CH 16

The adjutant realized that he was actually frightened by a skinny ghost, he couldn’t help but become irritated, raised his hand and slammed the half-open door open with the butt of his rifle and rudely rebuked: “We’re following instructions of the Alliance to search for fugitives! If you don’t cooperate you will be suspected of sheltering them!”

The man shrank and backed away two steps:

”But, but are you not here…”

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by the Alliance’s army who broke in directly. His thin body, who had almost no strength due to hunger, suddenly fell to the ground heavily.

The room was small and empty, with almost no place to hide.

After the search, the Alliance soldier turned and wanted to walk out, but was caught by a thin hand on his trousers. He lowered his head and saw the man still holding onto that faint hope, tremblingly asking: “Sir, the selection…”

Seeing the man’s humiliated and humble face, the soldier’s eyes flashed with impatience. He kicked his head fiercely with heavy military boots and shook off the other’s grip: “Get away!”

The sound of commotion was like a stone thrown into the water, and the lifeless gathering area seemed to finally come to life.

All the crooked doors and the dilapidated and dirty curtains were opened from the inside, and countless faces with the equally withered and lifeless expressions looked out from the dark sheds, every pair of muddy eyes flickered with the same desire and hope, staring fixedly at the Alliance’s army standing in the middle of the open space, small whispers spread from every corner:

”It’s the Alliance army, they’re here!”

”Selection, it’s the selection!”

”Please come here and have a look…”

”Come to us!”

Countless voices that grew stronger with their desires converged into a torrent, rushing toward them violently, the malnourished residents could be described as living skeletons, with extremely focused and hungry expressions in their deeply sunken eye sockets. They walked closer in groups and swayed as they surrounded Alliance’s people. Such a scene was like sinking into hell, making their scalp numb, Alliance soldiers suddenly raised their guns nervously and one after another aimed them at the surrounding residents.

Xiao Yi, who was lying behind a trash pile, felt his heart raise to his throat and subconsciously raised his hand to catch Ge Xiu, who had arrived after receiving the news.

His voice was tense, his breath hitched: “Xiao, Xiao Qi, what should we do?”

Ge Xiu pointed his smart brain at the area not far away, while quietly replying:

”Wait.”

Xiao Yi had long been accustomed to trust and obedience to Ge Xiu, gritted their teeth, and laid down again, continuing to observe the empty field where many people gathered.

The most experienced lieutenant in the entire team thought of the recent excessive slave enlistment in the league, and finally realized that the other party was mistaken him for the Alliance Army who came to be selected. Even though he didn’t know exactly how this misunderstanding happened, but the top priority was now to stabilize the opponent.

It’s just that the atmosphere of the confrontation between the two parties was too intense and they were too excited and fervent to listen to them at all, so the adjutant had to bite the bullet and admit:

”Yes, that’s right, we are indeed here for the selection. Please cooperate with our work—”

The residents on the garbage star fell silent for an instant and everyone’s eyes radiated hope. They became extremely obedient and compliant, in fear that their attitude will affect their qualifications for selection later.

“…hunt the fugitive?!”

”Is it the same as before to capture my child?”

Suppressed voices rang out in the sea of tattered people and those buzzing whispers were like the wind blowing across the field, setting off layers of rippling waves, as if a kind of restless mood was surging faintly, hoarse, faint, whistling and panicking voices sounded from the dark and dirty corners.

At first, it was just a few vague and mixed murmurs, and it was almost impossible to capture clear vocabulary. Later, even the adjutant in the middle protected by the soldiers with guns could hear the gradually raising noise from the crowd.

”My child has never come back since he was captured…”

”My, my brother too!”

”My husband…he, he was also taken away by the Alliance’s army…”

Fear and suspicion were like a deadly plague, spreading wildly in the crowd.

These emotions accumulated rapidly and underwent a qualitative change at an uncontrollable speed. Those panic-stricken tones quickly become frightened and excited, and the low voices turned into clear and loud voices at an extremely alarming speed. Flowing, out-of-control voices sounded from all directions, like unstoppable waves, attacking the isolated and helpless Alliance’s army:

”Yes, it is them!”

”…the same uniform!”

”Dad, after my dad was selected and left he came back and told us that everyone was a liar and he would never leave again. Then the next day someone from the Alliance said he was a fugitive! They took him away!”

”They said my brother was mentally unstable and they want to take him back for treatment, but he was obviously normal!”

One voice after another.

One face next to another face.

Everyone was like a mirror, amplifying the emotions projected on them before releasing them.

The resonance in the crowd spread exponentially in a geometric progression, like a spark falling into the wilderness, almost instantly bursting into a wave of heat.

Numerous filthy and skinny skeletons-like faces were looking straight at the soldiers. The deeply sunken eye sockets were like chilling dark caves, the air was filled with foul and dirty smells and the tight atmosphere seemed to like a bowstring that could be broken any second, all the soldiers subconsciously felt the fear of being threatened and the muzzles that had just been lowered were raised again and aimed at the crowd.

The adjutant perceived a weird atmosphere, as if someone was watching in secret, silently and secretly manipulating everything. This feeling made his hair stand up, and he felt he had to desperately set things back on the right track — he tried to explain to the residents that his troops were not malicious and at the same time tried to tell his soldiers that this group of people raised as pigs and dogs would not actively attack soldiers with live ammunition.

“…” It was a bit ugly.

Ge Xiu didn’t notice Xiao Yi’s indescribable complex expression, but touched the ugly machine with some regrets and sighed:

The author has something to say:

Actually added more! ! Can’t imagine it! ! ! ! (wink)