Chapter 76

As expected, Du Tianyu was going to pull off something big, but no one expected his plan to have anything to do with the hospital. After Zhuang Zhuoyuan was able to walk again, he found a spot to observe, but for several days he didn't see any suspicious people.

Iris was busy urging him to go back to his room. She didn't want her husband, whom she had just managed to save, to suffer any further injury. If Zhuang Zhuoyuan had appeared at the wedding in England in a wheelchair, she would definitely have to hold another one later. As for their honeymoon in Venice, forget about it; it would have been completely ruined.

"Alright, alright, help me back." Iris was already almost always agreeable to pregnant women, and with her change in expression, Zhuang Zhuoyuan had nothing more to say. He had originally planned to visit Qiu Junxuan one last time before returning to his room, but unexpectedly ran into Tiger in the elevator. The latter was with two children, one in his left arm and the other in his right, looking very loving. Both sides were startled upon seeing each other. News of Zhuang Zhuoyuan's injury hadn't spread, so Tiger was naturally surprised to see him there in a hospital gown, while Iris and her husband had never heard of him having children.

“My friend’s children, Dingding and Lele, call them brother and sister.” As soon as Tiger spoke, the little girl named Dingding timidly called out to them, while Lele, who was sick, perhaps because she was too weak, just lay on Tiger’s shoulder without making a sound.

"Your face is so red, do you have a fever?" Iris refrained from touching his head. Tiger nodded slightly, confirming her guess: "You caught a cold while playing in the water yesterday."

"Aren't there any adults at home? Why did your sister come along too?" Iris asked again. She was actually a bit gossipy; Tiger wasn't married yet, and she'd never seen him so attentive to other children. She couldn't help but be curious about the relationship between these two kids and him.

However, the elevator ride was so short that Iris didn't get a reply from Tiger. What drew her attention even more was the news about Du Tianyu that came immediately after she stepped out of the elevator.

Hostage exchange, cash escape. These factors were to be expected. However, coincidentally, the yacht hijacked by the mastermind was the very one chartered by the tour group Pauline and her friends were on. This meant there were many more targets to watch out for – Pauline, Uncle Chao, and Huihui. Iris seriously suspected that Du Tianyu had planned this all along, specifically targeting Zhan Hantao.

“See, I told you a long time ago that you should go on a trip with Huihui.” She winked at Derek.

Derek remained silent, glancing sideways to indicate that the matter was none of his concern. Iris shrugged, not particularly anxious, as she was quite relieved to hear that Zhan Hantao and Zhuang Zhuohua were present.

Zhuang Zhuoyuan, however, remained frowning. Given Yao Meiling's current condition, she was unlikely to be discharged from the hospital. If Du Tianyu's objective could not be achieved, he might unleash a massacre at any moment.

"Perhaps we could find someone to play Yao Meiling," he suggested.

Iris wagged her finger: "Nonono, BB, let me ask you, if there were a woman lying naked on our bed right now, would you just sleep with her?"

Zhuang Zhuoyuan looked at him with disdain: "What kind of analogy is that?"

“I just wanted to say,” Iris spread her hands, “that even 'newbies' like us, who haven’t known each other or been married for very long, can easily recognize each other’s outlines and figures, let alone Du Tianyu and his wife, who are an old married couple. It’s not that easy to find someone who looks similar in a short time. If you find someone who doesn’t look similar, do you expect Du Tianyu to turn into an idiot?”

Zhuang Zhuoyuan quickly stopped her, lest she continue being so harsh. What he wanted to do now was something else entirely: "Wife..."

"You really want to go that badly?" Iris knew what her restless husband was thinking the moment he rolled his eyes. Actually, even if he hadn't said anything, she hadn't planned to stop him. But since someone was willing to "send a pillow" to her, it would be a bit much if she didn't take a "took a nap." So she started to negotiate: "If you can go, then I have to go too, otherwise I won't feel at ease."

When it comes to counting, his darling wife is indeed a formidable opponent. Zhuang Zhuoyuan couldn't help but think, and after weighing the options, he nodded slightly—of course, he couldn't agree immediately. Iris had made a prior agreement, and he also had to make three rules with her: "Once we arrive at the scene, you must stay by my side at all times and never get close to the danger zone. Also, you must wear your mask and hat properly, and you absolutely cannot let Du Tianyu recognize your appearance."

Iris wanted to say that this was exactly what their Flying Tigers needed to pay attention to.

Given Zhuang Zhuoyuan's injuries, the doctors wouldn't have allowed him to be discharged early. In fact, even the so-called "guard duty" was something he turned a blind eye to, thanks to Iris's assurances. Now that the couple was brazenly preparing to walk out of the hospital, Dr. Tong finally couldn't sit still any longer: "Can't you show a little respect for me as a doctor? A little respect for yourselves as patients?"

The moment the medical record was tapped, the conflict naturally shifted to Iris and her husband. Whether she was acting or suddenly remembered how Zhuang Zhuoyuan had fooled her these past few days, she glared at Dr. Tang and unilaterally pushed Zhuang Zhuoyuan back onto the bed.

"I'm fine..."

"I'll go by myself."

