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Zhou Fengxu rubbed his walkie-talkie, his brow furrowing as his initially calm heart stirred with unease. Just as he was about to stand up, Superintendent Liang pressed down on his shoulder.

Superintendent Liang, being decades older, could see through it all at a glance. "Don't rush it. She seems quite composed, different from the others who are in a panic. Perhaps it's worth watching her a bit more."

Zhou Fengxu adjusted the channel on the walkie-talkie and shrugged off the hand on his shoulder as he rose. " Superintendent Liang, the hostage-taker is a serial killer who has murdered two people. The hostage is in grave danger; there's a risk they might be killed at any moment."

"I need to go in."

Inside the bank.

Yan Lei held the housewife tightly, his nerves frayed by the news of the police's arrival. The woman's face had turned an ashen purple under his grip, and she rolled her eyes, slapping at Yan Lei's arm. "Guh... guh..."

Yuening pointed at the housewife. "You're choking her to death."

Yan Lei looked down and eased up slightly on his grip.

At that moment, a trembling female teller stepped forward, holding the walkie-talkie with both hands. "The... police want to speak to you."

Snatching the walkie-talkie, Yan Lei's eyes widened in anger. "What do the police want?!"

A deep voice echoed through the walkie-talkie.

"I'm Detective Zhou Fengxu from the Major Case Unit. You can communicate any demands directly with me, and the police will do our best to accommodate them, on the condition that you let me in so I can ensure the safety of the hostages first."

"Absolutely not! No police are allowed inside!" Yan Lei's agitation caused his gun to rise involuntarily. "You cops are full of tricks. If you want to negotiate, do it outside!"

The terrified housewife gagged as the barrel pressed against her chin. Sobbing, she pleaded, "Officer, please don't come in! Please don't! He'll really shoot me!"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the walkie-talkie.

"Alright, calm down. We can discuss everything."

Chu Yuening looked around. With the security shutter door down, there was no escape route except through the back door. But once the bank's alarm system was triggered, the back door would likely be locked too.

Yan Lei's agitation grew. "How many police officers have you sent? Are there snipers positioned in the opposite building? Get rid of them all!"

Zhou Fengxu tried to soothe him. "As long as you release all the hostages, I promise there won't be a single sniper outside."

"Cops are all liars! You think it's that easy to let me go?" Yan Lei's pupils dilated, his nostrils flaring. "Every single police officer, get off this street! I don't want to see a cop anywhere around here!"

"Lastly, I want an armored vehicle! I want to see all of these items within fifteen minutes! Otherwise, I'll personally eliminate every single one of them!"

The bank employees were ensconced in fear, huddling together, with several of them even weeping uncontrollably.

Only Chu Yuening was serenely sipping her milk tea.

After a moment.

The walkie-talkie crackled to life once more.

"The conditions can all be met, on the premise that you let me in to ensure the safety of the hostages."

Yan Lei's emotions began to unravel. In a fit of rage, he slammed the radio against the wall.

After a brief static noise...

Yan Lei picked up the walkie-talkie and sneered. "Officer, don't even think about trying to trick me. I won't step out unless everything is ready. If we're going to die, I'll take these hostages down with me!"

Separated by a roller shutter door, Zhou Fengxu had no view of the situation inside. He climbed back into the command vehicle and rapped on the door as he entered.

Inspector Leung was displeased but, with dozens of hostages at the mercy of the criminals, his frustration could not override the need to avoid provoking them. Reluctantly, he picked up the radio.

"Special Duties Unit, PTC, withdraw one street back. One sniper remains in position, all others withdraw."

Inspector Leung's face was grave as he watched the closed-circuit television.

Zhou Fengxu approached him.

Looking at the forty-odd terrified citizens on the screen, Inspector Leung spoke earnestly, "Ah Xu, no matter what, we can't let any hostage be harmed. The safety of the citizens' lives must come first."

Zhou Fengxu switched on the radio channel, "Yes, sir."

He was preparing for another communication.

Unable to negotiate on site, he had to find a way to stabilize the situation with the criminals.

It was at this very moment.

In the bank, the panic-stricken lady customer suddenly suffered a heart attack. Clutching her chest in excruciating pain, she stumbled backward, her pupils dilating, and her breaths coming in rapid gasps.

Yan Lei looked down at the collapsing woman, one hand supporting her body while the other held his gun against her forehead. He gritted his teeth and barked, "Don't even think about playing possum! Stand up! Stand up!"

The lady frantically tried to reach into her pocket, but the deep pocket of her suit jacket made it impossible for her to retrieve anything.

Seeing the lady's growing distress, Chu Yuening couldn't bring herself to sip her milk tea anymore. She rose from her seat and offered, "How about we switch? A hostage in poor health will only hinder you. I'm in good health and can accompany you when you leave."

"Switch?" Yan Lei assessed Chu Yuening's attire, noticing her bare neck and wrists devoid of any valuable accessories. This fueled his anger. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm penniless, let me tell you. Those police and the world are the same - they're all money-driven. No one cares about the plight of the poor."

As he spoke, Yan Lei tugged on the jade necklace around the lady's neck. "These wealthy folks are different. The slightest mishap, and the police would be in a frenzy."

"Do you want me to trade a fat lamb for a chicken? Is that even possible?"

With that, he dragged the ailing lady further back and urged the bank staff, "Hurry up and count the money!"

Chu Yuening approached, and Yan Lei's gun pointed in her direction.

She placed the milk tea cup on the counter and raised her hands. "How about I get her the medicine without exchanging hostages?"