Chapter Seventy-Eight: Interrogation

With a single command, Luo Li charged out first to help Fang Nian withstand the onslaught of soldiers. To be fair, there was a reason Luo Li had become the leader of these people—he truly possessed some skill. Though he wielded only two pieces of steel pipe of uncertain origin, he fought with the ferocity of an unbridled beast, and each swing of his pipe brought down an enemy.

Seeing Luo Li take the lead, the last traces of hesitation vanished from the others’ hearts. Some snatched up nearby wooden sticks and iron pans; others grabbed stools and ropes. Even some elderly women raised their shoes and, without regard for their own safety, charged at the soldiers.

In an instant, the crowd of rebels and the soldiers became a seething mass of chaos—cries of pain mingled with curses, the scene erupting into violent turmoil.

A shrill alarm blared through the carriage, its piercing sound echoing as the security system was triggered by the large-scale melee. At the same time, the doors at both ends of the carriage began to drop rapidly, seemingly intent on trapping everyone inside.

Fang Nian knew he couldn’t allow this to happen. If they were truly locked in these two carriages, their rebellion would become utterly meaningless. He had to come up with a plan.

The resistance continued, but with powerful reinforcements, Fang Nian’s burden lightened considerably. The number of soldiers opposing him had dwindled from dozens to just three.

He realized he could not tarry any longer. He needed to escape and find a way to open the carriage doors. Drawing up the last reserve of energy from his core, he unleashed three explosive punches in rapid succession. The three well-trained soldiers, taken by surprise, were sent flying and crashed heavily to the floor, where they lost consciousness.

At that moment, Luo Li, riding the momentum of his own fury, fought his way to Fang Nian’s side. Seeing Fang Nian’s lips stained with blood yet his eyes still bright and clear, Luo Li spoke with a hint of guilt.

“Brother Fang, I’m sorry I made you hold out alone for so long.”

Fang Nian waved a hand dismissively. “It’s nothing. It’s not too late for you to have come around. Now that we’ve taken a stand, there’s no room for hesitation. The authorities already know what’s happening here, so our only path is forward—we must find a way out of these carriages.”

Luo Li glanced at the carriage door blocked by an iron bunk and knew time was terribly short. He thumped his chest and said resolutely, “Brother Fang, go and find a way—I’ll handle these soldiers. Don’t worry, no one will trouble you.”

With that, Luo Li plunged back into the fray.

Fang Nian breathed a sigh of relief. The fierce fighting had drained more than eighty percent of his strength; if he kept going, he doubted he could last much longer.

At this moment, Duan Rui made her way through the crowd to his side.

“It seems our plan has half succeeded,” she said. “But the authorities must have noticed the disturbance here. What do we do next? If their reinforcements arrive and we’re truly locked in, all of this will be for nothing.”

Fang Nian understood perfectly. He had been observing the carriage for some time. This carriage was adjacent to the one where the oppressed workers were held, and there were seven or eight concealed guard posts—positions for the soldiers on watch.

At the same time, this was also the soldiers’ living quarters, stocked with all sorts of daily necessities. Though their conditions were much better than the workers’, they still slept in open dormitories without special privileges.

Yet Fang Nian noticed a room partitioned off in one corner of the carriage. The door was open, and white light flickered from within—someone was clearly inside, tinkering with something.

Exchanging a glance with Duan Rui, Fang Nian dashed over. Pushing the door open, he found himself face to face with a man: the very officer who, not long before, had swaggered so arrogantly before him. At some point, the officer had abandoned the fight and hidden in this room.

Now, all his former arrogance had vanished—he looked every bit the terrified deserter. When he saw Fang Nian’s face, he instantly threw down the cloth bundle he was holding and retreated two meters, brandishing a three-inch blade.

“What… what do you want?” he stammered.

Fang Nian paused, then smiled. Confronted with such a frightened opponent, he no longer felt threatened.

“What do I want? Nothing much. I just want to know how to shut off the alarm and open the carriage doors before they close.”

The officer shook his head. “It can’t be done. The higher-ups already know what’s happening here and have activated the emergency system. Once triggered, it can’t be reversed—there’s no way to stop it. You might as well give up.”

Fang Nian showed no sign of alarm; instead, his gaze grew playful as he walked toward the officer. “Are you telling the truth?”

Instinctively, the officer backed up until he hit the wall, nodding vehemently. “It’s true, I swear—it’s the truth. I wouldn’t dare lie to you.”

Fang Nian’s eyes suddenly blazed with intensity as he glared at the officer. “Nonsense. If the doors were truly impossible to open, why were you packing your things? Don’t tell me you planned to jump off the train—because you’d need to get out first, wouldn’t you?”

The officer looked helpless. He had indeed overlooked that detail. Even as he tried to form an excuse, a searing pain exploded in his thigh.

Fang Nian had, at some point, already snatched the knife and stabbed it straight into the officer’s leg.

The wound was precise, missing the major artery but cutting deeply into the flesh—enough to spare his life but inflict maximum pain. Indeed, compared to Fang Nian’s ruthlessness, the officer’s own actions seemed insignificant.

Fang Nian wondered whether, in such agony, this officer might now reflect on his supposed mercy toward the workers. Deciding he was still withholding the truth, Fang Nian pulled the knife out and stabbed him again.

The officer, jolted awake by the pain, dared not evade any longer. “Don’t stab me!” he cried. “I’ll tell you! I’ll do whatever you want!”

Ignoring his pleas and glancing at the carriage door blocked by the crushed iron bed, Fang Nian stabbed him a third time.

The officer howled, finally desperate enough to point at a wall inside the room. “There! There’s a mechanism there!”