The people who had fled earlier found themselves trapped with no real escape; this was not land, but the vast, boundless sea. Even if they threw themselves overboard, death was all that awaited them. At this thought, despair washed over the crowd.
The bandits intercepted the panicked escapees, forcibly herding them into the first-floor lobby, a space now thick with terror and hopelessness. People huddled together, their faces masks of helplessness and dread, while the bandits began scouring the crowd for the heirs of the major families. Their gazes were cold and sharp, like hungry wolves hunting prey.
The bandits shoved the crowd roughly, shouting demands for identification. Under this pressure, the people became even more frantic. Some tried to hide their identities, but under the bandits' threats, they were forced to reveal the truth. In this chaotic, terror-filled lobby, even Shen Hao was not spared; he, too, was seized.
Chapter 153