Breaking news
Cheng Xiangwu brought back breakfast, as well as new information.
Upon hearing this news, Xiao Fu was so surprised that he didn't even react when the water boiled.
"Really..." she murmured in disbelief, "Really managed to resist the evil gaze of a corpse of the same bloodline in pursuit of the truth..."
Her shock surprised Cheng Xiangwu.
"...Should I not know this?" Golson nodded thoughtfully, then looked up with an expression that said, "I know nothing." "Hey, what were you discussing? Aren't you going to eat breakfast?"
Xiao Fu still had an expression that said, "How could this person possibly do such a thing?"
"Here's what you wanted." Cheng Xiangwu waved the guokui in her hand. "Hurry up and eat, we still have a lot to do today."
Lemon slices were added to my breakfast tea today.
“If there was a case involving the Bai family thirty years ago, it would be reasonable for them to try to control its influence. But the problem lies in what they did thirty years ago,” Xiao Fu said thoughtfully. “Whether it was to cause it or to end it.”
Thirty years ago is such a distant point in time; some people had not yet set foot on this land, and some had not yet begun to breathe.
"...What does something that happened thirty years ago have to do with something that happened thirteen years ago?" Cheng Xiangwu said, then flipped open her phone to look at the report she had written last night.
She quickly realized that this was nonsense. How could they not be related? Senhu City is so small; every major event, when traced back to its source, must be related and intertwined.
“There is only one clue we can trace back now.” Xiao Fu looked at Cheng Xiangwu. “Your mother’s research results are undoubtedly classic props that she put into use at her previous workplace thirty years ago and have been used ever since. The cause, process and result of the research must be documented.”
The past was like a leaky hole, the more you dug, the deeper it got.
"I've already sent the recipe over. Let's find some time to go to the Bai residence soon." Cheng Xiangwu nodded. "Make sure you're well-prepared before you go."
“And, we’d better find a way to go to that top floor again.” Little Franz laughed. “What secret is it that we’re willing to sacrifice even the chairman’s dignity to cover up? It’s really intriguing.”
After dinner, Diana brought some new news.
"The mayor didn't seem too surprised by the results of my work. After I told her about the plan, she didn't refuse. She just said that she would strengthen street security control in the next few days and that she would start to arrange manpower to guide the crowds in the city."
"...Is that all?" Little Franz was puzzled by this understated result. "Isn't this no different from measures taken to deal with peak tourist seasons?"
"That's about right," Cheng Xiangwu said.
“That’s different, at least not for someone like Miss Gu Wanqiu.” Xiao Fu said thoughtfully.
Cheng Xiangwu informed the other party of the conflict between law enforcement officers inside and outside Senhu City and inquired about the action plan.
“I’ve been thinking about this too. Dealing with unreasonable guys should indeed involve avoiding unprepared staff, but you can’t catch fish in a place without water,” Diana said, seemingly a little helpless. “Besides, it’s a weekday.”
"Can't the mayor just tell the city police to be more proactive?" Xiao Fu complained.
“Oh, about this issue,” Diana began typing, her chatter rising and falling. “In summary, it’s difficult to achieve this result directly. First, the police listen to the police chief, who is essentially the deputy mayor; the mayor only has supervisory power over him. If you have a good relationship, things might be a bit more lenient, but the mayor comes from the judicial system, and most of his election achievements involve putting people in prison. In the past, there have been many conflicts due to procedural issues. The people most closely connected to the mayor are the courts and emergency departments, such as fire and disaster relief, but the city police will also get involved if something really happens.” The message ended with a crab reading a newspaper emoji.
After reading this, Cheng Xiangwu handed his phone to Xiao Fu, thinking that this reporter really knew a lot.
Xiao Fu looked at the long string of text as if she had seen something dirty. She disgustedly pinched the corner of the phone and threw it back to Cheng Xiangwu, refusing to receive similar messages again.
