First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 171
Chapter 171: Revenge
The Alliance military had sent a relatively large number of rescuers who were now guarding the entrance. If it truly came to combat, they wouldn't back down. Yet the crowd hesitated to approach recklessly, fearing they might provoke the opposing side and cause casualties. Inside were all civilians—a single stray spark could cost a life.
No one had ever said that fighting a war required debating skills first. These soldiers clearly weren't as eloquent as their opponents. Moreover, they couldn't understand why Alliance soldiers coming to rescue other Alliance soldiers needed to justify themselves with reasons.
The atmosphere outside was tense. They had to remain vigilant against enemy forces that could appear at any moment, leaving them in an awkward predicament. Their minds simply couldn't process it all.
They wanted to refute the Gelen army's accusations—they were outright slander. But no matter how much they thought about it, the only word that came to mind was a simple "No."
A soldier turned his head to glance at the civilians inside.
The residents sat in the bomb shelter with indifferent expressions, unmoving. If anything, they shrank further inward.
Everyone feared malice, especially when faced with life and death. Clearly, they had been safe staying here all along—why risk leaving now?
Only Lian Sheng and a few others stood up and took several steps toward the exit.
"Hurry, go to the base! This place really isn't safe!" The soldier raised his weapon, aiming at the enemy forces as he spoke. "They want to use the people in the bomb shelter as hostages to restrain the Alliance military. If you go to the base, someone will escort you to a safe zone first. Believe us! We're Alliance soldiers!"
The Gelen troops sneered coldly. "Do you trust them?"
"Alliance soldiers..." someone muttered softly. "Since when have they ever protected us?"
The soldier was momentarily stunned by the remark.
"That's right. We can't mine for you. We can't make money for you. Other than staying alive to help the Alliance approve some funds, what meaning do we have to you?" another person shouted agitatedly. "We just want to live! Not become your bargaining chips, not become your burdens! We want to live!"
The crowd actually began echoing these sentiments.
The rescue soldiers had imagined countless scenarios, anticipating all kinds of dangers—but never this.
For a moment, even their fingers gripping their weapons trembled.
Zhao Zhuoluo looked at the Gelen troops again, his teeth grinding in hatred. But in the face of reality, a few unfamiliar students like them couldn't change anything with mere words.
Ji Ban propped himself up, wanting to leave.
Lian Sheng pressed a hand in his direction, signaling him to stay put for now, then walked to the entrance with a few companions.
"We're leaving." Lian Sheng faced the doorway, raising her hand. "If you truly care about our safety, then whether we stay or go should be our choice. If not, it proves you have ulterior motives—that you're detaining us. In that case, armed conflict is inevitable."
The Gelen soldier gave her a deep look, then nodded. "Leave if you want. We won't stop you."
Lian Sheng snorted. "You couldn't stop us even if you tried."
The Gelen soldier raised his voice. "Anyone who wants to leave can leave! We won't obstruct you!"
Ji Ban called out from his spot, "I'm leaving!"
He nudged the middle-aged man beside him. "Really, come with us. I'll give you the professional data—this bomb shelter's ability to withstand attacks isn't that high. Plus, the environment here is terrible. In such an enclosed space, germs spread easily."
The middle-aged man hesitated, then shook his head.
Someone nearby gritted their teeth. "You want to leave, fine, but why drag others to their deaths?"
Zhao Zhuoluo had already gone over to carry Ji Ban on his back. Hearing this, he shot the speaker a cold glare.
The man stiffened his neck and stood up. "What are you looking at?"
"Think carefully before you speak." Lian Sheng spoke without turning around, enunciating each word. "I can understand why you choose to stay here. It is relatively safe, after all."
The crowd turned to look at her.
"Even if the Gelen army is lying, this place is still safe. Because you can continue being hostages without a care, waiting for Alliance soldiers to sacrifice even more to protect your lives. Staying in the bomb shelter, even if you're being used by the Gelen army, you're still noble." Lian Sheng said, "People's thoughts are selfish by nature. I don't care what your true feelings are. But you'd rather trust an outside force—one with a century-long history of war and deep-seated grudges against the Alliance—than Alliance soldiers who've traveled thousands of miles to come here. And you still question their motives and intentions—why?"
The crowd's expressions darkened, clearly furious.
A woman holding a child said tearfully, "What do you know? How long have you been in the 36th District? You grew up well-fed and carefree, living happily since childhood—of course you don't understand us. You have laws, you preach equality, but we don't! We're not even part of the same Alliance! Why should we trust an Alliance that abandoned us? We've trusted too many times and been disappointed too many times—what more do you want from us?"
Lian Sheng turned around, taking a step backward as she spread her arms. "This time, it's true that the Alliance leadership brought this upon themselves. But what does their decision-making have to do with these soldiers? They didn't know about the situation here, so they couldn't help—how is that their fault? If the Alliance's mistakes require all its people to bear the consequences, then that responsibility includes you too! The Alliance was supposed to be internally open—it was your step-by-step compromises that led to today's situation! It was your own choice to give up opportunities to appeal, handing your rights over to others again and again! You weren't incapable of resistance—you lacked the courage! Why do you never blame your own cowardice, instead venting your anger on these soldiers who came to rescue you, completely unaware?"
