Criminal Investigation Notes

 The standoff inside the house continued. During the time when the robbers were conversing, Lu Junchi knelt down next to Su Hui on one knee, ready to pull out his gun from the medical kit compartment at any time.

They were about four meters away from the sofa.

If there was an emergency, Lu Junchi could move forward and take control.

However, that was the last resort that should be avoided as much as possible. Lu Junchi lowered his head and considered various plans. Now, Qin Yongchen's thumb was constantly on the safety catch, and with a slight force, it would trigger an explosion.

Time passed by second by second. They couldn't snatch the grenade by force, and it was not be advisable to act recklessly. They could only consider injuring or killing Qin Yongchen.

The difficult part was to ensure the safety of the hostages at the same time.

Lu Junchi was trying to weaken his presence in Qin Yongchen's eyes and was also preparing to respond to any sudden situation.

Qin Yongchen turned his head and looked outside through the gap in the curtains. He could tell that there were more police officers now. Those police officers had just stopped in the distance without any further action, and he tightened his grip on the grenade.

Suddenly, Su Hui whispered, "The hostages can't hold on much longer. Can I give them some water?"

Qin Yongchen snorted, and Su Hui stood up and brought a glass of water for Dong Jiaying and handed it over.

He casually pulled out a tissue from the tissue box beside him and handed it to Mi Shu, lowering his voice and asking, "Do you like children very much?"

Mi Shu was stunned and asked, "What?"

Su Hui looked at her with his eyes and said, "I see you always looking in the direction of the baby." Then he added, "You are wearing this kind of dress, I thought you were pregnant..."

Today, Mi Shu wore a slightly loose dress, which looked like a maternity dress.

Mi Shu was stunned, but Su Hui didn't explain much. He walked back and sat next to Dong Jiaying.

Although it was just a few words whispered, Qian Yongchen frowned and looked at them. He didn't say anything, but he heard a little of their conversation. He knew Mi Shu well and knew that a few words wouldn't shake their beliefs.

Mi Shu lowered her head, holding a tissue in her hand. She stopped her tears that fell silently.

The room was quiet again.

Lu Junchi raised his head and looked at Su Hui.

Compared to these robbers, he knew Su Hui better. He wouldn't do anything useless. What he said to Mi Shu must be extremely important.

Su Hui didn't explain or do anything else. He quietly lowered his eyes, seeming a little tired.

In his previous analysis of their profiles, he had already felt that the relationship between these three robbers was not ordinary, especially Qian Yongchen and Mi Shu. The two robbers were not like ordinary lovers. They were more like soul mates who had built some kind of contract.

Just now, Qian Yongchen mentioned family in his words, which confirmed his inference.

From Mi Shu's words earlier, he felt that she still had compassion.

If there is anyone who can touch Qin Yongchen, it would be Mi Shu. However, he must find the right point to stick the needle in. Once the needle is inserted, the balloon that has reached its limit will burst.

Time was running out, and there were less than five minutes left until the twenty-minute deadline.

"Do you want to call your ex-girlfriend because you still love her?" Mi Shu suddenly asked Qin Yongchen.

Qin Yongchen didn't answer, so she continued to ask tremblingly, "Didn't you promise me that you wouldn't be entangled in the past anymore?"

Returning to this topic, Qin Yongchen hesitated for a moment and looked at Mi Shu. "This is the last time. I just want to make it clear, and I will accompany you in the future."

When Qin Yongchen spoke, Mi Shu felt like her heart died. She didn't care if Qin Yongchen wanted to die with them or not, but she cared about her position in his heart.

Now she got her answer.

Since they are family, it should be mutual, but this man didn't consider her feelings at all.

She likes children, she pities the baby, even a newcomer can see that, but Qin Yongchen doesn't know.

Tears started to fall from the corner of Mi Shu's eyes. "Brother Qin..."

