Darkstone Code

Chapter 1326: Chapter 1325: Paying the Bill

"What happened... here?"

Aken asked the crowd as they gathered around to watch.

Poor areas have their own characteristics. In a way, it can be seen as an advantage that people here are generally more idle.

Because they are poor and unemployed, all they have is time.

But they don’t have any indoor entertainment activities, except for making babies.

So most of the time, the greatest pleasure, or the thing these people without jobs or entertainment activities do the most every day, is basking in the sun at the doorstep or on the street.

You could call them lazy, but for the people of Nagariel before the Federals came, it’s not entirely a matter of laziness; they simply didn’t have opportunities.

The ruling class did not give people opportunities to work and earn money, so apart from finding a piece of land to grow something, hunting, or doing odd jobs to exchange for necessities, they didn’t know what else to do.

This poverty and idleness often broaden people’s social contact range; even across the street, they know a little about the nearby accounts.

The person in front turned to look at Aken, feeling a bit familiar, as if they might see each other on the street from time to time, but they did not know each other.

With this foundation, he was willing to say something.

"Catching robbers..."

Once someone decides to speak, they won’t hold back.

"They say the new legal code has started being enforced. Now, if you know who participated in the recent looting and vandalism, as long as there’s evidence or proof that you’re right, they’ll arrest the people."

"And once they’re caught, you’ll get a small reward."

"The more severe the crime of the person you report, the more reward you get. They’ve already caught so many just this morning..."

The passerby sighed a little. He did know of a few people who participated in the looting and vandalism, but because they all knew each other, it was a matter of face.

If he steps forward, there would be no place for him on this street.

From the perspective of official behavior, he should step forward because this is a "war of justice." But for the people of Nagariel, they prefer to blend themselves with their place of residence.

Not sure what he was thinking, his eyes suddenly lit up, "Do you know anyone who did these things?"

Aken’s mind was already frozen. He nodded reflexively but quickly reacted, "No, I don’t know. What do you want to do?"

He warily watched the stranger before him, who lowered his voice and said, "We can exchange information. You report the people I know, and I’ll report the people you know, so neither of us offends anyone, and we can still get the bounty."

While they were talking, the "Joint Enforcement Team" had already forced open the door of a nearby household, and they were carrying out many stolen goods from inside.

Surprisingly, the Federals did not immediately assume these goods were stolen. They even "invited" the people living there to explain the origin of these goods.

If someone could prove the goods were not acquired through theft or robbery, they wouldn’t face any punishment!

This was an unlucky family; none of the family members could prove that the items placed in front of people were obtained legally by them.

"Then come with us..."

The police moved towards them with handcuffs, and the family standing amidst the crowd looked utterly helpless.

Just as the police approached the male head of the family, motioning with the handcuffs for him to raise his hands, he suddenly shoved the police officer and ran off!

The crowd became abruptly "lively," some laughed loudly, thinking it would embarrass the police, while others inexplicably made way.

The next second, a gunshot rang out...

The man staggered a few steps before finally collapsing to the ground.

The faces of those police officers, those police officers of Nagariel, wore expressions that made Aken’s heart ache—mockery, disdain, or something else he couldn’t quite describe.

The man who had just been able to run was now like a dead dog, being dragged by two police officers, leaving a long trace on the ground before being thrown onto a truck.

It was only then that Aken realized there were already several bodies inside the truck!

The police continued to announce the execution policy of the new law, stating that any person daring to provoke, challenge law enforcement, and refuse to stop knowing they were committing a crime could be shot on the spot by the police and military police!

Aken didn’t know where his father had gone. His mind was a complete blank as he stumbled back home.

When he got home, he hid in the innermost room.

Though the weather was unusually hot, he still felt cold.

He covered himself with a thick blanket, shivering.

He wanted to run but didn’t know where to go. He vaguely remembered the TV news from a few days ago mentioning that Nagariel would undergo identity registration.

From the second half of this year, once people without identification are discovered, if they cannot explain their identity, there’s a chance they could be sent to labor camps.

