Alarm bells immediately rang in Song Ning's mind.
Seeing that she had already been dragged several meters in an instant, she planted her foot and was about to drive her elbow into the ribs of the man on her left.
Suddenly, the grip on her arms loosened.
The two men had actually let go of her and run forward again.
They were two men dressed like local villagers.
As they ran, they shouted, "Get out! Everyone, get out! Don't block the way!"
They ran up to someone else still sitting on the ground, hauled them up, and dragged them backward in the same way without even looking.
Meanwhile, people who had just escaped the fire on the right were also crowding toward them.
Much of the wall on the right had just collapsed because of the fire.
Song Ning retreated farther and breathed a sigh of relief.
For that brief instant, she had thought someone was trying to abduct her.
"Attention-attention-"
The township head's voice rang out.
Following the voice, Song Ning spotted him at the edge of the crowd, directing people with a loudspeaker.
"The fire scene is dangerous! Dangerous! Students who have just escaped, clear the area immediately! Get out! Don't block the way! Everyone, get out! Don't get in the way of the firefighting!"
Elsewhere, a Township Government employee was banging a basin behind the crowd and shouting:
"Everyone, disperse! If you can't help put out the fire, disperse! Don't stand around watching! Don't crowd the playground! Injured students, come this way! All of you, come this way!"
The scene was utter chaos.
Cries, screams, and shouts mingled in the glow of the flames, denying the night any peace.
Song Ning remained on her guard throughout.
She retreated farther with the crowd.
To prevent what had just