S.C.I. Mystery Files Case 1 Chapter 19

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The Numbers Killer - Chapter 19 Hostage situation

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2.30 AM, on the 17th floor, in the S.C.I. Office:

Bai Jintang was snoring away on the sofa in Bai Yutang's office after a long and tiring day. 

Zhan Zhao who also exhausted from a whole day's work had gone into a deep slumber on the sofa in his room while hugging Ruben.

Bai Yutang on the other hand, despite being just as fatigued, rubbed on his neck that was almost broken by his brother and led the S.C.I. team, who were in a half-asleep state, in cleaning up the office.

They hadn't heard anything from Gongsun once the door to the autopsy room closed. Although everyone was very curious about where Gongsun sleeps when he does overtime. Given that there was only room to accommodate one person in the autopsy room, which was the dissection table... However curious they were, no one had the guts to go in to check.

8.30 AM, on the 17th floor, in the S.C.I. Office:

All the members who were collapsed at their seats were awoken by a strong fragrant scent. As they rubbed the sleepiness out of their eyes and got up, they were greeted with a refreshed looking Gongsun standing by the desks. And on the desk were some hot coffee and pan-fried pork buns fresh out of the kitchen... The alarm in everyone's belly immediately started sounding! And thus, the normally dignified policemen transformed into a pack of hungry wolves and pounced at the breakfast. As they munched on the buns, the thought that Gongsun might have very well served them buns with human meat as the filling, didn't cross their minds...

"Where's your brother?" Zhan Zhao asked while drinking some coffee and feeding Ruben with a meat bun.

"Traitor!" Bai Yutang was still hung up about Zhan Zhao abandoning him last night. He glared at the latter angrily, "He's still sleeping."

"Hehe..." Zhan Zhao laughed sheepishly and continued stuffing the cat with meat buns. 

Seeing that coffee was all that Zhan Zhao was having, Bai Yutang frowned, "You're only having coffee for breakfast? Aren't you afraid of upsetting your stomach?!"

"I—" Before Zhan Zhao could say anything, Bai Yutang suddenly shoved a meat bun into his mouth. 

Seeing Zhan Zhao and Ruben with their faces stuffed full of meat buns, Gongsun remarked with a nod, "You two are so similar!"

The sight of Zhan Zhao not daring to fight back after being bullied made Bai Yutang feel a lot better. Even his neck didn't hurt as much... but Da Ge was really too harsh this time!!

Bam!

The office doors slammed opened as Lu Fang stumbled in while crying, "Mayday! Mayday!"

As everyone looked at him, perplexed by the situation since Lu Fang rarely lost his composure like that. Bai Yutang asked, "What happened?"

Lu Fang handed over the files he was carrying and turned on the television. On the news, was a scene of chaos with an outfield anchorwoman trying to report the situation as fast as she could, "Kidnapping, kindergarten..." and so on.

Lu Fang caught his breath and elaborated on the situation, "Half an hour ago, an armed patrolling police officer charged into a kindergarten, killed the security guard and is holding over a dozen kids hostage."

"What? A cop?" Zhao Hu's eyes widened in shock. 

"Wang Yong, 28 years old, he's been working as a patrol officer ever since he graduated from the Police Academy..." Bai Yutang read the information in the files, "Are you sure it's him?"

Lu Fang replied, "It should be correct. that area is under his jurisdiction and he's been uncontactable since the incident. The description from eyewitnesses also matches his appearance."

Zhan Zhao was confused, "What about the hostage negotiators?"

Lu Fang shook his head, "They've tried their best but they can't get through to him!"

"What?" everyone exclaimed in shock.

Then, the door slammed opened again and Bao Zheng entered, "Something is wrong with that kid! You go, Xiao Zhan!"

"What does 'something wrong' mean?" Bai Yutang asked as he knitted his brows, "You're asking Kitty to go again? Then what's the point of paying these hostage negotiators?"

Lu Fang added anxiously, "All the negotiators were driven away. Wang Yong said that he's going to die, that God is angry and he wants to speak with an Angel."

"God... Angel..."

The expression on the faces of the entire S.C.I. team immediately become one of excitement. 

Bao Zheng asked with a smile, "So, do you want to take over the case?"

"Yes!" Zhan Zhao answered before Bai Yutang could, "Of course!"

Bao Zheng nodded, "Then move out now and stay sharp! If even one kid gets hurt, don't bother coming back!" 

"Yes!"

Lu Fang grabbed Zhan Zhao by the arm, "Xiao Zhan, Lu Zhen is also amongst those kids."

