pjbooks Chapter 160 Hurricane Rescue, Life Relay
Chapter 160 Hurricane Rescue, Life Relay
Chapter 160 Hurricane Rescue, Life Relay
"A suicide note! This is a suicide note! Oh my god, Ms. Nancy wants to commit suicide!"
By the end, Valentina was so frightened that she was at a loss for what to do, and even her hand holding the letter was trembling.
Firstly, she didn't expect that a perfectly healthy person would suddenly become so suicidal.
Secondly, for shelters, homeless suicides are considered serious workplace accidents.
After all, before becoming homeless, no matter how difficult life was, everyone at least had a roof over their head.
Many people who suddenly find themselves homeless and, unable to cope with the situation, choose to end their lives. Some are lucky enough to be discovered on the same day, while others are unlucky enough to have their bodies decompose before being found.
As for the disposal methods, fresh ones are sent to the hospital for biopsy studies, while those that have deteriorated are incinerated, and the ashes are either buried on-site or scattered into the sea.
As for the news showing the government burying the body, believe it or not, burial plots are free, aren't they?
"What should we do, Jack? Should we call the police right away?" Valentina was so anxious that she was almost crying when she saw the open window.
If this woman named Nancy Oliver really dies, the authorities will definitely hold her accountable. It doesn't matter if a homeless person dies on the street, but if someone is registered in a shelter and then commits suicide, the first person to be held accountable will be the director of the shelter, followed by the doctor in charge of mental examinations and psychological interventions.
But this only exists in theory. In reality, it's when a temporary worker makes a serious mistake. Otherwise, why would we hire you?
"Don't worry, I'll think of a way."
Ma Jieke knew very well that he couldn't panic, especially in situations like this. He quickly read through the suicide note, trying to find useful clues. When he reached the penultimate paragraph, he quickly discovered a blind spot: "Look here, she wrote that she wanted to end this torment and become a carefree little fish, a little fish...water!"
"I know where she went!"
Realizing what was happening, Ma Jie immediately turned around and went downstairs, locating the nearest bridge across the river on the map.
The main river in Los Angeles is the Los Angeles River, which originates in the San Fernando Valley and is 82 kilometers long, flowing through the entire city.
Riding a BMW motorcycle, weaving through traffic, the street scenes on both sides of the road rushed by at lightning speed, not even stopping at red lights, startling pedestrians and drivers who scrambled to get out of the way.
For high-level players, racing through the streets of Los Santos is often a thrilling experience.
If your skills are good enough, the whole city is your backyard.
The only downside is that no police cars spawned behind you, preventing you from having a perfect experience.
From shelter number 545 to the nearest bridge across the river, it's about 2 kilometers, a maximum of three minutes by motorcycle.
As Ma Jieke approached his destination, he saw a large crowd of citizens gathered on the pedestrian ramp. He quickly rode over, parked his bike, and squeezed into the crowd.
Sure enough, I saw a dark-skinned woman in her 30s who had already stepped over the metal railing, with half of her body hanging over the edge.
The onlookers offered their opinions, but they were mostly empty platitudes like "life is beautiful," "think of your parents and friends," and "your dreams are waiting for you." These had little effect on someone contemplating suicide.
"Nancy Oliver?" Ma Jie immediately confirmed her identity, and when her gaze instinctively fell upon him, he quickly stated his purpose: "I'm a friend of Miss Valentine's, and also an entrepreneur. I've just started a company and urgently need talent skilled in financial management. Would you be interested in working for me?"
"Liar! You're a liar! Valentina taught you to say that!"
Surprisingly, this woman's first reaction was not to see a turning point, but to immediately categorize him as a scammer.
Ma Jieke immediately responded, "Whether I'm a liar or not, you'll find out when you come back with me. But if you jump, all hope will be lost. You don't want to give up on your life, do you?"
"My life is over. Whether I persist or give up, it will no longer have any meaning. Even if I convince myself to live on, I will just be a walking corpse."
Nancy Oliver shook her head unconsciously, her face showing nothing but pain and despair.
