Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Rushing towards the explosives——
There are still eighteen hours until the second predicted explosion.
The wall clock showed one in the morning, and the lights in the Special Criminal Investigation Team office were still brightly lit.
"—Teacher Lu has contacted a bomb disposal expert from the Public Security University for us. Tomorrow... well, it's already today. He'll meet us at 3:00 PM." Ji Yinhe picked up his cup, took a long sip of coffee, and instructed, "Everyone must act like proper plainclothes officers. Gong Xie is hard to say, but Zhang San is a smart guy. If someone can tell we're police officers right away, it'll be difficult to catch him this time."
No one spoke, only the sound of pens writing quickly on the paper.
Ji Yinhe continued, "Police officers are already staking out the station square, but they're too few to cover a one-kilometer radius. Everyone, go home and recharge your batteries tonight. Tomorrow's a tough battle!"
An hour ago, she received a call from the Criminal Investigation Team of the Jingnan Branch.
As far as the square in front of the station is concerned, nothing unusual has been discovered. Not only have no suspicious tasks been found, but even no items suspected of being bombs have been found!
——This is completely different from the situation when the last warning letter was delivered and Gong Xie Zhang San had already placed the bomb in the Children's Palace.
A hint of anxiety rose in Ji Yinhe's heart.
What if these two people don’t show up in person this time?
Then wouldn’t the police have worked in vain?
Team leader Xiao Ji lowered her eyelids. She didn't dare to say anything that would undermine morale.
After taking a deep breath, she spoke, "The square in front of the station is quite large. With the Homecoming Night celebrations and summer vacation approaching, there are many people waiting for the bus all night. Our police have to admit that our technology and manpower are limited, and we may not be able to..."
Jiang Nian, who was sitting in the back row, raised his hand and said, "Team Leader, why don't we just close the station and evacuate the crowd?"
"——No!" Ji Yinhe and Lu Zheng retorted at the same time.
Guan Ye put away his playful smile and explained seriously, "Xiao Jiang, you don't understand this. The criminal might get angry and embarrassed, and might even change the explosion location at the last minute!"
"And even if the crowd in the square in front of the station disperses, the train schedule won't change, and there will be a constant stream of people entering and exiting the station." Ji Yinhe added, "A high-profile action will only cause more serious negative public opinion. Jingzhou is the provincial capital, and it's a major event. Nothing is more important than [the event]."
"...Alas." Comrade Jiang Nian sighed deeply. "Can we only hope that Zhang San and Gong Xie are still trying to scare people?"
"If there are large-scale casualties, the situation will escalate. The Ministry might even send someone down, but then we won't be able to escape so easily." Ji Yinhe pressed the button on his ballpoint pen. "If Gong Xie wants to take revenge on Gong Chenggong and Gong He, he'll have to survive until the night of his return."
"Alright." Jiang Nian patted his chest and stood up. "I'll go back to the computer room to see if there's any usable surveillance near the train station!"
Except for a few policemen assigned to the night shift, everyone else filed out of the provincial department and went home after get off work.
Ji Yinhe planned to stay here for one night, so he took his toothbrush and towel to the bathroom to wash up.
As soon as she returned to the office, she found that Lu Zheng had already set up the camp bed for her and was bending over to carefully adjust the height of the pillow.
"I'm going to sleep in the Technical Investigation Department next door." He turned around when he heard footsteps and smiled faintly, "It will be more comfortable for you to rest here alone."
"Thank you." Ji Yinhe curled the corners of her lips. It was almost two o'clock in the morning and the lights in the house were so dim. She didn't need to look in the mirror to guess that she must be exhausted.
"Although you didn't say anything, I know that you are actually under a lot of pressure." Lu Zheng walked over and shook her hand quickly.
Ji Yinhe smiled bitterly and said frankly, "I'm just worried. What if they deceive others into doing the whole thing, just like they did with this warning letter, and hide themselves away from showing up? What should we do then..."
"That can't be helped." Lu Zheng looked into her eyes, his tone gentle, "I don't want to say nice things to comfort you... We just have to do our best and leave the rest to fate."
"Hmm!" Ji Yinhe squeezed his fingertips back and said, "Do your best and leave the rest to fate."
…
But having said that, she still suffered from insomnia, a rare occurrence, while lying alone on the camp bed.
Since I couldn't sleep, I simply jumped out of bed and studied the map around the square in front of the station to study where the enemy would hide and how the police should plan their operations.
Jingzhou has only one railway station, which is located at the old address before liberation. It has only been renovated and expanded twice in the past few decades. It has both an overpass and an underground passage. The terrain is very complex and the surrounding population is also mixed. In order to attract young and middle-aged labor from the province to work, two new wholesale markets were built in the past few years. All kinds of people come here to do all kinds of work.
Just as Ji Yinhe's gaze settled on the tallest building, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded in the corridor outside.