"What?" Bai Yutang who was just by the side was taken back by what he had just heard. Lu Zhen was the precious only son of Lu Fang who had kids late. No wonder he's no anxious.

"Trust me!" Zhan Zhao patted Lu Fang on the shoulder, "Everything will be fine!"


The team rushed down to the scene at full speed. Once they alighted the car, Bai Yutang flashed his badge and went through the police line with the team.

Police officers on the site, who were maintaining order, felt their heart calm down the moment they saw Bai Yutang. The current captain of Major Crimes, Ai Hu, rushed over while calling, "Captain!"  

Bai Yutang smacked him on the back of his head, "What Captain! You're the Captain now!"

"Yet you still smacked me so habitually..." Ai Hu muttered under his breath.

"How's the situation?" Bai Yutang asked while walking in front of the police van and spread out the layout of the site, handed to him by one of the officers on site.

"The classroom of Da Class¹ is at the east-wing of the 2nd floor. The one in the innermost corner. Infra-red sensors show that there are 13 children inside. Wang Yong is in a hidden corner with his gun out. The Flying Tigers can't get a clear view of him." Pointing to a spot on the layout, Ai Hu continued, "All the other sniping spots are not really viable, being located more than 100 metres away."

"Has anyone talked to him already?" Zhan Zhao inquired, "Did you take any recordings?"

"Yes!" Ai Hu turned on the recording device and Wang Yong's voiced that played sounded abnormally sharp, "Get the Angel to come! God is enraged... All the police better back off! Or I'll shoot the children! Get the police on the other building to withdraw as well! ...I want to speak with the Angel..." followed by heavy panting. 

Turning off the recording device, Zhan Zhao commented, "Something is off."

"What is?" Bai Yutang reached for a bulletproof vest and took off Zhan Zhao's suit jacket. 

"Despite being distraught, the conditions were listed very clearly!" Zhan Zhao stretched his arms out for Bai Yutang to put the bulletproof vest on for him.

"Meaning?"

With the bulletproof vest on, Zhan Zhao put his jacket back on, "He's either pretending to be crazy, or someone is controlling him from behind the scenes!"

Just then, the anchorwoman standing outside saw a gap in security and snuck across the police line with her cameraman. She rushed up to Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang while saying, "Are you the officers who will be going in to negotiate?"

Then Zhao Hu threw the cameraman out, "Dammit! Just adding to the mess!"

The anchorwoman glowered, "How can you be so rough! Police are supposed to protect the people, not—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Bai Yutang gave her a cold look and ordered, "Get out!" 

Ai Hu quickly called for people to clear the site of irrelevant parties and at that moment, the phone used for communication with Wang Yong rang...

"Get the Angel in! Hurry! He must come in alone!"

Zhan  Zhao and Bai Yutang were both stunned for a moment before exchanging looks with each other.

"Calm down! I'm going in!" Zhan Zhao picked up the phone.

"Quickly!" Wang Yong shouted into the phone and hung up.

Zhan Zhao smiled at Bai Yutang, "We should thank that anchor."

"Is there a television in the classroom?" Bai Yutang asked Ai Hu.

"No."

"Then it looks like someone is controlling him from a place with access to live broadcast, "Bai Yutang sneered, "We should send a banner to that broadcasting station later."

"Leader, I can snipe from here," Ma Han took a sniper rifle from the Flying Tigers Unit and pointed to a spot on the map.

Bai Yutang looked down at the location indicated, "120 metres?"

Ma Han laughed, "This gun has a range of 150 metres! As long as you can lure him out of that corner, if you wanted his right eye, I would never hit his left!"

Bai Yutang told him, "Go," and sent him off with a pat on the shoulder.

Ma Han left cautiously, with the rifle on his back. While Zhao Hu and the others chased the reporters, broadcasting trucks and the onlooking crowd away. 

After doing one last check of Zhan Zhao's gear, Bai Yutang pulled the former behind the car, where there was no one, and said, "Kitty, same old rules, I'll go from the back."

"Un," Zhan Zhao nodded.

"Be careful!" Bai Yutang cupped his face and reminded.

"Un," Zhan Zhao nodded once more before calmly making his way into the school building.

Xu Qing and the rest moved in to surround the building from the front, and sure enough, Wang Yong could be heard yelling from inside, "Get lost! All of you! No police are allowed to come near!"

Bai Yutang slipped out from the crowd amidst the confusion and climbed over the wall at the backyard of the kindergarten. Then, he swiftly hid behind the building.

