PFC Chapter 100 The Shocking Turn of Events
Chapter 100 The Shocking Turn of Events
Chapter 100 The Shocking Turn of Events at Hongmen (Eighth Update, Seeking First Subscription)
The rain grew denser, cascading down like a broken beaded curtain.
The bloodstains in front of the Commander-in-Chief's residence had not yet been washed away, and Alvarez's body lay sprawled in the rain, serving as the most direct warning.
Chen Feng blew away the gunpowder smoke from the muzzle, and the pale blue tobacco shreds instantly dissipated in the rain and mist.
His gaze swept over the independent army soldiers present, and he declared loudly, "Anyone who dares to stop us again will suffer this fate!"
The soldiers, already hesitant due to Luna's orders, now watched helplessly as the Fourth Army Commander lay dead on the spot, a bloody scene before them. They dared not hesitate for a moment longer, instantly clearing a wide and unobstructed passage, each with their head down, not even daring to look at each other.
Chen Feng said no more. His left hand gripped Aquinado by the back of his neck like an iron clamp, dragging him out of the courtyard gate as if he were a piece of insignificant cargo.
Aquinado had fainted, his body limp, his feet leaving two long trails on the stone slabs.
Pang Li's ghost-headed dagger remained hovering beside Isabella as he said in a deep voice, "Keep up, and don't try anything funny! Otherwise, don't blame the dagger for being merciless!"
Isabella was pale. Looking at her father's disheveled appearance, tears welled up in her eyes. She bit her lip and hurried after him.
As Qian Biao passed by the gate, he bent down to pick up Alvarez's revolver that had fallen to the ground, weighed it in his hand for a moment, and put it in his pocket. He then turned around, took the three warhorses left outside the gate, and followed closely behind.
With his left hand in his pocket and a gentle wave of his right, Connor immediately sent the Marines behind him into battle formation, protecting Chen Feng and his group in the center.
Luna, leading his trusted soldiers, followed closely behind the group, staring intently at Chen Feng's back, seemingly lost in thought.
Once outside the temporary headquarters, Chen Feng realized that the streets in the distance were already packed with people.
Blonde-haired, blue-eyed Americans, deep-set-eyed, high-nosed Spaniards, dark-skinned indigenous residents, and Chinese people in traditional Chinese robes... all sorts of people mingled together.
When everyone realized that the person Chen Feng was dragging like a dead dog was none other than Aquinas, the commander-in-chief of the Independent Army, the entire street erupted in chaos!
"My God! That's Commander-in-Chief Aquinas! How could he be treated like this?"
"Who is that Chinese man? How dare he! He actually dared to kidnap the leader of the independence army!"
"The gunshots just now came from inside the manor. Could there be a mutiny?"
A cacophony of voices and exclamations arose, and the crowd began to stir. Some tried to push forward to get a better look, but were blocked by a defensive line of Marines and Luna soldiers, and could only watch from a distance.
Chen Feng, unwilling to be misunderstood and allow the Independent Army to twist the truth, immediately declared loudly: "I am Chen Feng, commander of the Chinese Free Army! Today, I did not intentionally offend anyone. It was Aquinado who feigned an invitation to a banquet, but in reality, he harbored murderous intentions and wanted to kill me! I was forced to retaliate in self-defense!"
He finished speaking in Mandarin, then immediately switched to fluent English and repeated it.
As soon as he finished speaking, an even louder uproar erupted from the crowd, with voices of doubt, agreement, and whispers all mingling together.
After all, Aguinaldo was the commander-in-chief of the independence army and a symbol of the Philippine independence movement; no one was willing to easily believe that he would do such a despicable thing.
Chen Feng's gaze shifted to Luna behind him, and he said loudly, "General Luna, you are aware of what happened today. Everything I said is true. Tell me, am I right?"
All eyes immediately turned to Luna, even Connor looked at him with interest, wanting to see how this second-in-command of the Independent Army would respond as a fair and impartial general.
Luna glanced at the dying Aquinado on the ground, then looked at the dense, inquisitive gazes around him. After a moment of silence, he finally nodded slowly.
