Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Jiang He followed the person for quite a distance, winding around until he realized they had returned to a corner of Cultural Center Square.
The winter night always descends quickly; by six in the afternoon, the sky was already draped in darkness. Various lights had illuminated Cultural Center Square, almost brighter than the moonlight. Since this year was the Year of the Dog, most of the lanterns were crafted in the shape of dogs, especially favored by children.
However, on this joyful night of family gatherings, some people did not feel the happiness that the New Year brought them. Jiang He and this person had been hiding here for several hours; during this time, the person remained motionless, as if asleep or on the verge of death.
The bells in the square had already chimed six times; it was now six o'clock on New Year's Eve, and in six hours, a new year would arrive. The massive screen on the west side of the square had begun broadcasting preparatory programs for the Spring Festival Gala. At designated spots for fireworks, scattered individuals had started setting off firecrackers, their sounds echoing continuously.
Adults and children donned new clothes, bright red lanterns hung high; everyone clearly understood that the New Year was fast approaching.
At that moment, the person in front of Jiang He finally moved. He said to Jiang He, "Remember what I told you before? If you see any of our people, let them wear this collar."
Jiang He nodded but thought about how to inform Old Shao at the café.
At this moment, Old Shao had been out of contact with Jiang He for several hours. Unbeknownst to him, Jiang He had actually returned to the square and was not far from them. It was just that with another person beside him, Jiang He could not directly reach out to Old Shao.
The café still had very few customers; those who came in did so mostly to warm up and perhaps grab some coffee or milk tea to avoid feeling awkward.
With the owner's consent, Old Shao and his companions had moved to the second floor and were prohibited from allowing other customers upstairs.
Through thick glass windows, they overlooked the entire square. In recent years, more families celebrating outside during New Year’s Eve had gathered in the square.
The police were strictly monitoring, disguised as plainclothes officers hidden among the crowd, aiming to discreetly take these followers away.
Yuan Jun stood behind a window on the second floor, surveying the entire square. He noticed that there were noticeably more people in black clothing among the crowd. They appeared like a tide; previously silent, they suddenly surged in from all directions, a group of cloaked figures mingling with those dressed festively.
Some around began to notice these oddly dressed individuals; a few felt uneasy but paid little attention. In such a peaceful atmosphere, who would suspect that danger lurked nearby?
Jiang He distributed collars alongside this person; within just an hour, they had handed out all the collars they held. The recipients wore them around their necks as if accepting some sacred relic. This suddenly made Jiang He feel like he was just another dog of the Criminal Consultant like these people.
Jiang He had no idea how many others like this person were out there in the vast square, placing collars on all followers of the Criminal Consultant.
While the followers busied themselves putting on their collars, undercover officers hidden in the crowd were also active. They worked in pairs to discreetly take one follower after another away, stripping off their cloaks and removing their masks. However, they discovered that those black collars could not be removed; that square box could only be fastened but not taken apart.
No matter how the police tried, they could not open the square box.
In their helplessness, the police had no choice but to inform Old Shao. He immediately decided that he must obtain a collar like this for research; if they couldn't unlock it, they would simply bring the person in. At the same time, Old Shao instructed the police to arrange for a bomb disposal expert and a master locksmith to come immediately.
By eight o'clock in the evening, the Spring Festival Gala had begun. Most people paused to watch it as the familiar host delivered the familiar opening lines.
“Be careful,” one person turned to Jiang He and said. “There are many police here trying to stop our church; make sure you don’t get caught.”
With just four hours left until the new year, Jiang He still hadn’t figured out what this Criminal Consultant was planning to do, which made him feel anxious for the first time.
He couldn’t help but speak up, “What exactly are we supposed to do? We’ve been doing nothing here for almost half an hour. Why did you break my phone? How are we supposed to know what the leader wants us to do? Or do you have some special way of contacting him?”
Jiang He noticed that the person in front of him visibly flinched upon hearing his words, which confirmed his suspicions. He stopped in his tracks and carefully examined the person standing before him. If there was any special means of communication, it had to be instant messaging; otherwise, it would be impossible for the Criminal Consultant to contact so many people in such a short time.
Moreover, it had to be a one-way communication. If it weren’t, then such a large number of followers would cause chaos, making it impossible for the Criminal Consultant’s words to reach their ears. Therefore, Jiang He was almost certain that the Criminal Consultant was maintaining a single line of communication with these individuals.
As he thought about this, Jiang He looked around and saw that everyone was focused on the large screen in the square, watching the Spring Festival Gala. He felt ninety percent confident that he could take down the person in front of him without drawing anyone's attention.
Jiang He gently tapped the person's shoulder. The individual turned around, confused about why Jiang He had suddenly touched him. But in the next moment, he had no time to ponder Jiang He's intentions because a fist struck his neck from behind, causing him to collapse without uttering a word.
Jiang He quickly stepped forward and caught the falling man as if he were helping someone who had drunk too much. He led him to a side staircase and sat him down before beginning to search his body.
Finally, beneath the loose Black Robe, Jiang He felt something resembling a wire. As he followed it upward, he discovered it was an earpiece. Carefully and discreetly, he removed it and placed it in his own ear.
Sure enough, through the earpiece, Jiang He heard that familiar voice he often listened to on WeChat—it was indeed the voice of the Criminal Consultant.
There were no other voices coming through; just as Jiang He had imagined, this earpiece only transmitted the Criminal Consultant's speech—it was a one-way device.
“Everyone needs to stay calm and avoid drawing attention right now. Your task is to not get caught by the police. As you can see, there are many undercover officers in the square; if you get caught, this game will be over for you. This is a dirty and ugly world; it's not what I want, nor what you want.”
Jiang He closed his eyes and listened confidently to this voice. However, at that moment, he wasn’t focused on what the Criminal Consultant was saying; instead, he was paying attention to the background sounds while he spoke.
Jiang He stood in the noisy square, but when he closed his eyes, he felt as if all the sounds around him had vanished. It was as if he were the only person left in the entire square. Standing still, he focused intently on the words of the Criminal Consultant, hoping to catch an unexpected sound amidst the chaos.
Suddenly, a firework exploded in the sky. Jiang He heard the sound of it bursting through his earpiece. However, this sound seemed to be muffled by something, allowing him to only vaguely discern that it was indeed the result of the same firework lighting up the night.
This meant that the Criminal Consultant was right there, in that very square.
As the New Year Countdown approached, with a new world unfolding before him—fireworks, bombs, and followers—all these elements intertwined in Jiang He's mind, leading him to a realization that left him momentarily stunned. He couldn't yet assert what exactly the Criminal Consultant intended to do, but then a phrase he heard through his earpiece rendered him speechless.
Meanwhile, a follower had already been brought to the second floor of the café. Guan Deng remained fixated on the computer, unable to relax for even a moment. At that time, Old Shao and experts from the City Bureau were examining how to remove a collar and what exactly was contained within the square box.
With a sharp "pop," the collar was released.
At that moment, however, someone had already opened the door to the café.
Just then, Guan Deng suddenly spoke up: "The signal is strong; he is right here."
Old Shao turned his head and asked, "Are you saying that the Criminal Consultant is in this square? Can you confirm where exactly he is? Be more specific."
"Right now."
But when the results came in, Guan Deng's mouth dropped open in shock, leaving him utterly speechless.
Comment 0 Comment Count