I raised an eyebrow. The FBI actually knew to send people infiltrate among the interviewers. Looks like these guys aren't so useless after all.
"So what?" I shrugged.
“I will not allow you to do anything outside of our plans here. That would jeopardize the safety of the hostages, sir!” He pointed his gun at me. “So, now put down your weapon!”
I stared at the pilot; he was dressed in ordinary pilot's clothes, his uniform even bearing a TV station logo, and his appearance was quite ordinary. His grip on the gun was steady.
“I won’t put down my gun.” I looked at him and said steadily, “You can shoot me…you might as well try.”
“Sir, please don’t pressure me!” His tone was laced with warning. “I work for the government. Now, in the name of the FBI, I order you to lay down your weapon!”
"So what do you plan to do?" I sneered. "You're going to report to your superior that the rooftop is under your control? And then parachute in a team of SWAT officers? Don't be ridiculous..."
I didn't care about the gun in his hand. I approached him step by step, my face showing undisguised contempt: "I can tell you, I was one of the hostages who just escaped from this building today... I can mobilize the assistance of at least three powerful families in North America at any time! As for you, you're just a lowly FBI agent... Believe me, if it were any other day, I could make you lose your job with just one phone call! Now, try shooting me! Can you take the responsibility? If I get hurt, even your superiors can't take the responsibility!"
I slowly reached out my hand, and he hesitated, still wavering...
Indeed, he cannot bear the responsibility!
He's an agent, that's true. If he were facing a terrorist, he might not hesitate to shoot... But I'm not a terrorist!!
These are the rules and restrictions that police officers or the FBI face when they do their jobs. But gangsters like me don't have these limitations!
"Don't push me!" he warned in a low voice as he backed away.
Suddenly, I grabbed his wrist and quickly dislocated his wrist joint. Before he could cry out in pain, I caught the pistol he dropped with my other hand and kicked him in the stomach at the same time.
The FBI agent snorted and bent over like a shrimp. I grabbed his hair again and slammed his head against the plane... With a thud, blood streamed from his nose, and by the time I lifted him up, he was in so much pain he couldn't even groan.
I quickly searched him but found nothing. Then I frowned and said, "You didn't just send the FBI to infiltrate here alone, did you? You have nothing on you. Are you just here to be a pilot and have someone point a gun at you on the rooftop and do nothing?"
"Waaah...you bastard, you broke my nose." He mumbled, covering his nose.
“Hey, you asked for it.” I shrugged. “Anyone who tries to stop me is going against me! Now I’m going to ask you a few questions, so answer them properly.” I thought for a moment and said, “There should be some FBI agents in the media interview team that went in, right? I don’t think the FBI would be so stupid as to send in just one useless person like you. They would at least send someone useful.”
He didn't speak, so I pointed the gun directly at his head: "Listen up, I promise I'll shoot! So don't test my patience. If you don't talk, I'll kill you! There are so many terrorists here. If you die, we can pin the blame on them, and it won't affect me at all!"
“You’re threatening someone who works for the government! Sir, that’s a crime.” He was trying to intimidate me.
"Oh...you still have some listening devices or something on you, right?" I smiled. "Well, okay, it seems I don't need to waste any more words with you. Here's what I'll do: I won't make things difficult for you. You can turn on your radio and contact your boss. I'll talk to him myself."
This time he didn't resist. He obediently turned on the helicopter's radio and contacted the people below right under my nose.
After I made contact, I immediately shoved him away and then hit him on the head with the butt of my gun, knocking him unconscious.
Then I put on the wireless headset myself: "Hello, please tell me your identity!"
"Damn it! You bastard, who are you?!" came a roar from the other side.
"Sir, you'd better be more polite when you're speaking to me," I said coldly. "Now, please state your identity!"
After a brief period of static, a slightly calmer voice spoke up: "Hello, I am Link J. Fred, FBI Special Affairs Special Agent. You can just call me Link! Sir, regardless of your identity or background, we heard your threats and the tactics you used against our agent through his bodyphone! This is a blatant violation of the law and a blatant provocation against the US government and the FBI!"
