Chapter 8 Establishing Prestige
The next day, it was still early in the morning, and the hard-working Corsicans living in the north and south urban areas had already climbed out of bed and started a new busy day.
However, alert citizens soon discovered the change. At the patrol station located at the junction of the north and south city, a simple and spacious high platform was built in the open space in front of the gate.
On the high platform stood a young man with an upright posture and wearing a patrol uniform. But the young man also wore a shining silver star on his chest, which showed his status.
In the past ten years or so, the patrol team has only been willing to perform its duties in Dongcheng District, and it is rare to see them in the north and south districts. This also made the crowd more curious about what the purpose of setting up a high platform here today was.
Standing on the high platform was clearly Lawrence. At this moment, he looked serious and unsmiling.
Although Lawrence didn't say a word, this attracted the interest of the citizens even more, and the news of the patrol's activities soon spread throughout the north and south cities.
By morning, there were already hundreds of citizens watching around the high platform, and the surrounding streets were completely blocked.
There was a lively discussion all around, and the topic couldn't be separated from Lawrence and his patrol team.
Lawrence glanced at the crowd below and estimated that the time was probably ripe, so he made a gesture to the inside of the bunker.
Old Sean saw Lawrence's gesture inside and nodded helplessly. He began to regret taking Lawrence to the dungeon yesterday.
I saw that Old Sean also put on a patrol uniform today, which was a rare occasion, and he suddenly felt a lot more energetic.
After receiving Lawrence's gesture, Old Sean ran up the high platform with a prepared wooden board and placed the wooden board in the most conspicuous position of the high platform.
And there was only one huge word written in eye-catching red paint on that wooden board:
"Judgement"
The citizens below saw this and started talking:
"Judgment? Who will be judged? It won't be the poor people like us."
"Humph, that's what these bastards can do."
"That's right, you still talk about judgment without shame."
Old Sean stood next to Lawrence, and he could clearly hear the jeers of the citizens below him. Even someone as cheeky as him couldn't help but blush after hearing these words.
Lawrence glanced at Old Sean and said flatly: "This is how you are in people's hearts."
Old Sean hesitated and said nothing for a long time.
Then Lawrence deliberately paused for a while, allowing the ridicule and discussion below to continue to ferment, so that the emotions of the citizens could reach their climax.
When the citizens below saw that the young officer on the stage had no reaction, they gradually became bolder. There were even some nefarious people below who deliberately organized the citizens to shout:
"Get off! Get off! Get off!"
Seeing the noise getting louder and louder, the situation was soon going to get out of control. Just when the citizens' emotions reached their highest climax, Lawrence quickly pulled out the loaded pistol from his waist, pointed it at the sky, and pulled the trigger. .
boom!
A loud explosion of gunpowder immediately shocked all the citizens present, and the noise soon died down. The citizens stared at Lawrence with wide eyes, wondering what the chief wanted to do.
When the entire square fell silent, Lawrence nodded with satisfaction and shouted loudly:
"Citizens, my countrymen! I am the commander of the patrol, Laurence Bonaparte."
The onlookers listened patiently, and Lawrence continued to shout:
"Our motherland is being violated by criminals! Our cradle is surrounded by the gasps of victims and the tears of the desperate! In the slums of Xicheng District and the streets of the north and south districts, when I see those dirty and lawless chaos At that moment, I just felt blood rising, and I immediately decided to dispel these hazes! The crimes of sinners must be washed away with the blood of sinners, and I vow to make them pay the price!"
Although Lawrence's speech was passionate, the public would not be moved by a few nice words. Lawrence had to take corresponding actions.
"Come here, bring this person up!"
Lawrence raised his arms and shouted to the inside of the station, and then a group of patrols escorted three strong men who were shirtless, with their hands tied behind their backs, and wearing black hoods, to the high platform.
Old Sean whispered to Lawrence uneasily: "Master Bonaparte, do you really want to execute these people? Do you really not need to ask the captain for instructions?"
Lawrence glanced coldly and said as if nothing had happened: "The captain is still enjoying the fine Bordeaux wine brought by the maid in his mansion. If he is not here, I will be your highest officer."
"Yes, yes" Old Sean wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and took two steps back wisely, knowing that he could not persuade Lawrence anymore.
As for how much shock Lawrence's insistence will bring to Ajaccio, Old Sean can no longer imagine.
The citizens in the audience all stared at the three strong men on the stage with bated breath, looking forward to Lawrence's next move.
Lawrence led one of them to the front of the high platform so that all onlookers could see him, and then kicked him mercilessly in the calf, causing him to kneel on the platform.
Lawrence didn't speak, but directly took off the man's headgear. The moment the hood was taken off, a middle-aged woman wearing an apron in the crowd screamed:
"Ahhh! Oh my god, this is that beast!"
People immediately looked at the woman, and in just a few seconds, the woman's face was covered with tears, and she cried loudly:
"This is the scumbag! He insulted my daughter's innocence and then threw her body into the wilderness, this beast! Why is he still alive!"
The woman's pitiful cries spread to every corner of the square. Every citizen present could not help but look at the poor mother with sympathy. Some women who were also mothers could not help but sob.
Lawrence also bowed slightly towards her with sympathy and apology, and then said loudly:
"Compatriots, how should we deal with such villains!"
The huge square was silent for a second, and then bursts of loud shouts broke out. These sounds were chaotic at first, but soon unified into the same words, forming a wave of louder sounds:
"Judgment! Judgment! Judgment!"
Every bloody Corsican present screamed from the bottom of his heart.
Lawrence raised his flintlock pistol high above his head and began to load gunpowder and lead bullets in front of all the citizens.
"No no! No! You can't kill me, I'm a union member!" The prisoner kneeling on the ground watched in horror as Lawrence put the muzzle of the gun to his forehead and shouted tremblingly.
"Go talk to God."
Lawrence said these words expressionlessly and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
A burst of white smoke erupted from the muzzle of the gun. The prisoner's head was already a bloody mess. He fell directly from the stage after losing consciousness.
Even so, his body was trampled by the angry crowd.
Without pausing, Lawrence waved the second prisoner up and started loading ammunition in the same manner.
"You! You! You!" The prisoner looked at the fate of the previous person and was speechless in fear.
"Compatriots!" Lawrence pressed the muzzle of the gun on the prisoners' heads and explained loudly:
"This man colludes with slave traders and sells our Corsican compatriots to the Americas like livestock. What should we do with him!"
"Judgement!" The citizens raised their right arms and shouted loudly.
boom!
There was another gunshot, and another bloody corpse fell from the stage, but Lawrence didn't even blink.
The third prisoner was treated the same way. After Lawrence briefly informed him of his crime, he shot him directly with a knife in his hand.
As the corpses of the three evil men fell, the emotions of the citizens were completely ignited. They had not had such a happy day for a long time.
And Lawrence would not let go of such an opportunity. He also raised his right arm high and took the lead in shouting:
"Justice reigns in Corsica!"
Hundreds of citizens responded in unison:
"Justice reigns in Corsica!"
"Justice reigns in Corsica!"