"What? The bus has been hijacked?" Midway to their destination, Aria's phone rang, and her alarmed exclamation followed. A hijacked bus? Which bus could it be?
"This is bad, Zhang Fan! The bus heading to the Military Detective High has been hijacked. There's a bomb on board. Our mission has arrived!" Aria tapped Zhang Fan's shoulder urgently, her tone indicating the gravity of the situation.
Side Mission 3: Track the hijacked bus and ensure the safety of the passengers onboard. Reward: 1000 game points.
This was an unexpected side mission. Previously, Zhang Fan had only been handling routine commissions. The reward might seem meager, but regardless, he was determined to complete the mission. The passengers were, after all, his friends and classmates.
"Hold tight, Aria. I'm going to speed up!" Zhang Fan accelerated fiercely, his RR darting forward like an arrow released from its bow. He suspected that this hijacking was Riko's doing. Indeed, she had chosen to confront Aria. He couldn't let this opportunity slip away.
"Zhang Fan, be careful! This must be the work of the Military Detective killer," Aria shouted over the roar of the engine.
"Don't worry, I've got this under control," Zhang Fan assured confidently, everything within his grasp. He believed this mission could be resolved with ease.
As Zhang Fan sped up, Aria made several phone calls, likely seeking additional assistance, though Zhang Fan found it unnecessary. His priority was locating the hijacked bus.
"Put this on!" Aria handed Zhang Fan a headset. He removed his motorcycle helmet and put on the headset, immediately receiving updates from his communications team.
"The bus, carrying sixty passengers, is set to cross the Rainbow Bridge into Odaiba after circling School Island."
That area was densely populated; they couldn't let the bus reach there. Zhang Fan, pushing his RR to its limits, managed to catch up with the bus just before it entered the Rainbow Tunnel.
The scene was surreal. Behind the bus trailed three cars of different colors – red, yellow, and blue – like traffic lights. Each car was unmanned and equipped with INI-UI submachine guns, their firepower pinning down the bus's passengers.
"We need to deal with these cars first," Aria's voice came through the headset. She efficiently shot out the tires of two cars, but missed the third. The last car slowed down and aimed its guns at them.
"These toys aren't going to kill anyone," Zhang Fan sneered, pulling out his flaming Magnum and firing a precise shot at the car's fuel tank. The red car exploded into a heap of scrap.
"Zhang Fan!" The students inside the bus, including Shira and Muto, cheered as he approached, their spirits lifted by the arrival of two S-rank detectives.
"Aria, I'll get you onboard!" Keeping pace with the bus, Zhang Fan helped Aria enter through the opened door. He knew where the bomb was and wasn't ready to abandon his bike yet.
"Zhang Fan, no bomb found inside. I'm going out to look," Aria informed him.
"No need. I've located the bomb under the chassis. Disarming it might take some effort." Zhang Fan leaned his bike, spotting the bomb beneath the bus.
The bomb was a Kaczynski β-type 4**, loaded with a staggering amount of explosives. If detonated, it would obliterate everyone on board.
"Found it? Impressive, Zhang Fan. I'll start disarming it right away!" Aria was ready to leave the bus, but three more cars joined the chase. Riko was indeed lavish, using these sports cars as expendable assets.
"Go back, Aria!" As Zhang Fan spoke, he shot and disabled the signal device on the bus's roof, cutting off any surveillance.
"Be careful, Zhang Fan!" Aria peered out, concerned about Zhang Fan's safety. He reassured her and focused on taking out the attackers.
Zhang Fan's exceptional marksmanship neutralized the submachine guns on the cars. His RR, made of titanium alloy, withstood the gunfire with only minor scratches.
But there was no time to waste. The bus had left the tunnel and was now on the Rainbow Bridge. Aria quickly joined Zhang Fan, prepared to disarm the bomb and avert a disaster.