Everyone was unsure of what tomorrow would bring.
Interrogation?
Imprisonment?
Deportation...
By the time it was almost dawn, Ruan Dayong and the others could no longer hold up. They huddled together, leaned on each other, and drifted off to sleep in a daze.
It was unclear how long their eyes had been closed when a "clang clang clang" of hammering on the iron door awakened Ruan Dayong with a shudder. He hurriedly opened his eyes and looked over.
A tall and robust Russian stood outside the iron door, fumbling with keys to unlock the cell, muttering, "Get up, you little rabbits, you can go now. Get up and take your passports and phones and get the hell out!"
The others, not understanding Russian, didn't comprehend what the Russian had said, or perhaps they barely understood but couldn't believe it.
But the senior student's eyes lit up as he bounced to his feet, frantically shaking everyone awake and urgently saying, "Get up, get up! Hurry, we can leave, we're okay!"