Compared to Qin Yongchen's madness, she still had some sanity left. Then she choked up, "We can't escape. Let's turn ourselves in..."

The last five words touched Qin Yongchen's nerves, and his eyes turned red. "Turning ourselves in means death. Even if I die here today, I won't turn myself in!"

Since the first day he killed those people, he knew he was doomed to die. Even now, surrounded by the police, he never thought of surrendering.

It seemed like his life was meant to end in that big fire, surviving only made him more confused and lost.

He killed so many people just to find the answer, and now he was close to it. He couldn't stop here.

Zhang Xiaocai panicked, "Don't panic, we still have time, let's think of a way!"

Qin Yongchen pursed his lips and looked at Mi Shu and Zhang Xiaocai. "Xiaocai is right, we will be fine. I won't betray you, and you shouldn't leave me. We will escape together."

At this point, his words sounded as naive as a child's babble.

With layers of encirclement outside, they couldn't escape even if they had wings.

There were only two possible outcomes: either they would die or they would die with these people.

Su Hui sat quietly. Although his words were simple, they gave Mi Shu enough hints.

Sometimes, a person's decision can change in a subtle moment.

He seemed to have lightly flicked his finger, toppling a domino, and this chain reaction was far from over.

Mi Shu stayed quiet for a moment, and despair filled her eyes. She trembled and pleaded again, "Brother Qin, I want to surrender... please let me go..."

Qin Yongchen never expected that Mi Shu would say such words.

She knew that the thing he hated the most in his life was betrayal and abandonment. Now, was she also going to betray him?

He widened his eyes and put his other hand on the grenade in his hand. It seemed like the safety pin would be pulled out in the next second.

"As family, I have never done anything to wrong you. So many days and nights... and now..." Mi Shu paused to catch her breath. Her face was pale, and more tears flowed from the corners of her eyes.

Suddenly, the baby beside them burst into tears.

Mi Shu couldn't help but put her hand on her belly. She suddenly thought of something and said, "I'm pregnant..."

Before Qin Yongchen could question her, she continued, "It's true... I thought I couldn't get pregnant again in this lifetime, but a few days ago, I helped the neighbor auntie carry something and didn't feel well afterwards. Because my period was delayed, I bought a pregnancy test and found out that I'm really pregnant. I can stay with you, but the child..."

Mi Shu sobbed and said, "I can give up my chance to give birth and stay with you until the end, no matter what the outcome is. But this young life, this life that has not yet seen the world... I want to try to protect him."

Qin Yongchen looked at Mi Shu, his hand still holding onto the grenade. This sentence was like a bullet that pierced his heart.

He still had anger from being betrayed, and he couldn't even judge whether Mi Shu's words were true or false. His hands trembled, desperately suppressing the urge to pull out the safety pin.

His eyes stared harshly at Mi Shu's belly, as if wanting to pierce through her clothes and body.

"Brother Qin, I... I have never lied to you." Mi Shu cried.

Qin Yongchen had not paid attention to the details, and for a moment, he could not judge whether her words were true or false.

He's just angry now. They promised to stay together, but she still wants to leave him.

No matter what the reason is!

This has already happened once in Qin Yongchen's life, and he won't let it happen again!

Qin Yongchen took a deep breath. Explosions and flames kept flashing in his mind like hypnosis. He hoped for that result.

Women are all liars. She just doesn't want to die with him. She's making up lies. Qin Yongchen clenched the thunderbolt in his hand and looked at the hostages in the room, filled with a murderous intent.

As long as he moved his finger, everything could end.

"Can I take the child with me?" Mi Shu wiped away her tears. She thought Qin Yongchen's silence meant approval.

She had killed many people, and she was not a good person either, but she was different from Qin Yongchen. There are many cruel things she couldn't do.

She wanted to live, and she didn't want to see the child die on the spot.

The child...

Qin Yongchen's hand trembled as he looked at the baby lying on the sofa. Then he looked at Mi Shu, who was curled up with her legs, looking thin.