It’s said that once someone enters a labor camp, they’ll never be able to leave. They must do heavy labor every day until one day they die of exhaustion, or can prove their innocence.

The contents of last night’s news reappeared in front of him, vividly clear!

These were not without signs. Newspapers and television, even some active locals who were willing to cooperate with the authorities, had been promoting the changes that would take place in Nagariel.

But there are always some people who, for various reasons, ignore these things!

Aken’s mother stood at the door not knowing what to do, while his young sister clutched a doll and held onto their mother’s pants, staring blankly at her brother wrapped in a blanket in the room.

No one knows how much time had passed before they heard some lively noises outside the door, as if a large crowd was approaching.

Aken lifted his head in horror, shouting loudly, "Quick, quick, close the door, stop standing there like a dead person..."

A few minutes later, he was dragged out by two policemen. Outside the door lay the items he and his father had stolen over this period, including that television set.

Perhaps knowing she was about to lose everything, Aken’s sister clung to the television and refused to let go, caring little even for her favorite doll.

Aken’s teeth were clattering rapidly, making a clattering sound.

"Does anyone among you have a job?" the police asked.

Aken’s mother shook her head, she did not have a job, then the police looked at Aken, "What about you, young man, do you have a job?"

This was actually just a routine question. Even if Aken had a job, he couldn’t afford this television worth thousands!

Aken, out of fear, remained silent.

The images of people being shot kept flashing in his mind. He was covered in sweat, wiping it away repeatedly, but never getting his hands clean.

Without an answer, the police didn’t ask again. He had seen similar situations many times.

"If you can’t prove that these things were obtained legally, then you are likely suspected of theft and robbery."

"Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

No one spoke. The woman didn’t know what to say, she could only look at her son with eyes full of worry.

And Aken... didn’t know how to defend himself.

At this moment, he understood how those people felt. It wasn’t because they didn’t want to say anything, but because they didn’t know what to say.

The police came over with a pair of handcuffs. Aken wanted to run, but recalling the person who was shot dead for trying to escape, all the strength seemed to be drained from his body by some horrifying demon!

He cried silently, yet had no way against the police in front of him.

He was led away step by step by the police. The instinct to survive made him turn back to look at his mother, and he shouted "Mom."

His mother could not save him in the end, she could only watch as Aken was chained together with others and all their stolen items confiscated.

The room became empty again. She sank to the door, watching the crowd fade into the distance.

The little girl kept crying, but it was as if she didn’t hear it.

This time, not only were the things gone, but the people were gone too...

After the initial fear, Aken gradually began to adapt. Whether his luck was good or bad, who knows?

He actually saw his father in the place where the police station holds criminals.

The father and son recognized each other... It’s hard to describe their inner feelings at this moment, but at least seeing each other gave them some sense of security.

They sat in a corner, fearfully watching everything happening around them.

At night, they received some unpleasant food to eat, a porridge-like gruel made of unknown ingredients, very unpalatable.

If it had been in the past, they would have eaten it without hesitation.

Having food was much better than not having any, but now they despised it.

The police were constantly busy, people being brought in one after another.

After dinner, many lawyers came to the police station, part of a Federation project to aid Nagariel.

With the involvement of the Federation, the judicial process of Nagariel’s New Federation would also follow the Federation’s system.

After all, the Federation is so powerful, its system must be advanced, right?!

The lawyers were very diligent, communicating with each criminal individually, then determining some things.

When it was Aken and his father’s turn, they left the detention area and sat opposite a lawyer under the guard of the police.

The lawyer looked very young, in his twenties, a foreigner.

He first looked down at the files on the table, reading for about a minute before raising his head.

"This document tells me that you two have stolen and robbed about..." he glanced down again, "items worth four thousand dollars."

"Do you know what this means?"

The lawyer looked at them, his tone somewhat stern.

Aken had already lost the ability to speak, his father asked in a hoarse voice, "What does it... mean?"