She only had time to check the clock - 3:40 in the morning - before there were several loud knocks on the office door.
"Yinhe, it's me, Ye Qing!"
Comrade Xiao Ji's expression started to frighten him, and he immediately ran over to open the door.
The next second, Ye Qing rushed in in her pajamas, looking anxious and pale.
"Lao Cheng had a stomachache and a high fever after returning to the dormitory that night. He endured for two hours and became confused." She didn't even have time to catch her breath. She grabbed Ji Yinhe's sleeve and said, "I called an ambulance. The doctor said it was acute appendicitis and required immediate surgery. I-"
"It's okay, go to the hospital immediately." Ji Yinhe said calmly, "Is there anyone there now?"
Ye Qing swallowed her saliva. "He's with the Political Department officer who lives next door to our dormitory. I knew you were going to take action, so I rushed over to tell you! I'm so sorry, Old Cheng is feeling so bad at such an important time. He wants to take some painkillers first and wait until tomorrow to finish—"
"No, your health is more important. Let Cheng Mo rest assured to perform the surgery. Don't worry about your work." Ji Yinhe patted her shoulder. "You should also go and accompany him. We won't need a forensic doctor tomorrow."
"...Okay." Tears welled up in Ye Qing's eyes. "Yinhe, my husband and I are truly grateful to you!"
"Then I'll thank you after I'm discharged from the hospital." Ji Yinhe smiled and pulled her towards the stairs. "Don't waste time, let's go."
Watching Ye Qing's figure disappear at the end of the stairs, her brows furrowed deeply.
According to the previous arrangement, Cheng Mo and Guan Ye's team were responsible for patrolling the eastern half of the square in front of the station.
Now that her older brother, who was quiet but capable, was gone, she was worried that the young and energetic Guan Ye wouldn't be able to handle it alone.
——The problem is that it’s the middle of the night now, where can I find someone who can take over?
Comrade Xiao Ji sighed and walked towards the office, intending to ask Sun Gaoge to ask the Jingzhou Municipal Bureau after daybreak. Suddenly, he heard the door behind him creak open, and someone called out softly -
"Ji Yinhe." Lu Zheng stood under a ceiling light at the entrance of the Technical Investigation Department, holding a mobile phone. "Xiao Wu called us."
"...What?" Ji Yinhe turned around and blinked in surprise. "It's 3:45 in the morning. Has he also heard that Lao Cheng is in the hospital?"
"No, he's downstairs now. He came here with Ye Qing." Lu Zheng handed over the mobile phone, "Just tell me."
Ji Yinhe took it and called out "Xiao Wu".
"Little Sister Ji, Captain Tang sent me to Jingzhou to investigate a case. I just heard that Cheng Mo was hospitalized." He said timidly, "Um...are you guys planning an important operation tomorrow?"
"Yes." Ji Yinhe laughed, "It's okay, thank you for your concern and for coming here in the middle of the night——"
"I want to ask if I can take his place." Xiao Wu took a deep breath and, without waiting for Ji Yinhe's answer, mustered up the courage to speak. "I know. Last time at the Hong Sifang Chemical Plant, I almost injured the suspect, but I've written a serious self-criticism and even practiced at the shooting range for three months... I swear, I won't let you down this time. I definitely won't shoot casually. Sister Ji, I really, really want to do my part in the provincial department's special operation!"
“…”
Ji Yinhe was pondering when Xiao Wu added hastily, "It doesn't matter even if you don't give me a gun!"
"You still need to match them, because the other party has a gun." Ji Yinhe laughed, "Okay, I'll leave it to you this time. Go to the guesthouse and have a good sleep. Come and gather at nine in the morning!"
Xiao Wu's excited and surprised voice came: "Okay!!"
*
At two o'clock in the afternoon, after spending most of the day preparing for makeup and familiarizing themselves with the route, the special criminal case investigation team set out separately and headed to the square in front of the railway station to hand over the work to the grassroots comrades who had been on duty for a day and a night.
In the drug trafficking case, Gong Xie had met Ji Yinhe, Lu Zheng and Xiao Wu who were all working at Jiangtan Municipal Bureau at the time. In order not to attract their attention, Xiao Wu, who took over the patrol work in Cheng Mo, disguised himself.
Xiao Wu was short and thin. With the help of a group of female comrades including Ye Qing and Lu Xiaoyan, they gave him a long, wavy hairstyle, changed him into a pink belly-baring tank top and wide-leg jeans. Sister Jin from the Political Department also gave him two sponge bra pads.
But the finishing touch was the plastic choker necklace that Ji Yinhe personally took out!
"Alright!" Everyone looked at Comrade Xiao Wu with satisfaction. "You're now a modern girl at the forefront of fashion!"
Xiao Wu felt shy and awkward as he turned half a circle in front of the mirror. "So what is my plainclothes identity...?"
