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Kapitel 33

Five minutes past three!

One hour and fifty-five minutes left!

"Where will you choose to begin your revenge?" He Xi asked me.

“The Consulate General of Japan in Shanghai.” I thought for a moment and replied.

“That’s what I think too.” He Xi nodded.

I quickly found the address of the Japanese consulate: No. 8 Wanshan Road, in the Hongqiao area. If there's no traffic, I should be able to get there within forty minutes.

As the taxi sped along the elevated highway, I told the driver three times to go faster, even faster.

“Call Guo Dong quickly,” He Xi suddenly said.

I slapped my forehead and realized I'd completely forgotten about it. She just remembered too; our nervousness had both left our minds a bit fuzzy.

"Guo Dong, we've deciphered it." "How is that possible? We have so many experts here who are clueless." "The one published in the newspaper has been edited. We saw the original. Listen, the code is 'The deceased begin their revenge at 5 PM on December 7th.'" He paused for two seconds, Guo Dong was definitely checking his watch, then he roared: "Damn, less than an hour and a half left! The location? Did they say the location?" "No, but we believe it's the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai." "What? The Japanese Consulate? How did you determine that?"

"The Virus Knight's revenge is directed at the Japanese, so I think the Japanese consulate is the most likely place for his revenge. As for his hatred for the Japanese, it's hard to explain in a few words right now. I'm already on my way and will be at the Japanese consulate soon. I need your cooperation; we must take control of that place immediately. He Xi is with me; she knows Zhao Ziqiang best and will recognize him as soon as she sees him."

"Damn it, the Japanese consulate? We have to go through diplomatic channels."

"With so little time left, what are you going to do with diplomatic channels? Do you want everyone in Shanghai to go to their deaths?" I yelled.

"Explain to them, if that doesn't work, just barge in. Your presence and testimony will convince them." "Okay, I'll try my best, oh fucking, I mean we'll do everything we can. I'm on my way, you be careful over there and don't do anything rash... fucking it, you decide." Guo Dong cursed and hung up the phone.

At 3:52, He Xi and I jumped out of the taxi that had just come to a stop. I threw fifty yuan at the driver and told him to keep the change.

It took a while to call a taxi, and then there was that damn traffic jam, so it was later than expected.

A long line of people waited for their visas at the Japanese consulate. Although I was anxious, I had a hunch and pulled He Xi to start by looking at the last person in line, examining them carefully.

He Xi shook her head at me; Zhao Ziqiang wasn't inside.

Armed police officers were standing guard at the entrance. I was stunned. How could I forget that the consulate was guarded? How could I possibly break in? But there was no time to think about it. I gritted my teeth, ignored the surprised looks from the men and women queuing up next to me, and stepped into the door.

The armed police didn't understand our intentions and didn't react immediately, but a consulate staff member responsible for letting visa applicants in at the entrance reached out and stopped us.

He started speaking in Japanese, and He Xi quickly replied with a few words. His gaze towards us became strange.

"What's wrong? What did he say? Will he let us in or not?" I asked He Xi anxiously.

He Xi shook her head and continued to negotiate urgently with this person.

The man grew impatient and shook his head repeatedly.

In my haste, I bypassed him and rushed inside.

He grabbed me and shouted, "Stop! What are you doing! Guard!" in perfect Mandarin.

I shook him off, but the armed police officer was already standing in front of me, his gun barrel slightly tilted forward.

"Stop!" he shouted.

I had to stop, turn to the man, and say, “This is a very urgent situation. I must see your consul immediately. This place needs to be brought under control right now. Do you understand? Time is running out!”

"This lady just told me that you claimed this place would be attacked. So, may I ask who you are? Are you Chinese police? Please show your identification."

“We are not police officers, but the Shanghai police have set up a special task force and they are on their way. They may have already called your embassy. You can inquire about it.”

The people waiting for visas stirred slightly; some of those at the front of the line had overheard our conversation and were craning their necks to watch the conflict unfolding in front of them.

Hearing what I said, the man's expression turned serious: "Okay, if the police really did call... I'll go verify it now, but until then, please stay here." He gestured to the police officer and then strode towards the gatehouse.

Another armed policeman came over, and the two of them looked at us from all sides.

