"What's wrong?"
Xiao He flicked the water droplets off his fingers. He had just stepped outside when he heard He Junhao's startled shout.
"Xiao, Brother Xiao, there's a fire upstairs! There's a kid trapped up there right now!"
"What?"
Xiao He frowned and strode over to the balcony, leaning halfway out to look up—
It looked like about the sixteenth or seventeenth floor, where thick smoke was billowing. Below the smoke, a little girl in pajamas was helplessly hanging on the balcony railing, looking down at the people below.
The girl looked to be about seven or eight years old. Being able to climb out over the balcony railing was probably the only thing she could do. Facing the rising heat and the approaching flames, she neither cried nor panicked. She just quietly held onto the handrail in front of her and stood there calmly.
"Oh my God, where's the fire truck? Why hasn't it arrived yet?"
He Junhao was burning with anxiety, leaning on the railing and scanning the distance.
At the same time, some upstairs residents were trying to figure out a rescue plan, but unfortunately, the neighbors right below the girl's balcony weren't home, and the two nearby neighbors were too far away to reach her. Even Xiao He and his group on the twelfth floor were too distant to help.
Xiao He looked at the girl with red-rimmed eyes, feeling the urgency. He asked He Junhao, "Where are the firefighters?"
He Junhao looked at his phone and let out another "Damn."
"Damn, Brother Xiao! The fire trucks are blocked outside the community! My God, is the security guard at the entrance out of his mind? What are they thinking? Isn't this basically murder?"
Xiao He was shocked as well: "They really have such reckless operations?!"
"Damn it, people like that deserve to die!"
Suddenly, with He Junhao's words, people downstairs shouted in alarm. He Junhao's brow twitched as he leaned out again and saw the little girl was now hanging completely off the building, only holding tightly to a column beneath the railing with both hands. Her entire body was swinging in the air, looking like she could fall at any moment.
"Oh God! Brother Xiao, what should we do? I don't even know if we can help from here—"
But his words went unanswered. He Junhao turned his head and saw Xiao He squatting on the edge of the balcony railing, eyes firm as he looked upward.
"Damn, Brother Xiao!"
He Junhao screamed out, but before he could stop Xiao He, the young man had already leapt up like a nimble leopard, climbing along the building's edge.
He Junhao was dumbfounded. He rubbed his eyes, almost doubting he was dreaming.
But Xiao He didn't have time to care about He Junhao's thoughts.
Only the sound of wind rustling behind him and the crowd's shouts from below accompanied him. When he saw the little girl's helpless figure swaying in the air, only one thought raced through Xiao He's mind—
Save her!
Whether the system did it on purpose or not, the skills it gave always came with some anticipation. His new skill was exactly "Expert Climbing." As long as there were protruding edges on the wall, he could climb anywhere he wanted!
Edges of the upper balconies, recesses in the window frames, gaps between bricks on the building walls… the moment Xiao He leapt out, his mind automatically mapped out all the routes. His movements were extremely smooth, without any pause.
Those watching below couldn't help but nervously hold their breath.
Fortunately, although the young man's actions were bold and dangerous, each move was precise, landing exactly where he intended. The height was five floors in total. Normally, running up would take 40 to 60 seconds, but Xiao He completed the rapid climbing sequence in only about fifteen seconds.
Using the railing of the balcony below, Xiao He made a giant leap and dangled from the balcony edge above with one hand.
Just then, the little girl's strength gave out, and her hands slackened weakly. Xiao He caught her waist the moment she started to fall and smoothly tucked her under his arm. Then, using his waist to power the motion, he pulled both himself and the girl back onto the burning floor's balcony.
The railing was already scorching hot. Xiao He almost let go from the burning heat when he touched it but gritted his teeth and endured. He leaned his head inside and asked the little girl, "Is there anyone else at home?"
The girl looked at the suddenly appearing big brother with a dazed expression. She slowly shook her head. Her eyes looked so tired they were barely open, but she still raised her bloody burned hands with difficulty and gestured toward Xiao He.
Xiao He was silent for a moment.
No wonder the child hadn't cried or caused a fuss earlier—she simply couldn't speak…
"I understand."
Then, carrying the girl on his back, Xiao He didn't go back the way he came. Instead, he moved sideways, stepping on the edge of the windowsill and reached the neighbor's window.
The neighbors had been waiting for a long time. The man reached out to pull the girl inside. Xiao He supported her from below, letting her step on his shoulder. With the neighbor's help, the girl was safely brought inside the room. Only then did Xiao He lightly leap and land gracefully on the windowsill.
Once both were safely inside the adjacent room, thunderous applause erupted from downstairs.
"Bro, you're awesome!"
Someone shouted from below.
Others were fired up watching: "Holy crap! That's a real-life Spider-Man!"
"Spider-Man? No way! This guy climbed that building with his bare hands! That's freaking cool!"
"Did anyone record that? Need the video! I'm gonna brag about this online! This is more epic than the movies!"
...
The lady of the house held the little girl and gently comforted her while taking out a first-aid kit to treat the girl's hands. The man gave Xiao He a thumbs-up: "Brother, you're the man! I rarely admire anyone in my life, but you're one of them now!"
Xiao He scratched his head, a bit embarrassed: "It's nothing, I just did what was within my ability."
The lady glanced up at Xiao He, then exclaimed: "Mu Ze?"
Xiao He: "..."
In the rush to come out, Xiao He hadn't bothered to wear his mask or hat to hide himself. He was even still wearing the glasses He Junhao had given him from earlier.
Plus, the clothes he wore today made it easy for people to recognize him.
"You're Mu Ze?"
The lady's expression was both excited and strange, staring at Xiao He unblinkingly, almost as if trying to bore a hole through him.
Xiao He could only reply, "Yes, that's me. I'm the actor who plays Mu Ze. My real name is Xiao He."
"Ah, sorry! So your name is Xiao He! I really love your portrayal of Mu Ze! Didn't expect to meet you in person this time!"
The lady was probably about twenty-six or twenty-seven. Right now, she looked like a fangirl who had just seen her idol. Although Xiao He looked a bit unfriendly, he had just heroically saved a life in front of everyone!
"Ahhh, so exciting!"
The lady was so overwhelmed she didn't know what to do, even wanting Xiao He's autograph and a photo. Seeing the scene was getting chaotic, Xiao He changed the subject first: "Um, can I borrow your sink for a moment? I want to wash my hands."
"Of course! Right this way! Hey! Your hand is bleeding!"
Only then did the lady notice the blood on Xiao He's hand.
Xiao He looked down casually and shook his hand: "It's nothing, just some scrapes."