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墨書 Inktalez
Ge Dongyun never really cared about Wang Liguo. To her, he was like an adhesive bandage that she couldn't shake off. She didn't need to look at him with disdain, because in her eyes, Wang Liguo was no different from a bystander.
At the same age, girls tend to be more mature than boys. Ge Dongyun understood that nothing would happen between them, but Wang Liguo was hopeful. He yearned to win her affection in a manner reminiscent of an Imperial Guard—lonely yet glorious. In the end, however, he only moved himself.
Old Shao had once seen a flicker of sadness and loneliness in Wang Liguo's eyes. Abandoned by his biological parents, Wang Liguo had no friends. Other orphans might still hold onto the hope of finding their real parents, but for Wang Liguo, they were right there yet remained strangers.
Whenever Ge Dongyun looked at him with indifference or fear, he would open his heart to her. Such actions were foolish yet deeply heartbreaking.
Wang Liguo had worked so hard for so long, simply wanting a few friends.
Upon hearing Old Shao's words, Wang Liguo blinked rapidly, not wanting Old Shao to see the tears welling up in his eyes.
He maintained a nonchalant demeanor and said, "Really? Does Ge Dongyun believe I’ve never killed anyone?"
A wave of inexplicable sadness washed over Old Shao, but he could only go along with the lie: "She knows you wouldn’t kill anyone; she can see it in your eyes."
Beautiful fantasies are easily constructed, but one wonders how Wang Liguo would react if he learned the truth.
"Open the door," Old Shao gently urged. "Don't do anything foolish. Just open the door, and everything will be over. You can rest assured; you're still a minor. No one will pursue this matter later. Go home, take a shower, sleep it off—just consider it a crazy dream, alright?"
Old Shao searched for angles beside the glass wall but could no longer see Wang Liguo. He didn't know Wang Liguo's expression or movements; he had no idea what he was thinking. But it was certain that Wang Liguo's emotions had stabilized for now; at least he wouldn't cut the rope just yet.
Wang Liguo remained silent. Old Shao knew that effective persuasion required a balance of pressure—sometimes tight and sometimes loose—to keep control of the rhythm. At this moment, Wang Liguo needed time to think.
However, Old Shao couldn't afford to give him too much time because the rope binding Xiao Xuanmiao was like a ticking time bomb that could snap at any moment. For Xiao Xuanmiao, time was life.
With a soft ding, the elevator doors opened.
Jiang He stepped out with five Special Police officers following him.
Old Shao glanced at Yuan Jun beside him, using his index and middle fingers to point at his own eyes, then gestured towards the glass of the top floor door, indicating for Yuan Jun to keep a close watch on the platform's every move.
Yuan Jun nodded, and Old Shao descended the stairs.
A few of them crouched by the elevator door. Old Shao whispered, "Right now, Wang Liguo's emotions are relatively stable, but he shows no intention of opening the door. The rope binding Xiao Xuanmiao isn't very secure; we can't just passively wait for Wang Liguo to open it."
Jiang He pointed to the Hydraulic Breaching Tool behind him and said, "Everything is ready. If there's an opportunity, we can force our way in at any time. Besides the SWAT team members I brought, snipers have already been arranged in the opposite building."
Old Shao nodded. It seemed that the City Bureau placed great importance on Xiao Xuanmiao. This was understandable; the city leaders of Dragon City could not have anticipated that a short video would suddenly ignite the entire city. Xiao Xuanmiao had become a well-known figure overnight. If she were to die like this, it would undoubtedly cause significant unrest.
Xiao Xuanmiao must not die. Old Shao believed that if necessary, the city leaders would certainly allow a sniper to take out Wang Liguo with a single shot. However, that was not the outcome Old Shao wanted to see. He could sense that Wang Liguo's nature was not inherently bad; he was worth saving.
"The door is locked from the inside. Even with the Hydraulic Breaching Tool, it will definitely take longer than Wang Liguo cutting the rope. Although Wang Liguo is currently stable, we cannot take that risk. In my opinion, the best course of action now is for you all to wait in the second-to-last room."
"I calculated carefully just now; directly above that room is where Xiao Xuanmiao is bound. Once you enter that room, immediately secure your safety ropes and climb out through the window. When you are confident enough, head straight up to the top floor—Team A will handle controlling Wang Liguo while Team B rescues Xiao Xuanmiao."
The others nodded in agreement.
Old Shao continued, "During the operation, make sure to bring an extra safety rope. If you can discreetly tie it around Xiao Xuanmiao without her noticing, that would be ideal—it adds an extra layer of insurance. But be extremely cautious; even if Xiao Xuanmiao won't fall, Wang Liguo's sharp scissors are no joke."
"Understood."
Old Shao checked his watch and said, "On my signal in five minutes, I will try to engage Wang Liguo in conversation to draw his attention here; you all should act based on the situation."
