Chapter 350: The First to Undergo Reform Through Labor (Part 2)

“I’m fine! There’s still one here.”

A soft yet angry voice of Han Lei came from inside the carriage. Hearing Han Lei was okay, Da San finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Han Lei saved them from the brink of death. Zhao Zun assigned these wounded soldiers to Han Lei, ordering them to stay by her side, follow her commands, and protect her well.

If anything were to happen to Han Lei, they would be utterly at fault and have no face to meet Zhao Zun.

Inside the carriage, cold sweat dripped from Feng San’s forehead. He gritted his teeth against the pain radiating from his thigh.

Just as the thought “It’s over” flashed through his mind, he felt the curtain violently lifted, his collar grabbed from behind, and a force dragged him out of the carriage.

In the moonlight, he saw Da San’s angry face and the raised black stick.

The last thing Feng San remembered was the sharp pain coming from his head, then the world plunged into darkness.

The noise here had startled more people awake, and Da Si turned on the flashlight on his electric baton, its blinding white light piercing through the dark night.

He led over twenty refugees rushing from the other side of the temporary camp, their scattered footsteps conspicuously clear in the silent night.

“Quick! Go check it out!”

Da Si urged in a low voice, the beam of his flashlight sweeping back and forth. Several young and strong refugees ran at the front, wielding sticks and stones.

When they arrived, everyone gasped involuntarily. Seeing seven or eight people lying haphazardly on the ground, they realized that thieves had just broken into their midst.

Under the light of the flashlights, they could see a few bright knives scattered around them.

“What happened? Is the young lady alright?”

Da Si rushed to the front of the carriage with urgency in his voice. His flashlight beam swept over the human figures on the ground, quickly moving away, fearing it would illuminate something inappropriate.

Da San shook his head, “It’s okay, the young lady’s inside the carriage.” He then gestured towards the carriage with his mouth, “These blind fools tried to ambush the young lady, but…”

Before he finished his sentence, a fair hand gently lifted the carriage curtain.

Han Lei arranged the simple alarm net inside the carriage calmly before jumping off it leisurely. Her light turquoise sportswear appeared especially graceful and elegant under the moonlight.

“Young lady!” the surrounding refugees called out unison, their voices full of concern.

Han Lei smiled slightly, her gaze sweeping over everyone.

“I’ve worried everyone.”

Her voice was soft with a hint of ease, as if the danger just now had never happened.

Seeing the thieves all caught, the refugees also relaxed, their attention drawn to the flashlights in their hands.

The refugees pointed at the flashlights, whispering, with a few brave ones trying to get closer for a better look.

“What… what is this?” an elderly man with graying hair asked tremblingly, “Why does it emit such bright light? It’s much brighter than the oil lamps we use.”

“Yes, yes,” a young woman chimed in, “It doesn’t seem afraid of the wind either, really is quite a rare object.”

In the corner, a ragged beggar suddenly spoke: “I saw this black stick when people crowded to snatch food before, it could knock people out, but I didn’t see it emit light.”

He scratched his dirty hair, “Tonight it’s peculiar, the stick head seems to be able to emit lightning!”

“Nonsense!” a strong man beside him refuted, “This is clearly a celestial treasure, not lightning!”

The refugees’ discussions grew louder, some saying it was a gift from the gods, others guessing it was a rare object from the Western Regions.

A few children hid behind adults, staring at the magical beam both scared and curious.

While the farmers were busy examining the flashlights, Da Si and Da San approached Han Lei, solemnly cupped their hands in salute.

“Young lady, we both failed to protect you, please punish us.” Da Si’s voice was filled with self-blame, “If not for your vigilance, the consequences would be unimaginable.”

Upon hearing this, Han Lei burst into laughter, her sweet smile especially captivating in the moonlight.

“What’s there to punish? See, I’m perfectly fine.” Saying this, she even twirled lightly, showing no sign of fear at all.

Da San and Da Si exchanged a glance, seeing the relief in each other’s eyes.

They knew their lady was capable, but thinking of how things could have gone wrong just now…

“The young lady should still be cautious,” Da San couldn’t help but advise, “at this time of night…”

His words were interrupted by a commotion, as a few angry refugees were punching and kicking Feng San on the ground.