"Damn it!!" Zuo Tong caught sight of the crowd gradually retreating from the platform out of the corner of his eye and nearly went mad.
At the same time, Uncle Zhao's face visibly paled. His peripheral vision caught a young figure being pushed away by the crowd, and a faint smile finally appeared on his weary face...
His hands weakly released Zuo Tong, and he fell backward onto the ground.
Thirteen crimson wounds covered his body, and the gushing blood had nearly turned him into a bloodied figure. The last ounce of strength in his aged body had been exhausted.
Zuo Tong, panting heavily, gripped his knife, spat on the ground, and continued pushing forward.
Uncle Zhao lay on the ground like a corpse, trampled by the passing crowd. He watched as countless feet swept over his head. In the sky above, unnoticed by anyone, the stars silently flickered. In his daze, they seemed to transform into Zhao Yi's face once more.
"You damn kid..." Uncle Zhao's eyes uncontrollably closed, and finally, he stopped breathing.
A figure crouched low, crawling like a dog through the forest of legs, eventually breaking through the crowd and arriving at Uncle Zhao's side. He clutched him tightly in his arms!
"Dad... Dad!!!" Zhao Yi watched as those feet landed on Uncle Zhao's body, his bloodshot eyes wide with fury.
"Stop stepping on my dad!!!!"
"Stop fucking stepping on my dad!! Get away!!!"
The crowd did not stop because of his furious shouts. Zhao Yi could only shield the figure in his arms with his own back, enduring the kicks and stomps on his bandaged body as blood seeped through once more...
Under the hail of bullets, piles of corpses accumulated in front of the station. Fierce flames spread wildly, blocking the path of the relentless crowd.
A figure clad in black-and-red uniform staggered out of the fire, rolling on the ground to extinguish the flames on his clothes, then hurriedly spoke, "Don't shoot! It's me!!"
Seeing it was Zuo Tong, the law enforcers who had instinctively raised their guns lowered their weapons and frowned, "Why are you only coming now?"
"I... sigh." Zuo Tong's expression darkened. He quickly tossed the bag on his back into the train carriage, gripped his knife, and looked at the crowd beyond the flames. "Is there anyone else missing?"
"Only Tan Ming and Chief Xi are left. They should be here soon."
"That Calamity seems to be heading this way... Hurry up and pull the lever!"
"But there are people blocking the tracks ahead too!"
"Don't mind them! Just go straight through!"
A law enforcer rushed into the driver's cabin and pulled various levers and switches. The needles on the control panel spun rapidly, and the roaring sound of steam erupted from the locomotive.
Hummm—!!
As the transmission rods began to turn, the train slowly started moving with a clattering noise.
Those who had rushed onto the tracks seized the chance to climb onto the train, only to be shot one by one by law enforcers leaning halfway out of the doors. Others tried to block the train with their bodies, but without exception, they were crushed into pulp as the locomotive rolled over them.
The train brutally departed the platform, breaking free from the blood and flames, steadfastly following the tracks toward Aurora City!
Seeing this, the law enforcers on board finally let out a sigh of relief...
They had escaped.
"I see them! It's Chief Xi and the others!" A law enforcer standing at the rear of the train spotted two figures sprinting in the distance and immediately called out.
---
A figure in a black trench coat passed through the sea of flames. Seeing the corpses and bullet casings littering the ground, unprecedented fury rose in his eyes.
"How... how could this be?!" Tan Ming stared blankly at the chaotic platform, his face deathly pale.
"It's Chief Xi..."
"Chief Xi!! Are you going to abandon us too?!"
"Please, Chief Xi... I don't want to die! There's still space on the train... Can you take me with you?"
"If I can't go, can you at least take my daughter? She's only two and a half... she won't take up much space!"
"Traitors!! You law enforcers and judges are all traitors!! Where is Han Meng?! Why isn't he here to save us?!"
"..."
The cries of the crowd echoed behind him. Xi Renjie's fists clenched tighter and tighter. He gave no response, nor did he look back, instead running alone along the tracks in pursuit of the train.
Tan Ming didn't dare say another word. He could hear Xi Renjie's heavy breathing beside him... He knew—Chief Xi was truly furious.
Gritting his teeth, he steeled himself and followed Xi Renjie, chasing after the train.
As the train moved farther away, large numbers of people jumped off the platform and followed along the tracks... Though they hadn't managed to board the train, as long as they followed the tracks, they could still reach Aurora City—their last hope.
A sea of figures ran through the gloom. The once-noisy station quickly emptied, leaving only corpses and silently burning flames in its wake.
On the blood-soaked earth, a figure covered in bandages held a bloodied old man, motionless as a statue.
After an unknown amount of time, another figure clad in a black trench coat slowly emerged. He walked through the field of corpses and bullet casings until he stood before Zhao Yi.
Zhao Yi raised his head with hollow eyes and saw a familiar face gazing at them with complex emotions.
"It seems I arrived too late."
Hearing these words, Zhao Yi's body trembled imperceptibly. He tightened his grip on the corpse in his arms and spoke hoarsely, "It's you... You're an enforcer too. Why didn't you leave with them?"
"Unfortunately, I was also abandoned," Chen Ling answered truthfully.
"You're not with them?"
"No."
Chen Ling offered no further explanation, responding with just two simple words. Zhao Yi stared at him, his bloodshot eyes unreadable.
"Believe it or not, it's up to you," Chen Ling said calmly. "But if you have even a shred of filial piety left, you should come with me now."
"Go... where?"
"Aurora City."
Zhao Yi froze. He looked down at the cold corpse in his arms, his eyes filled with nothing but profound sorrow. "I..."
"I promised Uncle Zhao I'd look after you. Though District Three is gone now, at the very least, I'll ensure your survival," Chen Ling said slowly. "You can also refuse and stay here to die with your dad... But you should know what your dad truly wanted."
Zhao Yi's pupils constricted slightly.
In his mind, Uncle Zhao's face seemed to come alive again. In his daze, he saw him standing at the door of the breakfast shop with a stick, waiting for him to come home; saw him nearly kneeling to secure him a stable job; saw him scolding and hitting him with a broom for demanding wages at the factory; saw his reddened eyes as he bandaged his wounds... Zhao Yi knew exactly what his dad had wanted—for him to live.
"I..." Zhao Yi rasped, "The law enforcers are gone... I can't get into Aurora City."
"Law enforcers?"
Chen Ling let out a cold laugh. His gaze fell on the gradually receding steam train, his tone eerily calm, as if speaking from the underworld:
"Some scum... don't deserve to enter Aurora City alive."