This time is different.

What if, what if, what if Mi Shu is really carrying his child...

That is his flesh and blood, his legacy. Even if they deserve to be punished a thousand times over, the child is innocent. As long as Mi Shu can leave, there's a chance the child can survive...

Qin Yongchen's eyes are bloodshot, consumed by madness, but the last shred of humanity rises from his heart.

Then he cursed, "Get out!"

"Thank you, thank you..." Mi Shu felt as if she had been granted clemency, afraid that Qin Yongchen would change his mind. She went to the sofa, held the baby and walked out step by step.

Seeing Mi Shu winning a way out, Zhang Xiaocai was anxious. He stood up and questioned, "Why do you let her go?! You bastard, Qin Yongchen!"

In this kind of environment, relationships between people had long been as thin as ice. The conflict between them became sharp.

Under this tense situation, everyone's nerves were stretched tight.

Qin Yongchen stepped forward and blocked his way. "You don't understand this matter."

Zhang Xiaocai instantly collapsed. He wanted to resist, but knew he couldn't beat Qin Yongchen. He had seen the craziest side of him and knew that this madman could do anything.

With fear and hatred in his heart, Zhang Xiaocai trembled and said, "Are those things you said all lies to fool children?! You never fulfilled your promises to me."

Now he knew that the so-called family and the so-called never abandoning each other were just beautiful lies he had woven, and that it had been wishful thinking to believe in this madman's words.

He racked his brain, relying on his knowledge of Qin Yongchen, to think of anything that could move him, and how he could gain a chance to live. But he couldn't find it.

"Going out may not necessarily be a way out. I'll stay with you here. Together." After saying this, Qin Yongchen scanned the room. He’d let Mi Shu and the child go, which was his limit.

"As for the rest of you, don't even think about leaving this room."

This sentence was tantamount to sentencing the others to death.

The room was quiet for a while, and no one dared to speak. Even Dong Jiaying, who was seriously injured, gritted her teeth and endured the pain. She took advantage of Qin Yongchen's inattention and untied the rope under her feet, crawling towards the bedroom.

Lu Junchi glanced at Su Hui, and the two exchanged a look. Su Hui understood what Lu Junchi meant. He was asking when it would be appropriate to take action.

Qin Yongchen was always very vigilant. Even when he was talking to Mi Shu, he kept staring in their direction and his fingers were tightly clenched. He didn't even fully believe Mi Shu's words. Lu Junchi could feel the strong killing intent he had towards Mi Shu.

Fortunately, Qin Yongchen finally let Mi Shu and the baby go, solving their worries.

The situation was gradually turning in their favor...

Su Hui lowered his head and wrote on Lu Junchi's back.

Lu Junchi understood: "Wait until he looks at her..."

After entering the room, Su Hui was considering how to break the deadlock.

Without an opportunity, he had to create one.

The time was too short for him to persuade the robbers, so he had to start with the relationships among the robbers.

He spoke just three sentences to Mi Shu, giving her some guidance, and the smart woman immediately seized this last lifeline.

Su Hui was gambling, betting that Mi Shu loved Qin Yongchen, betting that Mi Shu did not want to die, betting that even if Qin Yongchen had no humanity, he still had compassion for his own flesh and blood.

So when Mi Shu left, Qin Yongchen would be lost in memories and would question the rightness and wrongness of his actions. He would be distracted, and that would be their only chance.

Mi Shu brushed past them and walked downstairs with the baby in her arms. Her voice trembling, she said, "Don't shoot, don't shoot...I surrender...I have no weapons on me."

The police outside also saw Mi Shu.

"She's coming out, the female robber is coming out...she's carrying a child!"

"What about the male robber?"

"Twenty minutes until the deadline, should we make a raid?"

"Do the snipers have a clear shot?"

"The angle of the robbers inside makes it impossible to shoot."