This simple action, however, was like a thunderclap, instantly shattering everyone's last doubts.
"So that's how it is! It was Aquinas who was ruthless and unjust first!"
"No wonder General Chen acted this way; anyone in his shoes wouldn't just sit and wait to die!"
"The Chinese Free Army? I've heard of them before, but I didn't expect them to be so brave, daring to capture even the Commander-in-Chief!"
The discussion grew increasingly heated, and the tide turned completely. The skeptical gazes that had been directed at Chen Feng now held a hint of admiration and sympathy.
Those Chinese compatriots stood up straight, their faces full of pride.
For so many years, the Chinese in Luzon have been swallowing their anger and have never been able to stand tall like this!
Upon seeing this, Chen Feng smiled.
That's exactly the effect he wanted: not only to get out of the city safely, but also to occupy the moral high ground and make Aquinado lose face!
Just then, a series of orderly footsteps came from afar.
Through the rain, a squad of U.S. Marines sped towards them; it was Frank's reinforcement force.
They were heavily armed, and the independent army soldiers along the way dared not stop them, forcing their way through.
"Colonel Connor, are you alright?" Frank rushed over, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic scene, and asked with a grave expression.
"fine!"
Connor, hands in his pockets, expression calm, first glanced at Luna, whose face was contorted with complex emotions, before finally settling on Aguinaldo, who lay disheveled on the ground. He declared loudly, "Someone is disrespecting America and insisting on assassinating me during negotiations. However, we Americans are here for the people of the Philippines, not to provoke conflict."
He paused, his tone becoming more domineering: "But anyone who dares to disregard the guarantee of the United States and act recklessly, then don't blame us for being impolite! Today, General Chen is a guest guaranteed by the United States, and his safety is entirely our responsibility!"
Luna frowned as he looked at the uproaring crowd.
These onlookers were tribal leaders and business elites from various regions who were invited to attend the declaration of independence press conference, as well as ambassadors and intelligence personnel from various countries stationed in the Philippines.
The US military's public display of force is undoubtedly a declaration of its desire to control Luzon, making the Philippines' independence cause even more difficult in the future.
Although Aquinado lost face and became a laughing stock, the support from the landowning class and indigenous tribes behind him would not waver.
Those people needed a puppet leader to fight against foreign forces, and Aguinaldo remained their best choice.
The real force that will be shaken are the small tribes and neutral forces that are already wavering. Seeing the strength of the US military, they will inevitably re-evaluate the pros and cons, and may even side with the US. This would be the most fatal blow to the independence army.
Chen Feng understood that with the protection of the US military, there would be no further obstacles on their journey out of the city.
He grabbed Aquinado by the scruff of the neck, as if he were a dead chicken, and said in a deep voice, "Clear the way!"
Frank immediately waved his hand, and the Marines quickly expanded the protective perimeter, shielding Chen Feng and his group in the center, and steadily advanced towards the outskirts of the city.
Seeing this, Luna had no choice but to order his soldiers to follow.
Meanwhile, in a military camp on the southwestern outskirts of Malolos, the atmosphere was tense and on the verge of conflict.
Bardomello Aguinaldo, this man is Aguinaldo's cousin, one of his most loyal supporters, and also Naeva's older brother.
With his command sword at his waist, he roared at the assembled two thousand-plus independence army soldiers: "Brothers! The Commander-in-Chief has been kidnapped by that Chinese traitor Chen Feng! He has tarnished our cause of independence and disgraced the dignity of the Philippines!"
As a close confidant of Aguinaldo, he had been by his side since the formation of the independence army, and was in charge of the indigenous tribal armed forces in southern Luzon. He also became a pivotal figure in the independence army because of his kinship with Aguinaldo.
Upon receiving news from the city that the Commander-in-Chief had met with misfortune, he immediately summoned all his elite troops, vowing to rescue Aquinado and, incidentally, tear Chen Feng to pieces.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Amidst deafening shouts, more than two thousand independent army soldiers split into several groups and sped towards the city.
The sounds of horses' hooves and footsteps mingled together, causing the ground to tremble slightly, and the civilians along the way were so frightened that they scattered and took cover.