By Raymond Zhou (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-05-21 09:17

Three non-stop hours of grueling work later, Li was extracted from the rubble at 6:30 pm on Thursday. Shortly after Li was moved to safety, the rubble collapsed entirely.

The soldiers put Li on a stretcher and walked several more hours before reaching a helicopter. Li was then flown to Chengdu, where he was treated for injuries.

Afterthought

Once described by Guangzhou-based magazine Southern People Weekly as "the king of horror and a pioneer in China's new concept" - the fiction writer is known for his "hot temper, kind heart, bravery and an imagination rich in lurid details".

But, Li says his recent brush with death has since mellowed him out tremendously.

"I wrote many horror stories. I thought the plots I contrived were scary, but this real-life incident turned out to be the scariest of all," he says.

But the 41-year-old says several reasons pushed him not to give up hope of survival.

"My daughter is only one year old. She cannot lose her father. My wife and all my loved ones need me. My new book is not finished yet. How could I give up so easily?"

Lying on a hospital bed, Li pauses to think about the past days' events. Li says he is thankful to all the friends who reached out to help him, especially the air force soldiers who took great risks to remove him from the fragile building.

As a way to give back, Li is compiling a collection of pieces written about the military. The series will be called Return in Warmth and Thankfulness. Li will donate all proceeds to the relief efforts of the Sichuan earthquake.

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