Chapter 121: Action

“Haha, perhaps I’ve been overly cautious. You’re right, Boss.”

Old Seventh scratched his head and let out a spine-chilling laugh from behind his mask. His eyes swept over the hostages in the store like a hungry wolf. “Boss, why don’t I kill a few more? I’m really itching to act right now.”

Anyone who caught Old Seventh’s gaze couldn’t help but tremble, overwhelmed by fear.

The gang leader finally halted his casual twirling of the dagger. Without any warning, he flicked his wrist and threw the blade with such force that it whizzed past Old Seventh’s cheek and embedded itself deep into the wooden mannequin behind him, an impressive testament to its sharpness.

From this flick alone, one could tell that the gang leader was actually a skilled martial artist, with incredibly deep skill and extraordinary strength.

“If you’re so eager to kill, go ahead, there are plenty of policemen outside waiting for you. I won’t stand in your way,” he said with an icy tone.

When he looked at Old Seventh, there was a faint hint of murderous intent in his eyes.

“But Old Seventh, who gave you the courage to defy my orders? I had clearly instructed you not to kill that hostage. Why didn’t you listen?”

“Boss, it was an accident. My hand just slipped, and before I knew it, the guy was dead,” Old Seventh said with a shrug, his tone casual, as if he hadn’t killed a person but had merely slaughtered a chicken. “It’s just one hostage. There are dozens more here. If one dies, one dies. There’s no need for you to get angry with me, is there?”

The gang leader’s voice dripped with fury. “I’m not angry about the kill. It’s about your blatant disregard for my commands.”

He abruptly rose from his seat, approached Old Seventh, and delivered a sharp kick to his abdomen, causing Old Seventh to stagger. “I’ll let you off this time. If you dare to defy my orders again, I’ll kill you myself. Understand?”

Old Seventh endured the pain and stood up straight, gritting his teeth and saying, “Understood!”

“Now get the hell out of my sight and keep an eye on the police. Don’t loiter around here, you’re irritating.”

Clutching his abdomen, Old Seventh made his exit. However, within minutes, he was back, an odd expression on his face. “Boss, the police have entered the mall.”

The gang leader’s eyes narrowed, a menacing aura emanating from him. “With the hostages under our control, how dare they enter the mall?”

“There are only three of them, and none of them is armed. The one leading them seems to be some sort of high-ranking officer. They’re downstairs and want to talk to us.” Old Seventh picked up his assault rifle, grinning sinisterly. “Boss, what do you say we take them out?”

The gang leader slapped Old Seventh on the head and scolded, “All you know is killing. What else can you do besides that? Do you think that if we kill these unarmed police officers, the others will let us go? Use your pea-brain and think.”

Pushing Old Seventh aside, he began to walk away. Suddenly, he stopped and turned to a middle-aged man who had mocked Lin Xiao. “Come here.”

Hearing this, the middle-aged man’s face drained of color. He trembled uncontrollably, stammering, “Bi…Bi…Big Brother…Wh…Wh…What are you going to do?”

“Get over here!” The gang leader’s eyes flashed menacingly, “Hesitate any longer and you’re dead.”

The middle-aged man rose, shakily making his way over. The bandit leader gripped him and began to leave the third floor of the mall.

Downstairs in the mall, Captain Li of the SWAT team stood with two unarmed police officers. They had no weapons and raised their hands high to indicate that they had no hostile intentions.

Although he was very dissatisfied with Lin Xiao’s arrogant actions and did not believe that Lin Xiao could succeed, Captain Li had no choice but to cooperate since he had been ordered by his immediate superior, Chief of the Jinghai City Police Department, Li Zhengdao.

Furthermore, in order to enable Lin Xiao to act smoothly, Captain Li took it upon himself to go to the front lines, regardless of the danger involved.

The gang leader emerged on the third-floor railing overlooking the central atrium of the mall, gripping the middle-aged man as his hostage. Looking down at the officers gathered on the first floor, he called out mockingly, “Oh, look at the police comrades. What are you three up to? Want to negotiate with us? Sorry, you don’t have the qualifications to negotiate with us.”

