Chapter 363: Chapter 361 Congested Sewer

Facing the old man’s question, Bi Fang simply took out a map from his bosom and displayed the complex network of sewer lines to everyone present.

“We came here all the way from the adjacent sewer without anyone noticing us. At the same time, all the guards in the southeast direction of the warehouse have left, and the only one remaining has already been taken care of. This is your best chance. Believe it or not, it’s up to you. If you want to leave, you can tell me now; if you don’t, then I will take everyone who wants to leave. But if anyone is thinking of snitching…”

Bi Fang’s gaze swept around the room, and even in the dim environment, an invisible pressure seemed to emerge. Each person who met his gaze lowered their heads.

At that moment, they felt as though they were in a confined space with someone swinging a flail. Even though they were confident that the flail wouldn’t hit them, fear still spread in their hearts.

“You can try.”

“Cough cough, since that’s the case, I definitely want to leave. If someone really wants to stay, they’d better think clearly about what they are doing.”

Seeing the atmosphere growing tense, the old man quickly coughed twice to lighten the mood and set the tone, meanwhile giving Bi Fang a nod of approval.

The rest of the people no longer had objections, which made Bi Fang even more curious about the man’s identity. After tossing the wire mesh aside, he couldn’t help but inquire about the old man’s identity.

Supported by two younger men, the old man emerged from the cage and declared astonishingly, “I am the Chieftain here.”

Bi Fang frowned.

The Chieftain?

The viewers in front of the screen were even more puzzled. Wasn’t Abbascan part of the Commonwealth Country? Where did this chieftain come from?

Bi Fang, having researched Abbascan thoroughly before the departure, had some clarity. The actual period of Abbascan’s independence was, in fact, not very long. Therefore, even though it was part of the Commonwealth Country, some areas still retained a rather primitive chieftain system, though their actual influence had become minimal.

Moreover, the title of chieftain could signify varying levels of authority – at its most significant, one could be the ruler of a nation, while at its most minor, it might be just a tribal leader.

It seemed that this man was more than just a minor tribal leader. If he were, it was unlikely he would command such high esteem among this group of people.

Three people had been freed, and the actions that followed quickened. Bi Fang took out several wire cutters from his bag and instructed two young men to open the remaining cages.

Bi Fang had brought more than one wire cutter, so the more people they rescued, the faster they could solve the problem. He then moved to the warehouse door and pushed the cage that had held the old man against it.

With only himself before, it had been easy to hide; but now that so many people were released, if they were suddenly checked, it would be game over.

As a precaution, Bi Fang quickly pulled out a length of hemp rope, climbed back onto the high wall using the cage for support, and removed the window frame he had placed earlier. He stood on its base and disassembled it into five wooden sticks—two long and three short.

He took two long sticks and crossed them into a shape of a cross, tying them securely with rope, thus creating a simple crucifix.

Bi Fang placed the crucifix in the corner of the window, gave it a forceful tug, and seeing the cross hold steady, he nodded in satisfaction.

Outside the high wall, without the cage to step on, the height was close to four meters. Anyone without proper training could easily get hurt from the descent. Any sprained ankle could drastically slow down the tempo of the group, and if someone involuntarily cried out in pain, that would be even more trouble.

Seeing Bi Fang’s organized and methodical rescue operation instilled confidence in the people. Thus, they accelerated the pace of liberating the others.

When everyone had been rescued, Bi Fang was the first to leave the warehouse. He surveyed the surroundings, and after confirming once more that there was no one below the high wall, he tossed a pebble into the bushes to signal Matthew to get ready. He then prepared the trapped individuals for evacuation.

“Women and children go first, then the disabled, and finally, the healthy men. Remember, as long as you are not discovered, you must wait for the person ahead to enter the bush before the next one appears. The more people outside, the greater the risk of exposure. The smaller the target, the better to hide.” After making the arrangements, Bi Fang turned to the old man and said, “You stay with me until the end.”

Bi Fang wanted the old man to hold the rear to prevent being stabbed in the back by his own people. Moreover, the old man was more familiar with the others and could arrange things better.

The old man nodded his head, clearly aware of this and had no objections. Now they were all in the same boat, and there was no need to be wary of anything.

As the first woman appeared, Bi Fang helped her onto the iron cage and brought her to the edge of the high wall. He went down first and then instructed the woman to carefully slide down the wall while holding onto the rope.

“Keep your center of gravity low, don’t be scared. It’s just four meters; even if you fall, you’ll be fine. Your movements must be steady and quick!”

Perhaps due to long-term malnutrition, the muscles in the woman’s arms had visibly atrophied. Her hands trembled as she held the rope, making Bi Fang worry she might fall straight down. He stayed below, ready to catch her carefully.

Fortunately, maybe the hope of survival gave everyone new strength, and this situation did not occur; the woman landed successfully.

When she stepped onto the solid and open ground, the woman could hardly contain her excitement and almost cried out. Bi Fang quickly covered her mouth.

“Don’t cry, don’t shout, we haven’t escaped yet!”

Thinking of the ferocious Bandit Gangs filled the woman’s heart with fear once again. She nodded frantically, and Bi Fang then let go, allowing her to run toward the bushes.

Matthew, who had been hiding all along, immediately stood up, grabbed the newcomer, and pulled her into the bushes.

Seeing a figure suddenly appear in the bushes, the woman was almost frightened into making a noise, but she quickly remembered that this was the comrade the other had mentioned and allowed him to take her hand.

Indeed, that was the case. Matthew led the woman to a curb beside them, pushed open a manhole cover, and instructed her to go down.

As the woman disappeared, Bi Fang immediately called for the next one.

Quickly, one, two… Time passed by, and the audience in front of the screen grew more tense.

It had been over half an hour since the first explosion. The fire in the distance had started to diminish, and the shouting had lessened significantly, all of which proved that the situation was under control and they didn’t have much time left.

During the rescue, there was even a small incident when a guard from next door appeared again. Fortunately, it wasn’t because he had noticed anything amiss; he simply wanted to find a secluded spot to relieve himself, which scared Matthew into pressing someone down in the bushes, daring not to make a move.

Thankfully, until the figure left, he didn’t notice anything unusual in the bushes.

The previous method Bi Fang had instructed, to escape one by one, had proven its superiority. Though slow, it was secretive and stable, and any small issues that arose were completely within control. If everyone had run out at once in a line, there was no way they could have stayed hidden.

Not until the last of the people from the warehouse had entered the sewer and only Bi Fang and the old man remained did everyone finally breathe a sigh of relief.

My, surely we’re safe now, right?