqiu came to see her and was very happy to learn that she would be able to go back to work soon. She said, "I was afraid that something would happen to you and you wouldn't be able to go to work. I was so nervous. It's okay, it's okay, God bless you." !”
Xiaochun also said proudly: "Ran Ran, you are now the living sign of our TV station."
Song Ran didn't understand: "What's wrong?"
Xiaoxia was about to say something when she realized that her excited expression was not very good. She became a little more serious and sighed: "Did you know that in the massacre on the outskirts of Hapo City, 187 civilians died, 68 of them... children. In addition, 13 soldiers were injured.”
When Song Ran heard the word "child", his mind buzzed, but he couldn't hear anything else clearly. She tried her best to force herself not to think about it these days. But at this moment, the corpses and blood all over the street clearly appeared in front of her.
Xiaoqiu didn't notice Song Ran's pale face and said, "The videos and photos you took have become the only physical evidence. The international community has exploded. Because of this massacre, the Western media strongly condemned terrorism. I read the news today that several countries have promised to send troops to assist the Eastern Government, and the war may be fundamentally changed. Ran Ran, this is all due to you."
Xiaodong also said: "When I was studying journalism, our teacher always said that good journalists have the power to change the world. At that time, I thought it was an exaggeration. But Ranran, this time you may be able to push the situation in the East to reverse. You are amazing. The media all over the world is praising you."
Song Ran had no reaction, and remembered what Saxin said: This land is a huge tree full of tragedy, and everyone who comes from afar can reach out and grab a handful and pick a few fruits.
She didn't even know how Sasin was doing now or whether he was still alive.
Her head was dizzy and she thought for a long time before asking: "...I'm back. What's the frontline work now..."
"Are you asking Shen Bei?" Xiaoqiu snorted, "She has returned to China."
"Why?"
"I guess I'm too timid and scared. I ran back as soon as I was sent out. I can't help but save my face. Now I'm transferred to the 16th floor." The 16th floor of the Liangcheng Satellite TV building is the variety show and entertainment department, not only Liangcheng Satellite TV but also A leading entertainment brand in the country, "You can still go to the most popular entertainment department after doing this. It's different because you have a strong background."
Others are more reserved, just smiling and saying nothing.
Xiaoqiu said: "But it's useless for her to stay. She won't be able to overpower you this time."
Xiaodong smoothed things over: "Xiaoqiu, you are really outspoken. We are all colleagues, don't be like this."
Xiaoqiu rolled her eyes: "What, are you going to send a message?"
"The more I talk about it, the more biased it becomes. Who would pass it on? Let's just talk about it in private."
Song Ran didn't ask any more questions and was discharged from the hospital successfully a few days later.
Ran Yuwei took care of her for a week or two, during which time she expressed her dissatisfaction with Song Zhicheng many times. Song Ran seemed as if he hadn't heard anything. In late October, Ran Yuwei returned to the Imperial City, and Song Ran returned to work.
I don't know if her body functions have deteriorated due to staying in the hospital bed for too long. Song Ran found that her physical fitness was not as good as before, and even her daily commute to and from get off work felt very tiring. Although people deliberately do not think about certain things, they are still preoccupied and often have insomnia at night.
I also made several small mistakes at work due to lack of concentration, but fortunately my colleagues were considerate and took care of me.
That day, Xiaochun asked her: "Ran Ran, do you want to apply to the leader for a few more days of rest?"
"What's wrong?"
"There are typos in the manuscript you wrote. Besides, I think you seem to be in a bad mood recently."
She opened the document and checked the typing, and said: "The weather has been a bit cold recently, so I didn't sleep well."
"Yes." Xiaodong interrupted, "I'm freezing to death. The cold and humid weather in the south is really terrible. I can't even think about coming to work in a place without heating."
Xiao Qiu said: "By the way Ran Ran, during your absence, I was helping to process your information. Now am I passing it on to you?"
"OK."
"You really missed a lot when you were in the hospital bed." Xiaoxia said enviously, "You haven't even seen how much of a stir the videos and photos you took some time ago caused in the world's media circles. It is even more influential than the last carry. Be big.”
As soon as Song Ran clicked on the compressed package Xiaoqiu sent, a photo popped up. It was exactly the shutter she pressed when the explosion occurred that day - the suicide attacker was smiling and carrying a bag of candies. Sixty or seventy children gathered around him, raising their little heads eagerly waiting to share the candy. And smoke came out of the man's clothes. —Just before the bomb exploded.
The whole photo looks warm and welcoming, but there is a coldness behind it.
Like a smiling angel wearing a mask, behind him stood the sneering God of Death with his sickle raised.
"The best thing is the green smoke from the fuse. It was a God-given opportunity to take such a photo." Xiaochun commented.
"This photo could be in the running for this year's Dutch International Press Prize, or even the Pulitzer Prize."
Song Ran took the mouse and closed the photo in a second.
