Jiang Qiao didn't encounter any obstacles on the way; she guessed that those bad guys had already been dealt with by her people.
From afar, she could see many people in the village. Judging from their clothes, they were from her side, but she didn't know what was going on. Had the battle ended?
When they got there, good heavens, Liu Zhanyu was negotiating with the other side. The elderly, women, and children were now truly hostages. The two guards were inside the house. With hostages in their hands, it was really difficult for Song Shutian and his men to launch a direct assault.
So, Liu Zhanyu was sent to negotiate with the other party. They could tell him what conditions they wanted, and he should agree to as many as possible, but there was only one condition: do not harm the people inside.
After listening to the stories of those around her, Jiang Qiao shook her head. "This is going to be difficult—"
"Yeah, they don't even show themselves. They're just shouting through the windows. Even if we send a sharpshooter, it's useless. We can't see anyone at all. The windows are all made of paper. If only they had glass."
When Song Shutian saw Jiang Qiao arrive, he quickly pulled her to his side.
"Quick, help me think of a way to get those two bastards to show their faces!"
Jiang Qiao sighed, "It's a matter of life and death, so they won't show themselves easily. It's not a good idea to keep guarding like this. If the other side gets dissatisfied, killing an ordinary citizen would be a very easy thing."
I think we should bring the people working in the fields back. We don't know anything about the situation in this village, and there might be some hidden secrets inside.
Besides, those are their relatives. After something like this happened, they should be involved, don't you think?"
Song Shutian thought about it and agreed. "Let Master Hou go. I heard that those bastards have also set up a trap in the fields, so those people can't get out easily."
Before Jiang Qiao could even go looking for someone, Hou Diankui led his men down the mountain, followed by those people who were working in the fields.
Although I didn't understand the situation, things became much easier once the person arrived.
Before Song Shutian could even explain, the villagers already knew what was going on.
The men were so anxious that they didn't care about anything else; they just wanted to rush into the house to save their loved ones.
Ever since these bandits arrived, the village where their ancestors had lived for generations was no longer their home. The masters became slaves, and some of the women couldn't take it anymore and fainted. Those who didn't faint were crying all over the place.
"Alright, stop crying. What's the point of crying? The People's Liberation Army is coming to rescue us. Calm down, everyone!"
Hou Diankui quickly pulled the man to Song Shutian's side. "Song, this is the village chief. Ask him if you need anything—"
Song Shutian shook hands with the clan chief and said, "Comrade, we are also trying to find a solution. Now I need you to provide information about the situation inside. Is there any hidden door or tunnel leading into the house?"
The clan chief shook his head. "There's no tunnel here. Our ancestors have lived here for generations, and nothing major has ever happened. Who would have thought that these people would come here, saying that the higher-ups want them to research some kind of medicine here?"
This is a good thing, and we ordinary people should support it. But who would have thought that these people are actually bandits? Ever since they came, we haven't had a peaceful life. We're all working for them, and the good food is given to them. We can't even get enough to drink."
The man beside him grew anxious. "Chieftain, why are you saying all this? Quickly think of a way to save them! That's the most important thing."
"If there's no secret passage, we'll go up to the roof to rescue them. Oh, right, I just remembered something, Chieftain, do you remember? I mentioned before that the house was leaking and there was a hole about to burst in one spot."
Hearing this, Song Shutian and his men were overjoyed. They grabbed the villager and eagerly asked, "Comrade, tell me properly, where exactly is it? You know we can go up, but if we alert the people inside, the enemy might target the women and children." Jiang Qiao added, "Do you know how many people are inside?"
The clan chief nodded. "There used to be two people specifically watching over them, but now there are several. I can't say for sure."
After understanding the situation, Song Shutian quickly called Hou Diankui and the others over to discuss how to resolve the matter.
After Liu Zhanyu finished negotiating, he came over to report on the situation.
"We don't know how many thugs are inside yet, but they demand that we prepare helicopters and food for them. They want to leave this place, and all our people in the yard must be evacuated, otherwise they will kill one of them every fifteen minutes."
"Xiao Song, what do you think we should do? A direct assault is definitely out of the question, but we can't let these bastards get away either."
Song Shutian patted Liu Zhanyu on the shoulder and said, "Go tell them that the helicopter is coming, but it will take time. We need to give them time. Evacuation is possible."
However, we must ensure the safety of the hostages inside. We're already working on a solution. You must keep them calm and secure. I'll have someone prepare rations and other necessities as soon as possible.
Jiang Qiao asked about the approximate number of people inside and then looked up at Song Shutian.
“Brother Song, going up to the roof isn’t impossible, but you know what will happen if the other side notices.”
"Or, I could try to sneak in. Someone has to go in to deliver food; they can't just come out, can they?"
Song Shutian nodded. "Do you still have any medicine?"
Jiang Qiao nodded, "I brought it with me. I'll save it for when it matters most. I have to deal with them within fifteen minutes. I can't give them the chance to kill the hostages."
I'll go around from the back first. You can arrange the rest of the people—"
Song Shutian checked Jiang Qiao's equipment. Fortunately, she had brought everything. He patted her on the shoulder and said, "Go ahead, I'll disperse the crowd right away."
Evacuation was impossible. Even if people left, they would just lie in ambush around the area, leaving Liu Zhanyu to continue talking and negotiating with them, trying to ensure that the opponents would not harm any of the hostages.
Amidst everyone's worried gazes, Jiang Qiao quietly circled around to the back of the ancestral hall. In fact, she was searching; it was impossible for such a large room to be completely devoid of even a mouse hole.
Therefore, her attention was not on the roof at all. No matter how skilled she was, her weight was a factor. Once she got to the roof, she couldn't help but make noise.
Those watching were even more apprehensive, afraid that the people who went over there would cause some trouble, since their relatives were all inside.
As for the women, Song Shutian sent them all home to help with cooking. The enemy needed rations, and the soldiers needed to eat too. The problem was, he hadn't had time to visit the enemy's laboratory yet, so he took advantage of the opportunity to lead his men there.
Therefore, he had no idea what Jiang Qiao was going to do next.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com