Nominal: Hou Liangping blocking the door? He was slapped away!

When Li Dakang heard Shen Zhong's words, he was first stunned, then it was as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.

He was so angry that he laughed instead.

"Useless numbers?"

"Shen Zhong, I think you've been scared out of your wits and are starting to talk nonsense!"

He pointed out the window to the sea of ​​police lights and black combat uniforms, his voice filled with condescending mockery.

"Open your eyes and look!"

"There are over three hundred fully armed special police officers outside!"

How many people are in this room? Fifty? Or a hundred?

"What are you talking to me about? Numbers are useless statistics!"

Qi Tongwei also stepped forward, his face so gloomy it could wring water out of it.

The ruthlessness he exuded was truly honed in the midst of gunfire.

He stared at Shen Zhong, his voice low and carrying an undeniable warning.

"Secretary Shen, this is the last warning I am issuing to you on behalf of the Provincial Public Security Department."

"Release them immediately, or we will have no choice but to take action."

You will bear all the consequences.

The smell of gunpowder in the air was almost tangible.

Faced with the ultimatums from two powerful local figures, Shen Zhong didn't even lift an eyelid.

He reached out and pointed to the old-fashioned quartz wall clock.

The second hand is ticking away.

Li Dakang and Qi Tongwei subconsciously looked in the direction he was pointing.

The hands of the clock clearly pointed to 3:30 a.m.

It's 3:30.

The deep voice was calm, as if it were stating something that had nothing to do with him.

"It's almost dawn, and I don't want to drag things out until daytime."

He withdrew his finger, and his gaze finally fell on Li Dakang's face.

"I'll give you half an hour."

"Until exactly four in the morning."

"Evacuate everyone outside, or you will not be able to bear the consequences."

Li Dakang's expression froze.

He thought he had misheard.

This man, who was being held at gunpoint by more than three hundred guns, turned around and gave them an ultimatum.

"What did you say?"

Li Dakang's voice became somewhat sharp due to his astonishment.

Shen Zhong did not repeat himself.

He just looked at him quietly, and the calmness in his eyes made Li Dakang angrier than any roar.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Li Dakang burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the empty hall, sounding particularly jarring.

"Great! A good hour and a half!"

His smile vanished, and the muscles in his face twitched with anger.

"I'll give you half an hour too!"

"If you don't release them by four o'clock sharp..."

"I, Li Dakang, will raze this entire branch office building to the ground!"

After those harsh words were spoken, it was as if all the air in the hall had been sucked out.

The ultimatums from both sides, like two clashing swords, were placed on the track of time.

Qi Tongwei said no more.

He gave Shen Zhong a deep look, his gaze complex, containing both wariness and a hint of bewilderment.

He retreated to the front door, picked up the walkie-talkie, and issued instructions in a cold tone.

"Attention all units!"

"Prepare for a full-scale attack!"

"Disengage your weapons and obey my orders!"

"receive!"

"receive!"

The walkie-talkies crackled with suppressed excitement from the team leaders.

Outside the branch office compound.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

"Click!"

"Click!"

The sounds of over three hundred Type 95 assault rifles releasing their safety blended into a chilling metallic symphony.

The SWAT officers at the front row raised their heavy riot shields.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

The base of the shields struck the concrete ground, forming a black wall that began to press in step by step toward the precinct gate.

Inside the lobby.

Zhou Weiguo and his dozens of soldiers reacted immediately.

They showed no panic, spreading out in perfect unison, their guns precisely aimed at every doorway and window.

The murderous aura emanating from the mountains of corpses and seas of blood clashed violently with the grim atmosphere of the special police outside.

Huddled in the corner, his body trembled even more violently.

He looked out the window at the approaching black crowd and felt a surge of elation at surviving a disaster.

Reinforcements have arrived!

With so many people, we're sure we can get him out!

But then he saw the indifferent expressions on the soldiers' faces and the dark muzzles of their guns.

A bone-chilling cold rose up from the bottom of my heart again.

just in case……

If a fight really breaks out, will I be the first one to be killed?

Hope and fear tore at him back and forth, bringing him to the brink of collapse.

Time seemed to stretch on endlessly at that moment.

The only sound in the hall was the monotonous ticking of the clock on the wall.

Each sound was like a heavy hammer blow, striking everyone's heart.

Shen Zhong, however, acted as if nothing had happened.

He picked up the now-cold tea cup again, brought it to his lips, and gently blew away the non-existent floating leaves.

There was no sign of tension on his face.

Li Dakang paced back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back.

The rapid "tap, tap, tap" sound of his leather shoes striking the marble floor betrayed his inner anxiety.

He would glance out the door every now and then, and then at the clock on the wall every now and then.

His confidence stemmed from his overwhelming numerical superiority of over three hundred men.

But Shen Zhong's damned calmness made him feel vaguely uneasy.

Qi Tongwei stood at the door, motionless.

His gaze remained fixed on the second hand of the military watch on his wrist.

As the on-site commander, he must issue the most precise attack order the instant the time limit expires.

Just then.

A young soldier in charge of communications quickly walked up to Shen Zhong's side.

He was holding an encrypted military communication device in his hand.

He leaned down and whispered a few words quickly into Shen Zhong's ear.

After listening, Shen Zhong simply nodded slightly.

The corners of his mouth twitched upwards in a barely perceptible arc.

The arc was so fleeting that almost no one noticed it.

Time continued to pass.

There were only five minutes left until 4 a.m.

The special police assault team outside had already advanced to the bottom of the steps at the main entrance of the branch office.

They are just waiting for the order to break down the door.

Li Dakang stopped pacing.

He stood still in front of Shen Zhong, making a final effort, as if pronouncing the final verdict.

"Shen Zhong, five minutes left."

"It's not too late to change your mind now."

Shen Zhong slowly placed the untouched cup of cold tea back on the table.

He stood up.

He slowly and deliberately straightened the hem of his pine-green military uniform.

He smoothed out every wrinkle.

Then, he didn't look at Li Dakang again.

He turned around and walked step by step toward the huge floor-to-ceiling window.

Outside the window, there was a dense police force, flashing red and blue police lights, the deepest darkness before dawn.

He had his back to Li Dakang and Qi Tongwei, looking out at the dark night sky.

His voice came through calmly.

"Li Dakang".

"You know nothing about true power."