There were many photos and videos in the folder, but she didn't dare to open them, so she clicked through them all.
Xiao Xia said: "The photo taken by Shen Bei has good material, but it may have been too rushed and the composition was too poor."
It was a picture of dozens of children's corpses lined up, with an officer sitting next to them crying.
Xiaochun said: "Don't mention it, because the tragic situation of several children was not coded, and she was almost scolded to death after the photo was published..."
Xiaoqiu gave Xiaochun a look, and the latter immediately shut up.
Song Ran noticed something was wrong. She quietly searched the Internet for the photos she had taken, and found that there were comments on her official account, all of which were complimentary.
In the afternoon, Song Ran went to Twitter and wanted to contact Sahin and several foreign journalist friends. Only to find that the message box was overcrowded. She received countless comments and retweets.
She scratched it casually, and there were many words of praise. She didn't want to read them, but unexpectedly saw one in English: "Vulture!" (Vulture!)
Song Ran's heart tightened.
Then, she saw more similar comments in Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Cantonese, English...
"Don't go back to China! Your mother is dead!"
"I heard this disgusting man returned home injured."
"Which hospital, I will send wreaths to."
"Others' disasters and deaths were exchanged for your success and fame. You make me want to vomit!"
"Living on blood and human flesh, you are a vulture! A vulture circling in the sky waiting for the death of its prey!"
There are also Spanish, French, Russian, Italian, German, Arabic, various languages...
She didn't know whether it was out of self-abuse or something else, but she opened Google to translate one by one.
"Oh my God, that man looks like a terrorist. Why didn't the reporter who took the photo remind the children?"
"The moment she saw the children running for candy, this reporter must be eagerly waiting for the bomb to explode in the next second! Devil! I curse her to go to hell!"
"When I think of the moment of the explosion, this reporter pressed the shutter with excitement and anticipation. I really hope she was killed too!"
"She was the one who photographed the dead child last time!"
Song Ran sat in front of the computer, mechanically flipping through the comments, copying and pasting translations, and countless comments flowed into her eyes like water.
There were many people who spoke and defended her, but she seemed to be invisible at all, just flipping through the pages like a robot.
She even forced herself to think hard, almost hallucinating—
The moment she looked out the window inside the house, did she see that the man was a demon? Why didn't she warn the children and tell them to run away? ! Why didn't she see that the man was a demon? !
Why? !
"Ran Ran!" Xiao Qiu's voice instantly woke her up from her nightmare. She turned around and looked with fear in her eyes.
Xiaoqiu pressed her hand and smiled: "It's time to get off work. Go home."
Only then did Song Ran realize that she was shaking. Her hands and feet were shaking so much that she couldn't stop, as if she was sitting in the ice and snow wearing a T-shirt.
She twitched the corner of her mouth and said, "Has the temperature dropped? I feel a little cold."
"I have an extra scarf here, tie it first. Go home quickly, it will be even colder if it is later." Xiaoqiu took the mouse from her hand and turned off the computer.
At six o'clock in the afternoon, it started to get dark.
Song Ran wrapped herself in Xiaoqiu's scarf and stood in the rustling autumn wind, waiting for the bus. Her eyes have been sore these days and she will be tired from driving.
In mid-to-late October, autumn is already deep. Song Ran wore a thin sweater and woolen coat, but no long johns, and felt a little cold on the soles of her feet.
People waiting for the bus huddled in the cold wind, expressionless.
She stood there for a long time, not knowing what she was thinking. When she came to her senses, she realized that the street lights were all on. The bus sign flashed red in the dark night, as if it was the bus she wanted to take. She took a few steps forward and then stopped. She found that her eyes were dazzled and she mistook 5 for 6.
She stood back on the steps, glanced at the car window, and was suddenly startled.
She suddenly saw Li Zan, sitting by the window, looking ahead, seemingly in a trance.
The light was dim and she couldn't see clearly. She unconsciously reached out and called out: "A-Zan!"
In late autumn, the bus windows were closed tightly, and he did not look back. The car has started.
She was stunned for two seconds, then hurriedly walked up: "Officer Li!"
But he still didn't look back and the car drove away.
Song Ran stood in the cold wind and looked at the car going away, feeling as if a piece of her heart had been torn off.
He must have not heard her cry.
She got on the bus she was going to take in a daze. When she sat down, she heard people talking outside. It turns out that outside sounds can be heard through the glass.
Therefore, she must have seen it wrong.
He must still be in Dongguo and has not come back yet.
When Song Ran returned home, she was completely devastated and exhausted. She obviously didn't do anything, but she was so tired that she couldn't stand up straight. She forced herself to eat, so she made a bowl of instant noodles.
The autumn wind rustled outside the house, blowing the trees all over the courtyard. She stuffed instant noodles into her mouth, and unknowingly, tears fell one by one.
She remembered the doctor saying that her eyes were recovering and she couldn't cry, so she quickly raised her head and wiped away her tears.