In the little girl's innocent yet shocked eyes, a flower of blood bloomed violently.
Warm blood splattered onto her small face, instantly staining her pale cheeks red.
Ryuzaki Makoto fell to the ground with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The little girl he was holding fell heavily onto his chest.
"Boss!"
"Mr. Ryuzaki!"
When Tokaji, Serizawa, and the others saw this scene, their eyes instantly turned red!
They rushed out of the crowd like madmen and immediately surrounded the fallen Ryuzaki Makoto, forming a human wall.
The refugees who had just been immersed in emotion and hope were all stunned when they saw Ryuzaki Makoto fall down.
After a brief silence, the crowd erupted in terrified screams, all wanting to rush over to see what was happening.
At that moment, all the core members of the True Dragon Society who had been disguised as ordinary refugees suddenly appeared from various places in the crowd.
They moved swiftly and professionally, using their bodies to forcefully create a path through the chaos, and then quickly formed an even stronger human wall around Tokaji and the others.
The area was surrounded by layers upon layers of barriers, making it impossible for outsiders to see what was happening inside.
On the other side, in the military formation, General Sakata Nobutetsu reacted extremely quickly.
The moment the gunshot rang out, his guards immediately surrounded him and protected him.
But he immediately pushed aside the guards protecting him and roared at his subordinates around him:
"Don't protect me! I'm not their target! Sniper search team, pinpoint the source of the gunfire immediately! Helicopters two and three, conduct aerial reconnaissance and suppression of the suspicious rooftop! Move out immediately!"
After saying this, Sakata Shintetsu ignored the on-site command and strode towards Ryuzaki Makoto's location, wanting to see for himself what was going on with that kid.
Judging from the sound alone, that heavy sniper rifle was probably a US-made Barrett M82A1.
This weapon has an effective range of over 1,800 meters, an extremely high rate of fire, and a muzzle velocity of up to 853 meters per second.
There is almost no time difference between hearing the gunshot and the bullet hitting the target.
Sakata Shintetsu estimated that the distance between the assassin and Ryuzaki Makoto was definitely no more than one kilometer.
At this distance, the bullet would hit Ryuzaki's vitals with pinpoint accuracy in almost 0.8 seconds.
Thinking of this, Sakata Nobutetsu's expression darkened.
Indeed, it was this young man named Ryuzaki Makoto who single-handedly caused today's riots.
However, Sakata Shintetsu felt genuine admiration for his spirit of daring to speak out for the people and to stand against the entire state apparatus single-handedly.
If I were in his shoes today, I probably wouldn't be able to be as resolute and tragic as he is.
Although she already knew in her heart that the kid was probably in grave danger, but...
What if?
With a sliver of hope, Sakata Shintetsu strode quickly to the wall of people formed by members of the Shinryukai.
Just as he was about to speak, a group of burly, fierce-looking members of the True Dragon Society blocked his way, silently confronting him.
Just as Sakata Shintetsu was about to lose his temper, Kirisawa Jin stepped out from the crowd.
His expression was equally solemn, but his tone remained polite.
"General, Mr. Ryuzaki is currently in a condition where it is inconvenient for him to contact anyone."
After all, the other party was an army general, someone the True Dragon Society couldn't afford to offend.
Kirisawa Jin was also afraid of his brainless subordinates. If they were to do something to the general, the joke would be far too serious.
Sakata Nobutetsu frowned and said in a deep voice:
"Our military has top-notch surgeons on board who can provide immediate first aid to Ryuzaki Makoto! He must have been shot, right? You're just standing around him doing nothing; you're not saving him, you're harming him!"
Jin Kirisawa didn't speak; the only response from Nobuyuki Sakata was the increasingly loud and distant siren of an ambulance.
To prevent any potential emergencies, the Huya Central Hospital, which is actually controlled by the True Dragon Society, has already deployed a top-notch emergency medical team and vehicles in the surrounding neighborhoods.
The mobile police officers and refugees blocking the perimeter quickly made way for a well-equipped ambulance to drive directly to Ryuzaki Mako's side.
The car door opened, and several medical staff in white coats carried a stretcher and quickly rushed into the human wall.
Sakata Shintetsu's gaze pierced through the gaps in the crowd, peering intently inside, trying to see if the kid was beyond saving.
However, when Ryuzaki Makoto was lifted onto the stretcher, his entire body, from head to toe, was covered with a thick white emergency blanket, and even his face was completely covered, making it impossible to tell whether he was dead or alive.
Kirisawa Jin looked at Sakata Shintsugu and said in a low voice:
"We will take good care of Mr. Ryuzaki, General. Your most important task now is to find the murderer as soon as possible."
Sakata Shintetsu remained silent.
He took a deep look at the ambulance that was slowly closing its doors, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
...
Midnight, Huya Central Hospital.
Five hours have passed since the shooting began.
Even late at night, the hospital entrance was still surrounded by a dense crowd, a dark mass.
Most of them were people from the nameless street who came spontaneously. They held candles, put their hands together, and silently prayed for Ryuzaki Makoto.
The rest are reporters who are patiently waiting here in order to get the first exclusive information.
A group of hospital security personnel, along with dozens of members of the True Dragon Society, guarded the hospital gates, forming an impenetrable defense to prevent any unauthorized personnel from entering.
Just then, the hospital door was suddenly pushed open a crack.
A doctor wearing a mask and looking exhausted came out. He stood on the steps and addressed the anxiously waiting crowd below:
"Mr. Ryuzaki's injuries are very serious. The bullet hit a vital area, and he is still undergoing emergency treatment. He is not yet out of danger. The hospital is a quiet place, so please go back first."
As soon as he finished speaking, a group of True Dragon Society members came out and forcefully dispersed the crowd.
Hospitals are public places, after all. It's inappropriate for such a large group of people to be gathered here.
Upon hearing the doctor's words, the hope in the eyes of the people on the nameless street dimmed somewhat.
They supported each other as they slowly departed, turning back every few steps.
The reporters were also getting sleepy.
They had worked intensely all day and had now obtained crucial information that "the other party was still in critical condition," so they could go back and report.
Just as everyone was preparing to leave, a woman suddenly rushed out from the crowd!
Judging from her disheveled yet still well-made attire, this person must be a woman from the upper class.
But at this moment, her hair was disheveled, her makeup was ruined from crying, one of her expensive high heels had broken, and she looked utterly disheveled.
She rushed frantically up the hospital steps, trying to break through the gate, screaming shrilly:
"Let me in! Let me see him..."