Chapter 74 13

Chapter 74: 13

The rain came quickly and left just as fast.

The dark clouds completely dispersed, and the sky gradually cleared, revealing a hint of azure blue.

On their way back, the two quickly grabbed lunch, and Li Shang took the initiative to drive.

Shortly after getting in the car, the superior's directive came through.

He Lin made a call to Wu Yunsheng: "Lao Wu, the current suspect is a graduate student named Shi Luoxin. Try to contact him. If he cooperates, bring him to the city bureau for another round of questioning and evidence collection."

About ten minutes later, they received Wu Yunsheng’s reply: "Shi Luoxin’s phone is turned off. I asked the school—he hasn't been there for two days and didn't request leave. The situation is very unusual. Xiao Cheng just searched and found no records of him purchasing train or plane tickets. His last purchase was last night at a convenience store near the school, where he bought some water and food."

He Lin asked: "Have you checked with his family?"

Wu Yunsheng replied: "I called. His father answered and said he severed ties with his family back in college. Whatever happens has nothing to do with them."

Severed ties?

Hearing this, He Lin and Li Shang exchanged a glance.

Lian Xuan had also severed ties with his family—was this a coincidence?

Attended Hengtong No. 1 High School, got into Yunda University, became a graduate student, stayed on campus during holidays, and severed ties with his family.

Shi Luoxin and Lian Xuan had remarkably similar life trajectories.

On the other end of the phone, Wu Yunsheng continued: "But it’s not entirely without leads. He hasn’t been living in the dorm this semester. We tracked down his recent off-campus rental place, and I’m planning to take Fang Jue and check it out."

He Lin asked: "Should we wait until we get back to discuss the next steps?"

Wu Yunsheng said: "Nah, no need. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a field action—my arms and legs are getting rusty. Checking it out early will help confirm whether he’s the suspect we’re looking for and close the case sooner."

He Lin reminded him uneasily: "Be careful. Bring more people. Shi Luoxin has a high IQ and is a graduate student in a dangerous materials specialty. He might already be prepared."

Lao Wu took the advice: "Alright, I’ll bring more people."

.

At 1 p.m., a fully equipped police team arrived at the entrance of a ten-story residential building—an old apartment complex where Shi Luoxin rented a partitioned single-room apartment.

Wu Yunsheng took the lead and approached the door. The veteran cop held a gun in one hand and knocked on the metal security door with the other, trying to sound natural: "Hello, delivery!"

Inside, it was completely silent, not a sound.

Wu Yunsheng switched his gun to the other hand and cautiously gestured to the officers beside him. An officer skilled in lock-picking immediately stepped forward, tools turning in the keyhole. In less than half a minute, a soft click sounded, and the door opened.

Lao Wu whispered instructions: "After entering, check if anyone is inside. Be careful—don’t touch anything."

The temporarily assigned officers nodded, their expressions slightly tense.

The arrest operation officially began.

Wu Yunsheng led the way, followed by Fang Jue and three other officers, entering the room in single file: "Police! Don’t move!"

"No one here! Clear!"

"Clear here too!"

The room was empty but relatively clean. Some un-discarded trash by the door included packaging from the water and food bought the previous night, indicating someone had been living there as recently as last evening.

Just as Fang Jue was about to take another step forward, Wu Yunsheng grabbed him: "Careful."

Fang Jue looked down and noticed a thin wire stretched at shin height across the bedroom doorway. In the dim light of the room, it was nearly impossible to spot without careful inspection. He quickly stepped back, feeling a sense of dread.

Wu Yunsheng remained vigilant. He sharply looked up and spotted a surveillance camera in the corner, its indicator light glowing with a faint blue light. He whispered: "There’s surveillance."

This meant the police operation might already have been seen by the suspect.

An assisting officer checked the balcony and soon called out: "There are quite a few containers of chemicals here! Some even have dangerous goods labels."

Wu Yunsheng realized this was a trap—beyond the first layer, there might be another.

A mechanical click sounded in the quiet room. Wu Yunsheng immediately identified the source as under the bedroom bed.

He crouched down and looked under the bed. Amid the dust, a string of flickering red numbers caught his eye—the digits changed from 10:00 to 9:59. A ten-minute countdown had begun.

A time bomb had been activated.

Wu Yunsheng shouted: "There’s a bomb!"

Fang Jue asked: "Is it real?"

"Professional-level," Wu Yunsheng said, his back instantly drenched in sweat. Although He Lin had warned him, he hadn't expected things to be this severe. He took a few photos with his phone and ordered the officers to retreat to the doorway.

"Notify the residents and prepare for evacuation!" Lao Wu said, sending the photos out.

The message instantly drew attention from the city bureau’s higher-ups.

A technician quickly replied: "Judging by its shape, the yield is significant. The explosion radius could be around 10 meters."