"Alright, I don't have time for formalities." I glanced at my watch. "I'm one of the guests here today, and one of the original hostages. My name is Chen Yang. Your FBI can check my file immediately; I don't need to waste time. As for the rest, you all know I had already escaped, but I'm back now. My purpose is to rescue my friends and deal with these terrorists. In this respect, our goals aren't contradictory, so I just don't want anyone getting in my way. Besides, if things go smoothly, I might even be able to lend you a hand!"
"...But how can we be sure your actions won't endanger the hostages inside!" The other person still tried to stop me: "You'd better not move! Otherwise, your actions will have very serious consequences for you!!"
I took a deep breath.
I know that, given my capabilities, it would be unwise to confront the FBI and openly oppose them, even though my main power base is in Canada. But if the FBI and I become enemies, it shouldn't be too difficult for them to cause me trouble.
but……
Damn it! Yang Wei is still inside! Yang Wei is still inside!!! Just thinking about Yang Wei's desperate eyes at the end, and how weak she looked when she was breathing rapidly, makes my heart burn with rage!
No matter what, even if it costs me my life, I will definitely save her!!!
"Listen up, I'm giving you two choices. First, you can send someone to arrest me right now... but I doubt you can do that. Second... you can cooperate with me! Do as I say! Otherwise, I can't guarantee what will happen if anything goes wrong. If you cooperate, maybe I can help you rescue the hostages."
Of course, they could also contact the terrorists and tell them that they have the situation under control on the rooftop... but for the FBI to do something like that would be unless President Bush and Bin Laden were sworn brothers.
So, they can't do anything about me. After all, I'm in control now!
"...State your demands." The other person's voice sounded conciliatory.
"First, immediately order all media helicopters to stay away from this building! Although I have control of the rooftop, the terrorists below are unaware of it!! This is an advantage for us! If the media film everything on the rooftop and broadcast it on television, I'm worried that the terrorists below might take some extreme measures!"
“…Okay, that’s acceptable.” The other party agreed.
"Secondly, I know there are definitely other agents in that interview team! Tell me his identity, otherwise, I don't want to cause collateral damage when we go down! I demand that you order him to cooperate with me!"
“That’s impossible!” The other party refused without hesitation, but then, probably afraid of angering me, changed to a more tactful tone: “The agent’s identity is a photojournalist, but we cannot order him around. To be precise, for security reasons, he is not carrying any communication devices with us! He will only work according to the original plan.”
"So what was your original plan?" I sneered.
"...It's just a simple situational investigation. We need to know the exact number of terrorists, the terrain, the terrorists' condition, their equipment, and so on... We're not prepared to take immediate action; it's just intelligence gathering."
I sneered inwardly. If they keep dragging this out, all the hostages will probably be dead by now!
"So, did he have any weapons on him?"
"……No."
I nodded in satisfaction: "Okay, so in a crucial moment, if I need his help, how should I contact him?"
The other party hesitated for a moment. Then he said helplessly, "Alright, we have a code. In a crucial moment, you tell him 'black sheep.' It's a code to show that you're on our side. But even if he thinks you're on our side, you have no right to command him."
I thought about it and figured they were probably right. So I didn't pursue the matter any further.
“Alright. Then let’s get to the third point.” I said coldly, “You’d better not make any rash moves. Don’t think that just because I’ve taken control of the rooftop, you can send people up to occupy it and then launch a surprise attack… No way. I won’t be responsible for anything that happens!”
This is a decision I made after careful consideration. My priority is to save Yang Wei. While I don't care about the lives of others, what if the police launch a full-scale attack and Lamouchi, in a desperate act, harms Yang Wei?
"Don't worry. We won't take any extreme measures unless we're absolutely certain," the other party replied helplessly.
“Fourth,” I thought for a moment. “I can give you a channel; this is my walkie-talkie that I carry with me. We can contact each other, and I might be able to provide you with some inside information. At the same time, you can help me when I need help. It’s a cooperative arrangement that benefits everyone. But I have one request… To be honest, I don’t trust the FBI much. I require my direct contact to be Officer Louis of the Los Angeles Police Department. I owe him my escape, so I only trust him.”
