Chapter 246: Not for the Bank

“So, according to Shu Yuzhen, two and a half years ago, an online friend lured her into a pyramid scheme hideout,” the team member reported. “For six months straight, they brainwashed her. She was subjected to it every single day, with people working hard to reprogram her. There were dozens like her at that place, mostly women. Then, the hideout leader sold them off to a group. That group trained them over the next two years, turning them into terrorists. They were trained for specific terror activities. As for the hideout’s exact location, she only knew it was somewhere in Z City. As for the training site, Shu Yuzhen couldn’t remember. They were blindfolded for the entire trip, which took a whole day. But she was sure it was in some remote, desolate mountains. The place was scorching hot, so it’s probably somewhere in the southern mountains.”

Xiao Yu and Wang Dong exchanged glances.

So, in a way, Shu Yuzhen was a victim too?

She was tricked into a pyramid scheme, brainwashed, trained, and then pushed into terror activities.

But no, it wasn’t that simple.

Being a victim didn’t erase what she’d done. Evil people might’ve used Shu Yuzhen, and sure, that made her story tragic.

But those who orchestrated it all were the ones who truly deserved to pay.

Still, that didn’t mean Shu Yuzhen would get a free pass. She’d still have to face the consequences.

“Did we get any details on the other people involved in S City? How many of them are there? Their appearances, identities, anything?” Xiao Yu asked. “And what about the robber I took down?”

“Five women, one man,” the Team Two member replied quickly. “Not sure where they’re hiding exactly. The one you took down was Shu Yuzhen’s ex-boyfriend. She admitted that when she came back to S City two months ago, she seduced him back into a relationship and then used him to plan the bank heist. But she wasn’t involved in the bank robbery that happened a month and a half ago, that was someone else’s job. As for this heist, her goal wasn’t even robbery. She was just following orders and was ready to blow the place up at any moment.”

“Orders?” Xiao Yu frowned. “How were the orders delivered?”

“Balloons,” the team member continued, “Shu Yuzhen said if a bunch of red balloons showed up outside the bank, it meant ‘go time.’”

Xiao Yu, “…”

Wang Dong, “…”

What the heck, they were using balloons for this?

Cold sweat broke out on Xiao Yu’s forehead.

Imagine if he’d walked into that bank just as a bunch of red balloons floated by outside. Boom… He’d be a goner.

No way he was getting involved in anything like this again. Risking his life like that? Not happening.

“Anything else?” Wang Dong asked.

“The male suspect is around forty. No one knows his real name, they just call him ‘Old Dog,’” the Team Two member explained. “Old Dog was in charge of this operation, but no one knows where he and the other four are hiding. Shu Yuzhen didn’t have that info.”

“That’s alright,” Xiao Yu replied, thinking it over. “As long as they’re in the city, they can’t avoid being spotted by the surveillance system. We should be able to track them down. Let’s find the rest of these people, especially Old Dog, and figure out what they’re really up to in S City.”

Something felt off to Xiao Yu. Why target a bank twice for terror attacks?

And they actually succeeded with the first heist? That didn’t make any sense at all.

If the point was to create panic, they’d hit a crowded place instead, right? Why only banks?

“I’ll handle this part,” Wang Dong said, taking charge. “You focus on following the trail. Let’s see if we can track down that pyramid scheme hideout and the training camp they used for terrorists.”

“Got it.” Xiao Yu nodded, frowning. “Also, check into how they got their hands on trinitroglycerin. Ordinary people shouldn’t be able to get that stuff.”

Explosives like that were strictly controlled. No way could regular people access it, let alone make nitroglycerin themselves. It was way too complex for amateurs.

“Got it.” Wang Dong nodded and headed off.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yu’s mind kept racing, trying to figure out what felt so off. 

Why target a bank?

If it were him… no way would he make such a dumb choice. So, why would these people go for something so pointless?

“Wait…” Xiao Yu suddenly looked up, his expression sharp. “The bank isn’t their real target!”

***

Outside the Armed Police General Hospital.

“What’s going on?” Wang Dong asked, noticing Xiao Yu’s grim face as he returned.

“The bank was never their real goal,” Xiao Yu explained. “They just wanted to draw all the police attention over there.”

“Huh?” Wang Dong blinked, taken aback.

“Think about it.” Xiao Yu’s expression turned serious. “If there’s a bank robbery, the police will send in local forces, then SWAT, then armed police, and other units to help. That kind of deployment would thin out police coverage everywhere else, right?”

“Of course.” Wang Dong’s face turned serious. He knew where Xiao Yu was going with this.

“So, whatever they’re planning, it’s happening where there’s less police coverage.” Xiao Yu rubbed his temples, his head starting to ache. “They’re drawing us out, but what’s the real target?”

Suddenly, Wang Dong’s phone rang.

After a quick call, his expression shifted dramatically. He turned to Xiao Yu. 

“No need to guess. It’s the S City Evidence Vault.”

The Evidence Vault—basically a storage for seized goods. From contraband to confiscated items, everything illegal that got collected by the police ended up here.

For example, Xiao Yu’s unit alone turned in a ton of confiscated goods each year. These got sent to a secure facility, typically guarded by police. With everyone focused on the bank heist, the police would’ve been pulled to the scene fast.

Xiao Yu didn’t even need to check, he knew the Evidence Vault wasn’t far from the robbed bank.

Rob the bank to pull in the police, then…

“What’s missing?” Xiao Yu asked, a bit of a headache brewing.

“Two counterfeit printing plates,” Wang Dong sighed. “You were right. The bank was just a diversion.”

Xiao Yu’s mind buzzed.

Counterfeit printing plates? In other words… fake money.