Eight battered vehicles, some with shattered windows and even bloodstains hanging from them, roared out of Bolamula in a grand procession.
The convoy did not stop at all. Under the sun that was about to slip behind the sacred mountain that afternoon, it dragged a long trail of dust as it sped toward the county town.
One vehicle drove straight into the hospital. Samba loudly called for the people in the courtyard to help carry out Zhacuo, who had already passed out, and hurried him inside to have a doctor remove the bullet.
Wang Yan and the others drove the remaining vehicles straight to the Public Security Bureau. They then dragged all twenty-four men out of the cars. Even the wounded who were close to dying received no gentle treatment.
The twenty-four poachers were truly miserable now. They had barely eaten or drunk anything, their lips cracked and pale, their cheeks sunken. They swayed even while standing. Their pants were filthy, stained with the results of their bodily needs.
In the end, they all simply sat on the ground, leaning against one another without any disgust.
The police working there were dumbfounded when they saw the mountain patrol team bring back so many people. Those assigned to field work stepped up to help restrain the poachers, while the clerical staff gathered nearby to watch the spectacle.
Chief Shi Long came over and offered Duojie a cigarette. "Deputy County Chief Duo, what happened here?"
"These people ambushed us in Bolamula. There were thirty-nine of them in total. We killed twelve, three escaped, and the remaining twenty-four are all here. One of our brothers was seriously injured too. We don't know if he'll make it. Chief Shi, you need to investigate this properly. These poachers are completely out of control."
Chief Shi