The small room fell silent, with several gazes focused on Yi Shi. This was the usual reaction whenever he made shocking statements.
In just a few words, he had vividly described the bloody crime scene, and everyone’s minds were immediately filled with images. It was as if they could see the emaciated man standing on the rooftop, revealing the explosives strapped around him, gritting his teeth as he jumped off, only to be blown to pieces instantly. The smell of gunpowder mixed with blood floated in the air, making everyone nauseous.
Song Ping shivered, and it wasn’t just her. The Haijing team exchanged uneasy glances, momentarily at a loss for words. The Nanyi team remained composed, seemingly accustomed to this, while only Ding Ju looked pale and somewhat listless, ironically appearing the most normal to his Haijing colleagues.
Yu Xue put down the dossier, breaking the silence first, “Yi Shi, you sound so confident. How sure are you?”
Yi Shi gave a meaningful look, indicating that he wouldn’t say it lightly without confidence. Yu Xue placed his hand on Yi Shi’s shoulder, giving it a light pat, but spoke to everyone, “All of Yi Shi’s conclusions are carefully considered. Since we can’t come up with a better alternative, we might as well trust him. I have a feeling today’s operation will be very successful.”
The expressions of the crowd gradually softened, and the temperature seemed to rise slightly. It was another day where they were all amazed by Yi Shi’s skills. Song Ping’s big eyes sparkled; she wished she could record this and show it to Wen Xining, so her best friend could appreciate the charm of her “male god.”
“The meeting is about done. We’ll adapt to the situation on site,” Yuan Kang said, placing his hands on his knees and looking at Yu Xue, “Captain Yu, please arrange the operation and get ready to move out.”
Yu Xue had already planned the personnel distribution in his mind. He mixed the Haijing and Nanyi teams, pairing them up to stake out inside and outside the building. Jiang Dongliang and Zhao Peiying would be on standby on the top floor, where there was a storage room for miscellaneous items and bomb disposal equipment.
“Will the bomb disposal unit be operating with us?” someone from Haijing raised a hand to ask.
The bomb disposal unit and the criminal investigation team were separate departments. Normally, they would wait downstairs for instructions, as apprehending suspects wasn’t their job.
“There’s no time,” Yi Shi said.
Zhang Rui couldn’t help but softly retort, “It only takes a minute to get up from downstairs…”
“Indeed, it’s a very short time,” Yu Xue smiled. “Remote-controlled explosives don’t use timers at all, and going up might be too late. We’d better all wait downstairs.”
Timed bombs usually have timers to give criminals time to escape, and in movies and novels, the visible timer adds to the tension. In reality, remote-controlled bombs are more common, detonating without warning.
With this in mind, Zhang Rui felt that sending the bomb disposal experts upstairs might lead to unnecessary deaths. The bomb suits were more for psychological comfort. He felt that Yu Xue’s suggestion had another purpose, but Yu Xue’s slightly smiling expression instinctively irritated him. Still, he had to respect the Nanyi captain and just stood there, glaring at him.
“Captain Yu’s plan is for us to find the criminal first, then defuse the bomb,” Yi Shi rarely explained. “I’ll catch the person. If you don’t trust Captain Yu, come along.”
Yu Xue nodded in agreement, “Zhang Rui, you’ll be paired with Yi Shi. You’re in charge of catching the suspect.”
“…” Zhang Rui felt like slapping himself. He had dug a hole and now had to jump into it.
With this order, Yu Xue’s arrangement maximized the hostages’ survival chances. This showed that he didn’t want to give up any hope or possibility, doing his utmost to protect people and fulfill his duty as a police officer.
“Any questions?” Yu Xue adjusted his glasses and looked at Jiang Dongliang.
Jiang Dongliang and his mentor, Zhao Peiying, were whispering to each other. After a moment, Jiang Dongliang looked up with determination and said, “No problem; we’ve studied the ‘10.30 Bombing Case’ data. If the same homemade remote-controlled explosives are used, we can defuse them quickly.”
Yu Xue felt reassured and smiled, “Thank you. This time, it’s either 0% or 100%. It’s a lot of pressure, so I apologize.”
Zhao Peiying waved it off and said, “Don’t say that. Bomb disposal is a survival game. If we were afraid of pressure, we couldn’t do this job.”
Yu Xue turned to Yuan Kang and said, “Also, Captain Yuan, please have two tech investigators with equipment monitor the situation from the car. Be ready to locate any emergency calls immediately.”
Yuan Kang picked up his phone and said, “Got it. I’ll call them now and have them head directly to Zhaoxun Road.”
