Author: 长洱 / Chang’er
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 29
Jiang Zhe’s angry roar no longer came from the phone. Lin Chen handed it back to Xing Conglian.
On the monitoring screen, Huang Ze put a Bluetooth headset on, then carried a high-definition camera and approached the bus in the corner of the parking lot.
“Everyone, back off.”
Huang Ze’s voice came through from the other end of the phone as he drove the reporters behind him away.
Xing Conglian leaned closer to the microphone. “Inspector Huang, please be careful when opening the door. The suspect is very likely to have connected the lead that started the timer to the door, so…”
“So it doesn’t rule out the possibility that the bomb might explode suddenly if I pull the door again?”
“Yes…”
Before Xing Conglian could speak, Huang Ze was already carrying the camera towards the open door.
Everyone’s hearts tightened abruptly.
The high-definition camera sent back a clear image of the scene. From the image, it was clear that there was a thin line connecting the time bomb to the door, which was hanging softly.
Facing the sudden policeman, the bus driver opened his mouth and began to struggle frantically.
Huang Ze put the camera on the front seat, adjusted it, and then asked, “How’s the picture?”
The camera was aimed at the driver’s chest. On the left side of the driver’s heart, the line of the time bomb and the detonator were fully visible.
The timer was transformed from the simplest electronic clock. The bright red numbers were constantly flashing. It currently showed 19 minutes and 58 seconds.
Xing Conglian pondered for a moment, covered the phone’s microphone, and said to the staff around him, “There should be an auto repair warehouse at the highway rest stop. Go and find all types of pliers, wrenches, and cutting tools. Wash them with water and deliver them within ten minutes.”
Hearing this, Lin Chen suddenly grabbed Xing Conglian. “Didn’t you say this bomb isn’t complicated as long as the fuse is removed?”
“That’s a type 101 detonator. Removing the fuse is like cutting the fire wire. It’s not completely safe. If Huang Ze has been professionally trained, we have a safer way, which is to directly remove the safety gasket and install the ignition pole.”
In the picture, Huang Ze squatted on the ground and patted the back of the driver’s hand. Then he leaned close to the bomb, looked at it for a while, then suddenly turned his head and stared at the camera lens, asking, “Captain Xing, what do you have in mind?”
“Plan L or Plan L.”
“Life or luck, desperate or desperate.” Huang Ze laughed. In the camera, the tips of his hair were wet with sweat, but he was still smiling. “It seems that I have underestimated you, Captain Xing. Which unit are you from?”
Xing Conglian’s face was solemn. He felt a sense of sympathy for Huang Ze as they shared those code words. “I would like to ask Inspector Huang what’s the fastest time you can remove a detonator?”
“Probably a little faster than Captain Xing.” Huang Ze looked at the numbers ticking on the driver’s chest and said, “I need to have a set of No. 3 pliers and cutting tools. If not, I can make do with a utility knife and screwdriver.”
“It’s already being prepared.”
After Xing Conglian finished speaking, Huang Ze gave a light “Nn”, and said nothing else. The two fell into an unbearable silence.
At this moment, Lin Chen, who had been staring at the big screen, suddenly said, “Huang Ze, give your Bluetooth headset to the driver.”
“What do you want to do?” Huang Ze suddenly turned his head and gave a deadly look to the camera.
“Ask for a testimony.” Lin Chen glanced at Huang Ze’s angry gaze on the big screen before moving his face to the bus driver again. His tone was calm and monotonous, as if he didn’t seem affected by the life and death situation on the screen.
Huang Ze turned his head and glanced at the driver, then lowered his voice. “This man is scared to death. At this time, you want to interrogate him?”
“He has all the clues about the missing twenty-six children and two teachers.” Perhaps it was due to the screen light being too bright, but Lin Chen slightly narrowed his eyes. “But, it may already be too late.”
After Lin Chen finished speaking, Xing Conglian gave him a deep look, thinking that his words at this moment weren’t very appropriate.
Huang Ze rushed out of the bus and lowered his voice, as if he didn’t want the driver to hear the conversation. “What you mean is, if I fail and both of us are blown up, you won’t have the chance to ask for his testimony, right?” He took a deep breath and continued, “Lin Chen, you’re really cold-blooded.”
In the monitoring hall, Huang Ze’s scolding was once again broadcast through the phone and accurately transmitted to everyone’s ears.
Lin Chen didn’t seem to be aware of the questioning glances. His lips opened lightly, and he only said one thing, “Yes.”
Huang Ze sneered. He tore off his Bluetooth angrily and rushed back to the bus, patted the driver on the shoulder, lowered his head and reassured him, then hung the Bluetooth to the driver’s ear.
The bus driver seemed to be still in extreme panic and didn’t know what was going on. He shook his head desperately.
“Sir, I hope you can calm down and answer a few questions.” Hearing a rapid gasping sound coming from the earpiece, Lin Chen took the phone from Xing Conglian’s hand and started speaking.
Hearing this, the driver subconsciously looked at the camera and tried to open his mouth. His limbs were shaking so badly that he couldn’t form a coherent sentence.
