The eyes of those surrounding Chen Yu's convoy were filled with hatred, anger, and a resolute determination to die.
The absence of the greed that should have been present in this situation caused Chen Yu to frown deeply.
This emotion is far more complex than a simple will to survive; it's as if they weren't there for food or survival, but for some deeper purpose, revenge or something else.
Of course, although the main force of the militia was behind, his convoy only had a hundred militiamen, but that was more than enough to deal with a mob of thousands.
"All personnel on alert, but do not fire rashly." Chen Yu quickly issued the order through the communicator. He had a feeling that there was some hidden reason behind this, so he prepared to negotiate with them first.
He tried to find answers in the eyes of the mob, but all he found was endless darkness and anger, as if the whole world owed them something.
"Fellow villagers, we can give you all the supplies on the truck. Please make way for us, okay?" Chen Yu asked tentatively.
"You all deserve to die!" roared a middle-aged man who was leading the group. His voice was hoarse and filled with hatred, as if every word was being torn out from the deepest part of his heart. "Our Stone City is what it is today because of you!"
Chen Yu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and frowned.
"Hey! Uncle, look carefully, we are the 'Cold Relief Militia Corps,' a regular army. How can you not appreciate our kindness?" Lin Lele said irritably.
"Heh, legitimate? Then it's definitely legitimate!" The leader sneered, then picked up something that looked like a remote control. "Today, you will all sleep here with us forever!"
Upon seeing this, Chen Yu felt a sense of unease and said in a deep voice, "Let's talk things over properly. Violence is not the way to solve problems."
A hint of mockery flashed in the eyes of the middle-aged man who was leading the group: "Now you know how to talk things out? Too late!"
Seeing that he was about to press the remote control, Chen Yu quickly said, "Stop! If you want revenge, you have to give us a reason, right?"
"Old Sun, stop wasting time talking to them. These people are cunning and are definitely stalling for time," one of the men next to the leader urged anxiously, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes.
“If I’m not mistaken, you’ve planted explosives in the buildings on both sides, right? In this situation, we have no way to escape, so what are you worried about? I just want to know why I’m dying before I die,” Chen Yu continued.
Upon hearing this, the leading man narrowed his eyes and stared intently at Chen Yu, seemingly hesitant.
“I understand your desire for revenge and to die together with your enemies. But if your enemies don’t even know what they’ve done, wouldn’t that make this hatred a pointless injustice, a sacrifice in vain?” Chen Yu’s voice was calm and powerful. He tried to touch the other party’s heartstrings with reason and emotion.
The leader remained silent for a moment, and the surrounding mob also quieted down, seemingly moved by Chen Yu's words.
A suffocating and complex emotion filled the air, a mixture of hatred and doubt.
"Fine, I'll let you die knowing why." The leader, Old Sun, finally spoke, his voice less angry and more somber. "Everyone knows that our Stone City boasts one of the four great granaries of the Great Xia Dynasty, the Stone City Granary with a reserve of 6 million tons of grain. Yet now, it is a scene of utter devastation, a living hell. What an irony, what a tragedy!" The leader's voice echoed in the silence, each word like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of everyone present.
"Sorry we're late." Chen Yu's voice was full of sincerity and self-reproach. "But there's a cause for every grievance. You should go to the officials in charge of the granary for the grain depot's deficit, instead of venting your anger on us militiamen who are also working hard to fight the disaster."
"Haha~!" Old Sun laughed angrily upon hearing this. "What a fine 'deficit'! So you've already come up with your excuses, haha~ good!"
His laughter echoed through the empty streets, filled with endless grief and despair.
"Old Sun, there's no need to waste words with him!"
"Kill them!"
"Mr. Sun, press the button! We're all just lost souls now, it'd be worth it to take a bunch of others down with us!"
…………
The crowd roared in anger, their emotions reignited.
"You people have once again shattered my worldview! Do you really think that just because everyone in Stone City is dead, you can pin the blame on us?" Old Sun coldly shouted at Chen Yu, "Let's all die together!"
He was about to press the button.
"Bang!" A gunshot rang out, and the remote control in Lao Sun's hand was knocked away by a soldier wielding a sniper rifle.
"Brothers, let's fight them!" someone shouted.
As soon as he finished speaking, a mob rushed forward.
"Don't hurt them!" Chen Yu shouted to the militiamen.
Upon hearing this, the militiamen immediately adjusted their tactics, jumping off their sleds and shifting from direct confrontation to defense and isolation, trying to build a defensive line with shields and their bodies to prevent the mob from getting close.
At the same time, tear gas was continuously thrown outwards.
Tear gas spread through the air, quickly filling the entire area. The pungent smell caused many rioters to cover their mouths and noses, tears and snot streaming down their faces, blurring their vision and slowing their movements.
Just then, Chen Yu realized that the man called Lao Sun didn't seem to be there, and a sense of foreboding arose in his heart.
He looked around, trying to spot Lao Sun in the chaotic crowd, but the tear gas made his vision even more blurred, making it difficult to distinguish him.
Suddenly, his eyes narrowed as he noticed a figure fiddling with something outside a building in the distance.
"Stop him!" Chen Yu immediately ordered the militiamen.
"Bang!" A sniper fired a precise shot into the figure's shoulder, and the figure immediately fell to the ground.
Then, two militiamen rushed toward the fallen figure, approaching cautiously to ensure he posed no further threat. When they arrived, they found it was indeed Old Sun, curled up on the ground in pain.
Beside him was a bag of homemade detonators and several loose wires, clearly another improvised explosive device he was trying to detonate.
The militiamen quickly and carefully disposed of the dangerous items, then, along with Lao Sun, they captured three more prisoners and, following Chen Yu's sled, quickly left the area.
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