But in Ma Jieke's view, this is a case where there is still hope, because in psychology, suicide is divided into two types: impulsive and premeditated.
Most people are impulsive. When they experience a breakup or disappointment, they don't think things through. If their souls are still conscious after they die, they will definitely regret it immensely.
However, premeditated suicide is an irreversible state. When a person contemplating suicide is in despair and determined to die, they will not appear in the public eye. After all, if you want to kill yourself, there are plenty of ways to do it.
Such people find liberation and rebirth after death, and will never regret the choices they made in life.
Having grasped her psychology, Ma Jieke chose to address the root of the problem: "I heard from Miss Valentina that you are a master's student, a top student at Wharton Business School, and I have a general understanding of your current situation. I believe you are a victim. You have never done anything immoral, but life has been very unfair to you, causing you to fall from a high place and become a homeless person in the eyes of the world. I can understand how you feel. It must be very painful. You have gone through so much, so it is understandable that you feel tired. Therefore, you want to give up and end it all."
"
"But I want to tell you that if there is still a spark of light in your heart, you cannot seek relief too early, otherwise it will torment your soul, which is more painful than surviving."
"Stop talking, stop talking, I told you to stop! Lies, all lies!" Faced with Ma Jie's attempts to console her, Nancy Oliver became even more agitated: "I will never trust anyone again, never! Back off, all of you back off, or I'll jump right now!"
"OK, step back, everyone step back."
Ma Jie did not rush to talk to her again, but instead met her needs and directed the onlookers to step back.
"Miss Nancy, what are you doing?!"
A familiar voice came from the gaps in the crowd. Valentina, who had run all the way from the shelter, was panting heavily.
"Nana, what brings you here?" Upon seeing the Mexican girl, Nancy Oliver's expression changed drastically, for she was the protagonist in her suicide note.
The reason I left my last words to her was because I couldn't find anyone else I could confide in.
Although the two did not spend much time together, they maintained a mentor-student and friend-like relationship. He was the only person who continued to show kindness to her until the end of his life.
"Come back with me, okay? Don't do anything foolish. I've found you a job, a job with great prospects."
"Now you should believe I'm not a scammer, right?" Ma Jie quickly followed up on her words, "I really can help you, and I can deliver immediately. Even if you don't believe me, don't you believe your friends?"
"I believe you." Nancy nodded gently, her voice sounding a little choked up. "Nana wouldn't lie to me, because when I was homeless, she gave me my last hope, letting me know that there are still people in this world who retain the most basic kindness. But for me, it's all too late. The road ahead is full of thorns. I'm afraid of pain, I'm afraid of bleeding. I'm a coward. I don't have the courage to persevere. Just let me leave with dignity..."
"Don't even think about it!" Valentina's tone was full of skepticism upon hearing her self-deprecating remarks. "You've been looking for a job all this time, which shows you never intended to give up and were trying to find a chance to turn your life around. Now this opportunity is right in front of you, and you're turning it away. What is this? Complete escapism and self-imposed limitations!"
"Yes, I was escaping reality. My family and friends all left me. In their eyes, I was a complete failure. In America, failures have no dignity. What kind of life is it if you live without dignity? I couldn't stand the scorn and ridicule. When you fall, everyone tries to step on you and spit in your face. Look, this bitch deserves it. She cheated everyone out of their money..."
"Stop talking!" Valentina shouted hoarsely, "I just want to tell you that other people's opinions are bullshit. Only you can decide who you are. If you care about those things, then I feel sorry for you. Have you forgotten the song we sang together? Let me sing it for you."
"There is a hero."
"If you look inside your heart."
A powerful female voice rang out, singing Mariah Carey's "Hero".
This song is a household name in the United States, a national hit, and its popularity is roughly equivalent to that of "Invisible Wings" in China.
Ma Jieke had heard the song many times before, and he couldn't help but hum along. Led by the two, passersby also started singing along, including many elderly people and children.
"When you face the world alone, no one will lend you a helping hand."
"When you feel like hope has been dashed."
"Examine your inner self and become stronger."
"You will eventually understand the truth."
