The National Liberation Alliance's shells had barely hit the ground.
The bigwigs at city hall had already shouldered a train and fled, so fast that even DC's Flash could only bow to their superiority.
Now, with all outside telephone lines cut by the National Liberation Alliance, Jerk, who should have left Nijia long ago, had actually called him?
Old William was astonished!
"Why would I leave?" Jieke'er asked in return, then said with a smile, "Not only did I stay, I've also brought you some good news."
"Good news?"
Old William froze for a moment.
In this godforsaken situation, what news could possibly count as good news?
Could the National Liberation Alliance have retreated?
"Boom-"
Well, the explosion in the distance told Old William that was nothing but wishful thinking.
"Yes, good news!" Jieke'er nodded on the other end of the line and explained, "I just received word that the Ministry of National Defense has dispatched four brigades of central army troops, along with four brigades of local troops, to reinforce us here in Nijia."
"What!?"
Old William was stunned by the news, but a second later, he shook his head with a bitter smile and said, "Honestly, I'm very grateful that the Ministry of National Defense decided to send four central army brigades to reinforce us on such short notice.
"But as an old Eastern saying goes, 'Distant water cannot quench an immediate thirst.' They're over four hundred kilometers away. By the time they get here, we'll already have gone to meet God!"
"Aren't there still the four local brigades? The closest one, the Aksang Brigade, can arrive by tomorrow morning at the latest. As long as..."
Before Jieke'er could finish, Old William interrupted him. "Those people at the Ministry of National Defense might not know what the Aksang Brigade is worth, but surely you do, Mayor? Wait for them to arrive? By the time they get here, the central army will probably already be collecting our bodies!"
Besides, there was something else Old William had left unsaid.
Given the central army's capabilities, with the local troops dragging them down from behind, whether they could even beat the National Liberation Alliance might be a question. They might fail to save Nijia and get themselves swallowed up in the bargain.
"Of course I know!"
Jieke'er answered with a smile. If he did not know what the local troops were like, all his time as mayor would have been wasted.
Then Jieke'er changed tack. "But this time is different. The Ministry of National Defense has issued the Aksang Brigade and the other three brigades a billion North African francs each in military funding.
"And they've promised them that as long as they lift the siege of Nijia, there will be an additional billion North African francs as a reward after the war ends.
"It's precisely because I know what they're like that I said I'd brought you good news. For an extra billion in rewards, they're probably already running so fast their feet are throwing sparks!
"So, as long as you can hold out until tomorrow morning, or tomorrow noon at the latest, you'll definitely see reinforcements. And Nijia will be saved!"
"!?"
Old William's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. He was utterly dumbfounded, unable to believe what his ears had heard.
The Ministry of National Defense had put up four billion to rescue Nijia?
And they had even promised an extra billion as a reward?
Was this really the same Ministry of National Defense that showed up without doing any work and screwed people to death without paying a penny? Since when had the ministry, which never treated anyone outside the capital as its own, become so dedicated?
Was it because of the new president who had taken office just recently?
Not only had he raised salaries for soldiers, civil servants, police officers, and teachers, he was now actually willing to spend so much money to save a city hundreds of kilometers away from him, one that had never even provided him with a single cent in taxes!
It seemed that what he had said in his nationwide address-"Let everyone have enough to eat, let everyone have warm clothes, let everyone have a job... let all the people of Bujinya have a strong motherland"-might not have been empty words!
Right, what was the new president's name again?
Only then did Old William realize that he did not even know the new president's name!
"Hello? Old William? Why did you suddenly go quiet? Did something happen? Hey! You there? Shit, don't tell me the National Liberation Alliance has reached your position?"
Jieke'er's slightly anxious voice on the phone jolted Old William out of his thoughts.
Old William came back to himself. Perhaps because the news Jieke'er had brought really was good news, his tightly knitted brow relaxed a little.
He laughed and cursed, "You jinx! Can't you say something nice? What do you mean, the National Liberation Alliance has reached my position?"
"Whew-"
Hearing Old William's voice, Jieke'er clearly breathed a sigh of relief on the other end, then returned to his original tone and said with a laugh, "Can you blame me? You suddenly stopped talking! I thought those terrorists from the National Liberation Alliance had shot you dead!
"All right, that's it, then! I've given you the best news we could hope for right now. I still have some things to handle here, so I'll hang up first.
"Oh, and Old William, I'm still waiting to celebrate your eightieth birthday! Don't you go dying on me!"
"Don't worry, I'll still be alive after you're dead!" Old William shot back.
The moment he finished speaking.
"Beep, beep, beep-"
A busy tone came from the other end of the line.
"Fuck you! I forgot to ask that brat Jieke'er what the new president's name was!" Old William suddenly remembered that he had yet to ask this important question, but hearing the repeated busy tone, all he could do was curse.
Then Old William put down the phone and returned to the window. Looking once more at the fighting not far away, he murmured:
"If we hold out until tomorrow noon at the latest, we'll see reinforcements? But can we really hold out until tomorrow noon?"
Old William's eyes were full of uncertainty, but they were no longer full of despair.
Because although he could not see the road ahead through the thick fog, he could see a bright sun rising before him.
The fog was about to lift!
"Someone, come here!"
Old William turned around and shouted toward the door.
"Chief, what is it?" A policewoman pushed the door open, saluted Old William, and asked.
"Tell all our brothers that I've just received some good news. Our reinforcements are already on the way. As long as we can hold out until tomorrow noon, we'll see them. Nijia will be saved!" Old William said.
"Chief, is this news... is it true?" The policewoman froze, then looked at Old William in disbelief and asked for confirmation.
A smile appeared on Old William's face. He nodded firmly and assured her, "Don't worry. It's true!"
"That's... that's wonderful! I'll go tell everyone the good news right away!"
Just as the policewoman eagerly turned to leave, Old William stopped her. Then she heard him ask, "By the way, do you know the new president's name?"
"The new president's name?" The policewoman thought hard for a moment, then answered, "I think it's Sankara something. That's right! It's Ahro Sankara!"
"So the new president's name is Ahro Sankara? Sankara... what a fine name!"