A new officer from the SWAT team couldn't help but marvel at the sight, "Oh my god, that wall is at least 4 metres high. How can he go over it so easily?"

All the members from the Major Crimes Unit started looking all smug and Ai Hu replied, "This is nothing. With our Captain's skill, he can even climb 10 stories if he wanted."

"No wonder his nickname is White Mouse," that newcomer blurted out, "Ow!"

He got whacked!

Zhan Zhao was already inside the school building. He slowly made his way to the 2nd floor and knocked on the tightly shut, classroom door.
(lilies: hello, I thought people already ask you to hurry lollol)

"Who... is it!" Wang Yong's voice came from inside. 

Zhan Zhao stood right by the door as it opened, "Can I come in?"

The officer known as Wang Yong looked to be in a bad condition. His face was unshaven and he was perspiring profusely. He was holding a girl, who was visibly scared, with one hand and had a revolver in the other. The other children were all crouched in front of him, hugging their heads. The children were badly frightened as they whimpered and cried. All, but one. The child right in front. Although his face was a little pale, he didn't cry and appeared rather calm. Based on his looks, Zhan Zhao was sure that this was Lu Zhen, Lu Fang's son. 

Wang Yong was obviously nervous when he saw Zhan Zhao at the door, once he got a clear look at Zhan Zhao's face, he actually chuckled, "Angel..."

"Can I come in?" Zhan Zhao asked again then raised both hands, "I am unarmed."

"Come... in."

Zhan Zhao entered the classroom slowly.

"Close... the door!"

Wang Yong seemed very nervous as he kept stuttering.

Zhan Zhao closed the door behind him and asked, "What do you want to tell me?"

"I... I..." Wang Yong subconsciously looked down to the right which allowed Zhan Zhao to notice the earpiece in his right ear. A subtle smile formed on Zhan Zhao lips. As he thought, someone was giving Wang Yong instructions. 

Without waiting for Wang Yong to get his next instruction, Zhan Zhao proclaimed, "God says he will forgive you!"

"W-What?" Wang Yong raised his head in disbelief, but his attention soon focussed back on the voice in the earpiece.

"That's a false God that's giving you orders."

"Ah?!" Wang Yong got a shock from Zhan Zhao's words. Zhan Zhao took the chance to continue, "When you remove the earpiece, you'll be able to hear the voice of God!"

"Really?" Wang Yong raised a shaky hand to the earpiece but there seemed to still be some hesitation in him.

"Can't you hear it?" Zhan Zhao lightly turned his head to the side, as if he's listening to something, "Listen! He's saying, 'I forgive you'."

"I-Is that...so..." Wang Yong was doubtful but he removed and earpiece and listened attentively...

From his peripheral, Zhan Zhao saw a white shadow flash by a window to the West. And he knew Bai Yutang had reached the window.

"I-I don't hear anything..." Wang Yong's attention was now solely concentrated on Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao smiled.

"Listen..." he said as he moved eastwards. Wang Yong followed Zhan Zhao with his eyes and his body gradually turned in such a way that he was standing with his back to the window in the West.

"Do you hear it?" Zhan Zhao continued coaxing him. 

"I think..." Wang Yong looked puzzled.

"You're about to do something bad again, that's why the voice is muffled."

"I-I didn't... I don't know what I've done, I haven't done anything wrong," Wang Yong defended himself.

"But the little girl in your arms is going to die soon," Zhan Zhao pointed at the sobbing girl.

"What... how?" Wang Yong was at a loss as he looked down at the girl. 

Seeing that Bai Yutang had climbed up the windowsill, Zhan Zhao continued, "A child's windpipe and lungs are very weak. With you holding her like this as she tries to stifle her cries, her tears will eventually block her airflow and she won't be able to breathe."
(lilies: are you sure it's tears and not her mucus blocking her nostrils or something hmmmm)

"R-Really?" Wang Yong observed the little girl in his arms sceptically and saw that her face had turned red.

"Really! She has asthma." Lu Zhen, who was squatting by the side, said suddenly.

Seeing some guilt on Wang Yong's face, Zhan Zhao couldn't help but compliment Lu Zhen in his heart, "What a smart boy!"

Lu Zhen took a peek at Zhan Zhao who nodded at him. Then he bravely said to the hesitant Wang Yong, "Let her go, I'll be your hostage."

As he said that, Lu Zhen got up and walked towards Wang Yong.

At this time, Bai Yutang had gotten on the windowsill.

Wang Yong let of the girl and just as he was about to grab Lu Zhen, Zhan Zhao suddenly called out, "God has spoken!"

