Zhou Ziwei immediately sent a signal to the independent soul within the small insect, instructing it to remain asleep and not to wake up under any circumstances. Then, he hurriedly injected another wisp of soul power into the timer control device...
Although the structure of this control device was quite complex, it was still much easier than creating an independent soul within a living organism. In the end, Zhou Ziwei only spent a little over five seconds to successfully create an independent soul within it, and then had that independent soul control the constantly flashing numbers...
With a "click," the timer finally stopped completely at the number 13 per second.
"call--"
Zhou Ziwei let out a long sigh of relief. After this struggle between life and death, he felt as if all his strength had been exhausted. He couldn't help but hug Liu Xiaofei and fall backward onto the door, panting heavily.
"How are you... are you alright?"
Although Captain Zhang was not close, he could still see that the timer display had stopped. Although he still didn't understand how Zhou Ziwei had done it, now was not the time to investigate the methods; what he needed to figure out first was the result.
"Everything's alright for now..."
After catching his breath a few more times, Zhou Ziwei got up and roughly ripped off the time bomb that was strapped to Liu Xiaofei.
Since Zhou Ziwei had already controlled both of the points that could detonate the bomb, there was no need to be as cautious as before.
After Captain Zhang and Zhou Ziwei completely removed the time bomb from Liu Xiaofei's body, he immediately waved his hand, and all six police officers who came with him rushed into the lumber warehouse.
The first thing the officers did was pick up the several handguns scattered on the ground and put them in a plastic bag to store them.
Then they took photos of the scene... especially the locations and postures of the dead robbers, and Zhou Ziwei and Liu Xiaofei were also included in the photos.
“Mr. Zhou… since this bomb is no longer a problem, please hand it over to me. I want to take it back as evidence…” Captain Zhang frowned immediately when he saw Zhou Ziwei holding the time bomb in his hand and playing with it after removing it, and stepped forward to negotiate.
Zhou Ziwei pursed his lips and said, "If any of you are bomb disposal experts, I can confidently hand this bomb over to you. But if not, then you'd better not mess with this thing! This is no joke..."
Zhou Ziwei wasn't reluctant to part with the time bomb. The reason he was fiddling with it for so long was that he had to take out the little bug that had consumed the soul power of more than 150 of his remnant souls to create an independent soul body.
Regardless of whether the little bug was useful or not, Zhou Ziwei couldn't bear to throw it away just because it had consumed so much soul power.
As for the time bomb with the small insect removed, it was naturally of no use to Zhou Ziwei anymore.
However, he was only temporarily controlling the bomb's timer with an independent soul entity. And since independent soul entities among non-living entities have pitifully short lifespans, Zhou Ziwei didn't know whether the number frozen at 1.13 seconds would continue operating after the independent soul entity within the timer suddenly disappeared, or whether it would suddenly explode again…
Everything was uncertain, and Zhou Ziwei dared not let Captain Zhang take the bomb away so rashly. So he refused without hesitation, saying, "No...you can't take this!"
Volume 1, Rebirth of a Prodigy, Chapter 122: Gun Flick
Because Zhou Ziwei's bomb-disarming techniques were truly unprecedented, Captain Zhang had already begun to believe Zhang Jie's idea that the time bomb was likely fake. Now, seeing Zhou Ziwei's firm refusal to let him take the bomb away, Captain Zhang was even more convinced that Zhou Ziwei had something to hide and was afraid that if he took the bomb back, the trickery would be discovered once it was examined.
Captain Zhang gave a faint, cold laugh and said, "Whether this bomb is real or fake, it will become the main evidence in this major criminal case. Even Mr. Zhou, you must unconditionally cooperate with our investigation and evidence collection. Now that we are taking this bomb away, I'm afraid Mr. Zhou has no right to stop us, right?"
At this moment, seeing that the time bomb crisis was over, Zhang Jie hurriedly rushed over, baring his teeth and brandishing his claws, and said, "Captain Zhang, why are you wasting so much breath talking to him? The facts are obvious. If he didn't have something to hide, why wouldn't he dare let you take this evidence away? Arrest him... hurry up and arrest him. Maybe he's the mastermind behind this kidnapping!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Ziwei glanced sideways at Zhang Jie, snorted, and said, "Idiot!"
