Chapter 229: Transporting the Felons
Chapter 229: Transporting the Felons
While Chen Chen was examining the Elysium dimension, Blacklight Biotechnology had already begun to carry out a new round of expansion.
With so much left to do in Africa, Blacklight Biotechnology planned to build not just a thermal power station in Windhoek, but also a bunch of new factories in the industrial park of Eco Science City.
These would be armament factories built in cooperation with the Namibian government.
This would also be the first private enterprise in Namibia to obtain approval for military production.
In addition to military production, Chen Chen also added several new electronics factories and various mechanical factories. Such a massive undertaking had attracted the eyes of the world.
With Namibia having just gotten through the epidemic, investigations and arrests for many cases started up again and the prisoners who had escaped from prison were recaptured.
All at once, the prisons all over Namibia were gripped by an unprecedented fervor.
Today was when the third batch of prisoners with heavy sentences in Windhoek, Namibia was transferred to the “high-security” prison.
Due to the possibility that the prisoners would have accomplices or even attempt a jailbreak, such transfers and evacuations needed to be carried out in secret.
At this time, one of the prison guards, Brad, had joined the assembly in front of the gate of Windhoek Prison. He was one of the prison guards who was tasked with transferring the felons.
Currently, besides Brad, there were five other prison guards and a captain-level guard.
“On this journey, besides being careful, you need to be even more careful. You must follow the instructions throughout the whole process!”
The six guards before the gate of Windhoek Prison held their heads high. In front of them was a stern-faced captain. He straightened his back and said loudly, “If these prisoners escape, you’d be given the ax. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir!”
The group responded vigorously.
“Very well. Everyone, be at rest. Ten minutes later, the felons will be sent out and you will not have time to relax then.”
When they heard this, everyone huddled around and squatted, taking out their cigarettes for a smoke.
“By the way, Captain.”
Brad suddenly asked rather curiously, “Which high-security prison will the felons be transferred to this time? Is it Nalovatere Prison?”
“Why do you want to know?”
The captain glanced briefly at Brad. “It’s best not to ask so many questions. When we reach the place, you’ll know.”
Brad lowered his head hurriedly.
In truth, he was harboring some doubts.
Windhoek Prison was one of the high-security prisons and one of the top prisons in the country. As far as Brad knew, there was no stricter prison in the country than Windhoek Prison. At most, the rest were on equal footing.
In that case, where would these felons be sent this time?
Brad was mystified.
The ten minutes were up soon. As the captain blew the whistle, everyone quickly stood up and patted their buttocks, spat out the cigarette butts in their mouths, and stood in a row.
The gate of Windhoek Prison was also slowly opening in front of everyone.
After it was opened, Brad’s pupils contracted.
This was because there were nearly fifty prisoners standing behind the prison gate. These prisoners wore handcuffs, ankle shackles, and numb expressions on their faces.
“So many of them?”
The guards secretly muttered to themselves in apprehension. This many prisoners would be escorted only by the six of them. Although they knew that Namibia had just survived a crisis and was severely understaffed, surely this was too much, right?
Next to Brad, a young prison guard who was just recruited could not stop his legs from trembling a little when he saw the number of prisoners.
It seemed that the captain too did not expect that there would be such a large number of prisoners on this trip. He frowned slightly and looked at the prison guards and the warden who escorted these prisoners out. “Our truck can’t take so many people.”
“It’s fine, we’ve prepared transportation for these prisoners.”
The warden waved his hand carelessly and another truck was driven out. “Two trucks should be enough.” The captain said through gritted teeth, “You must lend us more manpower. At least give us a driver.”
“Sure.”
The other party nodded. Following that, the two sides started herding the group of prisoners onto the two trucks. One of the trucks would be driven by the captain himself. The remaining six guards were divided into two teams. One team would take care of the prisoners in the first truck and the other team would take care of the second truck.
After half an hour of wrangling, the two trucks were finally loaded fully. Brad heaved a sigh of relief. He stared at all the prisoners lying down in the truck and the forlorn team of three on his side, gently closing his hands around his rifle.
If these felons came up with any unruly notions, his side would be in danger.
He just had no idea what the higher-ups were thinking. Even if they did not have enough personnel, surely they did not have to send so few men?
Unless they were about to perform a secret mission, one which would be easily exposed if there were too many involved...
Brad was caught up in his muddled thoughts when he suddenly heard the conversation between the captain and the warden.
“You understand how confidential this mission is?”
“I know. I’ll send the people straight to them.”
“That’s just one thing. The important thing is, can these guards keep a secret?”
“These employees have been selected for knowing how to keep their mouths shut.”
“That’s good then...”
Brad heard this exchange and instinctively looked toward the captain, only to see the captain glanced back at him as if sensing Brad’s gaze. Brad’s heart pounded nervously and he swiftly lowered his head.
“Sure enough, there’s another purpose to this operation...”
Brad felt a chill run down his spine. He could not help trying to guess who was this “them” that was mentioned.
Could it be those in North America who secretly reared black slaves? No, impossible, the Parliament would never do that...
Were they being sold to the rebels in Angola? That did not seem likely...
No matter how Brad guessed, he could not figure to whom these felons would be sold.
As the truck started out slowly, Brad noticed that the vehicle was moving west.
Windhoek Prison was located on the northern outskirts of the city. It was currently midday. Although they were in midsummer, it was still cool and refreshing when the vehicles raced across the plains. Even the stench of the prisoners crammed into the cargo area was not noticeable.
Under the caress of the cool breeze, many of the prisoners lay down on their stomachs and started to snore.
Seeing this, Brad, who was originally guarding against a potential riot, gradually relaxed.
Namibia, which had just recovered from the Blacklight virus, appeared even more desolate than ever. Brad stood up and looked out but only saw the endless horizon in the distance. Occasionally, a few quiver trees stood in a lonely manner on the side of the road. Even though there had been several rounds of cleanups, Brad could still occasionally see bodies at the fringes.
Those were the villagers who had died on the roadside when the Blacklight virus broke out.
Brad sighed inwardly. It looked as if there was still a long way to go for this country to rise...
The trucks traveled for two hours, over about 140 kilometers, and had entered the area of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. After about another hour’s journey, they would arrive at Walvis Bay, the city by the sea.
Moreover, Brad heard that a foreigner had built an international city near Walvis Bay. It was called the Eco City or the Science City or something like that.
Brad thought to himself that it was a pity he never had a chance to visit that place.
However, at this moment, the two trucks gradually stopped.
“Have we reached?”
Brad and the other two prison guards bolted up straight. They looked ahead but saw that they were still in a deserted, barren area. There was not even a village on the side of the road.
“Captain, why did we stop here?”
Before Brad could ask anything, his colleague next to him had poked his head out of the cargo and asked the cab in front.
“The department we’re liaising with will be here soon.”
No one had imagined that the captain would give this answer.
“We’re liaising here?”
Brad looked around blankly. “But there’s no prison here, right?”
However, before he finished speaking, he heard a rattling sound coming from afar.
They reflexively looked toward the source of the sound and immediately saw that on the road ahead, an impressive convoy was approaching swiftly from a distance.
In that convoy, Brad not only spotted two armored vehicles and two trucks, but above the convoy, there was even an escorting helicopter!
Was this a convoy from the military?
Brad’s eyes bulged with shock. Nevertheless, he saw that the logo on these military vehicles was not the Namibian national flag, but a pitch-black hole...
“No, that can’t be right, that’s...
“Blacklight Biotechnology...!”