NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5:
Chapter 5: A Hero Who Acted Bravely:
Just as Lin Xian’s manager was droning on about company values, a sharp-eyed reporter suddenly turned and spotted him.
Her eyes widened. That figure… that handsome face… it had to be him!
“Mr. Lin Xian! It’s Lin Xian! Camera, follow me!”
The moment the crowd heard that Lin Xian had arrived, they surged toward him like a wave, encircling him so tightly not even a drop of water could pass through.
His manager, still prattling on about company philosophy, was entirely ignored.
“Mr. Lin Xian! I’m a reporter from XXX Television. Can you tell us the specifics of what happened at the scene?”
“Mr. Lin! We’re with the XX University campus newspaper. We’d like to conduct an exclusive interview about your brave actions!”
“Mr. Lin Xian, the grandmother of the children mentioned that the two girls were swept downstream and that you happened to pass by the narrow bridge and rescued them. What were your thoughts at that moment?”
…
Countless flashing cameras and recording devices nearly blinded Lin Xian.
He could only maintain a polite smile as he responded. His memories of the incident were still gradually merging, so even he wasn’t entirely sure about the specifics.
Suddenly, thud! thud! A man and a woman knelt before him, tears streaming down their faces.
“Mr. Lin Xian! Thank you for saving our daughters. Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to go on living!”
The father then pulled forward two twin girls from behind him.
“Rui Rui, Jing Jing, this man is your savior! Call him Godfather!”
“Godfather!”
“Godfather!”
The twin girls’ innocent voices startled Lin Xian, who hurriedly helped the couple to their feet.
“Please, don’t! You mustn’t… Get up, quickly!”
He wasn’t even married yet—how could he suddenly become someone’s godfather?
For the next stretch of time, Lin Xian was bombarded with questions from reporters.
His responses were modest and consistent:
“I only did what any normal person would do. Acts of bravery and helping others are long-standing virtues in Longguo. I hope everyone doesn’t overemphasize this matter.”
A group of schoolchildren, dressed in uniforms, presented Lin Xian with bouquets of flowers.
Shortly afterward, a few city officials arrived to shake his hand, take photos, and express their intent to encourage such heroic behavior in schools and government organizations.
They also mentioned that a certificate of bravery and a banner were being processed and that a televised award ceremony would be held later.
With the crowd being so enthusiastic, Lin Xian could only respond politely with official-sounding remarks.
After over an hour, the crowd finally began to disperse, and Lin Xian managed to catch his breath.
“Sigh… It was such a small act, but they’re making me feel embarrassed.”
Checking his phone, he found 37 missed calls—all from his parents.
The noise had been so overwhelming earlier that he hadn’t heard a thing.
Lin Xian called his father back.
“Hey, Dad. What’s up? Sorry, I couldn’t hear earlier.”
“Son!!! I’m so proud of you!!!”
His father’s booming voice made Lin Xian hold the phone away from his ear.
“Son!!! You’ve upheld the tradition of our military family! I’ve already told your grandfather—even though you didn’t follow in our footsteps and join the military, your character is worthy of our family’s honor!”
“Move over! Let me talk to my son!”
On the other end, his mother took the phone.
“Lin Xian~ it’s Mom. We saw your video on Weibo and recognized you right away! You didn’t get hurt saving those kids, did you?”
“Don’t worry, Mom. The water was shallow—”
“Oh, I’ve always said you’re the most capable one in the family! Tonight, when I’m at the square dance, I’ll make sure to brag to all the other moms about you!”
…
After 20 minutes of handling his parents’ excitement, Lin Xian finally hung up.
Now, his WeChat app showed 99+ unread messages.
Who knew how many people were trying to contact him?
Too exhausted to bother, he took the elevator up to the 22nd floor and entered his office.
The moment he stepped inside, all his coworkers stood up in unison.
The male colleagues gave him thumbs-ups, shouting words of praise like “Awesome!”
The female colleagues, eyes sparkling with admiration, immediately surrounded him.
The older coworkers either looked at him with approval or gave off the vibe that they wanted to introduce him to potential partners.
“Stop! Stop! Please, stop!”
Feeling overwhelmed, Lin Xian rushed to his desk and plopped down in his chair.
“No more questions! I’m starting work now!”