There were no bomb squad personnel nearby, making disarming impossible.

Director Chen soon issued instructions: "The top priority is to avoid casualties. Organize an emergency evacuation. Second, notify fire and rescue personnel as soon as possible. Third, set up a command center and ensure the suspect is apprehended quickly…"

Wu Yunsheng put on his earpiece to maintain contact with headquarters and switched Fang Jue’s police body camera to live streaming mode.

The old building had no elevator, so officers had to go floor by floor, notifying each household individually.

Starting from the top floor, officers knocked on door after door.

Some doors opened slowly after extended knocking. Inside were elderly people watching TV, women holding infants, and young people who had just finished night shifts and were still asleep. Residents were escorted out one by one and gathered in the small garden downstairs.

After finally notifying everyone in the building and evacuating them downstairs, Wu Yunsheng let out a sigh of relief. With only ten minutes to spare, the process had already taken eight.

Suddenly, an older woman who had just returned from grocery shopping rushed out of the crowd, insisting on going back upstairs to get her valuables.

Fang Jue grabbed her: "Ma'am, are you trying to get yourself killed? There’s a bomb upstairs!"

"What bomb? Who planted it? How could there be such a thing in a normal building? I think it’s fake!" another young man who had just been evacuated complained, his face full of irritation.

"Yeah, we’ve been down here for a while, and nothing’s happened. Can I at least go change my shoes?"

"What’s going on? No one’s explaining clearly. My ID is still upstairs…"

A child added to the chaos—a baby in its mother’s arms started crying. The woman patted the child anxiously and said: "Can I go upstairs to grab a bottle? I live on the third floor—it’ll only take a minute."

In just a short while, the people downstairs were getting impatient.

Fang Jue was anxious: "No one’s playing games with you—there’s real danger!"

Wu Yunsheng was maintaining order nearby. Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, he parted the crowd, locked eyes with the people, and roared, "No one is allowed to go up until the danger is cleared!"

The shout silenced all the restless people.

Less than three seconds after Wu Yunsheng's words, a thunderous explosion erupted from upstairs, followed by flames and thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Shattered concrete and glass rained down from above, and the entire ground trembled.

Wu Yunsheng felt a searing heat on his back, pushed forward two steps by the blast.

Fang Jue reacted swiftly, stepped sideways to shield the baby in the woman's arms, blocking the falling debris.

The explosion lasted several seconds before it finally ceased.

This was Fang Jue's first experience of such an event in his police career. A sharp ringing pierced his ears, and as he looked back at the shattered remains of the building, it still felt surreal.

The concrete pavement underfoot was cracked by the blast, littered with broken glass, rubble, and burning debris. The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning.

Billowing black smoke surged into the sky like a dragon, flames licking at the building.

The crowd, who had been shouting moments before, now brushed dust from their clothes and looked up in stunned silence at the half-destroyed building, too shocked to speak.

They had just cheated death.

Some began to cry belatedly, while in the distance, the faint sound of fire engine sirens grew closer.

Seeing the scene before him, Wu Yunsheng's anxious heart finally eased. He turned, dusted himself off, and made his way out through the crowd.

Then, the veteran detective felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. Covered in dust, he sat by the roadside, hands trembling as he pulled out a cigarette; it took him two tries to light it.

A voice came through his earpiece: "Officer Wu, what's the situation?"

Wu Yunsheng took a deep drag and replied, "The device here just detonated. Not sure about the property damage, but there should be no casualties."

He then called He Lin: "Captain He, it's confirmed—Shi Luoxin did it. From what was on his balcony, he had enough to make several more. Be careful; that kid won't go down easily."

Finally, he called his wife: "Honey, what's for dinner tonight? Oh, nothing, I just suddenly missed you and our son."

.

Meanwhile, inside the car, He Lin had already seen what happened through Fang Jue's body camera.

Li Shang, who was driving, also heard the explosion and asked, "How's the situation?"

He Lin replied, "Not the worst. Shi Luoxin set a timer, meaning he wasn't trying to kill anyone immediately."

Otherwise, Lao Wu and everyone on that half of the building would have been casualties.

He Lin continued, "The key now is to find where Shi Luoxin is. Director Chen has set up roadblocks at all intersections for inspections."

Li Shang thought for a moment: "Hengtong No. 1 High School?"

He Lin shook his head: "Security there is tight. We just left, and everything was normal."

Shi Luoxin wasn't at school, nor at his rented place, where he had set a trap. He had cut off contact with his family and hadn't fled the city, so the only place left he frequented was...

He Lin and Li Shang simultaneously thought of a possibility, speaking almost in unison: "The study room?"

Too much had happened there. It was one of Shi Luoxin's usual haunts over the past few years, one of his fixations.

It all started there, and it seemed right to end there too.