Zhang Jie flew into a rage, pointing his finger at Zhou Ziwei and yelling, "What did you say! Say it again!"
Zhou Ziwei was worried that talking to this idiot for too long would lower his own IQ, so he ignored Zhang Jie and simply said to Captain Zhang calmly, "Although the bomb has been defused, I only temporarily interrupted its detonation time; I didn't completely remove the detonator... This means it's still a time bomb, only now its detonation time is unpredictable. If you're not afraid of it exploding at any moment if you carry it with you... then go ahead!"
"this……"
Although Captain Zhang had some doubts, he naturally dared not be careless, as this concerned the lives of himself and his entire team.
However, it would be unreasonable to abandon the bomb simply because of Zhou Ziwei's words. Even if the bomb were to explode, as the captain of the criminal investigation team, he should handle it properly. He couldn't just leave it in the wilderness, could he? Otherwise, if something went wrong, how could he bear the responsibility?
After thinking it over, Captain Zhang couldn't come up with a good solution. He could only blame his small county for having limited police resources, not even a bomb disposal expert. Otherwise, why would he be so constrained in every situation?
Zhou Ziwei understood Captain Zhang's predicament. After all, it was his duty, and he didn't want to create too many problems for him. After thinking for a moment, he pointed to an open area in the distance and said, "How about this? Have someone put the bomb in that uninhabited area over there. Wait at most ten minutes. If the bomb hasn't exploded after ten minutes, it means the detonator is basically ineffective. Then you can take it back without any problems."
"Alright...we'll do it your way."
Captain Zhang thought it over and decided it was better to be safe. After all, ten minutes wasn't a long time. So, following Zhou Ziwei's instructions, he had two of his officers carefully carry the dismantled bomb to an open area about thirty meters away to the left of the warehouse. Then, everyone evacuated the area.
"Oh right... one of the kidnappers' accomplices is still alive... he should be in that ditch..."
Zhou Ziwei had been busy defusing the bomb, his mind constantly focused, and hadn't had time to pay attention to anything else. Now that everything was settled, he remembered that the driver who brought him here had apparently fallen headfirst into a nearby ditch. The ditch wasn't very deep, so the guy probably wouldn't die. Now, the police officers' attention was focused on the bomb and the bodies around here; they couldn't let that guy escape in the chaos!
Captain Zhang was overjoyed to hear that there were still survivors among the kidnappers. As criminal investigators, what they feared most was cases where there was no way to verify the truth. As long as there were survivors among the kidnappers, the case would be much easier to handle. No matter how tight-lipped the guy was, they would naturally have ways to make him spill the truth.
"Quickly...you two come with me, we must capture them alive!"
Captain Zhang beckoned to two officers, and they quickly rushed towards the ditch that Zhou Ziwei had pointed to.
However, before the three of them could get close, a dark figure suddenly jumped out of the ditch, grabbed Gu Dongfeng who was standing not far away from the ditch, and then held a gleaming dagger to Gu Dongfeng's neck.
"Don't move! Put down your guns, or... I'll kill him with one blow!"
After Captain Zhang and his men collected all the guns scattered on the ground, they relaxed their guard and put their guns back into holsters.
Having just heard that there was a fish that had escaped the net in the ditch, they hurriedly drew their guns to go and arrest the person. However, they were a step too slow. By the time they had drawn their guns, Gu Dongfeng had already fallen into the hands of the bandit and become a hostage.
Startled, Captain Zhang could only wave his hand, signaling all the officers to put their guns away so as not to provoke the fierce bandit. He himself put his pistol into its holster, and then took two steps forward with feigned composure, saying, "You can't escape now. Surrender immediately, and I can consider it a voluntary surrender. If you resist to the end, it will only add to your crimes!"
"Don't give me that crap. If you dare take another step forward, I'll cut this old man's head off right now!"
Although the thug who drove Zhou Ziwei over was only a newcomer to this gang of ruthless criminals, he was actually wanted by the police for murder back in his hometown. With nowhere else to turn, he joined the gang of outlaws led by Baoyalong.