I checked my watch again; it was 3:59.

There's still an hour until the time Zhao Ziqiang announced. Could he have arrived already? If so, what will he do once he notices our conflict?

Will he just turn around and leave? No, I think this person, who was originally insecure but has now become extremely arrogant and openly provocative, won't change the time or place even if he finds out we're waiting for him. And releasing the virus would be as easy as lifting a finger. I have no way of knowing what method he'll use, because there are simply too many methods he could employ.

If the Consul General fully recognizes the importance and cooperates, what should be done? Rushing here hastily, there isn't actually a very comprehensive plan in this regard. Completely evacuating the crowd is not a good solution, nor is isolating the Japanese consulate. Even if Zhao Ziqiang ultimately fails to find a solution, the crisis facing Shanghai will not be reduced in the slightest.

It seems we must have someone who has seen Zhao Ziqiang's photo patrolling inside and outside the Japanese consulate to lure him out, then subdue him immediately. But is there enough time to make these arrangements?

At this point, He Xi and I have become the focus of attention for passersby, so how could we possibly seduce Zhao Ziqiang?

My palms were getting wetter and wetter, and I suddenly realized that there wasn’t a single method that could work perfectly.

What good is meeting the Consul General? What good is the full cooperation of the Consul General? What good is Guo Dong's timely arrival? Are we hoping Zhao Ziqiang will show up, or hoping he won't?

Even if I could solve the crossword puzzle and stand here, I would be powerless to prevent the disaster that was about to befall this city. I could almost hear the virus knight's maniacal laughter.

The consulate staff member came out of the gatehouse with a mocking sneer on his face.

"We haven't received a call from the police at all, but I'm sure some officers will be on their way soon. The police will arrive quickly after receiving the report. Fabricating terrorist attack rumors, huh, just you wait and see."

"Okay," the armed police officer said.

He Xi looked at me and asked what I should do now.

4:04.

I reached for my phone; at that moment, I could only turn to Guo Dong for help. He had just vowed to do his best, so why hadn't he even called the consulate before?

"Don't move!" the nearest armed police officer shouted, immediately pointing his gun at me. I knew it was just a scare tactic, but I had no choice but to obediently stop.

"Slowly take your hand out."

"I just wanted to make a phone call."

“Don’t make any moves until the police get here and take you away,” he warned me sternly.

The sound of sirens could be faintly heard from afar, quickly becoming deafening, and then abruptly stopped.

Guo Dong, dressed in a police uniform, jumped out of the car, walked past me with my mouth half open, and nodded emphatically to the Japanese consulate staff member who came to greet him.

"Are these the only two?" he asked.

"Yes, you came very quickly."

"Okay, I'll take it." Guo Dong gave me a look. Although I was already extremely anxious, I had no choice but to keep quiet. He Xi, of course, wouldn't say another word.

Guo Dong moved swiftly; with two clicks, the cold handcuffs were already locked on our wrists. Then he pushed us into the police car.

He was in the middle, while He Xi and I squeezed into the back seat of the police car, one on each side.

"Hurry!" he said to the driver in front as soon as the car door closed.

"No problem, I love legal street racing." Judging from the tone of his voice, he was definitely an expert. The roar of the engine suddenly rang out, and my body was pressed against the back of the seat. The siren went off again.

"What's going on? Why didn't you call the consulate before? And where are we going now?"

I asked Guo Dong.

As he took out the key to unlock our handcuffs, he said, "If Zhao Ziqiang wanted revenge against the Japanese, he wouldn't have come to the Japanese consulate today, and the Japanese consul general isn't even here right now. I was on my way here trying to call you, but I heard on the intranet that the Japanese consulate had called the police."

A police car with its siren on passed us.

"So where will he go?"

"The Japanese Vice Foreign Minister is visiting China with the aim of repairing Sino-Japanese relations. He arrived in Shanghai this afternoon, and the municipal government will host a banquet for him at the Grand Ballroom of the Jin Mao Tower this evening."

"Jin Mao Grand Hyatt? In the Jin Mao Tower?" I quickly checked my watch; there were still fifty-three minutes left.