"...Okay, I can agree to that too."
"fifth……"
Before I could finish speaking, the other party was already getting angry. I heard the middle-aged man suppress his rage and say, "Your demands are far too many! You'd better remember that everything you're doing right now is illegal! So if you continue to make any more unreasonable demands..."
Before he could finish, I continued speaking, completely ignoring what he said: "Fifth! I require you to send some people to the side of the building to shout through loudspeakers at the top of their lungs! You all know how to shout, right? It's just some verbal offensive, like persuading them to surrender! It must be continuous and not brief... My goal is simple: I hope you can do something that won't provoke these terrorists, to attract their attention! Even if you only attract a little of their attention, the pressure on me inside will be reduced!"
"……All right!!"
I know that making any further demands now would be really going too far. I bet the FBI is pretty angry with me too.
I can't worry about anything else now! My only priority is to rescue Yang Wei! I'm willing to do anything to achieve that!
If something were to happen to Yang Wei, a woman who has devoted herself entirely to me, here, I'm afraid I would never be able to forgive myself for the rest of my life!
I confirmed some walkie-talkie channels with the other person, then I turned off the radio and went straight back to Jack.
He looked at me helplessly, but with a hint of surprise on his face. It was probably because I had suddenly gotten into a conflict with the pilot next to the helicopter, and I had even knocked him down, which surprised Jack.
I glanced at the other pilot; he was also looking at me with some concern and distrust. After all, I had just suddenly attacked and knocked down that FBI agent, even though this pilot didn't know the agent's identity. But my actions would inevitably arouse his suspicion.
“Okay, it’s nothing. That guy is actually an FBI agent.” I smiled and said it without any hesitation. I stared at Jack: “Now listen carefully, I’m determined to do it. So, you don’t have a choice.”
I glanced at the remaining pilot: "This has nothing to do with you, so if you behave yourself, you can live. Now, give me your gun."
The pilot was an ordinary person. After hesitating for a moment and considering the comparison of numbers and strength between the two sides, he handed me the gun.
"I don't represent the police, nor the FBI; I only represent myself." I looked at Jack. "My request of you is simple... You continue doing what you're doing now, the task remains the same: guarding this rooftop! However, from this moment on, your boss is no longer Lamouchi. It's me! It's that simple. Understand? No one except me, whether from the police or Lamouchi's men, is allowed to come onto the rooftop!!"
I turned around and pointed to the helicopter behind us: "See that helicopter? That's our only means of escape! We're counting on it to get out of here! So you'd better keep a close watch on this place!"
"You...aren't you afraid I'll steal this helicopter and run away? Anyway, there's already a pilot here. He should be able to fly this plane and escape, right?" Jack looked at me sideways.
I shook my head. He looked at me with a mocking gaze: "If I were you, I wouldn't talk to me like that! I'm still in control, so you'd better not try to provoke me! Listen carefully, I don't care if you hijack this pilot and escape in the plane… because without me, you have no chance of escaping! Once this plane takes off, there will be at least four or five police helicopters following you! In the air, you have no way to escape! They can shoot you down directly, or try to force you to land. Then they'll capture you! Don't tell me that you have this pilot as a hostage and the police won't dare to chase you! You should understand that the reason Lamouchi was able to hold off the police is because his hostages were all important figures, celebrities! If his hostages were just a few ordinary citizens, then those police below would probably have already rushed up! Similarly, if you hijack an ordinary pilot, do you think the police will let go of such a notorious wanted criminal like you? Even if they don't dare to shoot down your plane, if they keep chasing you, when you run out of fuel and land, you'll still have nowhere to run."
Finally, I glared at Jack and said, "So, I'm your only hope of escaping! Your only hope of surviving! And now, your only option is to cooperate with me... unless, of course, you want to die."
I left Jack speechless.
I pointed directly at the FBI agent I'd knocked unconscious on the plane: "That guy, nobody's allowed to hurt him. Drag him out and put him aside. Also, Lamouchi will be calling you every now and then, right? He'll probably send people up to patrol again, won't he?"