“The police officer in front of you is risking his life to save you, but we have not yet located the remaining twenty-eight lives in the bus. If you can’t calm down, I’ll ask the staff on the scene to give you an injection of chlorpromazine*, which is a commonly known tranquilizer, to help you calm down so you can answer my questions.”
*It is primarily used to treat psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Other uses include the treatment of bipolar disorder, severe behavioral problems in children, including those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, nausea and vomiting, anxiety before surgery, and hiccups that do not improve following other measures.
While Lin Chen was talking, there were whispers around the hall. Xing Conglian frowned slightly but stopped looking at Lin Chen. Out of everyone’s gaze, Lin Chen was quietly holding his hands and gently squeezing them.
It was obvious there was no chlorpromazine at the scene, but the bus driver didn’t know this.
Lin Chen’s words miraculously calmed the driver down. He gasped and spoke intermittently. “Help me. Please help me! I have children… My wife is waiting for me to go home and have dinner with her…”
The driver’s crying voice moved everyone present. Some of the young girls couldn’t help but shed tears.
“I would like to ask you if you still remember the events of how the bus got hijacked?”
“At the rest stop in Meicun. While taking a smoke break, someone put a pistol to my back and asked me to get in the car, so I did what he said.”
Hearing this, Huang Ze took out his phone and brought up a blurred surveillance photo and asked the driver, “Is it this person?”
The driver glanced at the photo and nodded hurriedly. “Yes, that person was a bit short and wore a gray scarf, so I couldn’t see his face clearly!”
Lin Chen frowned slightly. Before Huang Ze spoke again, Lin Chen continued, “Then do you remember how he controlled the entire bus?”
“He asked me to sit down and pretend to be driving. He sat on the dashboard. When the children came, he took out a pile of candy and distributed it to them. When the teacher came, he quietly jabbed his gun at the teacher’s waist.”
“Where did the children and teachers go?”
“The man stop halfway and put the bomb on me. He told me to park the bus in the parking lot of Langchuan Rest Station. He also said that I needed to park in space No. 27, saying that if the bus was parked in the wrong space, the bus would explode.”
Minutes and seconds passed as Lin Chen continued to question the bus driver.
“Where is the halfway you’re talking about?”
“The place where you pass the North Sichuan exit.”
“How far is it from here?”
“About ten minutes.”
“Do you remember the exact time they got off the bus?”
“I don’t. I don’t have time to remember this. Mr. Police, why haven’t you acted yet? It’s almost too late!” The driver said while looking down at his chest and seeing there were less than fourteen minutes left.
Huang Ze heard this and went to get the Bluetooth.
“I have one last question. Can you repeat, how did he control the entire bus?”
Lin Chen once again asked the same question he asked earlier, causing the whispered conversation in the surveillance hall to turn into an uproar.
“I have already answered this question. Didn’t I make it clear just now? Why are you still asking me about it?!” The driver suddenly raised his voice, looking frantic and agitated. He struggled desperately, and the situation in the bus suddenly became uncontrollable.
“Lin Chen, what the hell do you want to do!” Huang Ze suddenly retrieved the Bluetooth and yelled into the microphone.
“Huang Ze, please put on the Bluetooth and answer a few questions.”
In the picture, Huang Ze complied and put on the headset. Lin Chen spoke again, “Can you really disarm this bomb within thirteen minutes?”
“Do you want to hear the truth?”
“How sure are you that when you defuse the bomb, you won’t detonate the explosive due to an accidental spark or a slight vibration?”
“In the case of ample time, the success rate is between 75% and 80%.”
“In other words, if there’s not enough time, like now, your success rate will be greatly reduced and it’s also possible that you will detonate it during disarming it.”
“You’re quite direct.”
“Huang Ze, do you trust me?” Lin Chen’s expression was quiet. His face had a serene expression as he asked a question that was seemingly unrelated.
A few months ago, he asked the same question to Xing Conglian. Now, the person who was answering the question had changed. Because the other party was Huang Ze, he couldn’t guarantee to get the expected answer.
“Trust you? After you killed Xiao* Wei, how can you make me trust you?” Huang Ze turned his face towards the camera. The black-haired young man was full of sweat. He tugged at the corners of his mouth to emphasize each word he just spoke.
*Little/small (小) When used in front of a name, it’s an affectionate/friendly way to call someone who’s usually younger than you.
Xing Conglian could clearly see that when Huang Ze mentioned the name of a certain girl, a strange expression appeared on Lin Chen’s face. The look wasn’t remorse or reminiscence, but pain as if a steel nail had pierced one’s bones or a heavy hammer had slammed into their back; no matter how deep and restrained people were, they would be unable to control their emotions in an instant because of the sudden appearance of a certain name. This was why many people called this kind of emotion heartache.
It was just that Lin Chen was still Lin Chen. The painful expression on his face quickly disappeared, and his voice was still as clean and calm as ever, without the slightest choking. “Do you see the red wire that’s fixed to the driver? After the tools are delivered, please cut that wire.”
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