He Lin quickly called Cheng Xiaoyi: "Pull up the study room surveillance footage for any anomalies."

"Understood," Cheng Xiaoyi replied, urgently accessing the study room's camera system. The feed came through one by one—no one, still no one. The usually crowded study room was suddenly empty except for scattered chairs and desks.

Frowning, Cheng Xiaoyi switched angles. Her hand paused abruptly; the screen showed a girl handcuffed to a pillar, while someone else was strapping something to her body.

"There's a situation in the study room—a hostage!" she said nervously, zooming in. "It's Shi Luoxin; he's taken a girl hostage..."

As Cheng Xiaoyi spoke, Shi Luoxin finished setting up the device. He looked up at the corner camera, walked over, and yanked the cable.

The screen went dark...

He Lin urgently contacted headquarters, calling for backup to the study room.

Their car had just exited the highway. Li Shang turned the steering wheel, heading toward the university district's study hall.

They would likely be the first to arrive.

.

Just twenty minutes earlier, downstairs from the study room, a young man sat in a coffee shop. Wearing glasses and carrying a backpack, he coldly watched the footage on his phone.

Officers had broken in, and subsequently, they discovered his booby trap.

The man sighed lightly, took out a remote with a red button, and pressed it.

At that moment, he felt no satisfaction, only a twinge of bitterness.

Despite everything he could do, things had still come to this.

He finished his drink, picked up his backpack, and stood, heading toward the elevator to the study room...

This path was all too familiar; he had taken it countless times. Today might be the last.

.

A white police car pulled up downstairs. Li Shang braked sharply.

He Lin got out and looked up. Through the tenth-floor glass windows, faint shadows could be seen.

Then, the blackout curtains descended one by one, blocking any view of the interior.

The two rushed into the office building's lobby.

Students were already streaming out, being evacuated, many calling the police. Property management seemed to have noticed something was wrong, and some had seen news of the explosion online.

He Lin urgently told Li Shang, "Find the building security and coordinate the evacuation. I'll go upstairs to check the situation."

Li Shang stepped aside and directly pressed the fire alarm.

Instantly, the fire alarm screamed to life.

"It's the fastest way to notify everyone," Li Shang insisted. "He Lin, I'm coming with you... just in case..."

Shi Luoxin was fighting with his back to the wall, aware of what awaited him. He wouldn't surrender easily.

If an explosion occurred, He Lin would...

Li Shang didn't even want to think about the outcome.

He didn't want to wait downstairs at a time like this.

"No need for both of us to go," He Lin refused. "You know this case inside out; someone has to stay and coordinate."

Then He Lin decisively added, "Shi Luoxin didn't set it off right away and made most people leave. He hasn't completely lost his grip. There might still be room for negotiation. I'll stall him until SWAT and backup arrive."

Li Shang’s eyes welling up upon hearing his words.

He understood in his heart that this was the best arrangement, yet emotionally, he couldn't bring himself to accept it.

He Lin finished making arrangements without another word, turned, and entered the elevator going upstairs.

Li Shang stood in place, his fingers twitched slightly as if he wanted to grab hold of He Lin; his hand lifted, then gently dropped back to his side.

This scene felt familiar, like it had happened before, a long time ago.

Life is like that—you never know which meeting will be the last.

Li Shang stood dazed at the elevator entrance for three seconds, then took a deep breath, turned around, and walked resolutely toward the crowd.

.

He Lin went upstairs, wearing the communication equipment taken from the police car and connecting his phone to ensure the command room could hear the dialogue inside and understand the situation.

The floor where the study room was located was quiet, the lighting was much dimmer than usual.

He Lin arrived at the glass door entrance; the administrator permissions set earlier were still active. He pressed a few buttons, and the door opened in response.

He Lin looked inside. Shi Luoxin was sitting on a chair not far from the entrance, and beside him was the captive young woman, Xie Liner.

At this moment, Xie Liner was handcuffed to a load-bearing pillar nearby, with a time bomb strapped to her waist. Her mouth was gagged, her hair disheveled, and her face streaked with tears as she was frantically shaking her head at him.

Yet He Lin still stepped forward determinedly.

Shi Luoxin raised the remote control in his hand. He looked up: "Officer He, don’t take another step. Stand right there. Take one more step, and I’ll press the button."

He Lin raised both hands, to show he was unarmed: "Let her go. I’ll be your hostage."

Shi Luoxin shook his head: "Hostage? No, she is my object of revenge. She was the one who gave you the leads, so I’ll die together with her."

He Lin tried to speak up for Xie Liner: "She—"

Shi Luoxin cut him off: "I asked her, and she admitted it herself." He sighed. "If you hadn’t found Lian Xuan’s body, none of this would have happened…"

He Lin kept trying: "What are your demands? You can tell me."