With the tasks assigned, the Nanyi team had no objections and began packing up to depart. The Haijing team whispered among themselves, still skeptical. The entire operation hinged on Yi Shi’s deductions, making this his game, where success or failure depended on him. They felt like mere pawns on his chessboard, following his moves. If Yi Shi made a mistake, the operation would surely fail.
In this passive situation, the unfamiliar Haijing colleagues couldn’t help but wonder: What if Yi Shi’s initial assumption was wrong? How would they make up for the lost time? With Pang Daozi’s whereabouts unknown and pressure from the authorities and media, any blunder in the investigation would have serious consequences. Could Yi Shi really be so accurate with each step?
Zhang Rui, fitting his earpiece, muttered, “Can he even predict the hostage? Maybe he has a side job as a fortune teller?”
Song Ping, having just tied her hair, pinched Zhang Rui’s arm, “That’s just jealousy! He’s naturally smart and an exceptional detective, like a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. How could you call him a fortune teller?”
“You’re just infatuated with his looks, calling him Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes wasn’t a charlatan,” Zhang Rui rolled his eyes. To him, Yi Shi’s deductions were a mix of luck and fate, more guesswork than anything solid. The cryptic code guess was particularly unreliable.
Noticing the reflection of a code in a mirror, a non-existent building supposedly planned for construction, the Russian, and time—what was all this?
And then there was their captain, Yu Xue, who always seemed to be on top of things, but to Zhang Rui, he seemed just as unreliable as Yi Shi. Despite his young age, he had quickly risen to the position of captain. In front of Yi Shi, he held no authority, constantly indulging and protecting him, like a decorative pillow.
He really pitied their Haijing City Bureau. How could they be so unlucky? First, there was Liu Chenyi recklessly leading team-building activities, then their former captain loyally following Nanyi’s orders. If today’s operation failed, going back would not be as simple as a leadership meeting filled with complaints.
To avoid attracting attention, the Nanyi team borrowed a van with Haijing license plates and headed towards Zhaoxun Road in the chilly morning wind. Jiang Dongliang and Zhao Peiying rode in the Nanyi vehicle because Yi Shi needed to confirm some details with them to ensure they could rescue the hostages immediately upon receiving the signal.
“So, we stay put and wait for your signal to defuse the bomb, right?” Jiang Dongliang asked.
“Yes. If you don’t hear from me, don’t act. Your safety is the top priority.” Yi Shi held a pen, drawing a triangle around the Jiade office building and marking the surrounding buildings within the triangle. “Pang Daozi’s men need to observe from nearby. They won’t be too far away. Within the remote-control signal range, only these three buildings are possible.”
Jiang Dongliang nodded, “Okay, let’s hope you find them quickly so we can rescue the hostages soon.” He glanced at the hostage’s profile and said softly, “Thankfully, the hostage isn’t a child.”
Zhao Peiying placed a hand on his shoulder and said, “Even if it were a child, you’d handle it. Don’t let your inner fears overwhelm you. Remember why you chose to join the bomb disposal unit?”
“Fears?” Ding Ju, sitting in the front, turned his head and asked, “Did something happen?”
Jiang Dongliang tightly pursed his lips, seemingly unwilling to talk. Yu Xue grabbed Ding Ju’s neck, making him turn back. The kid was so insensitive; didn’t he realize he was digging into someone’s wounds? Asking inappropriate questions like that.
The car fell silent. Some closed their eyes to rest, some adjusted their state of mind, and others checked their equipment. Yi Shi put away the floor plan of the Jiade office building, folded it into a small square, and put it in his pocket, taking out his phone at the same time.
He opened WeChat, found Lin Heyu’s chat, and wanted to send a message to inform him of the upcoming action.
Halfway through typing, Yi Shi froze, then deleted the entire line of text.
What was happening? It seemed like he had to report everything to Lin Heyu. When did this strange habit start?
—
At Nanyi City Bureau, Sheng Guoning assigned investigation tasks. Both teams were sent out to focus on the urban-rural junction in front of Qiantang Town and the scenic area of Qiantang Town. They needed to quickly locate the Volkswagen.
With both Nanyi criminal investigation teams dispatched, the three Haijing members were still seated. Yuan Maoqiu said, “Captain Sheng, don’t stretch yourself too thin. Since we’re here, we should help out too, right?”
“No need. It’s better if you focus on your tasks back in Haijing.” Sheng Guoning’s tone was a bit sharp, “Before the meeting, I just spoke with the deputy chief. He suggested you head back to Haijing to draft the joint investigation report.”
After speaking, he glanced at Lin Heyu and said, “Captain Lin, we’ll handle things here. Don’t worry, we’ll inform you immediately if there’s any news.”