Therefore, although this guy didn't contribute much to the recent hijacking and today's kidnapping, nor did he kill anyone, he still refused to fall into the hands of the police, which is why he dared to resist to the end.
"Don't be impulsive!"
Left with no other choice, Captain Zhang stopped and said, "Alright! What are your requirements? We can talk about it properly."
"It's simple... Give me a gun and enough bullets, and then all of you immediately retreat into the lumber warehouse. No one is allowed to leave the warehouse before I leave, or I will kill the hostages on the spot!"
Captain Zhang snorted and said, "I can agree to anything else, but I can't make that decision about giving you guns. If you insist on doing so, then let me consult our chief first!"
"What the hell are you asking for permission for!" the thug cursed. "Fine! I don't need the guns, but if you dare to step out of the warehouse, don't blame me for being ruthless! Now... all of you get into the warehouse... don't dawdle!"
Captain Zhang couldn't think of a solution for the time being, so he had no choice but to temporarily obey the bandit's orders and have everyone go into the timber warehouse.
"Hey... what do you mean by this? Hurry up and save my godfather! Are you just going to let these thugs kidnap my godfather? What kind of police officers are you?!"
Upon seeing this, Zhang Jie immediately became enraged, jumped out, pointed at Captain Zhang's nose, and began to shout insults.
His future depends entirely on Gu Dongfeng. With Gu Dongfeng's support, his career is only just beginning. If something were to happen to Gu Dongfeng now, his good days would probably be over. Therefore, he is more anxious about Gu Dongfeng's life than anyone else.
Captain Zhang had long disliked this arrogant fellow, and upon hearing this, he merely snorted coldly and said, "So what do you mean? Are you telling us to rush in and rescue them now? If Gu Lao gets killed by those bandits because of this, will you bear all the responsibility?"
Zhang Jie was stunned for a moment, then said, "Nonsense! You are the police, aren't you? Catching bad guys and rescuing hostages are your duties. If anything goes wrong, it only proves your incompetence. What does that have to do with me? Why should I be responsible?"
Captain Zhang glared at Zhang Jie and said, "Since you know this has nothing to do with you, then stop pointing fingers at me. Go somewhere cool and don't interfere with our investigation!"
"You... okay, okay..."
Zhang Jie rolled his eyes in anger at Captain Zhang's words, gritted his teeth, and retreated into the warehouse. At the same time, he sneered and said, "Then I want to see how your police handle cases. If anything happens to my godfather today, I will make sure that all of you suffer the consequences!"
Captain Zhang sighed softly, ignoring Zhang Jie, and simply stared at the bandit in the distance, frowning and remaining silent.
At this moment, the thug had already hijacked Gu Dongfeng and circled around to the back of several police cars. Although they could no longer see the guy from there, they could clearly hear the hissing sound of tires being deflated coming from afar.
Clearly, that guy was determined to escape by car, but before he could leave, he had to wreck the remaining vehicles. That way, without cars to get around in this desolate wilderness, they would have no chance of catching up with him.
Moreover, in this area, cell phones and walkie-talkies cannot receive signals. If the criminals smash all the desktop police communication equipment in the three police cars, then even if they want to request backup, it will be impossible for them.
By the time Captain Zhang and his men walked back to the city, the bandit would probably have already disappeared!
Watching the bandit drag Gu Dongfeng through the gaps between the cars, Captain Zhang gripped his gun, wanting to fire several times. However, seeing that the bandit had kept the dagger to Gu Dongfeng's neck the whole time without moving an inch, Captain Zhang hesitated but had no choice but to give up because he wasn't confident of success.
Although Captain Zhang was quite confident in his marksmanship, believing that even with Gu Dongfeng blocking most of the bandit's vital points, he was still more than 80% certain that his shot would kill the bandit.
Even if he could kill the bandit, he couldn't be sure he could kill him immediately. If the bandit struggled even slightly before dying, it would be enough for the dagger in his hand to pierce Gu Dongfeng's throat!
