redvbooks Chapter 226 Collateral Damage
Chapter 226 Collateral Damage
Besides Aunt Li and a few older women, there were also several strong young people and even a few elderly neighbors.
They hurriedly grabbed the items, afraid of being too slow.
Old Zhang, the one who started all this, never expected that simply charging his electric scooter secretly in the shop would lead to such a disaster.
Just then, a gust of wind blew, and the fire quickly spread to Chen Yuan's breakfast shop.
The wooden door frame caught fire quickly upon contact with the flames.
The piercing sirens of fire trucks grew louder as they approached.
But the fire had already spread, and there was no way to stop it.
Chen Yuan stood before the flames, watching his shop teeter on the brink of collapse amidst the thick smoke, unsure of what to think.
The fire was gradually extinguished.
The water on the ground also trickled away along the cracks in the stone slabs.
As the thick smoke dissipated, the pungent smell of burning and the damp, cold air clung to my body, lingering for a long time.
Chen Yuan walked to the breakfast shop and looked at the shop, which was blackened by smoke, the wooden door frame, and the water stains and charcoal black on the ground.
I was completely at a loss for words.
Fortunately, the store's main equipment was salvaged, and the losses were not significant.
He took out his phone, took a few photos, and simultaneously posted a short announcement in his group, the mini-program backend, and the official account.
[Due to a fire caused by improper charging of electric bicycles at the neighboring shop, our shop has been affected and will need to close for a few days for repairs. The reopening date will be announced later. We are currently closed. Thank you for your understanding; I will get the shop ready as quickly as possible.]
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The message had barely been sent when a series of hurried footsteps approached.
Xia Qing helped her grandmother walk quickly from the edge of the crowd, her eyes filled with anxiety. Only when she saw that Chen Yuan was unharmed did the two of them breathe a sigh of relief.
Grandma's voice trembled slightly: "Xiao Chen, are you alright? Are you hurt? Did you get choked by the smoke? Come here quickly, let me see."
Xia Qing gestured quickly, "Are you alright? We were so worried about you."
Chen Yuan quickly stepped forward to support his grandmother, his tone calm, as if nothing had happened, incredibly composed.
"I'm fine, and the electricity is okay too. It was just charred black, which looked quite scary. We've managed to salvage everything, so it's not a big problem and the damage isn't significant."
Grandma nodded repeatedly, her thin, withered hands gripping Chen Yuan's hand tightly, saying, "It's alright, it's alright, as long as he's safe, that's all that matters."
Then the phone vibrated, and Su Qingxue's number popped up.
Chen Yuan quickly answered the phone. The voice on the other end was panicked and hurried, with a hint of crying.
"Senior, I saw the video they posted. How are you? Are you injured? Did you inhale the thick smoke and go to the hospital for a checkup?"
"I'm fine, don't worry, I'm perfectly safe."
A long sigh of relief came from the other end of the receiver.
"I'm so glad you're alright. You have no idea how scared I was. I've already hailed a taxi, it'll be here soon, I'm coming right away."
"Okay, I'm fine. Don't worry, take your time."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Yuan received several more calls from his family.
Chen Yuan had no choice but to let them know he was safe.
The video of the shop catching fire quickly caused a huge uproar online.
In addition, Chen Yuan issued a notice to suspend business operations.
The comment section, private messages, and various local topics were instantly flooded with a massive number of messages.
Oh my god, thank goodness everyone's alright.
What should I do if Mr. Chen closes down? My dad has no appetite due to chemotherapy and is craving his porridge and steamed buns. What will happen if he stops operating?
I took three days off, but little did I know that a fire would destroy my dreams.
[How about we rent a temporary stall, or set up a mobile food truck?]
My family needs to eat steamed buns every day; they feel uncomfortable if they don't get to eat them for a day! Please find a solution quickly!
If only there were semi-finished products! Then I wouldn't be so hungry I couldn't sleep at night.
Could the neighborhood committee help find a vacant storefront?
[Hurry up and fix the shop! If all else fails, Mr. Chen, come work for me! I make handmade dumplings, and the shop has everything you need. I'll provide the space for free!]
The comments contained complaints and accusations, as well as anxiety and concern.
And of course, there are all sorts of suggestions.
Chen Yuan glanced at a few messages briefly before his phone vibrated again; it was a call from Li Ke.
Li Ke's voice on the other end of the phone was as calm as ever: "Xiao Chen, are you alright? I just got the news, so I called to check on you."
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
"Okay, it's good that everyone is alright. I've seen the fire report, and it's a blessing that everyone is safe."
Li Ke paused for a moment, as if he were rummaging through something.
"We just had a brief meeting with some of the leaders in our bureau. It seems like your shop's situation is quite serious; it won't be back for at least half a month."
"We have a few solutions, but we mainly want to ask you how you want to transition? Um... the bureau can help coordinate and approve a temporary shop for you or something."
The sound of pages turning filled the air.
After a few breaths, the other person spoke again.
"However, these temporary shops are quite troublesome, and with all the handover procedures, it takes at least a week."
Chen Yuan paused for a moment: "Li Ke, this is taking a little too long."
He spoke calmly, getting straight to the point: "If we stop for a week, I think our customer traffic and the enthusiasm of our diners will likely decrease. Do we have a better solution?"
Old Li on the other end of the phone flipped through the pages, pondered for a moment, and said...
"That's exactly what I was thinking. I knew you'd complain about the slowness. The bureau has two other plans; listen to them and see which one you choose."
"The first thing is to coordinate with a breakfast shop. You can just bring your belongings and move in immediately. We'll discuss the specifics, so don't worry."
"The second option is to get you a food truck, right in your old spot."
"I estimate that these two plans can be implemented in three or four days. Which one do you want to choose, or if you don't want either, just tell me and the bureau will proceed according to your wishes."
Chen Yuan quickly went through the pros and cons in his mind.
Borrowing someone else's shop is the fastest way, but then you have to move around, which is a hassle.
After much deliberation, Chen Yuan decided to choose a food truck.
"Li Ke, I think it would be best to get a mobile food truck, but it needs to be spacious, otherwise I'm afraid there won't be enough room for all my stuff."
"Could you help me coordinate this?"