lcionline Chapter 741: Storm and Still Despair
Chapter 741: Storm and Still Despair
After half an hour of silence, the sky seemed to be torn apart by some invisible force, and large, thick dark clouds quickly gathered, covering the already gloomy sky. A dull and depressing feeling began to permeate the air, and then, bursts of low thunder were heard in the distance, like the mumbling of a sleeping giant, foreshadowing the coming storm.
"Listen, what's that sound?" Ichiro Sato suddenly broke the silence in the vault. He sat up straight and pressed his ear against the cold and heavy steel door, with a look of disbelief on his face.
Jiro Yamada, Saburo Nakamura, and Shiro Matsumoto also looked up at the closed door and listened. As expected, as the thunder became clearer, it was mixed with a more rapid and powerful sound - the sound of rain hitting the ground, which quickly spread from far to near and spread throughout the city.
"It's raining! It's raining!" Yamada Jiro shouted excitedly, his eyes gleaming with a glimmer of hope amid despair. He stood up suddenly and paced back and forth in the vault excitedly, "The fire will surely be reduced by this rain, we are saved!"
Saburo Nakamura also stood up and walked to Ichiro Sato. Together, they put their ears to the door, trying to catch more information from the outside world. "Indeed, the rain is heavy, and it's getting closer." Although Saburo Nakamura's voice was trembling, it was obviously more hopeful. "This rain may be our turning point."
Matsumoto Shiro seemed calmer. He opened a crack beside the heavy iron door and observed the situation outside. There were lightning and thunder in the sky, and heavy rain poured down like a waterfall, hitting the ground hard and splashing countless water. As the rain intensified, the fire in the city really began to decrease. The raging sea of fire was gradually extinguished by the rain, and turned into wisps of green smoke rising.
"Look, the fire is really weakening!" Matsumoto Shiro excitedly turned around and reported the good news to the other three people. His face was filled with a long-lost smile, which was a desire for life and a vision for the future.
"Great, we really have a chance to survive!" Ichiro Sato was so excited that he almost cried. He held his companions' hands tightly, feeling the warmth and strength passed between them.
"Yes, as long as we don't give up, there will be hope." Jiro Yamada was also deeply moved. He looked at the heavy rain outside the window, his heart filled with gratitude for surviving the disaster.
"So, what should we do next?" Nakamura Saburo asked a new question, his eyes becoming deeper. "After the rain stops, we will find a way to leave here and look for reinforcements or a way home."
"Yes, we have to survive. No matter how great the difficulties are, we must not give up!" Shiro Matsumoto nodded in agreement.
In this way, several soldiers of the Changfeng Division rekindled the fire of hope in despair.
As the rain gradually subsided, the dark clouds in the sky slowly dissipated, revealing the long-lost blue sky and a few rays of soft sunshine. The four people supported each other and carefully pushed open the heavy vault door and stepped into the outside world. However, the scene before them made them stop involuntarily, and an indescribable shock surged in their hearts.
The entire Nanjiuzhou City seemed to have experienced a catastrophe that destroyed the world. The prosperous scene of the past no longer existed. Although the fire had been extinguished, the traces left behind were shocking. On both sides of the street, houses collapsed and ruins were everywhere. The once solid buildings were now only charred frames, tottering in the wind and rain. The air was still filled with the pungent smell of burning and the dampness of the soil. The two completely different smells intertwined, making people feel heavy.
The ground was muddy after the rain, with puddles of water reflecting the broken skyline. The footsteps of the four people echoed in this empty and silent city, and seemed to be particularly clear. They walked slowly forward, and every step seemed to be stepping on the scars of history.
Looking around, there was hardly any sign of life in the city. Occasionally, a few panicked rats would jump out of the ruins and quickly disappear into another dark corner. The once bustling shops and lively markets were now dead silent, with only the sound of the wind and the occasional bird calls in the distance adding a bit of desolation to this dead city.
Just as the four were about to take a step and leave the devastated bank vault, a sudden sound broke the silence around them. It was sparse but clear gunshots, echoing in the empty ruins, each one like the whisper of death, making people shudder. They immediately became alert and looked at each other, seeing fear and uneasiness in each other's eyes.
Not far away, a group of Chinese soldiers in Northwest Army uniforms were slowly advancing along the street. They moved in an orderly manner in squads, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes. These soldiers held long guns and walked firmly, obviously carrying out a thorough clearing operation. Whenever they found a survivor suspected to be an enemy or a civilian, they acted without hesitation, pointed their guns directly, and quickly pulled the trigger without the slightest mercy or hesitation.
As they approached, they could even see the fear and despair on the faces of the survivors. Some tried to escape, but were shot and fell to the ground within a few steps; others sat on the ground, holding their heads with their hands, crying miserably, but could not escape the fate of being shot. The air was filled with a suffocating tension and despair, as if even time had frozen at this moment.
Seeing this, the four of them felt a strong sense of crisis. They knew that if they were discovered by these Chinese soldiers, they would face the same fate. So, they quickly exchanged glances and tacitly decided to act separately, using the ruins as cover to avoid the enemy's sight as much as possible.
Ichiro Sato and Jiro Yamada ran to the pile of ruins on the left, using the collapsed walls as cover and carefully observing the enemy's movements, while Saburo Nakamura and Shiro Matsumoto chose a narrow alley on the right, where the road was rugged but might provide them with a chance to escape.
However, just as they were about to implement their escape plan, a Chinese soldier happened to glance over their location. The soldier immediately raised his rifle and shouted, "There's someone over there! Quick! Chase him!" Following his order, the entire team quickly adjusted their direction and approached the location of the four people.
However, fate seemed to have paved an irreversible path for them. When Sato Ichiro jumped over a broken wall, he accidentally exposed himself to the enemy's sight. Gunshots rang out, and his figure froze in that instant, then he fell heavily to the ground, and blood quickly spread in the mud, staining everything around him red.
Seeing this, Nakamura Saburo was heartbroken, but he knew that now was not the time to grieve. He quickened his pace, trying to find the next hiding place, but the enemy was following him closely. Finally, in an open area, he was hit by dense bullets and fell in the cold rain, his eyes full of reluctance and helplessness.
Jiro Yamada and Shiro Matsumoto, the last survivors, supported each other and watched their companions fall one by one in despair. Their hearts were filled with fear and grief, but more of it was unwillingness to accept their fate. Jiro Yamada stopped and knelt on the ground. The rain and tears mixed together, blurring his vision. His expression was numb, as if he had lost all perception, and he just mechanically repeated: "Why... Why do you do this to us..."
Matsumoto Shiro tried to pull him up, but Yamada Jiro seemed to be nailed to the ground and could not move. At this moment, two Chinese soldiers approached them, pointing their cold guns at the two last survivors. Matsumoto Shiro tightly grasped the dagger in his hand, ready to make a final resistance, but his movements were obviously unable to compete with the enemy's guns.
Another burst of piercing gunfire pierced the night sky, two gunshots rang out almost simultaneously. Matsumoto Shiro's body trembled, and then slowly fell down. His eyes were full of determination and indomitable spirit, but he was eventually swallowed by death. Yamada Jiro seemed to have been drained of all his strength. He sat on the ground powerlessly, watching his companions fall beside him. Blood gushed out of their wounds, mixed with the rain, and was washed away mercilessly.