But waiting until something bad happens is not an option either. Cheng Xiangwu thought for a moment, and realized that the locals might be unwilling, while those from other places might agree. So she looked up and asked Xiao Fu, "Can we get Han Lingfeng and the others to cooperate with our operation? To help separate the crowd and reduce the impact on public safety, or something like that." This would also make the work easier for the local staff.
“There’s no reason why those guys wouldn’t agree.” Little Franz thought for a moment. “Ask Miss Diana what her attitude is towards foreign law enforcement officers?”
"I welcome any help you can give!" Diana agreed and sent a crab making a peace sign emoji.
Xiao Fu nodded, took his phone and went to the study. Cheng Xiangwu was watching Diana explain the details of the plan when the study door opened and the person on the phone quickly walked out of the study.
"The fresh body and gun of the other gunman in the Qin Zixi case appeared at the entrance of the local police station this morning. He was shot at close range in the back of the head, and the bullet came from the gun he was holding." Xiao Fu hadn't hung up the phone yet, and the smile on his face was like seeing his favorite team get a big boss's support in the morning paper.
Cheng Xiangwu found the news both good and bad. "What did they say?"
"The Municipal Public Security Bureau has taken over the matter, and their attitude is as unfriendly as ever. They won't hand over the body but said they would cooperate to appease the public. This means they plan to find some media outlets to broadcast a censored version of the story to appease the public and attract attention, and they hope that Qin Zixi's case will be closed. Miss Han Lingfeng and the others naturally refuse, and negotiations are currently underway." After Xiao Fu finished speaking, she responded to the person on the other end of the phone, gestured to Cheng Xiangwu that they would talk later, and then returned to her study.
Disposing of a wanted criminal's body at the police station sounds like something a righteous hero in a comic book would do. The problem is, the gunman was never even on a wanted list; the only people who knew about it were the police, and—
"Do you know what kind of hackers are in Senhu City?" Cheng Xiangwu asked Diana.
“Hackers generally don’t expose their addresses,” Diana replied. “But if you need, I can introduce you to a few reliable ones.”
"No need," Cheng Xiangwu said.
"What happened?" Diana asked, sending a crab adjusting its glasses emoji. Cheng Xiangwu now felt that Diana was this red, cooked, yet still lively crab.
“A gunman who had never been on a wanted list was killed, and his body was dumped in front of the police station,” Cheng Xiangwu said.
"Wow, how could such a story happen in Mori Lake? If it were written truthfully, the report would definitely be a bestseller. It's a pity that it would fall into the hands of the authorities and become children's literature," Diana exclaimed.
"I don't know," Cheng Xiangwu also wanted to ask.
Diana's plan was rather haphazard, a makeshift solution. Fishing also requires considering the fish's mood and the dietary habits of other inhabitants in the water; her plan was basically just hitting the water a couple of times with a wooden pole. But according to her, as long as she could survive the group of lunatics and capture one or two alive, she would be considered a success.
"Are you so sure those people will take the bait?" Cheng Xiangwu asked doubtfully.
“I’ve shown up at previous press conferences. As long as my value in their eyes is still half of what it was six months ago, that’s enough for them to come knocking on my door.” Diana seemed very confident about this. “And I have exclusive information.”
These words reminded Cheng Xiangwu of her experience in the Southern Community: "Do you think all those who were chasing you were from the union?"
"To be honest, there's no answer to this question yet. I've done some investigation, and the main problem is that the people in that union use such bizarre methods. Most of them are incredibly normal. If I weren't a victim, I wouldn't suspect them at all. After all, murder comes at a great cost, and their peaceful lives are the biggest price they can pay," Diana said.
Cheng Xiangwu had no right to participate in this topic.
But even if not all the residents who carried out the pursuit are suspects, those in cloaks are definitely their targets.
“That’s why I said those people were crazy,” Diana said. “I don’t know who’s in charge of that union, but whatever they are, that kind of drive is not something a normal person could have.”
This reminded Cheng Xiangwu of one of the two keywords Han Lingfeng had mentioned: religion.
"Do you think there might be a special religion within the union?" Cheng Xiangwu asked.
