Chapter 782: Fire!
Pioneer Furniture Factory. Multi-purpose Building!
Since the warehouse stored a large amount of raw materials and workers were constantly coming and going, the warehouse doors were not locked.
When Li Yi and the others arrived, a dozen or so workers were carrying materials out from inside.
Once the group stepped inside the warehouse, Li Yi was stunned by the scene before him.
The vast warehouse was packed with all kinds of raw materials. In addition to various types of wood, there were also large numbers of metal drums stacked near the left side.
Although it was impossible to see what was inside the drums, the smell permeating the warehouse made it clear that they were most likely filled with paint—or perhaps glue.
The layout and arrangement of the entire warehouse were extremely cramped and chaotic; upon entering from the outside, they found that in many places there wasn’t even a clear path to walk through.
When he reached the center of the warehouse, Li Yi noticed a ramp. Upon asking, he learned that there was actually a basement level below, which was also used as a warehouse.
According to Factory Director Xu, the basement was entirely stocked with glue and paint.
Hearing this, Li Yi didn’t know how to describe his feelings.
While inspecting the items stored in the warehouse, Li Yi also examined the layout of the wiring.
At first glance, the wiring seemed fine—not particularly messy, and certainly much neater than the wires in Nianzishan Village.
However, Li Yi noticed that all the wiring here was covered in a layer of dust, and in many places, the insulation on the aluminum wires had weathered and cracked.
Such wiring might seem harmless at first glance, but if any conductor were to bridge the gap between the neutral and live wires at a cracked point, it could cause anything from a short circuit and power outage to a fire.
After walking around for a while, Li Yi’s gaze suddenly settled on an electrical meter box in the corner.
According to the results of the subsequent fire investigation, this meter box was the initial point of ignition. In other words, this unremarkable, ordinary, and seemingly harmless meter box right before his eyes had triggered the catastrophic disaster that claimed over a hundred lives.
Seeing Li Yi staring intently at the meter box, Factory Director Xu and the others were taken aback.
“Comrade Li Yi, is there something wrong with this meter box? Why are you staring at it like that?”
Hearing Director Xu’s question, Li Yi immediately averted his gaze, then looked at him intently and said, “Director Xu, where is the person in charge of this warehouse? May I speak with him?”
“Um… sure!”
Director Xu then turned to the office manager behind him and said, “Director Wang, go get Guo over here!”
“Yes, sir!”
While Director Wang was gone to fetch him, Plant Manager Xu asked curiously, “Comrade Li Yi, is something wrong in the warehouse?”
Li Yi nodded and said, “Director Xu, haven’t you noticed that this warehouse is like a ticking time bomb?”
“A ticking time bomb? What do you mean?”
Factory Director Xu looked at Li Yi with a completely baffled expression, not knowing what he meant.
“I just took a look around and noticed that the wiring in your factory’s warehouse is severely deteriorated. It hasn’t been inspected or maintained in a long time, so there’s a constant risk of fire—especially with this electrical meter box.”
Li Yi then pointed to the piles of junk and lumber nearby and continued, “These are all flammable materials. If a fire breaks out, the consequences would be unimaginable!”
Factory Director Xu and the others were completely taken aback by Li Yi’s words, and the expressions of some of the factory leaders immediately darkened.
“You’re just a customer here to place an order—this isn’t your concern, is it?”
“By saying this, aren’t you implying there’s a problem with our management? This is a direct slap in the face to all of us!”
Actually, Li Yi didn’t want to say it, but seeing the situation before him and recalling that devastating fire, he simply couldn’t help but warn them.
Just as the atmosphere grew awkward, a burly man in his mid-twenties came jogging over.
Upon seeing the young man running toward them, Li Yi’s expression shifted slightly!
Is that him?
If Li Yi wasn’t mistaken, this burly, dark-skinned man standing before him was Xue Jianming, Xiao Jingshu’s biological father—Li Yi had seen his photo in the case files earlier.
Li Yi had been wondering how he should go about introducing himself, but he hadn’t expected to meet him so soon.
Xue Jianming strode up to Factory Director Xu and said loudly, “Director, Director Guo has taken the day off due to a family matter. If you need anything, just tell me directly!”
“What’s your name?”
“Xue Jianming. I’m a team leader over in the warehouse!” Xue Jianming replied.
Factory Director Xu furrowed his brow, then said, “Comrade Li Yi has something to discuss with you. Please cooperate.”
“Yes, sir!”
Li Yi knew it was his turn to step in. He glanced at Xue Jianming and asked, “Team Leader Xue, how long has it been since the wiring in your warehouse was last inspected?”
“It’s been a while since they were last inspected!”
“Exactly how many years?”
“Well… at least five years. I haven’t seen anyone inspect them since I started working here!”
As he spoke, Xue Jianming kept his head down, not daring to look at Plant Manager Xu and the others.
Having gotten the answer he wanted, Li Yi didn’t press further. He immediately said, “Team Leader Xue, I suggest you call the factory’s electrician right away to conduct a thorough inspection of the wiring here, especially this meter box. Otherwise, the consequences could be unpredictable!”
“Well…”
This was not something a team leader like him could decide on his own, so Xue Jianming instinctively looked toward Factory Director Xu.
Upon hearing that the wiring in the warehouse hadn’t been inspected for years, Factory Director Xu was startled. Recalling the safety incidents that had occurred at several factories over the past two years, he felt a pang of unease.
After all, as a veteran of the industry, he prioritized caution and immediately said, “Let’s do as Comrade Li Yi suggests. After all, a quick inspection won’t take much time!”
“Yes!”
At that moment, Li Yi reminded them again, “Be sure to prioritize safety during the inspection and be prepared to fight any fires!”
“Yes!”
Li Yi didn’t stay to watch the wiring inspection; doing so would have made his intentions too obvious.
After saying this, he asked Plant Manager Xu and the other witnesses to take him upstairs to have a look.
The second and third floors housed the workers’ dormitories, typically reserved for single male and female workers, connected only by a narrow staircase between the two levels.
Once they reached the upper floors, the situation there wasn’t looking much better either.
Although each floor is equipped with a fire hydrant, there are very few of them—just one at the stairwell, which is clearly nothing more than a token gesture.
Moreover, the outdated fire extinguishers and worn-out fire hydrants were covered in rust and had been neglected for years. There was only a single yellowed maintenance label, with the year faded beyond recognition, making it impossible to tell when the last inspection took place.
According to the case files Li Yi reviewed, these fire safety facilities in the factory were indeed merely for show; they had never been used since they were installed, and no one had ever instructed the factory workers on how to use them in an emergency.
According to some survivors, when the fire broke out, the warehouse guard on the first floor was the first to spot the billowing smoke and immediately organized a team to put out the fire.
However, due to years of neglect, the fire extinguishers in the cabinets were completely unusable. They then thought of using the fire hydrants to put out the fire, but no one knew how to operate them, nor did they know where to connect the water supply.
Furthermore, upon entering the second-floor hallway, Li Yi witnessed another shocking scene.
The emergency passageways between floors were completely cluttered with debris—bundles of scrap wood and sacks of sawdust labeled with names, clearly intended for employees to take home for firewood.
All of these items were highly flammable, and with them piled up in the hallways, the consequences of a fire were simply unimaginable.
Just as Li Yi was deep in thought, a cacophony of shouts suddenly erupted from downstairs. He could faintly make out cries of “Oh no!”, “Fire!”, and “Quick, put it out!”
Upstairs, Li Yi froze for a moment, then a sense of foreboding washed over him. He silently wondered to himself, “Surely I can’t be that unlucky…”
……..