In the blink of an eye, Shangfu Daren shifted into fourth gear and floored the accelerator. The intersection was just around the corner; I didn't even feel him step on the brake. When turning right, Guo Dong and I both swerved to the left. This was Loushanguan Road; Yan'an Road was just ahead.

The journey to Jinmao Tower is three to five kilometers longer than to the Morning Star newspaper office. Although the Yan'an Elevated Road goes directly through the Yangtze River Tunnel and Jinmao Tower is located at the Pudong Tunnel exit, it is currently rush hour, the most congested time of day in Shanghai.

"Is...is it possible to make it in time?"

Guo Dong didn't answer me, but instead said to the person in front of him, "An expert?"

"This is a police car, don't worry, my brother!" the expert shouted, ignoring the line of cars waiting at the red light ahead, and overtook it from the outside, causing oncoming cars to swerve to get out of the way.

The light hadn't turned green yet when the car reached the intersection, but the driver didn't care. The police car sped off like a horse, making a sharp S-shaped turn, overtaking several cars, and turning left onto Yan'an Road. Guo Dong and He Xi suddenly pressed their weight onto me, causing my face to press against the car window. I almost broke my nose, blood rushed to my head, and my vision even went black for a moment. I let out a muffled groan.

Through the glass, I saw a car that had slammed on its brakes to avoid us come to a stop sideways in the middle of the road, its tires screeching against the pavement. The small truck behind reacted quickly, stopping with its front end almost touching the car, but it too couldn't escape being rear-ended by the Volkswagen taxi. The traffic police directing traffic stared blankly as we sped away, sirens blaring, without making a move until we disappeared from my sight.

“Take this time to tell me what you know,” Guo Dong said, sitting up straight.

I used the simplest language possible to tell him about my experiences over the past two days and our analysis.

Guo Dong didn't ask any questions, but drew his sidearm and loaded it with bullets.

"Tell me if you recognize me, and I'll shoot you immediately. I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong," Guo Dong said resolutely as he sheathed his gun.

"Are you a good shot?" I asked. It was the only potentially effective way.

"good."

……good?

The car was already on the elevated road, and in front of us were electronic displays showing the road conditions. The main elevated roads leading to our destination were mostly flashing yellow – indicating that the entire route was congested.

The man cursed loudly, and the car frequently swerved sharply to the left and right, inevitably slowing down.

Sometimes, he would even use the loudspeaker in his car to order the cars in front to move to the sides, making a path for him.

Driving and stopping like this, not far past the Maoming Road intersection of Yan'an Road Elevated Road, about two or three kilometers from the tunnel entrance, even the most skilled person would be at a loss. The road ahead was completely blocked by traffic; a long line of cars stretched out before them. Even if they asked other cars to move aside, it would be barely faster than walking.

The expert leaned out of the car window and gestured for the car in front to make way. I checked my watch; it was already 4:41.

How could there possibly be enough time?

"Two motorcycles, I need two motorcycles. I'm heading west on the Yan'an Elevated Road, just past the intersection on Maoming Road. To reiterate, it's about 100 meters past the intersection on Maoming Road on the Yan'an Elevated Road, heading east."

"Get me a car from the nearest traffic police station. Three minutes, the car must be there within three minutes!" Guo Dong shouted into the walkie-talkie.

"Which of you two can ride a motorcycle?" Guo Dong asked.

Well, I can ride a bicycle and drive a car, but I've never driven a motorcycle.

“I will,” He Xi said.

Three minutes later, at 4:44, two police motorcycles arrived.

He Xi took the helmet and put it on, and I straddled her.

"Drive the car to the Municipal Bureau." Guo Dong, who was sitting in the back of the other car driven by Da Ren, said to the two policemen who had arrived on motorcycles.

"Hold on tight." He Xi turned around and said, twisting the throttle, and the motorcycle suddenly squeezed into the gap between the two lines of cars in front.

I never imagined that He Xi would drive a motorcycle so recklessly, no less so than the expert who drove the police car earlier. The space for passage is extremely small, and she often has to weave, but she still manages to keep the speed at around 50 miles per hour.

My heart was pounding. It was far more thrilling than driving a car at 200 kilometers per hour on the highway. The erotic thoughts that had arisen when I first held her slender waist tightly had long been blown away by the wind.