“I really wish I thought so; this title would definitely be attractive enough for readers, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work.” Diana sent a crab sighing emoji. “There are no regular gatherings, no symbols of worship in their living environment, no traces of contact with fellow believers, etc. In this situation, do those people rely on dream revelations to solidify their faith?”
“Why not?” Cheng Xiangwu replied.
"Hehe, can you share anything with me, fellow traveler?" Diana sent a crab rubbing hands emoji.
"Let's wait until we catch them. There's no definite answer right now," Cheng Xiangwu replied.
The study door opened, and Xiao Fu put away his phone and walked out.
"It's settled." She gestured with her chin toward Cheng Xiangwu. "Let's get ready to go."
"Keep it up!" Golson encouraged.
The final pick-up point was the unloading area at the back entrance of a shopping mall in the city. Ideally, Diana would do what she hated most: live stream her broadcast, asking people in the mall a few questions, then go into the supermarket to promote the impact of Bai Langtao's birthday, and finally connect with Bai Langtao himself via live stream. Whether she answered or not didn't matter; if anything unusual happened, she would end the live stream and start running to the pick-up point.
The investigation team was responsible for isolating the crowd and observing the environment, Cheng Xiangwu was responsible for ensuring Diana's personal safety, and Xiao Fu was responsible for watching the excitement.
“I’ve announced this live stream several times and even arranged for online trolls to generate buzz. If I don’t take action now, then I’m truly washed up,” Diana said.
Sitting in the car, through the phone screen, Cheng Xiangwu could feel Diana's burning ambition, or perhaps the direct sunlight made the phone feel hot to the touch.
"Any news from Han Lingfeng and the others?" Cheng Xiangwu asked the driver.
“Miss Jiang Ling said that if Miss Diana were to die a heroic death, she would send a banner to her family.” Xiao Fu chuckled as he spoke. “Miss Xie Wuchang asked me privately to tell you to leave someone alive.”
"...I've never killed anyone in front of her, have I?" Cheng Xiangwu said thoughtfully.
“If something like this really happens, it’s not her place to give instructions.” Little F said dismissively, “Just try to obey the law and be a good resident, Wu Xiang.”
After a short drive, the vehicle turned into the tunnel, the light left the car's interior, the tires rubbed against the concrete, and the underground parking lot was quite cool.
"Do you think something like what happened to Qin Zixi will happen this time?" Cheng Xiangwu asked.
“That time, on the road, they were prepared while we weren’t. But this time, Miss Diana took less than half a day from providing the plan to us figuring out the process. In terms of insufficient preparation, we are evenly matched.” Little Franz said, leaning out of the car window and grabbing the parking card. “So even if something happens, it won’t be too fatal.”
“That’s hard to say,” Cheng Xiangwu said. “We know that there are snipers among them who are carrying sniper rifles, so I wouldn’t be surprised if something else happens.”
"We have assassins with knives here too," Little Fran said dismissively, backing up to a stop. "And you've got experience now, so be careful this time."
“They’re not targeting me this time,” Cheng Xiangwu shook her head.
"What you see isn't something you can decide," Little F chuckled. "Be prepared."
The number of people in the mall dropped sharply on weekdays, which was partly due to the security personnel in reflective vests surrounding the mall. After Han Lingfeng negotiated with these local public security agencies, they agreed to help control the flow of people in the mall, but refused to provide more details about the security work.
In-ear microphones were used for internal communication among operatives.
"They also refused to inform the supermarket staff in advance so they could cooperate," Xie Wuchang said. "So Ms. Dai, please be careful."
"...Just as I always have," Diana sighed. "The officers are as confident in this area as ever. Oh, I'm not talking about you guys! Don't worry, freelance journalists are well aware of their unpopularity."
"Please also be wary of speakers who are overly eager to perform," Jiang Ling cautioned.
Anna's live local news broadcast started on time.
