allonlinenovel Chapter 1017 A Possible Way Out
Chapter 1017 A Possible Way Out
Military Police Sergeant Nishimura had just returned from running errands and happened to be passing by.
The night was as dark as ink. The searchlights on the headquarters wall cast a pale halo on the wet bluestone pavement, making the shadows long and distorted.
Nishimura was about to return directly to the military police headquarters, but as he turned the corner, he was stopped by the commotion at the checkpoint ahead.
His sharp gaze first swept over the soldiers who had attacked, his eyes filled with obvious displeasure and accusation.
The crisp sound of leather shoes on the stone slabs was particularly jarring in the quiet night after curfew, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
Without immediately looking at Li Shouren on the ground, Nishimura first reprimanded the sergeant in fluent Japanese, speaking quickly and sternly: "What's going on? Making a scene and resorting to violence in front of the military police headquarters! Don't you know you should be even more silent during curfew?" Every word was like a whip lashing through the air.
Upon seeing Sergeant Nishimura, the sergeant immediately straightened up and bowed deeply, his forehead almost touching the buttons on his chest: "Hi, Sergeant! I'm very sorry! I spotted a Chinese man attempting to approach during curfew with an expired pass. His behavior is suspicious, and I'm handling the matter according to the law!"
Sergeant Nishimura let out a cold snort, as if expressing his dissatisfaction with this inefficient and brutal approach, before turning his gaze to Li Shouren, who was curled up on the ground, trembling and looking utterly pathetic at the edge of a soldier's boot.
The figure shrank so small on the cold ground that it was almost indistinguishable from the shadows.
His gaze initially held the cold indifference and scrutiny typical of military police when dealing with ordinary Chinese civilians, as if examining an inanimate object.
But when the beam of the flashlight inadvertently swept across the faces of Li Shouren and the little girl he was tightly protecting in his arms, his pupils contracted slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Without any hesitation, he squatted down and moved closer, completely ignoring the mixture of blood and sweat emanating from Li Shouren.
With his white-gloved hand, he steadily held up the flashlight, precisely focusing the beam onto Xiao Juan's pale, paper-white face, which was covered in tear stains and dirt, yet her delicate features were still discernible.
In the light, the girl's soft hair clung to her forehead, and her lips were bluish-purple from blood loss and cold.
Especially when he saw Xiao Juan's dying appearance under the light, Nishimura's expression changed slightly.
Isn't this the same Chinese man and little girl who caused that minor disturbance at the entrance of the military police station yesterday?
That man also protected the child with the same selfless devotion.
The captain personally handled the matter, and even... publicly took the little girl's hand, leaned down and said a few words to her, seemingly quite "concerned" about her.
Although it was unclear what the captain's specific plans were, whether it was some kind of spur-of-the-moment "good deed" or a more meaningful arrangement, Sergeant Nishimura clearly remembered the look in Yusuke Ichijo's eyes when he looked at the little girl. It was a focused look, as if he were assessing the value of an item, examining the body and glaze of a piece of porcelain.
How could he have turned into such a miserable state, half-dead and on the verge of death, after only one day?
Standing up, Nishimura's eyes showed a hint of deliberation before he made his decision.
Turning to the sergeant in charge, he tilted his head slightly, lowered his voice, and gave a quick and clear instruction in Japanese, his tone leaving no room for argument, every syllable exuding authority:
“I know this person and this child. The captain gave instructions before that this is none of your business here. Continue your patrol. I will take this person away and deal with him.” He deliberately obscured the specifics of the “instructions,” but mentioning the captain’s name was enough to quell any doubts.
A moment of surprise and confusion flashed across the sergeant's face. It was their duty to arrest, interrogate, and even "deal with" suspicious individuals who violated the curfew.
However, the strict hierarchical system of the military police and the awe he felt for the title of "First Battalion Commander" prevented him from questioning the sergeant's decision.
He immediately brought his feet together, the heels of his leather shoes making a crisp sound, and bowed heavily: "Hi!" His voice was loud, indicating unconditional obedience.
Immediately, the sergeant waved to the two soldiers who were still twisting Li Shouren's arms, making a brief gesture.
The soldier immediately released his grip as if he were letting go of a piece of trash, quickly took a step back, stood at attention with his gun, and stared straight ahead, as if everything in front of him was no longer their concern.
The sudden release of the restraints made Li Shouren's body go limp, and he almost collapsed to the ground.
He coughed violently, his chest making a sound like a broken bellows, spitting out blood-tinged saliva that splattered onto the cold stone slab, leaving a few dark red spots.
Sergeant Nishimura looked at Li Shouren's miserable state of struggling to survive, but there was no pity in his eyes, only the cold indifference of someone dealing with troublesome official business.
He spoke in broken but clear enough Chinese, his tone flat and devoid of any emotion: "You, stand up and come with me. The captain may be willing to see you."
He then raised his chin, gesturing towards the military police headquarters not far away. The door, wide open in the night like the mouth of a giant beast, cast a blurry band of light on the slippery ground from the faint light shining from inside.
These words, like a bolt of lightning suddenly flashing across the darkness, instantly illuminated Li Shouren's heart, which had been frozen by despair.
A miraculous turn of events! A chance for survival!
He could hardly believe his ears! A tremendous shock and unbelievable ecstasy assaulted his numb nerves, causing his whole body to tremble uncontrollably, even his jaw was chattering.
The instinct for survival overwhelmed all rational doubts. He didn't care whether there was a deeper trap behind it, nor did he care about the excruciating pain that made his body feel like it was falling apart. With all the strength he had left, he struggled and crawled up from the cold, bone-chilling ground.
Every movement aggravated his wounds, causing excruciating pain, but he was completely unaware of it.
He held Xiao Juan, who was unconscious and breathing weakly, tightly in his arms again. His arms trembled violently from the force, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones. His careful posture was as if he were holding the only fragile treasure in the world, afraid that the slightest movement would cause her to dissipate.
Staggering along, with unsteady steps, he followed behind Sergeant Nishimura, as if walking on cotton.
Several Japanese soldiers followed on either side with expressionless faces, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far. Rather than "escorting," it was more like a silent escort, in order to prevent him from making any unexpected moves.
But at this moment, in Li Shouren's eyes, the gate of the military police headquarters, which once represented endless humiliation, cruelty and fear, seemed to gleam with an incredible, faint light, as faint as an illusion, a possible path to survival for his daughter Xiaojuan in his arms.