Lian Sheng pointed at the soldier by the entrance. "Look at his face! His armor is covered in scratches from the gravel outside. Listen to the sounds outside! Explosions and gunfire—there's a battle raging! You're afraid to leave because you think it's dangerous out there, yet they braved that very danger to come here from the city's outskirts to rescue you. They risked their own safety to enter enemy territory—for what? To drag you out of the bomb shelter to die together? Who the hell would do that?!"
Her roaring left the crowd momentarily stunned into silence.
Lian Sheng struck her chest, shouting at the top of her lungs: "They're soldiers. We're students. Just like you, we're ordinary civilians! Ordinary civilians who stepped forward because we wanted to protect more people! The 36th District's administrators wronged you—corruption, bribery, oppression, deception, neglect... They're absolutely unforgivable, no one denies that. We hate them too, we're furious too, we also want to point our guns at their heads and avenge everyone who suffered because of them! Not everyone in the Alliance is blind to right and wrong! On this matter, we should be standing on the same side—yet you turn the swords in your hearts against us! Why can't you acknowledge others' goodwill? Just because you've been hurt, does that give you the right to hurt others? Are you satisfied? Are you happy? Can you live with yourselves?!"
Lian Sheng's voice was forceful and resonant, echoing loudly in the confined space, as if it would never fade. Every word carried undisguised fury and a restrained sorrow, piercing straight from their ears into their hearts.
"Those who made mistakes should be the ones to bear the consequences. The people standing before you today don't deserve your blame." Lian Sheng tilted her head, her throat moving. She glanced at the people behind her and said, "But save those comforting lies for yourselves—don't say them out loud to wound others."
Lian Sheng took the first step forward. "Let's go."
Zhao Zhuoluo and the others followed.
After a moment's hesitation, a few more stood up and left with them.
They'd been in the bomb shelter for three days with no air circulation. Yet when they first entered, few had complained of headaches or fevers. With insufficient medical supplies inside, staying put was actually riskier.
In the end, only a small group chose to leave—just enough to fill one vehicle, with a few extras.
Lian Sheng and the others first dug out Ji Ban's mobility aid. Covered in dirt, it was filthy. Ji Ban wrinkled his nose in disgust but put it on anyway.
They then boarded a second vehicle, following the soldiers toward the base.
Sitting in the back, they listened as the soldier reported to his superiors. The prepared convoy and escort teams were now mostly empty. All combat plans had to be adjusted.
Recapturing the urban areas safely would require accounting for the bomb shelter's security, inevitably making them hesitant and constrained.
Lian Sheng felt like it had been ages since she'd seen sunlight. Leaning against the window, she squinted as she looked outside.
When they'd first arrived, the buildings on either side were intact. Now, only ruins remained.
With the area evacuated, the attackers had no qualms about destroying the city—or perhaps destruction had been their goal all along.
The 36th District, though not as prosperous as the 2nd District, had once been a complete, orderly city where everyone could make a living and find shelter. Now, most of it had collapsed.
And yet its people willingly remained in the hands of those responsible.
"The 36th District is truly..." Lian Sheng shook her head. "Ruined."
"They blew it up," the soldier in front said through gritted teeth. "Damn it, those bastards! So damn sneaky! Disgusting!"
The group: "..."
The group: "..."
The group: "..."
The group: "..."
The group: "..."
The soldier continued, "A bunch of hypocritical snakes! I was wrong—you don't know how much you hate them until you've dealt with them!"
Lian Sheng: "God will forgive you."
The soldier: "But they've all been deceived!"
The group thought back to the bomb shelter and sighed.
Fang Jianchen said dejectedly, "It's disappointing. Group intelligence really is stupid."
Zhao Zhuoluo reminded him, "You're part of that group."
Fang Jianchen puffed out his chest. "I've turned over a new leaf."
Lian Sheng said, "Exactly. They were always stupid. The more people there are, the stupider they get—yet you're risking your lives to save these idiots."
"What else can we do? Of course we forgive them," Lu Mingyuan said. "Even if they're stupid, it's the Alliance's fault."
"Right, exactly," Lian Sheng nodded. "After this battle, we can reflect on at least two things. First, strip the 36th District's administrators naked and throw them into a cesspit—let the stench mask their rotten corruption. Second, toss the idiots into school. Stupid people need more education."
The soldier said excitedly, "Yes! School! Open a special class to teach them to recognize hypocrites!"
Lian Sheng: "Whatever makes you happy."
Their escort, originally meant to protect civilians returning to the base, was now solely for them. The vehicles ahead and behind, the aircraft above, the mech escorts on either side—it was an impressive formation.
But with empty vehicles left behind, the extra soldiers stayed in the central district to carry out the next mission.
Leaning out the window, they felt the wind against their faces—a sensation of suddenly increased worth.