...Wang Yong froze and reflexively tried to listen. In that instant, Lu Zhen grabbed the girl and ducked to the side as Bai Yutang pounced at Wang Yong. He disarmed the man by dislocated his wrist causing Wang Yong to cry out in pain. All the children started screaming as they fled to the other side. And Lu Zhen yelled, "Don't be afraid! Everything's fine now!"

Zhan Zhao ran up to Wang Yong and searched his shirt pocket. As he thought, there was a phone plugged with an earpiece. When he took the phone out, a black object fell out with it. The black box made a clicking sound as Zhan Zhao caught it instinctively. On the box, a series of numbers appeared, "10, 9..."

He lost all colour in his face.

"Throw it!" Bai Yutang shouted and Zhan Zhao immediately tossed the bomb out the window. Only to be shocked by the sight of the anchorwoman and her crew, who had somehow snuck into the backyard of the kindergarten.

"Shit!" Bai Yutang drew his gun and shot at the bomb. The bullet brushed against the side of the falling bomb and it bounced up... He shot again, pushing the bomb upwards again. 

From the corner of his eyes, he noticed the reflection of light from the sniper scope and pointed to the bomb flying in midair. Ma Han who was over 100 metres away immediately took his aim. 

As the film crew who were startled by the gunshots scramble away, Bai Yutang bellowed from above, "Get down!"

Then, he tore off the thick curtains with Zhan Zhao and rushed to the children who had been gathered in corner by Lu Zhen. 

An earth-shaking sound of the explosion reverberated through the air...

The bomb exploded almost at the same time its trajectory was altered by Ma Han's bullet. All the windows in the classroom shattered with glass shard flying around. Thankfully, it was all blocked by the curtain covering them.

Following the big bang, Zhao Hu and the others charged in from below. Seeing that everyone was safe, they started comforting the frightened children. Bai Yutang went to the window to check on the anchorwoman and film crew who were out of their minds. He saw that other than being covered in dust, they were otherwise unharmed. He heaved a sigh of relief and gave a big thumbs up to Ma Han.

Ma Han fell to the ground while holding his rifle and wiped off his sweat while saying to Xu Qing, "F*ck! This is too exciting!"

Xiao Lu Zhen tugged at the corner of Bai Yutang's shirt and asked, "Are you Uncle Bai?"

Bai Yutang carried him and gave him a big kiss, "Good boy! You have potential!"

But Zhan Zhao had disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Zhan Zhao pushed the crowd aside as he surveyed the area. He was sure the caller was nearby...

In the distance, he caught sight of a figure ducking into an alley——found him!
He tried to catch up to the figure, but by the time he for to the alleyway, no one was there...

Just as he was about to return, he felt a presence behind him. His shoulder was already caught by a hand.

Someone shouted from a distance, "Cat!"

The person behind him shoved him hard, causing Zhan Zhao to crash into a wall. When he looked up, he saw a man in a black hoodie fleeing the scene. That man rushed out the alley, jumped into a black car and drove off. By the time, Bai Yutang made it to the alley, the car was long gone. It's a black Honda!

Making his way back to Zhan Zhao, Bai Yutang noticed a damp handkerchief on the ground. He could even smell the diethyl ether from where he was.

"That car... Ah!" Before Zhan Zhao could finish his sentence, he was roughly pushed against the wall by Bai Yutang, eliciting a soft gasp of pain from him.

"What... are you doing?" Zhan Zhao guiltily asked at exasperated and murderous-looking Bai Yutang standing before him.

"What am I doing?!" Bai Yutang gritted his teeth, "What do you think?"

Zhan Zhao knew he made a big mistake this time and muttered, "S-Sorry..."

"You're not getting off this easily!!"

As Bai Yutang said that, he tilted Zhan Zhao's face up and... gave him a passionate kiss.

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1. Written as '“大班的教室' I'm just assuming that's the name of the class. ^↩

Why are these few chapters so long ಥ_ಥ Maybe it doesn't read very long but it felt like ages to translate sighs Also, hopefully, my left and right are correct and I didn't translate wrongly hohoho am extremely directionally challenged

And and I thought the 'big bang' in the MTL was funny so I used it XD yes my sense of humour sucks lol

Please feedback to me in the comments below if you find any typos or terrible grammar, etc that you think I should change. Or maybe you think my interpretation is completely off lol Help me help you have a better reading experience ahahah what a tongue twister XD
Thank yous!! (˶‾᷄ ⁻̫ ‾᷅˵)

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peace lilies~