"Hello everyone, long time no see or nice to meet you! I'm Anna, guess where I am? That's right, I'm in my beloved hometown—Senhu City!" Diana, holding a selfie stick, began her self-introduction in the plaza in front of the mall, using exaggerated but just-right body language to showcase the mall's grandeur to the viewers in the live stream. "Recently, our city has a special local holiday that doesn't take a break—it's the birthday of our local big boss, Bai Langtao! I'd like to take this opportunity to survey everyone, both locals and tourists, about this grand event, and then convey your opinions to our big boss who's about to celebrate his birthday!"
It's not break time now, and the number of viewers in the live stream is slowly climbing into the triple digits, with occasional comments.
“My hometown can’t compare to those big cities. This is the most bustling commercial center in downtown Senhu City. Doesn’t it look pretty good?” Diana led the camera into the mall. “When I was a kid, there weren’t any bubble tea shops of this brand around here. Hahaha, this brand didn’t even exist when I was a kid. But that just proves that Senhu City isn’t completely out of touch with modern society. Has anyone here been before? Locals have definitely been here!”
Next, just as she had planned beforehand, she approached innocent people in the mall and asked them about their willingness to appear on camera. Questions like, "How do you feel about the activities these past few days?", "What do you think about the increased foot traffic?", and "Do you think the development of Senhu City has improved because of this event?" received responses from different angles, with some respondents taking a completely opposite stance to others.
Some people said, "The event was very interesting. It's been a long time since I've had a chance to hang out with friends and family like this. The more people there are, the better the atmosphere becomes."
Some people said, "It's so noisy! I just want to go out to buy groceries on the weekend, but I have to squeeze in with all these out-of-towners."
Some people are saying, "Is the supermarket taking this opportunity to clear out its stock, or is it finally going to close down?"
Someone said, "Hey, if you're going to give suggestions, could you suggest opening a pet store here?"
Most staff members were unwilling to appear on camera, and those who were willing to be interviewed gave mostly conservative answers.
The enthusiastic and meticulous reporter took notes of all the replies and opinions, and promised to do his best to convey these opinions to those who needed to hear them.
"How's the situation?" Han Lingfeng's voice came through Cheng Xiangwu's earpiece.
"Nothing unusual, for now." She put down her milk tea and said, "I'm going into the supermarket."
After negotiation, Cheng Xiangwu can use the employee entrance to avoid the security gate.
The supermarket has two floors, with the entrance on the first floor.
Although she didn't intend to make any purchases, Diana still pushed a shopping cart in a rather formal manner. The supermarket was less crowded than usual, and she deliberately chose to walk in the more crowded areas, such as the fresh produce and fruit and vegetable sections. However, most of the people there were elderly people buying groceries and were generally unwilling to face the cameras.
Left with no other option, Diana turned the car around and headed to the sports and stationery section on the second floor, which was the closest area to the restocking warehouse.
A person stood beside the postcard shelf. Cheng Xiangwu recognized her; it was Xu Lidong. She was no different from the down-on-his-luck young man in the previous prison cell. She stood under the supermarket's incandescent lights, staring blankly at the neatly stacked but untouched beautiful postcards on the shelf, her eyes vacant, lost in thought.
"Xu Lidong is here," Cheng Xiangwu reported into his earpiece.
“We didn’t see that informant from before pass through the entrance/exit,” Han Lingfeng said. “She was already in the supermarket before we started our operation.”
If Cheng Xiang had eaten five meals a day, then this person must have been standing in the supermarket for a long time.
“I’ll go take a look,” said Little F.
As the trolley approached, Xu Lidong seemed to be awakened from her reverie and instantly raised her head. Her gaze froze when she saw the selfie stick in Diana's hand, and then she turned her eyes to meet the interviewer's gaze.
"Ah, I've met a young man. Let me see if I'm lucky this time." Diana said, calling out to Xu Lidong from a distance, "Hello ma'am, I'm conducting grassroots research and would like to hear everyone's opinions on recent activities here. Would you be willing to participate in a live Q&A session with us?"
“…Sure.” Xu Lidong gave a somewhat bewildered smile. “What do you want to ask me?”
