The weapon by the pillow

Episode 37: Fear...is contagious.

No special effects, yet an action movie even smoother than those with special effects, has happened right here!

The live stream couldn't see the fifteen seconds disappear, nor could it hear the rustling of the clothes of the three shadowy figures in the wind.

The walkie-talkie crackled to life.

"Target escaped from Building 5! Repeat, target escaped from Building 5!"

But it's already somewhat behind schedule.

Downstairs. Cheng Jing, standing beside the command vehicle, heard the report and her pupils contracted: "Team B! Seal off the southeast street intersection! Team C, search the low-rise buildings! Team A, continue advancing towards room 403 as planned! Be careful!"

The mouse beat the cat again! Her heart sank.

As expected, the other party had a backup plan, and their reaction was so quick and professional.

The three people who manipulated the live stream, who may also have set a trap, managed to escape unscathed in this way.

The direction we've been monitoring has been correct!

That room with the lit screen and countdown timer... is it a trap?

Just then, Xiao Liu from the technical department exclaimed, "Team Leader Cheng! A new discovery! The countdown device in the room of Building 5... the signal shows... it's connected to multiple pressure sensors in Building 7 and... a suspected explosive device! The countdown... has 4 minutes and 37 seconds left!"

4 minutes and 37 seconds!

Cheng Jing felt a chill run down her spine.

"Bomb Disposal Team! Immediately assess the threat posed by the device in Building 5 to Building 7! Team A! Speed ​​things up! Confirm the safety of personnel in Room 403 and attempt an evacuation before the countdown ends! Notify everyone in the building of a potential explosion hazard!"

If it weren't for bystanders who filmed the police's flustered state and uploaded it to the live stream, the number game of "guessing" would have continued for hundreds of thousands of people!

"The police failed! The mastermind hasn't been caught!"

"I heard there's danger inside... they're defusing bombs!!"

It was only at this point that alarming news began to circulate.

The chaotic 403 room! It's now become a belatedly realized isolated island!

As expected, the eight people heard a noticeably faster and heavier thud from downstairs as well as the faint shouts of "Police! Don't panic!"

The sound came from outside the enclosed space through a loudspeaker, distant and seemingly unreal.

But there is still hope, and the hope of getting out of this predicament seems closer.

However, the game of cat and mouse is never that simple!

It's in the building right across the street.

In the darkness, behind yet another window.

In the center of the room, there was a huge monitor screen, which was divided into more than a dozen images—multiple angles inside room 403, corridor surveillance, infrared thermal imaging images of the police deployment outside the building, and even a live stream of comments from a live online broadcast room.

The images and comments on the screen are still scrolling rapidly, which proves that the signal is still being transmitted.

But there was no one in front of the screen at that moment.

A metal device flashing red LEDs was fixed to the window frame, emitting a regular "tick-tock" sound. The device was connected to a seemingly ordinary home router and a high-capacity power bank.

A nearly transparent Kevlar fiber thread, one end firmly fixed to a reel inside the device, and the other end passing through a pre-drilled hole in the window, hangs down to the dark street below.

On the device's control panel, an LCD screen displays a countdown:

00:04:37

00:04:36

00:04:35

……

On the floor in the corner of the room, there were several empty mineral water bottles, energy bar wrappers, and three pairs of discarded black thin tactical gloves.

A faint scent of mint air lingered in the air, masking other odors.

Downstairs, a black Jeep Wrangler SUV without any license plates sat quietly in the shadows, its engine off and lights off, like a lurking monster.

The countdown has reached 00:04:00.

Suddenly, the device by the window made a very slight "click" sound.

A thin, drooping line suddenly taut!

Immediately afterwards, three black figures, like spiders drawn by threads, "shot" up from the dark shadows of the street corner downstairs!

Yes! They were launched upwards, they were propelled upwards!

Their movements were swift and coordinated; each person wore a special sliding wristband with wheels, connected to a thin line. Using the tightening of the line and the combined strength of their arms, they climbed the wall almost vertically and silently, reaching the window in no time.

Without pausing, one of them deftly and quickly opened the window.

The three of them, as nimble as cats, slipped through the window one by one, landing silently.

The whole process took less than fifteen seconds.

After entering the room, the three didn't look at the screen or exchange any words. One of them quickly rushed to the countdown timer and rapidly typed a password on the keypad. The countdown stopped at 00:03:44.

Another person sat down in the chair, paused for a moment, and turned on their headset.

Meanwhile, the buzzing sound in the live stream was like a declaration, heralding a new showdown.

The mechanical voice rang out again, this time carrying undisguised mockery and a hint of cold regret:

"It seems that tonight's performance is going to have a... less-than-perfect ending ahead of schedule."

"But it's okay, you've already finished the most important part."

"The seeds of suspicion have been sown."

"The dice have been rolled."

"What's meant to happen... will happen eventually."

"As for 'the sum of the points is seven'..."

The voice paused, then emitted a twisted, soft laugh.

"...When one of you becomes 'zero,' the sum will naturally change."

Have fun!

Finally, here's a free piece of information.

"Liu Li is indeed dead."

"But the one who killed her was neither Jin Dafu nor Zhang Zhiqiang."

"What killed her was fear itself."

"And fear... is contagious."

Goodbye, tools.

"We...will see each other again soon."

"Sizzle..."

A crackling sound appeared, then disappeared completely.

Inside that house.

He took off his headset, got up from his seat, and snapped his fingers lightly.

One person quickly checked every corner of the room to make sure no personal belongings were left behind. The third person then began disassembling the large monitor and its connecting devices, working swiftly and skillfully, clearly having received training.

The person who stopped the timer took out a small spray can from his pocket and sprayed some colorless mist onto the center of the room, windowsills, doorknobs, and other places that might come into contact with the mist.

The mist evaporates quickly, carrying away any trace biological evidence that may remain, such as skin flakes and sweat.

In less than two minutes, all the equipment was disassembled and packed into three black waterproof carrying bags.

The hard drives of the monitor and router were physically removed and placed separately in a shielded metal box.

The three of them went to the window again. The thin line was still taut.

They put their wristbands back on, slung their bags over their shoulders, and one of them took one last look at the stopped countdown timer, a cold smile seemingly curving his lips.

He pressed another button on the device.

The red LED lights on the device all went out, a slight mechanical whirring sound came from inside, and then it fell completely silent.

Just as they had come up, the three of them used thin threads and wristbands to slide swiftly down the wall, landing lightly and almost silently. Once on the ground, they quickly unfastened their wristbands. The thin threads, now free of tension, were rapidly retracted into a reel by the device upstairs.

The three men opened the doors of the Wrangler SUV and filed in.