Seeing that the thugs had already blown out the tires of two police cars and the taxi, and were then dragging the Gu Dongfeng towards the last police car, Captain Zhang was even more worried.
He knew that once the bandit got into the car, it would be difficult to catch him again today.
This place is not far from the border of Myanmar. As long as that guy finds a place without military defenses and sneaks into Myanmar, he will be basically safe.
Normally, it wouldn't be a big problem if only one of the criminals involved in the case escaped. The real danger is that this guy might kill Gu Dongfeng, the hostage, to silence him once he reaches a safe area. If that happens, Captain Zhang will be in big trouble.
In his haste, Captain Zhang couldn't help but raise his gun and aim at the bandit.
Unexpectedly, the bandit had been keeping a close eye on the situation, especially in the moments before he was about to get into the car and escape, when he dared not be careless in the slightest.
Therefore, as soon as he saw Captain Zhang raise his gun, he immediately shrank back, hiding almost entirely behind Gu Dongfeng.
The bandit was already rather thin, while Gu Dongfeng was old and overweight, so the bandit deliberately shrank and hid himself, and from Captain Zhang's direction, not a single part of his vital parts could be seen.
In this way, even if Captain Zhang temporarily disregards Gu Dongfeng's safety, he still has no way to kill the bandit with a single shot!
Seeing this, Captain Zhang's heart sank. He knew that he was destined not to be able to save Gu Dongfeng today, and his fate was predictable.
Just as Captain Zhang was about to give up in desperation, he suddenly heard a calm voice beside him: "Give me the gun..."
"What?"
Captain Zhang turned his head and saw Zhou Ziwei reaching out his hand to him, while his eyes were fixed on the figure that was about to disappear behind the car in the distance.
Captain Zhang paused for a moment, then said, "You want me to lend you my gun? But..."
"No buts!"
Zhou Ziwei turned to look at him, his expression solemn, and said, "Give me the gun now, or it will be too late!"
"oh……"
Captain Zhang didn't know what was wrong with him, but after being swept over by Zhou Ziwei's sharp gaze, he immediately obediently handed over the gun in his hand.
Only after Zhou Ziwei swiftly snatched the pistol did Captain Zhang realize what had happened, and he was startled.
Just as he was about to snatch the gun back, a loud "bang" rang out. Zhou Ziwei, without the slightest hesitation, pulled the trigger before the muzzle could even be aimed at the target and while it was still rapidly moving horizontally...
Holy crap, flick shot! This guy's actually doing flick shots! Good heavens... does he think he's playing Counter-Strike?
Captain Zhang is now very familiar with Zhou Ziwei's move. When he plays CS online with others, he often uses this cool move in the virtual game. With his level as one of the top ten CS players in Yunnan and Guizhou, he can basically headshot the enemy eight out of ten times when he uses the flick shot online.
Captain Zhang had tried to apply the shooting techniques from the internet to real life, but after a few attempts, he found that it was extremely difficult, especially the flick shot, because the gun was moving rapidly laterally, making it impossible to accurately predict the bullet's landing point.
Captain Zhang practiced diligently during several rake-shooting drills, and if he managed to hit the rake even once out of ten attempts, he was considered extremely lucky.
The error rate is so high it's almost disheartening.
Because he had personally experienced it, Captain Zhang immediately concluded upon seeing Zhou Ziwei's shooting posture that Zhou Ziwei probably had never fired a real gun before, and that he had only played CS for a few years and thought he was a master marksman!
It's over! It's completely over! Even if he managed to hit his target, it would almost certainly have hit Gu Dongfeng. If I had fired the shot myself, it wouldn't have been a big problem. At most, it would have been considered an accidental injury to a hostage during a hostage rescue. Even if someone was held responsible, at most they would just dismiss me as the head of the criminal investigation team! But now I've handed the gun to an ordinary citizen, and that citizen has shot and killed a hostage of high status... This...
The instant the gunshot rang out, a jumble of chaotic thoughts flashed through Captain Zhang's mind. But in that instant, the whistling bullet struck the distant target, bursting into a spray of blood on the bandit's wrist holding the dagger.
Wow, can it really be that accurate?!