Receiving a response from the brain's command to her vocal cords, Diana turned the camera to the somewhat awkward and unsure face. The interviewee turned around, her movements a little stiff.
"Please don't be nervous, just speak freely," Diana encouraged. "Are you a local?"
"Yes." Xu Lidong nodded, his voice not loud, but it was still fully picked up by the microphone.
"Then I suppose you've been involved in various activities at the mall these past few days?" Diana asked.
“…No, this should be the first time I’ve been here in the last few days,” Xu Lidong said slowly. “I was detained in the police station before, and I was only released the day before yesterday.”
"Ah." Diana was momentarily stunned. "I'm sorry to bring up something so painful..."
“It’s not a sad thing,” Xu Lidong said solemnly. “That experience gave me the opportunity to see myself clearly, so that I could realize that the kind of life I had before was not what I wanted at all. Continuing that kind of life would never allow me to achieve anything in the future, let alone prove myself. I have my own path to walk, and I will prove my worth in my own way.”
This statement sounded like it was copied from an essay template. Diana paused, then continued, "I never imagined we'd be able to interview a young person about to embark on a brand new chapter in their life. I must say, your words have truly made my live broadcast shine..."
"No." Xie Wuchang's voice sounded like he'd seen a ghost. "Who is this person?"
"...This sounds like she's had at least ten years of labor reform experience," Jiang Ling said doubtfully. "I remember this person; wasn't she selling health products on the street just a few days ago?"
Xu Lidong may be able to transform into a better version of herself, but if the treatment only lasts for two days, the effect is a bit too immediate. According to the local police officers, the treatment wouldn't have this effect, and the police officers would find it hard not to suspect that she had joined some kind of pyramid scheme.
"In short, what are your thoughts on the environment in the mall?" Diana asked as usual.
“...It’s pathetic.” Xu Lidong lowered his eyes and said, “Those patterns and sounds are trying to lead people’s thoughts, making them only see these visible obstacles and unable to recognize what is truly worth pursuing.”
Now Cheng Xiangwu also felt that this person had probably joined some kind of pyramid scheme.
"Ah..." Diana probably thought so too. She glanced at her camera and replied somewhat awkwardly, "It seems you really did learn a lot from that police station—"
“It’s just a cage.” Xu Lidong shook his head, then gave the camera a sincere and forgiving smile. “They use the same set of words on everyone. Even though I know I should say different things to different people, they try to tame me with one set of ideas.”
She suddenly took a step back, turned her back to the warehouse door, and spread her arms as if she were about to fly away. "I used to feel pain because of that experience, but it doesn't matter now. Those cages can no longer bind my mind. I can be anyone and go anywhere!"
Diana quickly cut off the camera power halfway through her sentence, but Xu Lidong seemed not to notice, or rather, didn't care. She continued to say things that made her increasingly agitated, as if the words were eager to escape from this body that was so incongruous with its meaning.
With his back to the man passionately expressing himself, the warehouse door opened a crack, and a metallic glint peeked out from the dark interior—a black gun barrel, below which was an arm wearing a plastic glove, pressed against the back of Xu Lidong's head.
"Don't move." The owner of the arm, hidden in the darkness, spoke from inside the door.
Regardless of who it was referring to, everyone who heard the voice at the scene stopped moving. As soon as Xu Lidong stopped speaking, her expression and rising emotions were also put on pause.
She was so terrified that she didn't even have time to feel afraid.
No one spoke, but because of the public nature of the supermarket, the scene was still not exactly quiet. Pop music was still playing over the loudspeaker, interspersed with discount advertisements from time to time, creating a situation that was both stiff and lighthearted.
"There's someone in the warehouse pointing a gun at Xu Lidong," Cheng Xiangwu relayed. "The hand is a fake, but the gun is real."
"Xiao Xie, take some men and disperse the people inside the supermarket," Han Lingfeng said. "Does the warehouse have an exit?"
"Reporting to the captain, from the outside, the storage room only has one ventilation window that can't be opened," Jiang Ling said.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Xie Wuchang's channel was extremely noisy. "Reporting, Captain, Xu Lidong's sister has forced her way in!"