"Ahem." Guan Ye leaned against the door frame and flirted at him. "We're a couple strolling through the square, selling opportunistic popsicles, drinks, and mineral water to passengers. How about it? Do you like it?"
"..." Xiao Wu rolled his eyes familiarly and began to admire the proud figure supported by the bra pad.
Sun Gaoge and Qiu Peng took a different approach. Both of them wore tattered sacks. One of them took a clothesline to pick up mineral water bottles, while the other simply took a newspaper and lay down on the spot to take a nap.
Ji Yinhe checked everyone's outfit and gave them a thumbs up.
"Where are you and Teacher Lu?" Xiao Wu asked curiously.
"We borrowed a second-hand, beat-up Alto from the traffic police and pretended to be a black car soliciting passengers. If they try to escape, we can catch up immediately," Team Leader Xiao Ji said proudly. "Did everyone bring their new walkie-talkies from the bureau?"
Everyone said in unison: "Bring it!"
"Okay, that thing is too big to be noticed, so we'll have to rely on hand gestures." Ji Yinhe glanced at his watch and shouted, "Let's go!"
…
Two hours later.
It was scorching hot, the sun shone directly on the empty square, and the air was as hot as boiling water.
In a second-hand Alto on the roadside, Lu Zheng opened a bottle of ice mineral water and handed it to Ji Yinhe in the driver's seat.
"Drink up! I gave each of them a bottle too." He looked quite comfortable, wearing a loosely draped synthetic floral shirt, the kind black taxi drivers love to wear. "Xiao Wu's long hair is really suffering. I guess he'll get prickly heat by the end of today's operation."
Ji Yinhe drank water in small sips, wiped the sweat that had flowed to his temples with the back of his hand, and looked through the car window glass, anxiously scanning the pedestrians in the square.
There were still two hours until seven o'clock, and the evening rush hour was about to arrive. There were more people entering and exiting the station than in a vegetable market, some carrying snakeskin bags and boxes, and some even knocked on the window to ask if they wanted to leave.
Ji Yinhe shook her head and watched the crowd for any suspicious targets amid the passengers' cursing. Xiao Wu and Guan Ye felt her gaze and shook their heads calmly, while Sun Gaoge and Qiu Peng also got into character, strolling towards the gathered crowd.
"—Galaxy, look there!"
Lu Zheng suddenly patted her arm and pointed at a man riding a motorcycle with a backpack not far away.
The other person looked very ordinary. Judging from his figure and appearance, he was neither Gong Xie nor Zhang San.
But he was not passing by, nor did he intend to make any progress. Instead, he sat astride the motorcycle and rode back and forth, his eyes looking into the green belts and flower beds, as if searching for something.
"Looking for a place to park?" Ji Yinhe murmured, "But the area outside the railing for parking motorcycles is still largely empty!"
"It's just past five o'clock." Lu Zheng reminded.
Ji Yinhe said "hmm", and the inexplicable feeling of anxiety in his heart became stronger and stronger, his eyes were fixed on the man on the motorcycle.
Although everyone carried a walkie-talkie, they were too big and would attract too much attention when taken out.
Comrade Xiao Ji thought for two seconds, pressed the horn lightly, and prepared to make a gesture to Guan Ye and Xiao Wu, who were closest to her, to remind them to pay attention to this person.
Just as he raised his hand, the man on the motorbike suddenly leaned over, took out something from the backpack behind him with lightning speed, and threw it towards the flower bed on the east side of the center of the square!
Ji Yinhe's eyes widened, his every move reflected in his amber pupils——
It was an object wrapped in a black plastic bag. It had an irregular shape and a round bottom, like an empty instant noodle bowl!
——A thought popped into her mind: this was the same incident as the Children's Palace bombing!
This type of □□ is very unstable, and a violent impact can cause the timer to fail instantly!
Ji Yinhe's face changed, and he only had time to grab the walkie-talkie and shout - "East flower bed! Motorcycle! Bomb!"
The police officers in the square were immediately shocked and looked in that direction! However, what no one expected was that at this moment, a young mother holding a baby passed by the flower bed. While coaxing her child, she turned her back to the motorcycle and sat on the marble platform beside the flower bed.
"Depend on! "
Ji Yinhe felt her heart skip a beat. She was still more than ten steps away from the flower bed and had no time to rush over!
In a flash, before she could raise the walkie-talkie to her ear again, she saw Xiao Wu, who was closest to her, striding over without hesitation for a second.
The young policeman's ears moved slightly, and he seemed to hear the sound of the fuse burning towards the explosives.
He glanced at the black plastic bag and the faint flames under the bushes, then at the mother holding her child and singing tenderly.
Then he jumped up without hesitation and rushed towards the explosives——
"boom!!!"
Under the vast sunset, a thick black smoke rose from the ground and rushed into the sky.
The scene was completely silent, everyone was stunned, and time seemed to freeze at this moment.
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