Lian Sheng asked, "What's the next step in your plan?"
The soldier, trusting their identities, answered frankly: "Restore signal towers in each district and reset border defense parameters."
Lian Sheng: "Where's the signal tower in the eastern district?"
"That tallest one is the control center. We need to repair the severed lines and reconnect with the 36th District's soldiers," the soldier said. "We don't know exactly where the problem is yet, but the enemy didn't have time to completely destroy it before being discovered, so there's still hope."
Lian Sheng asked eagerly, "The enemy? Do you already know who the traitor is? Who let the Gelen army in?"
The students in the back sat up straight, awaiting his answer.
The soldier hesitated, then said quietly, "It wasn't just one person."
Lian Sheng gasped. "Not one person?! Was it a pet? Impossible, right?"
"I know—it was robots!" Ji Ban slapped the back of the front seat. "Or maybe a virus! Did their firewall fail?"
The soldier: "..."
He felt like he was losing his mind.
"Not one person!" the soldier stressed. "Many people! A coordinated effort!"
The soldier sighed. "After we broke through, we managed to contact some local officials. They were terrified but couldn't muster forces to resist. Once discovered, they didn't hide it—they confessed outright and shared all the intel they had. Said they never expected things to turn out like this..."
"More corruption?" Lian Sheng frowned. "Then this is serious. Slice them up and feed them to dogs."
Fang Jianchen: "That's animal abuse. I'm reporting you."
The soldier said, "No. It was revenge. This is the 36th District, after all. Many in the local government and garrison forces are its citizens. The higher-ups wanted to further cut regional subsidies and even raise import tariffs here. You might not know this, but the 36th District relies heavily on imports for basic necessities. Higher tariffs would ruin the civilians. So they got angry and banded together to resist."
Lian Sheng paused. "Resisting means betraying their country?"
"No," the soldier said. "They asked the Gelen army for help. But once they arrived, they cut the signal towers, seized the districts, and rounded up the 36th District's residents."
Wasn't that obvious?
The soldier sighed again. "So the higher-ups ordered us to be gentle and patient with the 36th District's people, no matter what. Don't escalate tensions. This is complicated—too many misunderstandings to resolve easily. But the root cause is definitely the Alliance's fault."
Lian Sheng: "Then what about the mastermind?"
The soldier said, "Already arrested. We'll find a good time to sentence them—let everyone vent."
He made it sound like a drinking game.
"Everyone's so pitiful," Ji Ban sighed. "But because of these interests, so many people are fighting... Why?"
War was the most meaningless thing, yet it had never disappeared from human history. Was violence humanity's default solution?
Lian Sheng thought of the officer who had resigned earlier. He must have reached his limit. If given the chance later, would he have made the same choice?
The group fell silent again.
They drove onward. The road ahead was uneven, jostling them back and forth with each bump.
Suddenly, a warning blared from the soldier's communicator: "Enemy attack! Everyone, protect the civilians! Protect the civilians!"
An enemy alert flashed on the dashboard screen.
"Seatbelts on!" the soldier yelled before slamming the accelerator.
Fortunately, the road was wide and empty, giving him space to speed.
Black enemy aircraft appeared overhead, dropping explosives. Pursued by Alliance forces, they swooped low, bombing nearby buildings.
Lian Sheng grabbed the front seat, inhaling sharply. "Watch out!"
The soldier glanced left and hit the brakes.
A building collapsed ahead, blocking the road. The group was thrown from their seats, screaming with eyes shut.
Dust billowed, obscuring their vision in a yellow haze.
Their vehicle was cut off from the escort ahead.
The communicator crackled: "Turn around! Check the map—go left! We'll cover you!"
The soldier obeyed. Though he couldn't see far through the dust, he trusted his comrades. The car hovered, spinning 180 degrees in a second to retreat.
As he straightened, an unnatural shockwave distorted the dust ahead, forming a swirling vortex at its tail.
It came too fast. They all knew what it was but had no time to react. They could only duck, trying to shield themselves.
The thick windshield shattered instantly, the entire vehicle shuddering.
A crushing pressure engulfed them as wind and glass shards tore through the cabin.
Lian Sheng felt her eardrums might burst from the pressure. Then, relief—the blast had passed.
Gasping, they didn't dare move yet.
Lian Sheng lifted her head, touching her neck. Just a shallow cut—no artery severed. Incredibly lucky.
Her ears rang, blood pounding in her skull as her vision blurred. She reached forward, shaking the soldier's shoulder. "Hey! Can you move? We need to leave now."
A damp grip closed around her wrist.
Lian Sheng blinked, leaning forward to see the driver's seat clearly.
A shard of glass was embedded in the soldier's eye. Driven by the blast, it had pierced his goggles. Blood seeped out.
Facing the shockwave head-on, his body bore other wounds. Lian Sheng couldn't tell if any were fatal.
Her lips were parched, her body unbearably heavy. She wasn't sure if she made a sound as she called out, "Buddy?"
Oh….
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