Qin Jun's convoy halted outside Jiangbei Bridge. Seeing the congested line of cars ahead, Li Weiguo turned to Qin Jun and said, "The road is blocked. We'll have to proceed on foot."
He then instructed the soldiers, "First squad in front, second squad at the rear. Surround them in the middle, and don't let anyone fall behind!"
Thus, the group crossed the bridge and headed toward the checkpoint.
An Xinling and An Mian also got out of the police car, following behind the army.
When the crowd saw a military unit approaching, they quickly stepped aside, making way for them.
Everyone silently observed Qin Jun, who was being escorted by the soldiers. There was curiosity in their eyes, some confusion, and perhaps even more envy.
After a long journey, under the military escort, Qin Jun and his group finally arrived at the checkpoint.
A high-ranking officer who had already been informed of their arrival quickly came forward to greet them.
This officer was Zhao Yi, the deputy commander of the third division of the Jiangjing Garrison, holding the rank of colonel. At just thirty-seven years old, he was the youngest colonel in the Garrison, with a promising future ahead.
Zhao Yi enthusiastically approached Qin Jun, "Qin Jun, how was your trip?"
Qin Jun knew Zhao Yi well. After all, Zhao Yi had attained his position largely thanks to the Qin family's connections.
As a side note, the Jiangjing Garrison falls under the jurisdiction of the Southeastern Military Region.
And the head of the Southeastern Military Region? His surname is Qin...
Zhao Yi promptly led Qin Jun and his group through the checkpoint, while An Xinling took out a pass issued by the City Hall and followed behind Qin Jun.
This scene unfolded openly in front of everyone.
People watched in silence, gradually growing discontented. Why could this young man leave the quarantine zone without a pass, while they were stuck here?
Li Han watched the scene, his face darkening.
He had just been feeling triumphant, attempting to pass through with his female companion, only to be rudely turned away. Even flaunting his identity as "Little Li" hadn't helped, leaving him humiliated.
Now, seeing Qin Jun blatantly flaunt his privilege and enter without a pass only fueled Li Han's jealousy.
Li Han was also aware that the situation was dire. The quarantine likely meant an outbreak, and staying inside would be a death sentence!
His eyes suddenly lit up as a plan formed in his mind.
He stepped out from the crowd, pointing at Qin Jun, "Why can he leave without a pass, but we can't? We want out too!"
He had already planned it out—incite the crowd's discontent, create a ruckus, and put pressure on these soldiers!
Heh, stirring public opinion is my specialty...
Li Han's confidence wasn't entirely unfounded.
In today's society, public opinion wields significant power.
Li Han had previously led many online campaigns on his account, forcing several officials to apologize and back down.
His followers had even dubbed him the "Vanguard of Justice."
Though Li Han knew Qin Jun wasn't an ordinary person, so what?
It's not like he hadn't dealt with rich kids before!
A while back, he had a run-in with the son of a bureau chief in Jiangjing over a girl. The guy even threatened to ruin him.
In response, Li Han exposed the bureau chief's son online, subtly hinting that the bureau chief himself wasn't clean either.
The incident blew up online.
And the result? The bureau chief's son caved, offering a hefty bribe to settle the matter.
This incident only inflated Li Han's ego.
So what if you have power and money?
Having followers is the real deal. Having a voice online is the real deal!
If he posted a video of Qin Jun right now, the internet would explode. These people would be doomed, thoroughly investigated!
The crowd was already somewhat discontented, and with Li Han leading the charge, they found the courage to voice their grievances.
"Yeah, why can he go in, but we can't?"
"If he goes, we all go. Otherwise, none of us go!"
...
In the crowd, Gong Shulin, who had just been rebuffed, quietly took a few steps back.
As a seasoned official who had been in the system for over a decade, he knew the score.
This time, the authorities were clearly serious. Even he, a district police chief, couldn't get through!
Yet, that young man could, and was personally greeted by a colonel. This indicated that the young man's background was so significant that rules didn't apply to him!
In such a scenario, public opinion is practically meaningless.
Gong Shulin looked at the excited Li Han with pity, thinking to himself, "This guy's going to suffer... big time!"
...
Seeing the crowd growing agitated, the soldiers quickly chambered their rounds, while the police began maintaining order. "Step back! Step back! No loud noises, keep quiet!"
Under the pressure from the soldiers and police, the crowd reluctantly regained order. Li Han stepped forward and shouted, "I'm Little Li! I have 2 million followers, and today I'm going to expose you all!"
Though his words were righteous, Li Han knew exactly what he was doing.
He wasn't trying to uphold justice; he just wanted to use this opportunity to escape!
The authorities dread dealing with someone influential like him and would probably try to placate him...
Under normal circumstances, Qin Jun, who seemed well-connected, would likely prefer to keep things quiet, allowing him to leave the quarantine zone as a trade-off...
...
Little Li?
Qin Jun glanced at Xie Han beside him, who nodded and pulled out his phone, making a quick call and issuing a few quiet instructions.
Then, Qin Jun looked at Li Han and smiled faintly, "What, you're not convinced?"
Li Han looked at Qin Jun's smile and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, a cold sweat breaking out on his back.
He suddenly wondered if he had made a mistake.
Qin Jun said coldly, "You should be grateful for this so-called new era that allows small-time nobodies like you to stand in front of me and spout such nonsense."
Qin Jun looked at Li Han mockingly, "I know what you're trying to do. You want to incite these people to pressure the military into letting you out of the quarantine zone.
I could take a step back. After all, mutual benefit sounds nice.
But I have a flaw, you know what it is?"
The smile on Qin Jun's face slowly faded, his expression turning as cold as an iceberg, chilling to the bone.
"I never back down."
He then turned to Zhao Yi, "Commander Zhao, I believe all agitators should be dealt with as a public security threat, correct?"
Zhao Yi froze for a moment, then understood what Qin Jun meant.
He wants to execute Li Han and these troublemakers on the spot!
Zhao Yi hesitated. Ordering the shooting of civilians in public could have serious repercussions!
But then he looked into Qin Jun's indifferent eyes and felt a shiver down his spine, immediately snapping back to reality.
With the Qin family's influence, what couldn't they handle?
If he didn't follow Qin Jun's orders, he might find himself in a military court by tomorrow!
Moreover, as a senior officer, Zhao Yi knew many secrets. The world was in chaos, with many countries descending into anarchy.
Even within the country, the situation wasn't much better!
There were rumors that the capital had already been overrun by the T-virus, with the entire capital district falling.
The president was missing, and four of the seven major figures in the Cabinet were dead, leaving the situation in utter disarray.
In such times, the Qin family's power was becoming increasingly significant, especially since they controlled the Southeastern Military Region.
If the country descended into chaos, the Qin family would undoubtedly become the rulers of the Southeast!
Understanding this, Zhao Yi immediately ordered the soldiers, "These rioters are to be executed on the spot for endangering public security!"
The soldiers immediately stepped forward, raising their guns at Li Han and the few who had spoken out earlier.
Li Han's female companion had already fled in terror, and others turned and ran as well.
Bang!!!
Gunfire rang out, and several people fell to the ground, blood pooling around them. The crowd erupted into screams, frantically retreating, fearing they'd be seen as rioters!
The military really fired!
They really killed people!
In the past, the situation in the country had always been peaceful and stable. Firearms and death were distant concepts.
But now, these people had just died right in front of them, the shock overwhelming!
An Mian also stared at Qin Jun in shock, finally feeling a deep sense of fear.
She had thought Qin Jun was like her, an ordinary college student, just a young man in his twenties.
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(A/N)- please don't forget to give power stones and reviews so I know if i should continue this novel or not.