Miss Assassin is heavily addicted

Chapter 29, Section 8: The Kidnapper's Comedy

—Rose Street. National Security Bureau—

In the office piled high with documents, Isabel was rubbing her temples to relax. She had just finished processing the funding application. In recent months, the higher-ups had been tightening their grip on funding, and she wondered if the application would be rejected again this time.

Just then, someone came running in a panic.

The footsteps were so bright.

"Report! Darren has requested reinforcements!" The sergeant, sweating profusely, pushed open the door and entered.

“…?” Isabel slowly released her grip, recalling the adjutant who had left not long ago. He said he was going to deal with the escaped prisoner McKinney, but suddenly things took a turn and they needed reinforcements.

"What did he say?" Isabel asked.

"He said...we need a few snipers with good marksmanship."

The officer who came to report spoke dryly, glancing at Isabel with a hint of embarrassment. After all, it was just a minor matter—arresting a somewhat notorious fraudster.

Unfortunately, during the operation, someone recognized their plainclothes officers, just as some members of the public recognized the villain McKinney—the fraudsters had dealt with the officers so many times that they remembered a few familiar faces, so the encirclement was exposed before it was fully formed.

So now, the situation is at a stalemate, and we need a few guys with good marksmanship to handle it.

And there is——

"Also, Darren said you might need to go there too, because those people want to...negotiate..."

At this point, the sergeant who came to report became even more hoarse, and he gestured nervously with his fingers.

It's really not worth alarming Isabel over such a security incident; she's been quite exhausted lately.

Isabel paused for a moment, then picked up the police cap lying beside her and gently pressed down her bangs—a hard brim, a round crown, and silver olive branches trimmed on it.

She stood up, grabbed her clothes, and walked out of the office, looking a little tired.

“Let’s go,” she said.

……

The gaze shifts.

Let's go back 15 minutes.

—Rose Street, Central Garden—

At this moment, a large number of people have gathered here. The wedding scene is a mess, with bread crumbs and stained tablecloths. In addition to police officers and bad guys, there are also citizens watching from the outside of the circle in the central garden.

They were strolling in the bright sunshine, walking their dog or relaxing, until the flower-filled wedding venue suddenly changed into a noisy crowd, which then turned into a crowd of onlookers.

"What happened?"

A passing woman touched her cheek and asked worriedly, her eyes fixed on the commotion inside.

"It seems there was some trouble at the wedding, and somehow the police were called in."

There was a lot of discussion around.

By this time, He Ye and Nicole had come to their senses. They slumped to the ground, exchanging a knowing look, with other neighbors who had escaped nearby.

There is no doubt that the wedding has turned into a terrible nightmare.

The loving bride and groom have become kidnappers and hostages, exchanging blows in front of everyone. The vows they made just minutes before now seem so tragic.

Police officers surrounded the area, and the standoff seemed like a fight to the death.

He Ye slumped to the ground, looking at the scene with a mix of sadness and frustration. He thought to himself that he had been having a lot of bad luck lately—why did things that should have been beautiful turn out like this?
Should we just ignore this tragic situation?
Forget it, let's just ignore this pathetic thing...

After a quick assessment, He Ye decided not to get involved in the matter any further, especially since it was happening right under the noses of the National Security Bureau personnel.

Even if these guys are just members of the law enforcement team and not from the National Security Bureau's intelligence investigation department, you still have to keep your distance.

"Let's run away, let's run away..." he thought to himself, propping himself up to leave, and he and Nicole once again dodged and weaved their way out of the crowd.

But there was always a voice tugging at his heart.

"Kane, Kane!!"

A mother knelt on the ground, crying out the name of a child, tears streaming down her face, while she was surrounded by sheriffs who were holding her arm and preventing her from going in.

He Ye stopped in his tracks, which was about to leave, and subconsciously turned around to look back, as if it were something that could not be avoided.

“Sir…” This was the second time Nicole had seen him hesitate.

The wedding venue was now clear: four villains were holding four unlucky men hostage. They were back-to-back in another circle, confronting the police officers.

The groom, Harold, stood on the left, gripping a dagger tightly, his eyes filled with anxiety, while Miss Elsa, who was silently weeping, was held hostage.
The mohawk villain, holding a little boy who only reached his belly, was extremely uneasy, trembling with fear of the gun barrel, standing on the right.
Two villains stood on the east and west sides, respectively, holding the middle-aged bishop and the freckled youth Quinn hostage, and blocking their way.

The four thugs stood back to back, forming an 'O' formation, using the hostage to block the police's gunfire.

A situation where a large circle O surrounds a small circle O.

Seeing this situation, He Ye understood one thing: their breakthrough lay with the Mohican man—which was why the mother was crying out.

The boy kidnapped by the Mohican villain didn't give him enough sense of security because the little guy was too short, so the villain's chest was completely exposed to the gun's field of fire.

