Warning ⚠️ : The following chapters contain scenes of graphic violence, including sexual violence and wartime brutality, which may be distressing or triggering for some readers. Reader discretion is strongly advised. Please prioritize your well-being, and if needed, skip or approach these chapters with caution.
So, it was very likely that everyone in the city knew what had happened, but they were too afraid to speak about it.
This also indirectly confirmed that PN Leader Sa and the others did enter the city.
This matched the report from the plane that returned earlier.
As for what happened afterward, no one knew.
This was only the first day, and although they didn't get much information, it was already quite good.
As long as they kept going for a few more days and kept promoting the "friendliness" of the PN army and the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere...
They believed that those foolish civilians would definitely walk out of the city gates. Once people were caught, wouldn't they be able to force the truth out?
Sure enough, by the third day, just from hearing the street vendors' gossip, people began leaving the city one after another.
Most of them were locals who had relatives or friends in neighboring towns.
Some had daughters married off to nearby towns, others had sons working in nearby towns.
Some just heard that supplies were abundant in nearby towns and wanted to go shopping.
Groups of women walked together, usually in threes or fives. Being in a group made them feel safer.
Each of them carried a basket and discussed what they wanted to buy.
The New Year was just a month away, and for Chinese people, it's the most important holiday.
Especially in a year as unstable as this one.
They needed to have a proper celebration and hoped for peaceful days in the coming year.
Hopefully, all the invaders would go back to their own countries and leave their homeland in peace.
The city was the central area. Usually, people from nearby towns came to the city for the market.
But since the city gates had been closed for a long time, they weren't sure if people in the towns even knew that. So they decided to go out together.
They planned to visit relatives and buy some agricultural and local products.
"Your mom hasn't come back yet?" In one household in the city, a man returned home and found the kitchen cold and unused. He asked the children who had stayed home.
"Not yet," his little daughter, who was playing by the door, shook her head at her dad.
"That woman, probably lost track of time again. I don't know what so many women can talk about together for so long." The man grumbled while starting to cook.
He and the two kids hadn't eaten yet.
By the time they finished dinner, it was already completely dark.
"This isn't right, the city gates should be closed by now." The man muttered.
"Daqiang, did your mom say she was staying overnight at your aunt's place?"
"No." The little boy shook his head. His mom told them to behave at home and that she'd come back after buying things.
The man was a little worried but figured she was an adult and wouldn't just go missing.
Maybe she had been locked up at home for too long and just lost track of time while chatting.
But when he got home from work the next day and she still hadn't returned, he realized something was wrong.
He immediately went to check with the families whose wives had gone out with his.
Only then did the few households realize that none of the women who went out that day had returned.
Now they were really panicking, but it was already night and they couldn't go out, so they agreed to go search together the next day.
There were five people. One couldn't get leave from work, so the other four headed toward the town where the wives had gone.
By the afternoon, the one who couldn't take leave went to the others' houses to ask about the situation and found out no one had returned.
He felt both relieved and terrified, and immediately ran to the public security bureau to report the case.
The bureau recorded the case but just told him to go home and wait.
With the current unstable situation, they would only file the case and wouldn't go out to search for missing persons who disappeared after leaving the city.
Four families, with two adults missing in each. The oldest child left was only sixteen, and the youngest was barely a year old.
Now that both working adults in the family were gone, no one knew how they would survive the coming days.
On the other side, all those people were now gathered in one room.
However, each of them had more or less some injuries. The women were lying on the ground with torn clothes, their lives uncertain.
When those who had left earlier reached the entrance of the town, they found it strangely quiet.
Some timid women said they wanted to go back.
The others felt it was a pity to come all this way and not take a look inside. But seeing the town so empty made them feel uneasy.
Still, a few brave ones suggested going in to have a look, while the timid ones turned around to leave.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
Suddenly, a group of PN Soldiers appeared behind them and blocked their way with guns.
No matter if they were willing or not, the ten or so people were forced to walk into the town by the PN Soldiers.
At first, the streets near the entrance still looked fine, quiet but clean.
But as they walked further in, they saw the other streets were empty and covered in dried blood.
The blood had turned dark red, almost black, making their legs weak and some nearly collapsed in fear.
The entire town was empty. There was no sign of life, like a ghost town.
With every step, their hope faded. They deeply regretted coming here.
They thought, we should've stayed home today. That would've been so much better.
But now, with over ten armed PN Soldiers behind them, it was too late for regrets.
The women began to cry quietly. They didn't know if they'd ever get to go home again.
They thought about their children. If they didn't return, who would take care of them?
Would the children's fathers come looking for them?
They were torn. Part of them wanted their men to come and rescue them, but part of them hoped they wouldn't risk coming.
The PN Soldiers forced them into a residential house, which had been turned into a temporary interrogation room.
Even though it was temporary, all kinds of torture tools were there.
The timid ones burst into tears at the bloody scene.
We're just regular people. Why are they arresting us? they cried.
After throwing a few people inside, the PN Soldiers left and locked the door.
Everyone huddled together in fear, not knowing what would happen next.
About ten minutes later, the door opened from the outside.
A senior PN Soldier came in with a translator, followed by four other PN Soldiers.
Don't worry. The officer just wants to ask you some questions, the translator said with a kind tone.
Once he gets the answers, you'll all be allowed to go home. So just cooperate, and you'll be fine.
The group stayed huddled in fear. No one dared to reply.
Who wants to speak first? What happened on the day the officer attacked the city?
Did the PN Soldiers enter the city? What happened after that?
Where did the PN Soldiers go afterward? the translator continued asking without waiting for replies.
Seeing no one respond, he ordered the PN Soldiers to grab a young man.
No! Don't take me! Don't take me! I don't know anything!
I'm just a regular person! I really don't know anything! the young man screamed in terror.
There were so many people. Why did they pick him?