Shi Luoxin sneered: "I’m waiting to proceed with the execution. Don’t worry, I’m not someone who kills innocent people, so I’ll give you some time to evacuate everyone upstairs…"

He looked up at He Lin: "Officer He, it’s not too late for you to leave now. If you stay, I won’t mind taking you with me."

The perpetrator clearly wasn't willing to negotiate.

He Lin changed tactics, hoping to distract Shi Luoxin and wait for rescue.

The air grew tense; the study room was too quiet.

He Lin calmly took a seat opposite him: "Since there’s still time, I have some questions for you. While working on this case, there’s one thing I’ve never quite understood."

Shi Luoxin tilted his head, listening intently.

He Lin looked directly into Shi Luoxin’s eyes and asked the question: "What exactly was your motive for killing Lian Xuan?"

.

Downstairs, most of the people inside the building had been evacuated.

Backup had been arriving gradually; Wu Yunsheng and Fang Jue also reached the scene.

The first to arrive was a team of SWAT personnel, led by Captain Liu. The SWAT vehicle parked by the roadside, and as Captain Liu stepped out, he saw Li Shang approaching.

Captain Liu’s eyes widened instantly, rubbed his eyes in disbelief: "Rong... Rong..."

He had clearly seen this person during special training at Tianning Base—the base’s drill instructor, the captain of Dragon Flame, and the renowned top commander...

"Liu Chengsheng," Li Shang walked up to him and directly called his name, then introduced himself, "I’m from the Missing Persons Investigation Unit, Li Shang."

With that one sentence, Liu Chengsheng was sure he'd recognized correctly. Guessing whether Rong Qing was on a special mission or if there was another reason, he swallowed the "Qing" and instead said, "Officer Li."

Director Chen’s instructions came through the earpiece: "Captain Liu, discuss the on-site situation with Officer Li. Ensure the hostage’s safety to the greatest extent."

Captain Liu immediately understood and turned to ask Li Shang: "How do you want to proceed?"

Li Shang stood among the crowd, calmly issuing orders: "Lao Wu, go with the property management staff to get some tool kits as backup."

"Fang Jue, take people to set up a security perimeter. Make sure nobody gets through."

Then he turned to Liu Chengsheng: "Has everyone been evacuated? How long until the bomb squad arrives?"

Captain Liu said: "Estimated fifteen more minutes..."

Li Shang frowned slightly: "That’s a bit long." He wasn’t sure if it would be in time.

Then Li Shang called up the pre-drawn digital map on his phone to show Captain Liu: "This is the digital map of the scene. The suspect and the hostage are in area C3."

He spoke quickly: "It’s best not to let the bomb detonate. That pillar is a structural column; nearby floors would be at risk of collapsing."

"Snipers should ideally take position on the 12th floor of the building to the right. Since the light-blocking curtains are drawn inside, their sightlines will be compromised. Firing could accidentally harm the hostage, so they'll need to exercise extreme caution."

Li Shang traced several potential routes on the map: "The best assault plan is for someone to enter through the restroom window, circle around, and neutralize the suspect from behind. Our people upstairs can coordinate. This approach has the best chance of success..."

SWAT Captain Liu nodded repeatedly; Rong Qing’s assessment and analysis were absolutely professional.

Calm, logical, and authoritative—this was indeed the best plan under the circumstances.

He suddenly remembered something and said urgently: "But this building... we didn’t bring professional façade climbing gear."

Li Shang gestured: "No need for specialized equipment. Do you have suction cups? It should be possible to make the climb without equipment from the 11th-floor window."

Captain Liu listened, then looked up at the office building covered in glass and aluminum panels.

He grasped what Rong Qing was suggesting.

But... the building’s design was somewhat unique. The restroom windows of the entire office building were staggered in a diagonal pattern.

The lateral distance between the 11th-floor window and the 10th-floor window was a full ten meters.

If someone were skilled enough, they could climb out of the 11th-floor window, move ten meters to the right along the building’s exterior, and then figure out how to descend to the 10th-floor window.

This way, entry wouldn’t alert the suspect, allowing for a surprise attack from behind.

Captain Liu looked up, assessing the difficulty of the task in his mind. The large glass panels reflected glaring spots of sunlight.

The glass was smooth, the gaps wide, and each story was 4.2 meters high. This was dozens of meters in the air. Without professional equipment, he couldn’t fathom how anyone could maneuver across manually.

Li Shang noticed Captain Liu’s hesitation and quickly made a decision, proposing the best solution: "I should be able to do it."

Even though it was Rong Qing in front of him, Captain Liu was breaking out in a cold sweat: "No, it’s too risky!"

Li Shang’s tone was firm: "Get me the equipment. I’ll go up and take a look."

This was his case. He Lin was inside. He couldn’t allow any mistakes.