Chapter 1510: Chapter 1427: The City With No Way Out

“Sob… sob…” In the street, a child was crying incessantly, and the man holding her hand had no heart to care for his own child at this moment.

On one side was his father, and on the other side was his wife. He was fortunate to work in a factory but unfortunate to work in a factory in Wuyang City.

Because he was an extremely skilled machine tool worker, he wasn’t conscripted to the frontlines, but as the war threatened to reach Wuyang, leaving the city became a daunting task.

“We have a permit!” The man waved the document in his hand, but the soldiers blocking his way had no intention of letting him pass.

“You don’t have the West Wall Fortress’ acceptance proof, so you can’t leave Wuyang!” The soldier, with a rifle on his back, shouted loudly; if he didn’t shout, speaking here was almost inaudible.

Screams were everywhere, and the cries of children filled the air. Due to the chaotic environment, all communication here was tinged with a sense of desperate hysteria.

“Where do we go to find the West Wall Fortress’ proof?” the man shouted loudly, brandishing his documents. He was just a machine tool worker, responsible for producing firearms, a highly valuable “talent.”

Usually, he was proud of this job because working in the factory was very safe, and he had no worry of being drafted to the frontlines one day.

Moreover, because his work was so important, his income was quite good, allowing him to buy a home in Wuyang City, making him almost a middle-class citizen in Qin Country.

Despite occasional difficulties from his supervisors, overall, his life was better than over ninety percent of the people in Qin Country.

But this time, his pride was shattered. He initially thought that since the war was pressing on Wuyang, and the factory’s talent needed to retreat to the safer West Wall Fortress to reorganize production, he should leave smoothly.

But he was wrong. Due to communication breakdown, there was no coordination on Qin Country’s side, and nearly all movements were blocked by the checkpoints.

In the midst of chaos and disorder, civilians dared not take so-called wild routes because according to Qin Country law, civilians caught fleeing without permission would be executed on the spot without trial.

Afraid to take risks, they could only crowd into the train station, waving their “permits,” more precious than gold, hoping the soldiers guarding the station would let them through.

Unfortunately, the soldiers were ordered not to allow anyone to leave Wuyang. Workers being relocated from Wuyang needed admission proof from the destination.

This meant the rear factories had to confirm acceptance of these technical workers, who also needed a pass for them to be allowed to leave.

The front line advanced too quickly, making coordination of many tasks impossible. Qin Country had not made the proper preparations, so nobody could obtain the so-called “admission proof” from another rear factory in a short time.

Even if the West Wall Fortress’ factories had issued these proofs, it would take time to reach Wuyang City. By the time these documents arrived at Wuyang, the battles outside might have already begun.

Also, the delivery system needed to transport these proofs had collapsed with the ongoing war. Qin Country’s communication network was almost paralyzed, with no couriers to handle such chaotic matters.

Some high-value intelligence or top-level contacts might still be ensured, but who had the patience to manage those worker transfer orders?

“By doing this, you’re killing people!” the man shouted angrily. He really couldn’t comprehend how these people could so boldly commit acts detrimental to the country.

Without letting workers like him safely produce in the rear, how could weapons be made to arm more troops? Should they use stones to drive away invaders?

Such a simple principle, yet these soldiers did not understand, not willing to even bend the rules, they were simply undermining the country!

But his shouting was of no use, as behind him, more people crowded together, yelling things even more unpleasant to hear, filled with curse words, mixed with women’s screams and children’s cries.

“Don’t push! You can’t get through ahead!” a woman shouted, but in the train station, her voice seemed so feeble and was soon swallowed by other shouts.

“Who touched my butt?” a woman shouted from further away, but her cries only drew mocking laughter from a group of men. At this moment, shame and etiquette were nonexistent.

Amidst the shouting, another train arrived at Wuyang. The train slowly stopped at the platform, and one soldier after another, armed, jumped out of the train cars, forming lines in the dissipating white smoke.

The civilians crowded here had become accustomed to this scene, as countless soldiers had been transported to Wuyang recently, quickly forming ranks at the station before heading outside the city.

It’s said that outside the city, trench digging had already begun, with many construction materials seized and controlled by the military. Even some engineering teams had been conscripted to build so-called defensive fortifications outside the city.

Due to time constraints, most projects were modifications of existing structures: turning buildings into bunkers, walls into breastworks… In short, the suburbs of Wuyang City, especially the factories to the east, had started becoming so-called construction sites.

Of course, for the civilians within the city, these were all hearsay; they couldn’t see those so-called construction sites because civilians were strictly forbidden from approaching them.

However, there were some things they could see. Some soldiers were ordered to place heavy machine guns on the roofs of relatively tall buildings to enhance the city’s air defense capabilities.

Some anti-aircraft guns, whose origins were unknown, were set up in some squares, surrounded by sandbag fortifications, making onlookers extremely tense.

Wuyang City hadn’t experienced war in many years, and its citizens had never witnessed such a scene. If it weren’t for the previous ballistic missile attack on the city by the Great Tang Empire, they might have been ten times more panicked than now.

Soon, the soldiers on the platform began to move eastward along the railway. They were Qin Army from the Great West Pass, at least stronger and more experienced than the new recruits of the City Defense Forces in Wuyang City.

The train left on the spot made the crowded civilian crowd even more frantic. Everyone was clamoring, hoping to board the train to escape this dangerous place.