Chapter 110: The Dead End

Chapter 110: A Deadly Situation

“What should we do?”

Watching the students draw ever closer, the lead officer’s expression shifted repeatedly, forcing him to take a few steps back once more.

Behind him, Sun Yanjie and Bai Zeshao exchanged a glance but said nothing.

Even Tian Yaopeng fell silent at this moment. Although he had spoken harshly earlier, when it came to giving the order to open fire, his throat felt dry and his palms grew clammy.

Everyone knew that once the guns were raised, the consequences would be unpredictable, and the fallout would be severe. When that happened, they would all be scapegoated by their superiors and cast aside.

Yet, to the students, their silence and retreat appeared as cowardice, spurring them to quicken their advance.

As the students neared the blockade once again, a fire blazed within Bai Zeshao’s heart. This was nothing less than forcing their hand toward violence.

After all, they were merely executors of orders. The bigwigs above cared little about the methods they used; only the results mattered.

Especially before this mission, Bai Zeshao, Tian Yaopeng, and Sun Yanjie had all received explicit orders from above.

If the situation got out of control, they were authorized to open fire, even to the extent of calling in the military.

At this very moment, whether Bai Zeshao and the others or Guo Xiaofei and his companions blending in the crowd, every nerve was taut.

Conflict was now unavoidable; the question was how to minimize unnecessary casualties.

“Raise your weapons.” Tian Yaopeng licked his parched lips and rasped out the command.

“If these troublemakers keep advancing, open fire,” he finally ordered.

Sun Yanjie and Bai Zeshao remained silent, but Tian Yaopeng could no longer wait. Still, he was no fool—there was a calculation behind his order.

Faced with the cold, merciless barrels of their guns, the students at last halted their steps.

“Wait!” At that moment, a figure suddenly leapt out from the crowd, standing between the students and the police.

When Bai Zeshao recognized him, his eyes narrowed involuntarily. Tian Yaopeng, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief and smiled faintly. He had gambled correctly. These Red Party members would never stand by and watch the students be slaughtered recklessly. Despite his iron-fisted orders, the Reds had stepped forward, saving him a great deal of trouble.

Tian Yaopeng’s true target was never the unruly students. Even if some Reds were among them, they were merely fringe players. The real prize was the core members of the Shan Ning Red Party.

And here was Guo Xiaofei, stepping out precisely as planned.

“Comrades, I am just an ordinary worker. I know you are all patriotic youths with fiery hearts, but the authorities’ stance is not something we can easily change. I urge you to calm down. We are all talented individuals—why not preserve our strength and find another way to serve the country? If we clash head-on with these lackeys, only we will suffer,” Guo Xiaofei shouted hoarsely.

Among the crowd, Wang Sao and Zhou Shan watched Guo Xiaofei’s impassioned plea with heavy hearts. They had not expected him to suddenly leap forward, exposing himself completely to enemy sight—a move that might well be a death sentence.

Yet, at this moment, Guo Xiaofei’s action was all they could do. Only such a gesture could stem the students’ momentum and prevent bloodshed.

Some of the more progressive students, their advance halted by Guo Xiaofei’s intervention and seeing the police poised to shoot just ahead, broke into a cold sweat. Their earlier impulsiveness swiftly cooled into calm.

“Heh, you sure know how to talk,” Tian Yaopeng muttered, eyeing Guo Xiaofei’s back. Then he summoned the second unit of the Special Operations Team.

“See that speaker? He’s a core figure in the Shan Ning Red Party. Once the students disperse, they’re to capture him alive. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

Nearby, Bai Zeshao pondered how to help Guo Xiaofei escape this deadly trap.

Seeing the students calm down, Guo Xiaofei exhaled slowly, wiping the sweat from his brow. The situation had been perilous. Tian Yaopeng had already given the order; if the students had broken through the blockade, the consequences would have been terrifying.

Watching the students begin to retreat slowly, Guo Xiaofei smiled faintly. As for his own safety, once he chose to stand alone between the students and the police, it no longer mattered. If he could keep the students from acting recklessly, it was all worthwhile.

“Comrades, don’t retreat! I don’t believe these agents will open fire. Keep going!”

At that moment, a loud and rousing voice rang out from the crowd. The students who had begun to pull back slowly regrouped.

Hearing this, Guo Xiaofei, Tian Yaopeng, Zhou Shan, and others all paled. It was now impossible for Guo Xiaofei to stop the students.

However, Bai Zeshao, standing behind the police, brightened. He silently commended the brave voice from before, then shouted to the officers:

“Listen to my order! Lower your guns. Take out your batons. Drive these troublemakers away. Capture the ringleaders and lock them up.”

With that, Bai Zeshao surged forward alone, stepping past the line of officers toward the student crowd.

The officers behind him complied, holstering their firearms and brandishing batons as they charged. Bai Zeshao’s order gave them a reason not to shoot—they did not want to be branded as traitors.

Soon, police and students were entangled in chaos. The scene was utterly frenzied.

Frustrated, Tian Yaopeng glared at Guo Xiaofei in the crowd and roared at his unit two members, “Forget the students! Grab the one who spoke earlier!”

Unfortunately, the chaos was too great. The second unit’s attempt to break through was like a drop in the ocean, barely causing a ripple.

At that moment, Bai Zeshao, driving the students back, kept a watchful eye on Guo Xiaofei. Seeing him slip away with the retreating crowd, he breathed a sigh of relief. Though the outcome was still far from ideal, the minimal student casualties were a small mercy.

Guo Xiaofei’s actions had not escaped Tian Yaopeng’s notice. Seeing Guo Xiaofei about to escape safely, the frustrated Tian Yaopeng grabbed a nearby machine gun and unleashed a furious burst into the air.

“Stop this at once!”

The staccato machine-gun fire silenced the chaotic scene instantly.