"They probably watched the live stream and rushed over," Xiao Fu said. "I'll go to the scene first."
Guns have that kind of magic; the moment they appear in any space, they indiscriminately attract the attention of everyone present. It was an old gun with a rather short barrel, and several mottled spots were impossible to hide when exposed to the light. Cheng Xiangwu felt that there was at least a 50% chance that it would jam, but no one was willing to gamble with her.
“You’re that reporter,” the hostage-taker said from the darkness.
“...It’s me,” Diana said calmly. “You’ve got the wrong person.”
“There’s no right or wrong, after all, she’s not going to run away.” The hostage-taker’s voice was cold. “Hand over the camera and memory card.”
"You went through all that trouble chasing me just for this?" Diana asked.
"If you're not satisfied, you can give us your life too," the hostage-taker said.
As they were talking, Xiao Fu arrived at the scene. She was hiding in the corner of the shelf, and seemed to have heard something incredible. She raised her eyebrows and a smile that could be described as sarcastic appeared on her lips.
“Once Xu Lidong gets out of control, you’d better kill her immediately,” she said.
"Reason?" Han Lingfeng asked.
Xiao Fu didn't explain anything. A new customer arrived at her spot—Xu Chunfen. Xu Chunfen looked quite grim, like a parent about to storm into the internet cafe to arrest a minor. Just as she was about to walk past Xiao Fu towards the scene, she was grabbed by the arm.
"Don't do anything stupid," Little Franz said coldly. "Your sister is already—"
"Smack—"
“A convict…” Xu Chunfen said, annoyedly swatting away Xiao Fu’s hand, turning around and walking into the hostage situation, becoming the latest eyewitness to stand frozen in place.
This time, it was finally Little Fu who had nothing to say.
“…Madam, please step back.” Diana didn’t turn to look at the newcomer. Wearing a headset, she knew what this person was there for, but she didn’t know what else this person could do.
People with glasses have good eyesight. After seeing the scene clearly, Xu Chunfen knew that she was the one who shouldn't have come. She looked at Xu Lidong, then at the black gun barrel, and in a daze, she looked down at her own hands and found that they were trembling along with her.
"Me." She opened her mouth only to find her voice was hoarse, and took a deep breath only to find her heart was pounding. She looked up at the inside of the dark door. "No one would care if I shot and killed someone who had been to the police station just a few days ago, would they? You picked the wrong person."
She seemed to have calmed down, and stopped looking at Xu Lidong. She simply stepped forward and said, "I am a teacher at No. 1 Middle School, and also her older sister. Let me switch places with her, and I can help you escape from here."
What followed was a long silence; those present could only hear their own heartbeats.
“Okay.” The first to speak was the hostage-taker. “Reporter, give her the things.”
Xu Chunfen turned her head, and Diana paused, then reached into the inner pocket of her trench coat and took out a memory card, handing it to her. Xu Chunfen's gaze lingered for a second on the small card, which was no bigger than a single lens, before she reached out, pinched it, and took it.
"Where's the camera?" the hostage-taker asked.
"You fell down when you were chasing you, have you forgotten?" Diana retorted.
“...Come here,” the hostage-taker commanded.
Xu Chunfen did as she was told, walking step by step toward the hostage-taker and also getting closer to Xu Lidong. Her steps were heavy, and the distance between them shortened and shortened until they were only an arm's length apart. She stretched out her palm.
Everyone is waiting.
A hand reached out and took the memory card. It wasn't gloved; it belonged to Xu Lidong. She picked up the card like she was crushing a piece of chocolate, examined it under the light for a while, then looked up and swallowed it.
My throat tightened, and the memory card went into the best-sealed container in the supermarket.
The moment she looked up, Xu Chunfen met Qiang Yan's gaze. It must have been the first time they had looked at each other like that. Through a pair of glasses, they must not have been able to understand each other, so the next step should have been to greet each other.
The gun muzzle was pitch black and unpredictable, and the pupils were constricted.
