Chapter 403: The Band on the Road

According to the information they had gathered beforehand, all four enemy groups, except for the one in Nanbao which had not yet been apprehended, had been surrounded and annihilated.

Photographs of the bodies and prisoners were being developed at top speed to be compared with the photos from the surveillance records. So far, there were about fifty people on the list. However, not everyone had been photographed.

Since there were people who hadn’t been photographed, there must also be people who hadn’t been discovered. Their existence was a great hidden danger to the Senate. The attack on the Cang was an action that had exceeded their expectations. This worried Wu Mu greatly.

Most importantly, there was still no news of any key figures being captured or killed.

“Alright! Is everyone ready? All aboard the carriages in formation!”

Art Troupe Director Okamoto shouted through a tin megaphone. Before him were the neatly dressed members of the folk orchestra.

Today was the day of the cultural festival’s dress rehearsal. The entire art troupe had assembled in the courtyard of the Propaganda Department early in the morning. Even the habitually late-rising Deputy Director Dongfang had arrived early. The dressing rooms at the stadium were limited in size, so the musicians had already changed into their performance costumes.

All kinds of equipment were packed in boxes and tied to the public horse-drawn carriages borrowed from the bus company. The naturalized citizen musicians would also travel by carriage to the stadium. According to the security arrangements previously made by the Political Security Bureau, the four Elders would travel in an East Wind official horse-drawn carriage specially dispatched by the General Office. Each carriage, in addition to a driver armed with a pistol, would be accompanied by a soldier from the escort company armed with a double-barreled shotgun. At the same time, another squad of soldiers would be sent to protect them along the way.

Except for Okamoto, who was not performing on stage, the other three Elders were all wearing their performance costumes—custom-made for them by Hong Huangnan, using linen fabric to suit the Hainan weather.

Liu Shuixin was still radiant and graceful. Nangong Hao, in his well-tailored long shirt, also looked dashing. The white bow tie was an original from the old world. Only Dongfang Ke, because he was wearing a stab-proof vest underneath, looked slightly bloated and disproportionate in his upper body—fortunately, he wasn’t fat to begin with.

“You have to wear this for the rehearsal too. You’re so paranoid!” This was Okamoto’s complaint about his partner, but it was met with only a roll of the eyes.

Nangong Hao had also brought his stab-proof vest with him, planning to put it on before going on stage. Lingao was too hot, and he didn’t think he could stand running around in such a thing.

The group settled into the carriage. Just as the driver was about to crack his whip and urge the horses on, a figure came running in from the courtyard gate.

“Chief, Chief Okamoto—” the person shouted as he ran. The sharp-eyed Okamoto had already recognized him as Wang Qisuo, a soldier of the Garrison Battalion and the chief huqin player of the folk orchestra.

“Qisuo? Why are you back so suddenly? Weren’t you escorting the young Elders to the stadium?” Okamoto asked the soldier before him, puzzled.

“Well… that Young Chief Qian wouldn’t let me on their boat. She said… she said they’re an all-female crew, and men aren’t allowed… so I had to come back…” Wang Qisuo answered shyly.

“What boat? What are you talking about? So you were sent back by Little Qian? Good heavens…” Okamoto thought, this ABC little girl is really something, dismissing a guard just like that. This matter should have been reported to the General Office, but he felt it was none of his business. He didn’t have a PHS phone on him now, so it was inconvenient to report it. He decided to let him call the General Office after they reached the stadium.

There shouldn’t be any risk for Qian Duoduo and the others to travel by boat. He told Wang Qisuo to get on the carriage and squeeze in with the guards. The convoy also set off, led by a lead car with a special sign.

The road along the Wenlan River was not wide. In addition, to accommodate the heavy vehicles carrying the equipment, the convoy’s speed was not fast. The Elders chatted idly in the carriage, the topic being nothing more than complaining about the current situation.

After leaving the garrison area, the convoy picked up speed. Suddenly, a strange sound came from the distance, followed by another, and then another in quick succession.

“What’s that? Gunshots?? What’s happening??!! Guard!” Okamoto called out to the guard in astonishment. Nangong Hao and Liu Shuixin’s faces also changed. Dongfang Ke, leaning in a corner of the carriage, showed no sign of surprise and only said, “That seems to be coming from the direction of the river, not the stadium.”

No one cared where the gunshots came from, because at this time and place, there shouldn’t have been any gunshots. With the sharp sound of a whistle, the convoy had stopped. The soldiers from the lead car had disembarked and, led by their squad leader, fanned out to monitor both sides of the road. The other guards also had their guns in hand, protecting the flanks of the Elders’ carriage. Okamoto also wanted to get out to check, but was stopped by the accompanying guard. “Chief, please stay in the carriage to avoid any accidents.”

At this moment, the guard captain ran over, climbed onto the carriage step, and reported to Okamoto, “Report, Chief, there is an unusual situation about one kilometer ahead. A large number of naturalized citizens are fleeing in all directions. According to the security plan, the convoy will temporarily halt its advance. A soldier has been sent forward to investigate the situation. Chiefs, please pay attention to your safety and do not leave the carriage!”