Captain Li took a deep breath, suppressing the anger welling up in his chest, and shouted, “What will it take for you to release the hostages?”

“We’ve already said our conditions. Send a helicopter within ten minutes, or else you’ll be collecting their corpses!” The gang leader pointed a gun at the head of the middle-aged man, his voice chillingly cold. “If the time is up and the helicopter hasn’t arrived, I’ll immediately kill this hostage.”

Feeling the cold muzzle against his head, the middle-aged man was terrified. The man who had once looked down on Lin Xiao with disdain was now completely frightened, limp, and powerless. If it weren’t for the gang leader holding him up, he would have already collapsed on the ground.

At this moment, the middle-aged man was flooded with regret so deep it was as if he were drowning in it. He’d felt a pang of regret when the robbers first showed up, but it paled in comparison to the agony he felt now. His regret amplified against the backdrop of the tense situation unfolding around him.

All the hostages in the mall were gathered on the third floor, numbering around sixty. He was just one among them. He’d scoffed at Lin Xiao earlier, dismissing his warnings. Now, as his life hung in the balance, he recalled his earlier derision and couldn’t help but curse himself. ‘You idiot! You complete idiot!’

Just as the middle-aged man was immersed in his self-reproach, the tension between Captain Li and the gang leader reached a new peak.

Captain Li was boiling with suppressed rage, but his role and responsibility forced him to swallow his anger. With practiced restraint, he adopted a submissive demeanor, consciously lowering his own status to avoid provoking the volatile criminal.

“Let’s not do anything rash. The helicopter is already en route. It’ll be here within ten minutes,” Captain Li said in a calm but firm tone.

“Ten minutes, huh? If I don’t see the helicopter by then, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” the gang leader threatened, his voice dripping with menace.

“We’re men of our word,” Captain Li replied, maintaining his composed, deferential tone. “We’ve shown good faith. Perhaps it’s time for you to reciprocate. How about releasing half of the hostages?”

The gang leader erupted into a maniacal laugh. “Fine, one million for one person. Depending on how much money you prepare, that’s how many hostages we’ll release.”

***

While Captain Li was engaged in this dangerous dance of negotiation, Lin Xiao was already making his moves. His strategy was simple but precise: neutralize the two robbers on the first floor and then move on to the four on the third floor. To the average police officer, these robbers might present a formidable challenge, but in Lin Xiao’s eyes, they were nothing more than insects to be squashed.

If not for the hostages complicating the situation, Lin Xiao felt no need for any police cooperation; these criminals would already be history.

Fortuitously, Captain Li’s presence and his team diverted the robbers’ attention on the first floor, providing Lin Xiao with the perfect opportunity to sneak up behind one of them, unnoticed.

The robber, who was hiding near the escalators on the first floor with his assault rifle, had briefly shifted his focus to Captain Li and his team inside the mall. Sensing the gravity of the situation, he quickly returned his attention to the police outside to monitor their movements, leaving him completely unaware of Lin Xiao’s stealthy approach.

Captain Li and his team had entered the mall, and despite his internal fury, he maintained a deliberately subservient demeanor to lull the criminals into a false sense of security. This agonizing act was a crucial part of Lin Xiao’s intricate plan to ensure the safety of the hostages.

The robber near the first-floor exit was initially vigilant, monitoring the mall’s interior and outside. However, upon Captain Li’s entry, the robber shifted his focus to monitor the police outside, watching for any suspicious movements. This momentary lapse in complete indoor vigilance was all Lin Xiao needed.

Fully aware of the nuances of human attention, Lin Xiao seized his opportunity. He approached the robber, acted without hesitation. He reached out with both hands, grabbed the robber’s head from behind, and twisted it forcefully.

Crack!

A crisp sound of a bone breaking echoed. The robber didn’t even have a chance to make a sound as Lin Xiao twisted his neck 360 degrees, killing him instantly.