Before either side could spit out anything, a flash of silver light slashed across the gun-wielding hand, grazed the door, and nailed it to the ground. Two seconds after a buzzing sound, the metal block and the plastic object covered by a plastic glove rolled to the ground one after the other.
Cheng Xiangwu also landed at the same time. She picked up the gun, grabbed the knife from the ground, and kicked open the warehouse door. The incandescent light illuminated the true face of the hostage-taker, a young woman dressed as a shelf sorter. She was holding half a prosthetic hand in her hand. She took a step back and crashed into the shelf.
“Your sister, no, Xu Lidong no longer considers herself your family.” Xiao Fu walked to Xu Chunfen’s side, who was sitting on the ground, and looked at Xu Lidong, who was standing there blankly as if she hadn’t done anything. “It’s so convenient that she can get rid of blood ties without even having a blood transfusion.”
“…Xu Lidong?” Xu Chunfen got up from the ground in disbelief, looked at her somewhat unfamiliar sister, and asked in a tight voice, “You, what’s wrong with you?”
Xu Lidong did not respond, but frowned as if he was in a bit of a predicament.
“You,” she said to F., “you are dangerous.”
"Thank you for the compliment." Little Franz smiled.
"Xu Lidong!" Xu Chunfen raised her voice. Her glasses had already fallen to the ground and shattered, but she ignored it and rushed forward to grab the person in front of her by the shoulder. "Speak properly to me!"
After saying that, she raised her hand and slapped Xu Lidong across the face. The skin turned red visibly. Xu Lidong tilted his head, his eyes darting to look at the person who attacked him, and sighed.
"Sister," she said calmly, "if you don't want to die, run now."
"...What?" Xu Chunfen's eyes twitched, then he flew into a rage. "What are you talking about?! Come home with me now, don't embarrass yourself in front of so many people!"
She grabbed the other person's arm and tried to pull them out, but Xu Lidong didn't move. She looked at the trembling hand on her arm and frowned.
"There's a bomb inside this person." After examining the hostage-taker's entire body, Han Lingfeng ripped open the man's uniform. Fresh scars on his abdomen smiled at her, and she cursed.
The hostage-taker smiled at her.
"...It wasn't just her." Cheng Xiangwu looked up and turned around. After landing, she sensed hostility from many people, one of whom was from Xu Lidong.
The fish gathered towards the bait.
"Most of the guests have left, but many staff members are unwilling to leave, and some are even running inside," Xie Wuchang said, panting. "There are many people watching; are we going to forcibly take these people away?"
“…No.” Han Lingfeng stood up. “You all go to the unloading area and then wait here.”
After saying that, she ignored the voice in the earpiece, took out handcuffs, and with a flash of silver light, she handcuffed the person on the ground to the warehouse shelf.
"Where is she?" Cheng Xiangwu pointed the tip of his knife at Xu Lidong, who was still being pulled.
"She also has a bomb on her?" Han Lingfeng frowned.
"Beep beep beep, beep beep beep, is it a bomb?" Diana asked nervously, pulling on Xu Chunfen's arm.
Xiao Fu stepped forward, leaned down to look at the people in the warehouse, and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Yes, it's a timed, concentrated detonation. We still have some time, so run, everyone." After saying that, she ran off first.
"Wh-what?!" Xu Chunfen had no idea what was going on. She was still holding onto her younger sister's arm, hoping to take her home first.
Just like when I picked her up from the police station before.
But her arm was pulled away, and Han Lingfeng quickly handcuffed Xu Lidong and put him in the warehouse. In the short time that followed, the approaching footsteps became undeniable.
"We'll run separately, following the original planned route," she said.
The supermarket's internal layout was carefully designed during the mall's construction. The white tiled walkways can accommodate two shopping carts moving forward at the same time. From where the group was, there were no fewer than five routes to choose from to reach the multiple emergency exits leading to the unloading area. Han Lingfeng carried Xu Chunfen on one side, Xiao Fu ran on his own, and Cheng Xiangwu took Diana on the other side.
