Chapter 882: Longyou Shuangzixing (16)

Longyou Shuangzixing, Mi-You Star, Liuli City, Resource Dispatch Administration.

The sound of gunfire and explosions outside the window gradually thinned, leaving only the shouting of soldiers and the roar of armored vehicles passing by to remind people that the suppression was far from over.

Lia and her colleagues huddled in their workstations, no one speaking.

Suddenly, Clang!

A squad of Fengqi garrison soldiers rushed in.

All the clerks trembled in fear and looked up.

Leading them was a sergeant; his gaze swept across the room and finally landed on their superior, who was trembling all over in terror.

"You, are you the person in charge here?"

"Y-yes... yes... O-officer..."

The sergeant nodded and spoke.

"Very well. Take all your people and come out immediately."

"G-go... go where? O-officer... we have been working diligently... we didn't participate..."

The sergeant sternly interrupted the superior's defense, his muzzle lifting slightly.

"Enough nonsense! This is an order! Everyone! Immediately! Right now! Come out and assemble! Move it!"

The soldiers stepped forward immediately, beginning to drive out the clerks whose legs were weak with fear.

"Get up! Move!"

"Don't dawdle!"

Lia also followed the stumbling crowd, being driven out of the office.

In the corridor, people from other offices were likewise being driven out by soldiers, with muzzles pointed at them.

"Move! To the West District main thoroughfare!"

The sergeant ordered.

The West District main thoroughfare? That was where the fighting had been most intense just moments ago! Why go there?

Lia and the others, under the escort of this squad of soldiers, walked toward the area that had just experienced the riot.

The closer they got to the West District, the thicker the smell of gunpowder in the air became.

Bullet holes and charred marks left by explosions began to appear on the walls and ground.

Soon, Lia and the others were driven out of the passageway and arrived at the wide West District main thoroughfare platform.

The scene before them struck all the clerks and Administration staff forced to "tour" it like a lightning bolt, and many vomited on the spot.

Corpses. There were corpses everywhere.

They lay helter-skelter on the ground, piled in corners, and some were even hung from tilted lampposts as a warning.

Fresh blood stained the smooth Liuli ground red, and severed limbs could be seen everywhere.

Some rioter corpses had been deliberately posed as if they had been executed after kneeling to surrender, each with a hole in their head.

Other corpses had their shirts stripped off, their bodies covered in scars from torture.

Squads of Fengqi soldiers stood guard with guns, watching these new "visitors."

Lia's stomach churned violently; she quickly covered her mouth to keep from vomiting.

At this moment, an officer walked out with steady steps.

This officer glanced at the group of trembling clerical staff and shouted loudly.

"Quiet!"

The crowd quieted down, leaving only heavy panting.

"Bringing you here is to let you see clearly the consequences of challenging the majesty of the Fengqi Star Alliance."

The officer pointed at the corpses all around.

"These people, these stupid, ungrateful scum, forgot who gave them the space to survive, who allowed them to breathe! They chose betrayal, chose rebellion, and chose to be enemies of the Star Alliance's great cause!

And this is the result! The only result! Death! And destruction even more terrifying than death!"

He paused, saw the fear on the faces of the clerks below, and continued.

"I know that some of you may have had improper thoughts in your hearts, or sympathized with these traitors. Now, take a good look! Remember this scene! Remember the smell of these corpses!"

"The patience of the Fengqi Star Alliance is limited! Our power is infinite! Any disloyalty, any wavering, any attempt to disrupt production and order will be thoroughly crushed! Without exception!"

Having said this, the officer raised his voice.

"Your work is to serve the Star Alliance war machine! It is glorious! Stay honestly at your posts, complete your quotas, and you will continue to live! Otherwise..."

His gaze swept over the corpses again, the implication self-evident.

"Now, open your eyes wide and look clearly! Everyone must watch for ten full minutes! Whoever dares to close their eyes is a sympathizer of the rebels!"

After finishing, the officer nodded to the escorting sergeant.

The soldiers immediately stepped forward, forcing those who turned their heads or closed their eyes to face the carnage before them.

Lia was forced to look at those lifeless faces, at the blood flowing wantonly, at the indifferent expressions of the soldiers... fear, anger, disgust, despair... all kinds of emotions almost tore her apart.

She saw the leader who had once tried to organize the resistance; his corpse was hung alone in a conspicuous position, covered in scars, clearly executed after undergoing torture.

"Remember, this is the consequence of challenging order. The Star Alliance does not need traitors, only obedience. Your lives, your breath, everything you have, belongs to the Star Alliance. Work hard, or... become one of them."

Ten minutes felt very long at this moment.

When the soldiers allowed them to leave, many were already exhausted and needed to support each other to walk.

Lia followed the crowd back, her fingernails already digging into her palms, blood flowing through her fingers, but she felt not a hint of pain.

Just then, the sound of objects breaking through the air suddenly came from the sky; everyone looked up and saw "meteorites" passing through the atmosphere, flying toward Liuli City.

"It's drop pods! Send a communication to the Orbital Fleet! Ask what the situation is? This doesn't match the battle plan!"

Captain Kaishi watched the drop pods streak across the sky and immediately roared at the Communications Officer.

After the Communications Officer attempted to make contact several times, he responded.

"Sir! The Orbital Fleet has lost contact!"

"All units, attention! Forget about these commoners! Prepare for combat! Unknown forces are performing an orbital drop! I repeat! Unknown forces are performing an orbital drop!"

Captain Kaishi looked at the signals of the drop pods in the sky, which he had never seen before, and realized that something had happened to the Fengqi Fleet! He immediately issued the latest orders.

"Yes!"

Lia watched the Fengqi garrison finish organizing their equipment and depart, then looked up at those few "shooting stars" and muttered to herself.

"What is that?"