NOVPUBChapter 140: Chapter 139 Riot Crisis
Chapter 140 -139 Riot Crisis
At that moment, Jenny, who had just finished her busy work, heard the guard’s report and noticed that someone was causing trouble at the main gate. She came to the front of the temple and couldn’t help but be greatly surprised.
The street was actually filled with five or six hundred people, looking like a dark mass that completely blocked the gate. Not only that, but there were also people continuously attempting to rush into the temple, all of whom were stopped by security personnel trained by the Gate of Destiny.
“Hand over my father!”
“You should be responsible for the explosion!”
“Martin can’t treat the murderer here, I want to see him!”
The cries of the people left Jenny somewhat stunned, she opened her mouth, but had no idea what to say, and it took her a good while to finally speak up, “I am in charge of the temple… many patients are still receiving treatment, you can’t just come in…”
“The explosion was caused by the Gate of Destiny pharmaceutical company, and you still collaborate with them, how dare you treat the injured!”
“Exactly, you are absolutely right! I want to take my father back home!”
Jenny was taken aback. Weren’t these people sent to the temple because they couldn’t find doctors? How could the families who had the means to arrange for doctors to provide home care send their patients to the temple?
“If you take them back… does anyone have the means to treat them?”
“My team can treat them!” Preton stepped forward and said loudly, “We will only charge half of the standard fees, and the medical treatment will take place right on this street, requiring only a few sickbeds and a tent. I guarantee that everyone can see it, the whole process will be open and transparent!”
“Ridiculous!” Jenny exclaimed, dumbfounded, “This place is bustling, how can you ensure that the patients won’t get infected by bacteria? Any treatment of wounds must be conducted in a clean and sanitary environment!”
“Bacteria? What is that, some curse you have concocted?” Preton said dismissively, “I am not like you, needing to collude with an unknown pharmaceutical company before daring to treat people. Do you have certification from the physician’s association? Have you read ‘On the Principles of Injury and Disease’ by Master Johnny Resadin? You can’t even guarantee that every nun can read!”
“Neighbors!” He spread his arms to the crowd, “They can’t even read! The newspapers and books that you all understand, they know nothing about! Do such people even deserve to treat patients?”
The inflammatory remarks ignited strong cheers and boos from the onlookers, the former in admiration of the courage of the doctor, and the latter naturally directed at the temple. Although there were also some nearby residents who testified to the effectiveness of the temple’s medical skills, these voices were all drowned out by the louder boos.
“Get out of the way!”
“Hand over the people!”
In the midst of the fervent public sentiment, some people threw stones and balled-up newspapers toward the temple’s main gate.
The guard quickly shielded Jenny behind him.
But a stone still struck Jenny on the forehead, and for a moment, all she felt was a sharp pain, and she tasted the familiar metallic flavor at the corner of her mouth.
“Quick, help Miss Jenny inside!”
“What about the people they want?”
“What else can we do, just give them up!”
“No… No,” Jenny said through clenched teeth, “We can’t give them the people…”
Instead of being blank, her thoughts raced even faster after being struck. If they conceded now, how many more would follow? One, two, ten? If everyone rushed in to look for someone, the temple’s hard-earned order would be thrown into chaos again, and more importantly, many people were still in emergency care, how could they just stop halfway through?
Besides, burns were a heavily afflicted area by the Scarlet Curse, and only Yeni Temple had the capability to use antibiotics. Mr. Zhang had made it very clear that patients with extensive burns must continuously receive antibiotic treatment, otherwise, it was a sure death. If she handed people over now, she would be sending them to their deaths!
With that in mind, Jenny briskly wiped the fresh blood from her forehead, pushed through the guards with force, and stood in front of everyone once again.
“I won’t hand anyone over to you!”
She said with the loudest voice she could muster.
“How preposterous, they are my kin!”
“The sister really has no good intentions!”
Jenny stood erect, completely disregarding the stones thrown around her. Her stature wasn’t imposing, yet she blocked the essential path into the temple.
“It’s harming them if I hand the injured over to you! Burn victims must receive treatment in the temple to have a chance at survival! Moreover, I believe this explosion was definitely not caused by the Gate of Destiny Company, all the defamation is malicious agitation by those with ulterior motives, whether it’s the company or us, we don’t need to bear any responsibility for the explosion!”
The crowd was immediately in an uproar.
“So, you neither admit fault nor apologize?” Preton seized the opportunity to press on.
“If there’s no mistake, why apologize?” Jenny retorted without yielding.
“Everyone, there’s no reasoning with this group! Let’s go together, charge into the temple and seize the people!” the doctor called out, rallying the group.
Just then, a burly figure suddenly burst through the main gate.
“I’m coming for you Sukarnobert! So you think you can shout, huh?” The man took three steps in two, charging straight at the doctor. Seeing the bad turn of events, the latter quickly tried to hide in the crowd, but it was a step too late. The man leapt up, covering four to five stone steps in one stride, landing like a meteorite in front of the doctor, then grabbed him by the tie and pulled him to the ground.
Jenny was stunned.
She remembered this man was likely called Anthony. He seldom helped out at the temple, and usually had a fierce look that made him quite frightening, but she didn’t expect… that he was indeed fierce.
Anthony didn’t care how the surrounding people were hitting him; he just focused on pounding Preton, punch by punch, solidly striking the opponent’s face. In less than ten seconds, the doctor went from berating to screaming, and from screaming to complete silence.
Anthony was also hit hard, his clothes torn in several places, blood pouring from around his eyes. Fortunately, the guards stepped forward one after another, dragging him forcibly from the angry crowd.
The conflict between the two sides reached a peak, and a clash was about to erupt.
Just at this moment, a cavalry unit appeared at the north corner of Fafu Street. They blew their trumpets, charging at a trot towards the crowd. Above, the residents who saw the horses’ iron hooves would quickly calm down, not to mention the fact that the cavalry’s attire indicated they were Magnificent Castle city guards; even being trampled gave them no grounds for complaint. This group of about twenty easily cut through the crowd, separating the restless masses from the temple.
“Halt!”
The cavalry commander was none other than Shandela. She waved her hand to her subordinates, and the rest dismounted immediately, dispersing to drive away the residents gathered at the site.
“This area is under martial law; no one is to linger on the streets. Return to your residences immediately!”
She herself tossed her whip to her aide and turned to ascend the temple steps, coming to the gate to ask, “Where is the manager of the Paradise Foundation? I want to see him!”
Five minutes later, Shandela was sitting face-to-face with Chaoyang again at a low table.
“How many people have been brought here?” She cut to the chase without any preamble.
“I’m not in charge of the medical affairs of the temple, but I’ve heard that at least fifty people, half of them seriously injured. There are currently nine dead, all placed in the morgue.”
“Is the explosion related to you? Answer me truthfully!”
Chaoyang looked at her intently for a while before speaking, “Of course, my answer is no. The production of antibiotics is very safe; even the chance of a fire is virtually nil, let alone an explosion. However… You actually already know the answer, don’t you?”
