The question mark from that strike was temporarily suppressed.
When the sun rose high, the people in the supermarket were clearly divided: on one side were the people from the underground complex, about twenty in number, each carrying their own bags; on the other side were the three Lu Chen brothers, along with Old Feng.
Old Feng was holding the stick he never let go of, standing in the middle and speaking very slowly.
“If you want to leave, do it today.
Take advantage of the good light and head south for two blocks.
There’s an air-raid shelter there, it can provide shelter.” He paused, “If you want to stay, then listen to Brother Lu’s instructions.”
There was a buzz in the crowd.
Some tightened their bags, some looked at Lu Chen, their eyes avoiding each other.
A tall and thin man stepped forward first: “I quit.” Behind him followed four or five people.
Lu Chen didn’t stop them, he walked to the shelves, lifted a corner of the piled-up supplies – two buckets of water, a packet of biscuits, and a roll of wire.
Take them, hurry up.”
The man froze.
What he had prepared was being detained and searched.
He picked up the water and made a “spit” sound with his mouth, but his feet moved quickly, not daring to look back.
Seven people left.
The rest didn’t move.
“For those who stay,” Lu Chen scanned the faces, there were women, the elderly, and the child who had climbed out of the underground complex, standing behind his mother watching, “Three rules: don’t steal, don’t take, don’t abandon.
If you break any of these rules, I will personally escort him out – regardless of whether it’s alive or dead outside.”
No one spoke.
After a while, Old Feng slammed the crowbar onto the ground: “I’ll enforce the first rule.”
When the crowd dispersed, it was already past noon.
Su Wanqing checked the facilities and returned with a strange expression on her face.
“One was missing.” She said.
“Who?”
“The young man who didn’t make any noise this morning and was just packing up his things.
He’s about twenty years old, with a scar on his face.” Su Wan lowered her voice.
“He didn’t leave.
There were guards at both the front and back doors – he slipped out through that drainage ditch in the back alley.”
She looked at Lu Chen: “Bring water, bring clean clothes, and also take away the location of our base.
For someone who’s leaving, there’s no need to remember it so clearly.”