“I’ll handle all of this.” Jack said with a grim face, probably annoyed by my order, but he had to swallow it in order to escape: “I’ll handle it very cleanly, so he won’t suspect anything.”
I knew I'd already put him under enough pressure, and I couldn't keep pushing him too hard. I even handed him the magazine I'd just removed, a gesture that puzzled Jack. I smiled and looked at him: "Here, this is for you. If Ramuch's men come up and find you're unarmed, they'll be suspicious. Also, that federal agent, I've knocked him out... You see, I didn't cooperate with the FBI, but chose to cooperate with you. Actually, I'm essentially the same as you; I'm not a good person either, I'm also a creature walking in the shadows. So, I trust you more than those officials. Because those officials are worried about their responsibilities. But you... are fighting for your life! Compared to that, I trust you more."
I walked to the edge of the building and looked down. Although it was night, countless searchlights had illuminated the area around the building as if it were daytime.
I opened the canvas bag I had brought, took out a disc, found a solid surface and stuck it in place. Inside the disc was a coil of rope. I pulled it out, gave it a good tug to make sure it was secure, and then carefully tied the rope around my waist.
I took out two suction cup-like things from the canvas bag and put them on my palms. I gently put on a pair of transparent goggles, then zipped the canvas bag up again and simply tied it to my body.
The bag is heavy, probably as heavy as a person! But I can still handle it.
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter 155: Double Entry
I sat on the edge of the rooftop, tightened the rope around my waist, and adjusted the release mechanism above. It was an electronically controlled hoisting rope with an effective range of about fifteen meters. The winch on top was electronically controlled; within fifteen meters, I could electronically control it to retract or release the rope. The controller was on my waist.
“Hey…” I turned on the walkie-talkie and tuned it to the channel I had agreed upon with the FBI: “Listen, I’m about to start the operation, but I need your help with something.”
After the static, Officer Louis's voice came through: "Mr. Chen Yang?"
“Oh, Officer Louis, it’s so good to hear your voice.” I smiled. “I’m about to get going. But I need your help.”
"What?"
“Media control!” I said solemnly. “I’m currently on the rooftop of the Torch Building, about to descend from the outside. But there are countless media cameras and lenses pointed at us from the twin towers across the street. So, I need your help to temporarily shut down all those media cameras in those twin towers across the street! I don’t want my sneaky infiltration footage to be broadcast to every household’s television! You know, terrorists have people hiding in the city watching the televisions.”
"Okay...please wait a moment." There was a moment of silence on Officer Louis's end, and then I saw all the lights on the Twin Towers across the street suddenly go out!
"Alright, I've ordered the power to the Twin Towers to be temporarily shut down, as well as all networks. They can't film or transmit normally anymore. But you have to hurry. You know, in this day and age, anyone with a cell phone can film and transmit! So you have to be on time. I've already sent media liaisons to contact the media."
"Thank you!" I turned off the intercom.
I checked my equipment one last time on the edge of the rooftop, then rolled over and gripped the edge with both hands. I let go, pressed the control button on my waist, and as the rope slowly lowered, I slid down…
The strong winds high in the sky made my body sway, but my hands, covered with suction cups, immediately pressed against the glass on the exterior of the building. Then, very quickly, I was glued to the wall like Spider-Man.
I slowly climbed down. The suction cups on my hands were very secure. It was just that moving even one meter was very strenuous, and the canvas bag tied around my waist was indeed too heavy.
Although Hansen told me beforehand that these suction cups were military products, specifically designed for high-altitude operations and capable of supporting weights exceeding 200 kilograms, I wouldn't have dared to recklessly imitate Spider-Man if I hadn't been wearing a rope around my waist.
With goggles covering your eyes, your vision won't be affected by the strong wind, but the howling wind in your ears and the prolonged exposure to such strong winds can still make you dizzy.
At this moment, as agreed, the police below began to create a large-scale disturbance on both sides of the building as cover.
The searchlights were concentrated on both sides of the building, while the front remained dark. Then I heard something below. Several large loudspeakers were turned up to maximum volume, and police officers began issuing warnings. It was nothing more than the same old rhetoric of warnings and urging the other side to surrender.