Upon hearing those four words, Zhuang Zhuoyuan concluded that Iris was truly angry. He assumed that his wife already knew the real extent of his injury, which he had kept hidden for so long. Dr. Tong pushed up his glasses, a smirk playing on his lips, and kindly turned on the television for them, tuning it to the news channel.

The crime scene has been cordoned off, and reporters can only report from the perimeter. The photographer tried several angles, but could only capture a few police cars parked nearby and indistinct figures of people on the distant dock.

“It must be my sister negotiating with Du Tianyu,” Zhuang Zhuoyuan said tentatively, observing Iris’s expression. Considering his chest injury, she didn’t dare lean back into his arms. People who could join the Flying Tigers had exceptionally strong endurance. Zhuang Zhuoyuan always presented her with a relaxed smile, making her almost believe he only had a minor injury. Iris was immediately annoyed.

But no matter how annoyed she was, she shouldn't hold a grudge at this time. Iris silently extended her pinky finger and hooked it with Zhuang Zhuoyuan's knuckle, as a ritual of reconciliation. Her tone was still a little awkward, but her analysis was serious: "I guess Du Tianyu also wants to talk to Brother Tao. If there's no unusual activity in the cabin, then the problem shouldn't be too big."

Unusual activity? Zhuang Zhuoyuan's eyelids twitched: "You mean... Uncle Chao?"

Zhan Yunchao had indeed acted impulsively again. Anyone who had been to PC Bar knew that Uncle Chao was once a brave and fearless policeman. Although he had been retired for over twenty years, his righteous indignation remained unchanged. When the ship suddenly changed and everyone was taken hostage by Du Tianyu with a single shot, Uncle Chao, recognizing the situation, realized that his primary thought was not self-preservation, but how to subdue his opponent.

Ultimately, it had been too long since he'd caught a thief, and he'd overestimated his skills. Zhan Yunchao was brimming with confidence, believing that with the help of the two men beside him, they could catch the kingpin off guard and subdue him. However, his out-of-shape physique and increasingly thinning, graying hair made it difficult to inspire trust. Furthermore, being ordinary citizens with no intention of standing out, no one moved an inch when Zhan Yunchao gave the signal to act. Even those who were forced to move only stepped back slightly when Du Tianyu was beating Zhan Yunchao. Most people are unwilling to play the hero.

That's how Uncle Chao's dropped wallet exposed his identity. Du Tianyu sneered at the photo of the family of three inside, a surge of vengeful pleasure welling up inside him. He kicked Zhan Yunchao twice more, then pulled back the curtains and forced him against the window. How could he possibly prevent Zhan Hantao and his son from seeing each other at such a rare opportunity?

Iris's speculation was reasonable; trying to deceive Du Tianyu was indeed no easy feat. However, without using this as a breakthrough, it would be difficult for the police to get close to the hijacked yacht. Zhuang Zhuoyuan stroked his chin, racking his brains for a solution. In the past, during missions, he mostly just followed orders. Now, having stepped outside the situation, he had gained different insights. Being a sniper also required using one's brain, but compared to a leader, the difference was immense.

Iris stared at the TV screen, even though there was no new news being reported. She had been daydreaming and couldn't help but blurt out what was on her mind: "Actually, if it weren't for Tangyuan, I think no one would be more suitable to be Yao Meiling's stand-in than me. Firstly, I have a great figure, and secondly, I've spent quite a bit of time studying her and Du Tianyu."

"Stop!" Zhuang Zhuoyuan hoped she wouldn't even consider it. "If you don't want to waste the information you've collected, you can become a consultant."

Iris sighed deeply: "It's too late. It's too late to say anything now."

Yao Meiling succumbed to her injuries. Upon receiving the news, the officers in the command vehicle exchanged glances, at a loss for what to do. Zhuang Zhuohua had already shown herself, making it difficult to infiltrate the enemy ranks again. Su Wenqiang volunteered, determined to impersonate Yao Meiling to create an opening for the SDU.

An explosion suddenly came from the television, snapping Iris back to reality. She instinctively grabbed Zhuang Zhuoyuan's hand. The people on the ship were still unaware of the situation, but they were certain that Du Tianyu intended to kill Zhan Hantao.

"Will my sister and Tao be alright?" Iris couldn't hide her nervousness. Zhuang Zhuoyuan could only try his best to reassure her: "Relax, trust them."

Now nothing could stop them from being discharged. Iris helped Zhuang Zhuoyuan to the car and they headed straight downstairs. Several devices were started simultaneously, and the car played reports from various media outlets. The couple scanned the footage from different angles, hoping to capture something exciting as soon as possible.

Iris firmly believed that those who commit many evil deeds will surely perish. She thought that Du Tianyu couldn't always have such good luck, and more importantly, Yao Meiling was dead, so his will to live was probably not high anymore. Now she just had to wait and see what happened to Zhan Hantao—when the explosion occurred, Zhan Hantao had jumped into the sea with Du Tianyu in his arms.

Inspector Chan's skills were well-known throughout the police force. However, the situation was critical, and no one was sure if he could escape the explosion alive. When he boarded the boat, several team members assisted him, providing support from both land and underwater. But in the crucial moment, everyone was busy evacuating hostages and couldn't see the exact details of the explosion. One by one, the divers came ashore, and Chong Cheuk-wah waited on the bank, her expression growing increasingly anxious. At that moment, all she hoped for was that the water would surge like her heart.