The SWAT team leader spoke up, "You three come with me. In a moment, Li and I will be responsible for rescuing the hostage while you two handle controlling the kidnapper."
The three made a 'K' gesture in response.
The SWAT Captain turned to the remaining Special Police officer and said, "Take the hydraulic cutter to the entrance. Once we succeed, you will be responsible for breaking down the door and joining us inside."
He glanced at Old Shao and then addressed his team, "Load your weapons. If anything unexpected happens, I allow you to shoot the criminals on sight."
The SWAT Captain arranged for a few members to go ahead, then spoke to Shao the Elder, "I heard this kid has killed before when he was just a teenager."
Shao the Elder replied, "We haven't fully investigated whether he has actually killed anyone, but judging by how seriously the city leaders are treating this, they probably see him as a ruthless murderer already. Otherwise, would they dare to deploy snipers in front of so many onlookers? Their principle is to avoid bloodshed whenever possible."
The SWAT Captain said, "Old Shao, if it weren't for your esteemed reputation as a criminologist and your long career as a veteran detective, I might not share this with you. To be honest, the city leaders have told us that as long as we can rescue Xiao Xuanmiao, we can shoot the criminals on sight, regardless of whether they have shown any aggressive behavior."
"We should avoid gunfire if possible," Old Shao sighed. "He isn't a cold-blooded criminal; we should give him a chance."
"Understood," replied the SWAT Team Captain.
As they spoke, the SWAT Captain had already vanished down the corridor, moving as quietly as a night prowling cat.
"I'll go help them," Jiang He said.
Old Shao nodded and walked toward the entrance.
At that moment, Wang Liguo was unaware that he was facing bullets that could fly at any moment. Old Shao understood that if he couldn't persuade Wang Liguo to open the door in time, the consequences would be dire.
Suddenly, Old Shao's phone rang; it was Captain Liu.
As he ascended, Old Shao sent a text message to Captain Liu: "Currently on a mission. I will contact you later; do not reply."
"Wang Liguo," Old Shao called through the glass but saw no sign of him. "Are you there? You should think this through; don’t let Ge Dongyun down. Open the door."
Wang Liguo's figure appeared at the door, his hand resting on it. Old Shao felt a sigh of relief; it seemed that Wang Liguo had chosen to let go.
"Open the door," said Shao the Elder.
Old Shao even saw the shiny key in Wang Liguo's hand. He inserted the key into the lock but did not turn it. Wang Liguo looked up at Old Shao, who was also looking at him. The distance between them was merely ten centimeters, separated only by an iron door and a piece of glass.
Wang Liguo's voice was soft as he said, "At your age, calling you grandfather is not inappropriate."
"That's right," Old Shao nodded.
Wang Liguo continued, "But grandfather, Ge Dongyun is dead. The last person in this world who trusted me is gone. What meaning does my existence hold now? Since my parents abandoned me, I had no choice but to mooch off my neighbors for food. Over time, they grew tired of me and refused to feed me. I had to go from house to house, shamelessly begging for scraps."
"Until everyone in the village stopped giving me food, I had to ask my classmates for help. When they refused, I would hit them. I longed for a friend, but their parents... I'm not a good kid; no one wanted to play with me. Until that year when I turned twelve, everyone knew I had killed someone."
"At first, I tried to explain, but it was useless. If they thought of me as a murderer, then let them see me that way. Since no one wanted to play with me, I decided to make them fear me. I wanted others to know that it wasn't that no one wanted to be with me; it was that they were afraid of me."
Wang Liguo's eyes were filled with tears. "Grandfather, tell me, do you think I'm a murderer?"
All the cynicism and indifference were merely a facade for Wang Liguo. He believed that by exposing his claws and thorns completely, he could cover up the loneliness and solitude within him. In the end, he could deceive others but not himself.
Ge Dongyun was his only hope; with that hope shattered, he felt it was time to leave.
"I believe you," Old Shao understood from Wang Liguo's gaze; that clarity was definitely not something a murderer could possess.
"I believe you," Old Shao's eyes also turned red.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Wang Liguo kept expressing his gratitude, but his actions came to a halt. "I have no hope left for this world anymore; thank you. I will untie her and ensure she returns safely. However, I won't be coming back; let Xiao Xuanmiao open the door for you."
Wang Liguo threw down the scissors and quickly walked towards Xiao Xuanmiao.
Old Shao suddenly remembered something and shouted, "Don't go over there! Stay at the door; it's dangerous!"
But Wang Liguo, who was determined to die, didn't care about any danger.
"Hey, hey? Sniper?" Old Shao called out, but it was clear that their earpieces were not on the same channel.
"Guan Deng, connect me to the sniper's channel immediately," Old Shao shouted.
"Connection established."
"Ready to fire at any time."
"Fire."
"Don't!"
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