If it comes to a fight to the death, he will be the first person shot dead by the police, with no chance of escape.

Therefore, the Mohican villain felt extremely panicked.

His dagger had accidentally grazed the boy's chest many times, piercing his clothes, drawing blood, and amplifying his cries.

"Mommy, Mommy!!"

"Get lost and stop crying!!" The mohawk-wearing villain threatened him fiercely once again, his fingers gripping the boy's neck tightly!
"Waaah..." the boy sobbed, unable to speak.

"Kane! Kane!" The woman choked back tears again, crawling on her knees, trying to reach him, even if it meant taking her own place in the child's place.

The surrounding officers had no choice but to pull her back again and wait for the sniper to take position.

Meanwhile, his adjutant Darren was also making efforts to negotiate.

“You are now surrounded and there is no way you can escape. I advise you to release the hostages you are holding. At least for now, you will only have to go to jail. Fraud and murder are completely different crimes.”

Darren stood ten meters away from them and said coldly.

"Ha, do you think I'd believe the lies of you sheriffs? You make it sound so easy to say I'll spend time in jail. Ten years is the same as a hundred! What's the difference between dying in jail and being shot now?!"

Harold cursed fiercely, the dark-skinned, seemingly honest man shedding his disguise at that moment, his face contorted with rage.

Elsa, who had been kidnapped, simply pursed her lips and silently shed tears.

Beside her, Quinn, who was also being held hostage, was both angry and timid. He lowered his head, clenched his teeth, and felt fear as he felt the sharp blade against his neck.

Another mournful sob echoed from outside the encirclement.

"Please, please save my child! He's my only child. His father died of cholera a few years ago. I can't live without him..."

The woman spoke with overwhelming grief, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing to the surrounding police officers with a devotion more sincere than when she prayed in a church.

Darren couldn't stand it any longer. He took a deep breath and prepared to take a gamble and force his way through. He graduated from the police academy with a top-three finish in marksmanship. Now, at a distance of more than ten meters, he was confident that he could shoot the criminal in the head with his pistol and save the child.

Without a doubt, the other hostages are left to fend for themselves.

The gun was already loaded, and his fingers were trembling.

Fortunately, before he could act impulsively, someone came out with their hand raised and slowly approached.

I guess I just can't ignore it...

A black-haired youth, whom they had never seen before, appeared before them. He stepped past the police cordon and approached the perimeter. The male officer beside him tried to pull him back, but all he heard was a 'shh' and a reassuring look. He Ye turned around and gave a brief nod, indicating that he was fine, and whispered, "I'll go get the child back."

The police officer immediately understood his intention, and his hand remained frozen in mid-air, no longer trying to stop him.

at the same time--

"Who are you? No, don't come any closer!!"

As He Ye slowly approached, the Mohican man cried out in fear, his hand holding the knife trembling even more violently.

Because the other person was walking towards him.

Now, he feels insecure and afraid of anything that might happen.

He Ye pursed his lips, raised his hand again to indicate that he was not in danger, his eyes were gentle, and his scholarly air remained as always.

“Uh, hello, I’m a general education teacher at the St. Matthew Welfare Home. The child you’re holding is very scared right now. If you’d like, I’ll be your hostage… well, he’s just a child.”

He Ye spoke methodically, appearing docile.

"Damn it, who knows if you're an undercover cop or not!"

Harold, wary of the officers in front of him, rejected the suggestion made by the dark-haired youth without even turning his head.

But the Mohican villain was already wavering, because the boy in front of him was simply not good enough to be a human shield.

He Ye continued speaking slowly, striking a chord with the other person:
"That child can't withstand many bullets, can he? You'll be much safer if you switch places with me. At least the police can't shoot you head-on. Of course, you don't need to be afraid of my personal strength. After all, I'm just a general education teacher at an orphanage, and I spend most of my time with books and ink..."

A sincere tone can easily move others, not to mention touching their inner anxieties.

The mohawk-wearing villain trembled for a moment, then stared at He Ye and said coldly:
"Then come closer! Come closer and I'll let him go!"

"Okay." He Ye raised his hand and slowly approached.

Harold roared, "How could you believe him?!"

"Boss, I... I'm afraid of dying!" The mohawk-wearing villain trembled and almost cried, but he didn't let go of the dagger.

Harold suppressed his anger after hearing this, while the expressions of his other two underlings were uncertain.

"You'd better pray he's just a hostage."

Then He Ye came to his side, raising his hands in obedience. He saw Miss Aisha's bewildered and dim eyes, and the middle-aged bishop's earnest eyes—he seemed to hope that He Ye could save him as well.

As for the freckled youth Quinn, he only glanced at him before lowering his head and remaining silent, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

The crowd around them was already buzzing with discussion. Nicole crossed her hands in prayer, hoping helplessly that her husband was alright. Meanwhile, the police officer who had stopped He Ye was exchanging opinions with Darren.