“…” Yuan Maoqiu’s lips twitched. Advising them to follow protocol was good, but why did it sound like he was kicking them out?
Lin Heyu calculated the time needed to return to Haijing and come back, then nodded in agreement, “Alright, thank you.”
After shaking hands to say goodbye, Lin Heyu strode out of the office, with Yuan Maoqiu and Wen Huabei following behind.
After the Haijing team left, Sheng Guoning massaged his shoulder, sighing with a deeply pained expression. Yan Runping noticed something was wrong and nudged his arm, “What’s up? You’re off today. Yesterday you were courteous to the Haijing team, but today you’re sending them away. What happened?”
Sheng Guoning shook his head, his brows furrowed, not wanting to say anything. Shao Shiqing was equally puzzled, while Shen Ruirui coughed lightly and raised her hand, “I saw something downstairs just now.”
Shao Shiqing and Yan Runping spoke in unison, “What did you see?”
“The woman who gave Captain Sheng a banner yesterday—” Shen Ruirui stretched out the suspense before continuing, “was with Captain Lin today.”
“… Huh?” Yan Runping looked surprised, “That beautiful woman, Lin Zhizhi, is Captain Lin’s girlfriend?”
“What?” Shao Shiqing was confused, “Who is Lin Zhizhi?”
“You don’t even know the captain’s gossip!” Yan Runping smacked Shao Shiqing on the back, “She’s the beautiful woman Captain Sheng met on the bus. He helped her fend off a creep. You missed yesterday; she came with a banner to thank him. Captain Sheng was so proud, he almost framed it!”
Shao Shiqing immediately understood, “So Captain Sheng has a crush!”
Shen Ruirui spread her hands, “But this morning, I saw her holding Captain Lin’s arm. Speaking of which, Captain Lin from Haijing is quite good-looking too. He’s got a strong presence, and they make a beautiful couple…”
“Bang!” Sheng Guoning slammed a file onto the table with a crisp sound.
“Still chatting?! Don’t you have cases to handle? Get to work and stop wasting time!”
Everyone shrank back. A man in heartbreak was truly terrifying, ready to turn into Godzilla at any moment. They hurried out to the field, focusing on their tasks for safety’s sake.
Drafting the joint report indeed took a day. After thoroughly reviewing the surveillance footage, Lin Heyu and his two colleagues prepared to return to Haijing.
“Hey, what’s up with Captain Sheng? He was fine before, but now he’s suddenly hostile,” Yuan Maoqiu hooked his arm around Lin Heyu’s neck. “What did you do to piss him off?”
“…I don’t know.”
Lin Heyu was puzzled. Nanyi and Haijing had never interfered with each other, and he hadn’t heard of any internal conflicts. This was his first meeting with Sheng Guoning, so there couldn’t be any personal grudges. Where did this conflict come from?
“It must be that stone-cold face of yours that pissed him off.” Yuan Maoqiu pinched Lin Heyu’s cheeks. “Come on, smile a bit. No one hits a smiling face.”
Lin Heyu’s lips were pulled into a weird smile by Yuan Maoqiu’s hands, and combined with his cold eyes, he looked like a menacing clown.
“…Ugh,” Yuan Maoqiu shuddered. “You can smile just fine when you’re with that handsome guy!”
Lin Heyu pushed his hand away. “Can you compare to him?”
Yuan Maoqiu was stunned. What was that supposed to mean? Did Lin Heyu actually say that? Was he serious?
Thinking of Yi Shi, Lin Heyu took out his phone, leaning against the car window, eyes fixed on the screen.
He had woken up at around 7 a.m., which was not yet 5 p.m. in Yi Shi’s location. Based on the timeline, today was the day hinted at by the puzzle. The police would likely take action, so he sent another message to find out if the hostages were rescued and the criminals caught.
Two unread messages were now sitting in the chat, but Yi Shi hadn’t responded. Had something gone wrong?
Yuan Maoqiu watched his expression, noticing the slight furrow in his brow and the faint hint of disappointment on his usually hard features. He looked just like someone who was anxiously waiting for a message from a loved one.
He sneaked a glance at the phone, confirming it. The profile picture in the chat was a simple blade of grass, and the name above it was “Yi Shi,” a typical straight man’s style. In contrast, Lin Heyu’s WeChat, sculpted by Lin Zhizhi, had an avatar of an oil painting of mountains and rivers with the poetic name “Rain in the Forest.” Such a literary name, though usually clashing with Lin Heyu’s tough and rugged image, didn’t seem out of place now.
Yuan Maoqiu shook his head, clicking his tongue. It seemed like he was really caught by that handsome guy. He’d be losing a friend to watch movies with.