But after circling the shelves a few times, she realized that this approach wouldn't work. More than half of the pursuers—whether they were stockers, sales assistants, or sanitation workers—ran in the direction of the two of them. The pursuers didn't say a word, but they seemed to have a tacit understanding with each other as if they had agreed in advance.
"See you later." Diana dodged another knife-wielding assailant who rushed out from around the corner, turned back and smiled, "I hope we're all alive by then."
“…Mm.” Cheng Xiang nodded.
After the two separated, each took half of the pursuers with them. Cheng Xiangwu repeatedly stepped on the shelves to jump over the line of people facing her, bent down to avoid the dripping nets in the hands of the seafood section staff wearing aprons, dodged the flying kitchen knife with price tags still attached, and stepped on the vest of the weighing staff who had slipped on the ground to leap over the sea of oranges on the ground.
The supermarket became lively again.
The chase still happened, but this time Cheng Xiang turned around five times and saw the faces of those chasing her clearly. They weren't even looking at her; their eyes weren't focused on anything. They couldn't see who they were chasing, they didn't know what the consequences of their actions would be, they didn't care, and they didn't need to take responsibility.
They seemed to be just doing what they were supposed to do, but their target had changed to Cheng Xiangwu.
Although those people didn't say anything like "Stop right there!" or "Don't run!", she felt like a stuntwoman being chased in a third-rate action movie. Even though her headset was malfunctioning, she would be berated by some unknown director if she stopped. In other words, she couldn't feel any sense of impending death because she didn't sense any hostility from most of these people. The people who really wanted to kill her were mixed in with the crowd, just like last time.
The cloaked figure hid behind the crowd, holding something in his hands. The corner of the cloak was so illuminated by so much reflected light that its original color could not be seen.
The emergency exit light was right in front of him. Cheng Xiangwu rushed open the fire door and was about to run downstairs when a car crashed into him from behind.
A large handcart crashed through the not-yet-closed fire door and slammed heavily into the wall beside her and the fire hoses on the wall. With a loud bang, a few hissing sounds first escaped from the shattered fireproof device, followed by a burst of water that surged out like a celebratory cannon salute, forming a wall of water between Cheng Xiangwu and the handcart that almost overturned.
The fire alarm blared loudly.
Cheng Xiangwu, accompanied by the smell of water, jumped down the stairs and rushed out of the emergency exit before the water submerged her feet. She was the last to arrive. When she stood still outside, several others had already been standing there. Xie Wuchang was holding a tissue box and talking to Xu Chunfen, who was squatting on the ground. Jiang Ling was taking notes and occasionally tapped her head with her pen. Han Lingfeng was standing aside talking to Xiao Fu, and Diana was on the phone in the corner.
They all had their own things to do, and it seemed that after running out of that door, they were heading to their next destination.
At the same moment, they all looked up, turned around, and faced the upper back of Cheng Xiangwu, looking at the second-floor glass window that faced them.
Because they heard the windows being knocked on from the inside.
The storage space next to the sports and stationery section, the emergency exit stairwell, the escape doors, and the inside of some other glass windows seemed to ignite after an unseen countdown, instantly reflecting viscous colors—black, red, pink, yellow, and green. The sparks were so thick it looked as if someone had vomited into the glass from the inside, chewing up their own internal organs and smearing them on it. After a brief explosion, the fireworks, forced down by gravity, slid down, leaving only streaks on the glass.
Water trickled out from the emergency exit, the normally clear and colorless liquid now tinged with a hint of red.
For a moment, no one spoke; some vomited, and some cried.
A supermarket in a downtown shopping mall has been closed due to a sudden water pipe explosion. Reopening hours will be announced later. To ensure the safety and shopping experience of citizens, supermarket staff who were present at the time of the incident have been taken into quarantine for testing due to safety and hygiene concerns. Family members of affected staff can contact the Municipal Health Bureau for contact information.
The witness will receive psychological counseling and evaluation, and the only witness has been taken away for investigation.
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