None of them knew what the outcome would be, but at least the crying around them stopped.

The boy was kicked away and staggered back into his mother's arms. The two embraced and cried loudly, and someone breathed a sigh of relief.

Or rather, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief.

The mohawk villain's hand finally stopped trembling so much. His dagger was against He Ye's neck, and he felt a sense of relief, even wanting to say thank you.

He Ye breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the mother and child embracing. Although the action was a bit risky, it was still under control. After all, none of the police officers recognized his identity—neither the mysterious egg-crushing man nor the spy.

The standoff is not over yet.

"What do we do now, boss?"

Amidst the riotous flowers and the chaotic scene, some of the surrounded villains whispered anxiously.

Harold racked his brains and managed to squeeze out a sentence, his face grim: "They won't let us leave."

"Then we're doomed!" Brother B exclaimed in fear.

Hearing this, the Mohican villain, who had just calmed down, became anxious again. He Ye, who had been kidnapped by him, could feel the trembling on his arm. He thought to himself that this criminal gang had really poor mental fortitude, just staring at each other for so long.

He had to appease these scoundrels and prevent them from having any "what's the point" attitude—at least not now.

"Um, I have a suggestion for you guys?"

While the four villains led by Harold were having an uneasy discussion, He Ye 'timidly' interrupted their conversation, his voice sounding so abrupt.

"Who told you to speak!" the mohawk-wearing villain snapped aggressively, brandishing his blade in a mocking manner.
He Ye feigned fear: "I just don't want to die. I can let you escape!"

"..." Harold said unhappily, "You?"

"Actually, I was also kidnapped by criminals before..." He Ye thought for a moment and then blurted out, using a fabricated and reasonable story to give them hope.

"That happened when I was withdrawing money from the bank, about three or four years ago. A group of robbers came to rob the bank. They were also surrounded by the police and took hostages, but in the end... well, they managed to escape."

There was a few seconds of silence after he finished speaking.

The group looked at He Ye and exchanged bewildered glances.

"Don't lie to me... How did they do that?"

The Mohican villain, itching with curiosity, asked, his face feigning a fierce expression yet yearning for an answer; he desperately wanted to live.

“It’s simple. First, have the police prepare a car without license plates for escape, within 30 minutes. Then, make them move back 30 meters, at least so they’re not in a standoff with guns drawn anymore. You won’t be under that much pressure,” He Ye said slowly. “This way, there’s still room for maneuver.”

“…That makes some sense!” Henchman A’s eyes lit up. “We can drive away. With hostages, the police won’t disobey us!”

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Harold roared. "Damn it, how do you know the police won't plant a bomb in the car? How do you know the police won't follow us? And how can you guarantee we won't get stopped when we drive out! We could be caught so easily!"

He Ye continued his narration:
“You misunderstood me. What I meant was to prepare four cars for escape, and then the four of you would each drive one of the four cars and escape with the hostages. That way, all the problems you mentioned would be solved.”

"To ensure the safety of the hostages, there will be no bombs in the car; intercepting at least four times the police force would be even more troublesome; so as long as you split into four groups to escape, there is still a high chance of success."

After finishing her sentence, He Ye sighed softly and asked in return, "Isn't that so?"

"Fuck..."

One of the four villains trembled as if suddenly enlightened, speaking slowly and deliberately, as if solving an advanced math problem of life.

"Damn! No wonder he's a teacher! He's got real wisdom!"

Even the Mohican villain felt a tingling sensation all over his body after hearing this, and his eyes lit up because the plan sounded very feasible. His previous feeling of despair quickly dissipated.

Can survive!

Finally, amidst the hushed discussion of the four, Harold, the leader, remained silent for a long while, licked his lips, looked at the officer opposite him, and shouted loudly—

Its content is a retelling of what He Ye just said.

"Prepare the cars, four cars! Let us go! No bombs allowed! We'll escape with the hostages, unless you want them to die too!"

Harold shouted, his voice strong but his heart empty. Although he didn't quite trust this unfamiliar general education teacher from the orphanage, they were now at their wits' end. They either had to kill the hostages and die together, or they would be shot by the police without even taking the hostages with them.

Now there is a third possibility, however slim, but people always want to live.

The police were in a bit of a bind when they heard Harold's request. His adjutant, Darren, didn't have that much authority, and at the moment, he was more inclined to break Harold's will to fight.

At that moment, the police officer who had stopped He Ye came over again, hoping that his adjutant, Darren, would not act impulsively. The onlookers had also witnessed He Ye's actions and did not want this kind-hearted man to lose his life because of the police's recklessness.

After a while——

"I understand. I promise."

Darren finally took a deep breath, nodded, put away his gun, turned and left, his back view deep and unsettling.

The surrounding police officers also obeyed the order and retreated.

(End of this chapter)