"Heroism resides within you."
"What are you doing? Stop! Stop singing!"
Stimulated by the singing, Nancy initially resisted subconsciously, then gradually calmed down, and finally was overwhelmed by a huge emotion, standing there not knowing what to do.
Seeing her reaction, the singing became even louder.
"God knows that dreams are far away, but dreams should not be given up on easily. Perseverance will bring dawn, and you will find the right path..."
"That hero lies within you."
As the chorus drew to a close, Nancy's face was covered in tears.
Seeing this, Ma Jie quickly gave Valentina a wink, knowing that this was the moment when the psychological defenses of those contemplating suicide were at their weakest, and they absolutely could not miss this opportunity.
The latter cautiously moved closer to her: "OK, now give me your hand, and I'll take you home."
Sure enough, she slowly reached out her hand, and just as their fingertips touched, perhaps due to exhaustion from standing in the confined space for too long, Nancy Oliver suddenly slipped and fell downwards.
Even though she tried to grab the railing with both hands out of her survival instinct, her vision was blurred by tears, and she ended up grabbing nothing.
Watching the other person's body plummet downwards at breakneck speed, Valentina's mind went completely blank... It's all over, everything is over.
Just a few seconds later, amidst gasps from passersby, a lithe figure swept past her, his bare, muscular upper body vaulting over the railing and leaping off the bridge!
Pfft!Pfft!
The two jumped into the Los Angeles River one after the other, creating two large splashes on the surface.
Otherwise, how about a forward somersault with knees drawn up and a three-and-a-half twist?
With such a high falling distance, coupled with Ma Jieke's considerable weight, he plunged headfirst into the riverbed due to the acceleration of gravity.
Fortunately, it's not winter, and the temperature in California isn't low. After hitting the bottom, I pushed off with my calves and used the rebound force to swim upstream.
After surfacing, I observed that Nancy's landing point was very close to mine, at most a dozen meters away. However, judging from the way she was splashing around, she obviously couldn't swim very well.
As the saying goes, one should not only have the heart to save others, but also the skills to do so.
The first principle in rescuing people who have fallen into the water is always to prioritize your own safety.
According to relevant accident statistics, the relationship between drowning victims and rescuers in the water is that of enemies.
Because people who fall into the water often unleash tremendous force out of panic and survival instinct, dragging their rescuers into the water and causing both to drown. Such tragedies have been all too common.
Therefore, never go into the water to rescue someone unless absolutely necessary.
If you really want to go down, you must have a full understanding of your own swimming ability and physical strength, have received water rescue training, and carry a lifebuoy.
But where would you find a lifebuoy in this situation? The only correct thing Ma Jieke could do was to take off his clothes before getting into the water. This wasn't because he was afraid of getting his clothes wet, but because clothes absorb water and become heavier, greatly increasing resistance in the water.
After calmly observing Nancy's situation in the water, he stood still and watched her suffer in the water.
The purpose of this step is to exhaust the drowning person's strength. It doesn't matter if she swallows a few more mouthfuls of water, but she absolutely must not have the strength to struggle.
About a minute later, Nancy's movements became less and less noticeable, while Majab circled around in the water, which was the most crucial step.
If you approach from the front, the drowning person will wrap all four limbs around the rescuer like an octopus, meaning neither the drowning person nor the rescuer will survive.
But rescuing someone from behind is much safer, since humans can't hug each other back to back.
After successfully getting close, Ma Jie used his slightly weaker left arm to reach under her armpit, tightly hugging her chest while lifting her chin up so that her mouth and nose were above the water.
In this way, she had neither the strength to struggle nor the ability to breathe normally, thus minimizing her panic level.
After completing this maneuver, Ma Jieke used a one-arm sidestroke and swam as hard as he could towards the shore.
Swimming with one arm is already tiring, not much different from doing a one-armed push-up. On top of that, you also have to drag a grown person along, which is a complete challenge to your physical limits.
If it weren't for his background as a swimming champion and the double stamina bar from his "Working God Body" as a safety net, he would never have dared to jump down.