Before Okamoto could speak, Dongfang Ke raised his head and said, “Sergeant! Immediately send a soldier to run back to the sentry post at the Bairen City gate to report our convoy’s situation and ask if there are any new instructions from the higher-ups. Then have the convoy leave the road and restrain the musicians in the carriages behind us. Don’t let them scatter.”

The naturalized citizen garrison NCO was stunned for a moment, but still replied loudly, “Yes, Chief!” He saluted and left.

Nangong Hao, whose face was as white as his shirt, stammered, “What… what’s going on… why don’t we turn back… back… to Bairen City…”

“No need. Let’s find out the situation first. We don’t have personal communication devices. The gunshots must mean something unexpected has happened,” Dongfang Ke said, his face still expressionless, but his speech had noticeably quickened. With that, he began to unbutton his shirt.

“What are you doing?” Okamoto stared wide-eyed at his habitually unconventional colleague.

“Obviously, I’m taking off my clothes!” Dongfang Ke quickly took off his performance costume and tore off his stab-proof vest, handing it to Liu Shuixin, who had been sitting silently since the carriage stopped. “Teacher Liu, please put this on. Nangong, give the one in your bag to the driver in front.”

“What… what? Are you kidding me?” Nangong Hao was about to open his backpack and put on his own stab-proof vest when he heard this request and was momentarily stunned.

“If anything happens, the four of us and those two soldiers don’t know how to drive a carriage. Give it to me,” he said, snatching Nangong’s backpack.

“I don’t need it. I’m safe in the carriage,” Liu Shuixin said, her face a little pale, but she refused his kindness. “Give it to the guards. They have to go into battle directly.”

“Hey! You, yes you, turn around, take this and put it on!” Dongfang Ke said to the driver who was already standing by the carriage on alert. The carriage driver, employed by the General Office, had also undergone military training and various emergency response training. He was calm at the moment, but when he took the vest, he repeatedly said, “I dare not, I dare not.”

At this moment, the sound of commotion approached the convoy. The captain returned and climbed onto the side of the carriage window again, reporting to the Elders, “Chief, it has been confirmed that a shooting incident has occurred at the pier ahead. It seems that an enemy attacked a boat and was killed at the pier. The situation on the surrounding streets is chaotic, and a large number of naturalized citizens are fleeing. I saw Security Army personnel sealing off all intersections. Please decide: should the convoy turn back to Bairen City?”

The several artist Elders looked at each other. They didn’t quite understand the current situation. After a moment, Director Okamoto spoke up and consulted with his colleagues, “Why don’t we first investigate the surrounding situation and resolve any dangers immediately? Then, we can go directly back and find a sentry post in the city?”

As they hesitated, wave after wave of Garrison Battalion soldiers and police were already rushing to the intersections according to the plan.

The other three Elders hesitated for a moment, then all nodded in agreement with the decision to turn back. Since a terrorist attack had occurred, the order around the stadium would be chaotic. Rushing over would only disrupt their formation and add to the trouble for the law enforcement departments.

So the large convoy began to slowly turn around collectively. Fortunately, the area along the Wenlan River was not as crowded as the downtown area—there was no such spacious place in the downtown area. After finally getting back into formation, half of the garrison soldiers dismounted and formed a hollow square around the Elders’ carriage. At this moment, a stream of people surged from the south, seemingly from the direction of the stadium plaza. There were people of all kinds, in both native and naturalized citizen attire, running wildly with a great deal of noise.

“Do not approach the Elder convoy!” several soldiers shouted from the carriage steps, but the chaotic crowd seemed unable to hear them. Helplessly, the guard captain ran to the end of the line, stood firm, and fired three shots into the air. Then he shouted again, “Fix bayonets!”

All the shotguns in the escort team were instantly fitted with bayonets. The gleaming bayonets and warning shots dispersed the crowd that was rushing towards them.

“Chief, why don’t we have our carriage go along the riverbank and have the men walk on the main road to protect us? That would be safer,” Wang Qisuo, who had been standing next to the driver, suddenly spoke up. The Elders nodded in agreement, though with some doubt. Indeed, this could reduce the possibility of spies mixing in with the crowd and getting close.

Due to the unclear enemy situation, the convoy moved slowly. A squad of guards was stretched thin in this situation. The accompanying guards also dismounted to increase the number of foot patrols.

The soldier who had been sent to report and get reinforcements had not yet returned, which increased the suspicion and vigilance of the Elders and the naturalized citizen officers and soldiers. The three men had long since drawn their pistols.

“I haven’t fired this thing in a long time,” Okamoto said, his body trembling slightly as he held the Glock. “How many meters do I have to be to hit something?”

“Theoretically, the closer the better,” Dongfang Ke had already left his seat and was half-kneeling by the carriage window, looking out. He was holding a S&W revolver. Thanks to his time studying in America, he was not a complete novice with a pistol.