Cheng Ge felt that the situation was not good, but there was no better solution at the moment. Once the female robber left, the male robber would have no attachment and could release the safety lock at any time.

At this moment, he could only hope that Lu Junchi and Su Hui inside could control the situation.

Qin Yongchen had been staring at the people inside the house, not saying a word, until he saw Mi Shu's figure walk out of the building and the outside became noisy.

He suddenly realized that his demand was not right. He didn't really expect to talk to the woman who had abandoned him before. What was there for him to cling to now?

Love? It had long ceased to exist.

Hatred? He didn't have time to kill her.

He was just unwilling.

Qin Yongchen's gaze suddenly lifted, and through the crack in the curtain, he looked at Mi Shu's back outside. Bits and pieces of their life together suddenly rushed into his mind.

It felt like a vital organ in his chest was suddenly cut away.

Qin Yongchen still couldn't confirm until now, was what she said true...

In that moment of his daze, Lu Junchi knew that the best opportunity had come.

He took out his gun from the medicine kit, aimed and shot, the whole action was smooth and almost seamless.

Several gunshots rang out, exploding in the room.

No one had expected that they would bring weapons in. Qin Yongchen was caught off guard and several bullets pierced through his chest, blood spattering everywhere.

Lu Junchi emptied the remaining bullets in his clip, but the small space and fleeting opportunity made it difficult. In the end, only three bullets hit Qin Yongchen.

Qin Yongchen lifted his head and grinned at Lu Junchi.

At that moment, Lu Junchi's heart skipped a beat. He threw away his empty gun and rushed forward to snatch the grenade from Qin Yongchen's hand.

Qin Yongchen used his last bit of strength to open his four fingers holding the grenade, with the safety pin still hooked by his thumb. Due to the force of gravity, the weapon clicked open and fell, emitting a burst of white smoke.

Even if he was going to die, he was determined to take these people down with him!

Qian Yongchen raised his head and gave Lu Junchi a wicked smile.

Seeing this, Lu Junchi's heart skipped a beat. He threw away his empty gun and rushed forward to grab the grenade from Qian Yongchen's hand.

Using his last bit of strength, Qian Yongchen extended the four fingers holding the grenade, the safety pin still hooked on his thumb. Due to gravity, the weapon slipped out of his hand with a click and fell to the ground, emitting a puff of white smoke.

Even if he had to die, he would take these people with him!

"Ah...Ah..." Zhang Xiaocai cried out, searching for a place to take cover.

Lu Junchi reached out to grab the grenade that had fallen to the ground, but Su Hui suddenly tackled him, throwing his body on top of the grenade that was about to explode...

In the blink of an eye, Lu Junchi used his left hand to grab Su Hui's collar and pulled him up, then used his right hand to grab the grenade under him. It was heavy and felt like it was slipping from his grasp, but Lu Junchi wasted no time and threw it towards the front balcony with all his strength.

The HG85 flew through the air, smashing the glass with a loud bang. Along with the shattered glass, it flew out of the room and landed on the front balcony.

Su Hui hadn't reacted yet when he suddenly felt his vision go dark and his body warm. Lu Junchi had pulled him over and tightly embraced him, then pressed him behind the sofa in the room.

Cheng Ge had been watching the situation from the front of the convoy, and from the sound of the gunshots to the explosion, he only had time to shout, "Take cover!"

The entire process took only three seconds.

With a hiss followed by a loud bang, the grenade exploded on the balcony, creating a beautiful flame that rose more than two meters high. The intense explosion formed a brief shockwave. Almost all the glass on the balcony shattered and the ground shook. Countless steel balls flew through the air like bullets, making a piercing sound as they traveled…

TN:

Su Hui being willing to sacrifice his life for Lu Junchi is such a meaningful way to close the case considering the fact that this whole thing started because of a loved one’s unwillingness to get hurt, resulting in betrayal. We've come full circle.