Under the moonlight

Chapter 163 Operation One

Xu Ao composed himself, looked up, and saw a spiral staircase in one corner of the hall. After settling several people in, he tore open his shirt and tied it tightly around his left knee to numb the pain with pressure.

He then quickly went up the stairs. On the second floor, he saw some simple tents and a few tables and chairs, which should be where they rested. Xu Ao did not linger and went straight to the third floor.

The third-floor corridor was lined with many food packaging boxes and some medicine boxes. He walked slowly down the corridor, listening carefully to the sounds around him. Sure enough, he heard soft rustling voices coming from behind a door at the end of the corridor. Xu Ao hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door open forcefully.

He was greeted by a room full of men and women, their clothes filthy and disheveled. Their eyes held both fear and a degree of composure, and a murmur of discussion slowly rose up after they saw him.

"Excuse me, do you speak English?"

“Yes, I can. Who are you?” A younger woman stood up shakily and looked at Xu Ao.

"I am a staff member of the embassy of country C. Are you people from the government of country S?" Xu Ao asked directly, and then stepped into the room.

"Oh my God, this is wonderful! We thought the city was deserted and we were the only ones left. Oh God, please save us!" The woman's emotions gradually became agitated. Judging from her tone and the food wrappers scattered on the ground, they were probably better off than the ordinary people in the shantytown. At least they didn't have to go hungry or suffer from disease.

"If they haven't made things difficult for you, is there some other intention behind it?"

"Of course, they have been threatening us to issue a statement declaring that we are going to submit to the M country, give up our independence and autonomy, and become their vassal state, but we have not done so. Obviously, the people behind them are demanding that they must obtain our declaration before they can harm us."

Everyone else watched Xu Ao and her exchange words, their eyes filled with doubt and wariness. The woman had no choice but to explain to them again. This time, their gazes towards Xu Ao became more complex, containing admiration, expectation, and gratitude.

"They've all been mobilized now, you all need to hurry and get out of here," Xu Ao said anxiously to the woman as he looked at them.

"Oh no, we can't leave here. We have to stay here and stay in our own country and on our own land."

"You can go to the embassy first, there..."

"Thank you for your kindness, but if we appear in the embassy, ​​the world will doubt our ability to be completely independent. Are we really going to hide in another country's embassy when our country and our city are in crisis?" The woman looked at Xu Ao with firm eyes. Although she appreciated Xu Ao's kindness, she still firmly refused.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. Of course, I respect your choices and actions. Now I'm going to help my friends. They've gone to the armory. Our people delivered medicine to the shantytown a few days ago. They also discussed breaking out. I don't know if they went to the armory. That's all the information I have."

After hearing Xu Ao's words, the woman quickly relayed them to the others. Xu Ao was concerned about them and didn't have time to say more before turning to leave. "Wait!" The woman's voice suddenly came from behind him. "We'll go with you. Our people are there, and we want to be with them."

Xu Ao turned around and looked at the people behind him. They were all about the same age as his parents and should be important government officials. Their president should have been moved away long ago when the mercenaries blockaded the area.

“Our president has been taken hostage by them, and we are trapped here, cut off from all contact with the outside world. Even though we are worried about the civilians, there is nothing we can do. Now, even if it costs me my life, I want them to know that we, this country, have never forgotten them, nor have we ever abandoned them!”

Seeing Xu Ao's hesitation, the woman stepped forward and explained. Looking at their expressions, which were either sad or indignant, Xu Ao understood that not being able to lend a helping hand when their country and people were in danger was another kind of torment for them.

“Alright, but we need to get moving quickly.” Xu Ao said and took the lead, followed by a group of people in black uniforms. Although their clothes were dirty and their figures were a little unsteady, the determination on their faces and their fearless spirit were enough to shock people.