Considering a rescue plan, Xiao Hao found a stone platform in the ravine, about as tall as an overturned train car. The platform was not far from the carriage, separated by a gap of over two meters. He carefully climbed onto the platform, bent his knees, stepped back slightly, counted one-two-three in his head, then strode forward to the edge of the platform, and with a final powerful push of his legs, he leaped toward the rear door of the carriage.

That jump was truly perilous. He had intended to land directly on the rear door, but his exertion was slightly insufficient, leaving him frustratingly close yet still short of the door. In less time than it takes to speak, just as he was about to fall into the empty space, Xiao Hao hooked his hands forward, gripping the edge of the rear door firmly, leaving him dangling against the carriage wall like a wind chime.

“Careful…” Sakurako, who had been watching from above, couldn't help but cry out when she saw Xiao Hao nearly miss and fall, a wave of tension washing over her, fearing any serious harm might come to him.

Hearing Sakurako’s shout, Xiao Hao felt a flicker of appreciation, though he kept it unspoken, still holding onto the door’s hinge, letting himself hang suspended. Mustering the greatest strength he possessed, he used his two upper arms to pull his entire body upward until his elbows were level with the rear door. He released his left hand, extended his left arm onto the door, then strained with his right hand to support the right half of his body, lifting his right leg to the same plane, hooking it onto the door, and managed to haul half his body up. The rest was comparatively easy; all he needed was to kneel on the horizontal door for support, and the other half of his body followed naturally.

Seeing Xiao Hao successfully ascend to the rear door, Sakurako breathed a huge sigh of relief, filled with immense anticipation that he could safely rescue her mother.

But that was far from easy; the door was bolted from the inside. The only tool available outside was a roughly half-meter-long iron bar. Xiao Hao pulled the bar free, surveyed his surroundings, and spotted a relatively wide gap at the very bottom of the door. He wedged the bar into the gap and pried outward with all his might, continuing until both palms were bloody and raw, yet the door remained shut. His hands simply lacked the necessary leverage. He switched tactics, planting his feet and stomping down hard on the bar, which was now tilted at a forty-five-degree angle. One stomp failed, a second failed, but on the third, Xiao Hao channeled his entire explosive power, like a lion unleashed, lifting his foot high and bringing it down with ferocious force. With a loud clang, the door was pried open, and a wave of coppery, bloody stench washed over him.

Xiao Hao lifted the half-broken door panel and peered inside, using the sunlight as illumination. He saw four figures sprawled haphazardly within. Two were heavily pinned beneath furniture and moving boxes, their heads askew, utterly lifeless. The other two, who hadn't been crushed by boxes or furniture—perhaps they were seated closer to the door when disaster struck—were unconscious from the vehicle's plunge and subsequent impact. Lying most visibly on top was Madam Nangong, her head covered in blood, completely inert.

“What’s the situation inside the carriage?”

Suddenly, a voice called from above. Xiao Hao looked up, shielding his eyes from the harsh sunlight. At the highway gap, Sakurako was no longer alone; the area was now surrounded by people, and the flashing lights atop police cars were faintly visible. A ladder had been secured to the edge of the embankment wall, and several figures in police uniforms and white coats were lining up patiently next to the ladder, descending one by one into the ravine, moving toward the wrecked vehicle.

The person who had shouted was a police officer standing at the highway edge, holding a megaphone. Noticing Xiao Hao had looked up, he continued addressing him through the speaker: “What is the condition of the injured? How many people are in the carriage?”