The booths near the stone steps of the teaching building were blown apart, flames dancing wildly, and thick smoke billowing.
Blood flowed like a river on the stone steps.
Injured young people and dismembered bodies lay scattered on the ground, while those unhurt cried out in anguish, covering their ears and calling for help. More people rushed to help the wounded, applying pressure to their wounds.
The once beautiful campus instantly turned into a hell on earth.
The air was thick with the pungent smell of blood and gunpowder, making it hard to keep one's eyes open.
Yan Su's head buzzed from the shockwave of the explosion as he ran back, his gaze searching frantically. Zhen Ai, Zhen Ai, ponytail, white top, jeans, Zhen Ai—
He spotted her!
He immediately ran over.
Zhen Ai was kneeling over an injured girl, her legs pressing down on the girl's severely bleeding thigh. This was the lively girl who had interrupted the speech.
Zhen Ai's hairband had been cut by shrapnel, her hair was a mess, covered in dirt and blood, cascading down chaotically. She pressed her hands firmly against the girl's split abdomen, crimson blood gushing out like a spring.
She was speaking to her: "Hey, tell me your name?"
The girl, blood-soaked and terrified, replied, "Angel," her name meaning angel.
Yan Su glanced at Zhen Ai, who appeared unharmed. He quickly got up to take out his phone, but froze upon hearing Zhen Ai's voice.
He hadn't expected her voice to be so gentle, yet so full of strength:
"Hey, Angel, trust me, you'll be okay, alright?"
Angie lay on the ground, unable to feel any pain despite her excruciating injuries, her big eyes clear yet void of light: "Okay." She said this and was about to close her eyes.
Zhen Ai quickly shouted at her: "Angel, don't fall asleep, talk to me! Tell me, do you have a boyfriend?"
Angie opened her eyes, smiling weakly yet painfully: "No, but I have someone I like!"
"The ambulance is coming soon. When you get better, will you confess to him?"
As Zhen Ai spoke, her heart ached deeply.
She pressed desperately on the gaping wound in the girl's abdomen, but the thick blood flowed like a river through her fingers. She knew full well that this girl's life was slipping away from her grasp bit by bit.
Angie's expression went blank, and suddenly, she furrowed her brows deeply: "I can feel it."
"Feel what?"
"Pain! It hurts!" She gritted her teeth, tears streaming down like beans, crying sorrowfully and helplessly, "Oh God, who did this? Why?"
Zhen Ai wanted to know too, why do people always hurt their own kind!
But the most pressing issue was Angie's injuries; her heightened emotions would only make the bleeding worsen. Just as she was about to calm her down, Angie regained her composure, her eyes shimmering with tears: "Please, help me."
"Angel, tell me what you need, I'll stay with you."
The girl's tears flowed like a breached dam: "Please! Please tell my mom, I'm so sorry for being impossible, and I love her so much."
She shook her head in pain: "God please, help my mom."
"You won't be hurt, the ambulance is almost here." Zhen Ai felt an inexplicable pain in her heart, looking desperately at the flashing lights in the distance, "You listen…"
But when she looked down again, Angie had closed her eyes, the blood in her palm slowly coming to a halt...
When Yan Su returned to Zhen Ai after taking hundreds of photos, Angie was already dead, but Zhen Ai remained kneeling, her hands pressing blood-red on the girl's abdomen, her head bowed deeply.
He was about to go over and pull her up, but saw several crystalline tears dropping one by one.
His footsteps paused.
This was the first time he had seen her cry.
He had thought that a woman with such an aloof and cold exterior, who seemed emotionally hardened and indifferent, wouldn't shed tears; especially not for a stranger.
Zhen Ai knelt there, head down, like a statue, still and silent.
Yan Su looked down at her, unconsciously clenching his fists, a sudden wave of unprecedented anger surged in his heart.
He wished he could find the person who had planted the bomb...
This thought made him freeze, confused by the sudden emotional turmoil.
The ambulance and police cars arrived simultaneously. It wasn't until the medical staff came to check on Angie that Zhen Ai quickly stood up, her eyes devoid of tears, as if nothing had happened.
But Yan Su was certain he had seen her tears, silent yet enduring, sad yet without sound.
As she stood up, he noticed the large bloodstain on her chest and abdomen, startled: "You…"
"It's not my blood." She interrupted him, her words quick and rare.
Yan Su fell silent, watching her quietly.
Before him, Zhen Ai looked down, her dark hair falling over her face, making her delicate features appear even paler, devoid of any emotion. Even her lowered eyelashes remained still, not fluttering.
He knew she didn't show her emotions; deep down, she was indeed sad.
After a long while, he raised his hand, patting her shoulder once, then twice.
Zhen Ai slowly looked up, her stark black-and-white eyes fixed on him, a little fragile.
He reined in his gaze, his face unusually grim: "I promise you, I will catch that bastard immediately!" His tone was colder than ever.
Zhen Ai felt an inexplicable warmth in her heart, then heard him coldly say, "I promise, I won't let him have a chance to act again!"
Zhen Ai was momentarily stunned.
Generally speaking, in such bombing cases, once the first incident occurs, a series of them usually follows. But with no leads, could they catch the culprit?
