The gallows? The stake? Are you joking?
When Zhao Lun first heard about such a punishment in this city, he couldn't believe it. It seemed so barbaric, not at all like the great British Empire he had imagined.
But the truth was, this city did indeed have such punishments, and they were officially recognized. However, in recent years, these punishments were rarely used. Given the city's remoteness and tight restrictions, the media rarely took notice.
Yet, no one could call these punishments barbaric, for they were administered in the name of God to punish evil.
Two years ago, this city had even tried an evil being, allegedly a vampire.
The execution by fire two years ago involved a drunken man who had lost his way while driving, accidentally damaging a church in the process. As a result, the city developed a strong hatred for large trucks.
The drunk truck driver was judged by the entire city and declared to have been possessed by an evil vampire's soul, requiring a fiery purification of his soul.
Vampires? People actually believe in things from movies like that? Most people who heard about it just laughed it off, while others seriously viewed it as a means to punish wrongdoers.
And who would even defend a drunken driver?
In this world, drunk driving can be charged as murder. Given that, there was nothing wrong with this approach.
Though the method was somewhat barbaric, everything was lawful.
As long as it was legal, no matter how absurd the actions, there was no reason to stop it. Anyone attempting to interfere would be opposing all the believers of God in this world.
This world is home to the most followers of God. No one would get themselves into trouble over an irrelevant wrongdoer.
As for barbaric acts, no one paid attention anymore. Who knew? Outside of the fanatics, no one could tolerate such an environment. Over time, this place naturally became a closed-off kingdom.
Perhaps after being closed for so long, strict rules developed here. Anything related to "technology" was banned from entering, for it was considered God's forbidden zone. They prohibited exploration of this forbidden zone, believing that those who attempted to explore it would ultimately face divine punishment—extermination of all who dared!
For the future of humanity, they advocated a ban on anything related to technology, further preventing such things from appearing in the city.
The larger the object, the more people it alarmed, and the greater the punishment. The noise created by these large trucks had stirred the entire city, and Zhao Lun suspected they might even have plans to send someone to the stake.
Fortunately, things didn't escalate to the worst-case scenario. They had arrived.
The city of Cain, a name ordinary, without the grandeur of the City of the Holy Angels, yet with a prosperity and modern technological advancement unmatched by this city.
The city's infrastructure was extremely advanced.
Rows of streetlights illuminated the entire city, and cars appeared every few minutes.
The roads were paved with asphalt, and the city's buildings were mostly high-rises, with only one church.
Shops, bars, neon lights—everything here was no different from any developed metropolis.
The truck sped through, eventually stopping at the city's police station.
The two drivers quickly disembarked and hopped into a silent, follow-up vehicle, speeding away.
The police station seemed to have been alerted by the noise outside, and the lights immediately flickered on, making the already bright police station even brighter.
"Hey, boss! There are two trucks here!"
"Ah! There are many girls inside!"
"Boss, something's wrong here!"
A young police officer hurried out to investigate, only to discover the girls in the trucks and the bound individuals in the vehicles behind.
He had never seen such a scene before and immediately began panicking.
"Dean! Shut up!"
Dean's angry whisper snapped the young officer back to his senses, and he clamped his mouth shut, annoyed at himself for causing a commotion that alerted the neighbors—who were not to be trifled with.
Sure enough, the previously quiet area suddenly lit up as a group of people was thrown out, followed by vehicles pulling up swiftly. Without saying a word, they raised their tools, the sounds of clanking echoing through the air.
Flashes of blinding lights filled the air.
"Damn it! It's those journalists again!"
Dean muttered under his breath, skillfully stepping forward to intercept the photographers.
Unfortunately, there were too many journalists, and they were very experienced. They quickly pressed forward, surrounding the trucks and getting a clear view of the inside.
"There are people in here!"
Click! Click! Another series of flashes.
"Is this the information!?"
Regardless of the details, click! Click! Another burst of flashes.
The journalists worked in perfect synchrony, forming a human wall, snapping photos before dispersing to allow the police to enter.
The officers were furious, but they were powerless against the press. This was a capitalist world, where the police had less authority than in China, unable to intimidate these journalists.
"Hello, officer. What's your opinion on the situation here…"
The journalists quickly began interviewing the police officers.
The officers were seething internally. Their thoughts screamed, "What opinion! We don't even know what's going on, and you're already taking pictures!" Damn Dean! He won't get away with this!
Though they thought it, they couldn't voice it aloud, for the journalists would misreport it, and their bonuses might be forfeited.
"Make way!"
"Don't interfere with official duties!"
The officers did their best to ignore the annoying reporters.
"Excuse me, miss. Can you tell us about your situation…"
When the officers ignored them, the journalists immediately turned their attention to the girls getting off the vehicles.
The girls were terrified, seemingly still recovering from the horror, and no one responded. Some even fainted outright.
Click! Another round of flashing lights.
"There are injuries here! Call an ambulance!"
…
"Is this where it ends?"
"These journalists are strange, it's like they all planned this together. Why are so many reporters aware of this?"
The ambulance arrived, and the people in the trucks were taken to the vehicles, while some were detained.
The night quieted down, and the crowd slowly dispersed.
"The matter is far from over. As for the journalists, they were all near the police station, and they came out because they were notified in advance by Nicole and the others. Every piece of information was sold for a thousand pounds."
Zhao Lun picked up his second steak and continued eating.
"A thousand pounds? Not just once?"
"That's impressive!"
Maria's eyes sparkled with admiration for how Nicole and the others managed to sell such valuable news.
A thousand pounds—such purchasing power! Selling a single piece of information for that price was almost beyond belief.
"They'll be back soon. If you want to know more, just ask them."
Finishing his meal quickly, he instructed the kitchen to prepare dinner for the three returning heroines.