20: Chapter 20: First Battle a Success

By dawn, the battle had completely ended.

Wang Jie stood at the entrance of Factory No. 13, watching the soldiers lead the prisoners out one by one.

Over thirty of Jingang's men were still alive. They crouched on the ground with their hands behind their heads, their faces filled with terror.

Jingang himself was locked in a separate room, guarded by two Heavy Soldier.

Lin Waner walked over from behind and stood beside Wang Jie.

"What are the casualties?"

Wang Jie glanced at the System Panel.

[Battle Damage Statistics]

[Conscript: 2 KIA, 5 lightly wounded]

[American Soldiers: 1 KIA, 2 heavily wounded, 3 lightly wounded]

[Heavy Soldier: 1 heavily wounded, 2 lightly wounded]

[Sniper: No casualties]

[Tank: 1 damaged (repairable)]

"Three dead," he said. "A bunch wounded."

Lin Waner was silent for a few seconds.

"Better than expected."

Wang Jie nodded.

He knew this was the best possible outcome. After all, the opposition had seventy or eighty people and over thirty guns. Being able to fight like this was already a miracle.

He walked up to the prisoners and looked at them.

Those people were also looking at him. In their eyes, there was fear, hatred, and confusion.

Wang Jie spoke:

"Among you, who followed Jingang voluntarily?"

No one spoke.

"Who was forced?"

Still, no one spoke.

Wang Jie smiled.

"It's fine if you don't talk. Then I'll ask it another way—"

He paused.

"Who has bullied women?"

This time, the expressions of a few people changed.

Wang Jie saw it.

He pointed at those few people: "Bring them out."

Several soldiers walked over and dragged those men out of the crowd.

They were four men, ranging from twenty to forty years old, all with fierce looks.

"The rest," Wang Jie said, "release them."

The prisoners were stunned.

Released?

Wang Jie nodded: "You were forced, not voluntary. I won't kill you. Those who want to stay can stay at our base. Those who want to leave can leave."

Those people looked at each other, then one by one, they stood up and walked out.

A few reached the door, stopped, and looked back at him.

"You—you're really letting us go?"

Wang Jie nodded: "Go."

Those people hesitated for a moment, then quickly disappeared at the end of the street.

What remained were the four men who had been pulled out.

Wang Jie looked at them, his gaze cold.

"How many women have you bullied?"

No one answered.

"It's fine if you don't say anything," Wang Jie said. "You won't need to speak anymore anyway."

He nodded to the soldiers.

Several gunshots rang out.

The four men collapsed to the ground, never to rise again.

Lin Waner stood aside, watching all this without saying a word.

Wang Jie turned around and walked toward the room where Jingang was held.

Pushing the door open, he saw Jingang sitting in a corner, hands tied, his face looking grim.

Seeing Wang Jie, he gave a cold laugh.

"Well? Does it feel good to kill my men?"

Wang Jie ignored him and asked directly: "Where is Chen Jianguo?"

Jingang was stunned for a moment: "Who?"

"Chen Jianguo from the Academy of Sciences. Don't pretend you don't know."

Jingang's expression shifted.

Then he suddenly laughed.

"Oh, you mean that old man. He's dead."

Wang Jie's eyes narrowed.

"Dead? How did he die?"

Jingang shrugged: "How should I know? He was already dead when I found him. Probably died of illness, or maybe starvation."

Wang Jie looked at him and didn't speak.

Jingang continued to laugh: "What? Were you looking for something from him? Too late. He's dead, and the stuff is gone too."

Wang Jie was silent for a few seconds.

Then he turned and walked out.

Jingang shouted from behind: "Hey! You're just leaving like that? Not going to kill me?"

Wang Jie didn't look back.

"You will die," he said. "But not today."

Walking out of the room, Lin Waner met him.

"Is what he said true?"

Wang Jie shook his head: "I don't know. But I will find out."

He looked at the soldiers in the distance cleaning up the battlefield, at the survivors who had been rescued, and at this camp that had just been captured.

This battle was won.

But the real war had only just begun.