But then she thought, he is Yan Su.
She nodded vigorously, her eyes full of trust: "Yes, I believe you!"
Yan Su's frozen expression softened slightly, but soon turned cold again.
At the same time, several police officers from the city police station approached.
Leading them was Officer Blake, who had worked with Yan Su before, so there was no need for introductions or small talk.
Blake said to the bomb experts beside him, "You all need to be faster."
"I checked before you came." Yan Su said expressionlessly, "The explosives were loaded in steel tubes, primarily consisting of ammonium sulfate, potassium chloride, and aluminum powder. Based on the level of the explosion just now, the compound ratio was very precise. The detonator was connected to a mercury tube; as long as the device tilted, it would detonate immediately."
The officers were all stunned, and the expert squatting nearby looked up and chimed in, "Yes, what he said is correct."
"As for how the device was detonated," Yan Su pointed to the streetlight across the way, "there's a surveillance camera there. While I suspect someone placed the device on the steps, waiting for an unsuspecting person to accidentally kick it over, it's safer to check the footage."
Before he finished speaking, a nearby officer who was on the phone walked over: "The surveillance room confirmed it. Someone did place the bomb on the steps and waited for someone to kick it over. But the spot where the unknown individual placed it was a blind spot; we only saw a hand, but not the person."
He had it all figured out!
Officer Blake shook his head in disbelief, "Are there any other clues?"
Yan Su replied, "Call all your people over. I don't want to waste time repeating myself."
Blake quickly summoned everyone.
Zhen Ai noticed that the police were all surrounding Yan Su and decided to step back from the crowd.
Yan Su caught sight of her movement with a sidelong glance.
He took a large step back, blocking Zhen Ai's path, and without waiting for her reaction, he grabbed her hand, coldly ordering, "Stay put! Don't go anywhere!"
Zhen Ai jumped slightly, her cheeks flushing from the attention of the surrounding officers. Instinctively, she tried to pull away, but he seemed more determined, holding her tight. Ultimately, she couldn't resist him and ducked behind him, letting him hold her hand.
Yan Su was actually worried about what might happen if he didn't keep an eye on her, which was why he pulled her close. But as he gripped her hand, he could clearly feel how soft and smooth her wrist was, like holding onto a piece of delicate jade.
He blanked out for a few seconds before regaining his composure and calmly spoke:
"The unknown individual is male, aged 23-35, very antisocial, with a history of crime or juvenile delinquency, such as fighting, but most likely engaged in willful destruction of property;
He has been injured in the past, does not exhibit combative traits, and is very quiet and steady. People who work with him often forget he exists or underestimate his capabilities. Based on the bomb's welding techniques and switch design, he operates very systematically and is a perfectionist. He is extremely intelligent, with an IQ over 150;
He does not hold a prominent title or position and has repeatedly faced setbacks in academics, promotions, or research projects. He is likely a graduate student or an assistant to a professor, dissatisfied with the school's evaluation system;
His field of study is likely in a functional area, and he has a lot of independent time."
As Yan Su spoke rapidly, he fiddled with his phone, and soon Officer Blake's phone beeped with a message: it was a package of photos sent by Yan Su:
"Before you arrived, I took pictures of all the nearby witnesses, callers, and helpers. The unknown individual is in these photos. You can start your investigation."
Blake swallowed hard; he had only asked if there were any clues, and the answer was... a solved case?
The other officers were equally stunned, staring at him in silence.
Seeing everyone frozen, Yan Su raised an eyebrow: "Oh, so this explosion was just a drill."
One officer was confused: "What do you mean?"
Yan Su's face was cold: "It means your response time is astonishingly slow, truly deserving of the taxpayers' money supporting you!"
Zhen Ai lowered her head, realizing that his sarcasm about the response time had escalated from her to society as a whole.
Everyone seemed to snap back to reality and was about to spring into action when Yan Su called out to them again: "Wait a moment, what I've said is preliminary speculation based on the maximum possibilities inferred from the scene. Therefore, I reserve the right to be wrong on one or two points."
Zhen Ai stood behind him, surprised by his words, looking up just enough to see his neatly cut hair fluttering in the wind. What he had said earlier was so cautious and conservative, unlike his usual arrogance.
His back was tall and resolute: "Typically, I wouldn't draw conclusions so quickly, but given the severe damage from the bombing, we must act without delay."
Blake picked up on the deeper meaning and grew tense: "You mean...?"
"Within a day or just a few hours, there will be another explosion." Yan Su looked around and suddenly smiled in a strange way, his tone both disdainful and mocking, "Police cars, ambulances, death, pain—everyone is suffering. He finally gets the attention he craved and will naturally push it to the extreme."
He paused for a moment, then calmly continued, "I've already sketched a vague image of him; the rest is up to you." With that, he nodded slightly.
It was a subtle motion, but it carried a weight of trust and responsibility.
Zhen Ai was stunned again. She realized that this simple bow of his head revealed another kind of charm—unrelated to intelligence, but tied to character.
Officer Blake was also taken aback, nodding earnestly: "Leave it to us!"
The officers immediately sprang into action.