The atmosphere in the temporary command area outside the mine entrance was extremely tense.
Mayor Liu Fanming of Dajing and Deputy Director of the Investigation Department Song Jian'an stood side by side.
The two stared intently at the large monitoring screen in front of them, which displayed a live feed of the mine.
They also witnessed the entire process of the sinking device being made and the cutting ropes being placed, and through emergency contact with experts, they learned what the "explosion" was all about.
Liu Fanming's face appeared somewhat bluish under the cold light of the screen.
He has been involved in the ups and downs of officialdom for decades and has seen many great storms.
But watching a young police officer perform a bomb disposal operation in a highly dangerous manner on live camera is something I've never done before.
Especially!
This bomb disposal operation is also directly related to seven lives, the safety of the city, and his own political life...
This pressure made Liu Fanming feel a long-lost sense of tension.
He could even hear the throbbing of the veins in his temples.
“Minister Song,” Liu Fanming’s voice was a little hoarse. He turned his head, lowered his voice, and almost spoke in a whisper:
"Exploding... the risk is too great."
Could we contact Team Leader Shen and ask him to reconsider?
Perhaps there are other, more reliable methods?
Even if it takes a little longer, we have already begun evacuating people from the dangerous areas of Dajing…
Song Jian'an's gaze did not leave the screen. He saw the black detonator in Shen Ting's hand, and he also saw Xu Xin and the others who were evacuating.
He shook his head with extreme heaviness, his voice equally hoarse:
"Mayor Liu, it's probably too late now."
"Since Shen Ting has already come this far, with the cutting rope already in place and the detonator already in his hand, there is absolutely no possibility of turning back."
Contacting Team Leader Shen now will only distract him.
In the current situation, being distracted is not a good thing.
Disrupting the court could have disastrous consequences.
He paused, as if trying to convince himself:
"All we can do now is trust Team Leader Shen."
Trust his judgment, and trust his skills.
Liu Fanming opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
He turned back and looked at the screen again.
The constantly changing red countdown numbers, at this moment, were no different from the countdown of his own career.
05:04:47
05:04:46
...
Time waits for no one.
On the screen, Shen Ting seemed to be speaking into the communicator, finally confirming that Xu Xin and the others had retreated far away.
Then, he took a slight breath and raised his right hand, which was holding the detonator.
My thumb landed firmly on the conspicuous red button.
At that moment, the hearts of everyone outside the mine who was staring intently at the screen seemed to stop beating.
Liu Fanming unconsciously leaned forward.
Song Jian'an held his breath.
Even the armed police officers on guard nearby instinctively tightened their grip on their weapons.
There was a momentary vacuum in the live stream's chat and comment section.
Tens of millions of viewers seemed to fall silent.
The instant Shen Ting's finger pressed down.
There was no deafening roar, nor any flames shooting into the sky.
A muffled explosion, as if enveloped in a thick blanket, was faintly heard through the camera lens—
"puff!"
The sound was not loud, and even somewhat short.
However, at the same moment that muffled sound came—
Whoosh!
On everyone's phones and tablets, countless live streams suddenly went black!
The signal has been interrupted!
The glaring "No Signal" or "Live Stream Interrupted" notifications abruptly occupy the entire screen.
A bad feeling arose outside the mine, in the live broadcast room, and in the hearts of everyone who was paying attention to this matter.
Three or four seconds passed.
What happened?
What about the live stream footage?!
The screen went black?!
The signal's down?!
"what happened?
Did that sound indicate success, or...?
I don't know!
Does anyone know what's going on inside the mine?!
"It's over...
"Did it... explode?"
"That's possible!"
The explosion of the cutting cable should have been relatively weak.
It's unlikely that the live streaming equipment would be damaged by the vibration.
"Unless...unless the bomb itself exploded?"
Did the shockwave and vibration damage the live broadcast lines and equipment?
"That means the bombing failed."
The main charge was detonated?!
"No...no way...that Team Leader Shen, he..."
"Please restore the signal quickly! It's driving me crazy!"
"Does anyone have inside information?!"
"..."
Panic, speculation, and doubt, like a flood bursting its banks, instantly overwhelmed all online channels.
Outside the mine, Liu Fanming's legs went weak, but his secretary held him firmly.
Song Jian'an's face was also deathly pale. He was urgently shouting something into the communicator, but all he heard in his earpiece was a jarring busy signal.
Despair, along with the dark screen that seemed to devour everything, enveloped everyone.
Deep inside the mine, there was no more sound.
Only the endless darkness seemed to foreshadow the worst possible outcome.
"W-What's going on?!"
Mayor Liu Fanming of Dajing was the first to snap out of his daze.
Although he tried his best to calm himself down, his voice was still distorted due to extreme tension and confusion.
"Where's the live stream footage?"
Where's the signal? What's going on inside?!
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