Lily hung up the phone, her face serious. "No conditions, no negotiations, and they say they will continue to kill!"
Vik was stunned. "Not considering a withdrawal? Why are they doing this?"
Old Diaz sighed. "Although I rarely encounter this, I must admit that there are some people in this world who take pleasure in killing and abusing others." He then looked at Yan Su, hoping he would comment.
But Yan Su didn't hear him; he was meticulously focused on the screen.
This wasn't just ordinary abuse; it was psychological as well. The leader's pressure tactics were quite unique.
The black-and-white screen didn't show anyone's expressions, and no one could see that everyone had their eyes closed. So when King stood up and circled around the ten people, Lily was filled with doubt. "What is he doing?"
King slapped Zhen Ai and returned to his spot.
Yan Su furrowed his brows slightly. He saw Zhen Ai raise her hand, pointing at King, while Jack's gun swung towards Zhen Ai. But the people around didn't react at all.
Is this a killing game?
Yan Su suddenly had an ominous premonition. Without thinking, he reached for the phone, but Jack put his gun away. Zhen Ai was temporarily out of danger.
But he couldn't wait any longer!
Yan Su looked at the monitor and spoke rapidly:
"Listen carefully, negotiation expert! The leader among the three is 31-33 years old, wearing a short T-shirt and loose pants tucked into military boots—a typical army-style outfit. The gun is a modified M10 submachine gun, used by special forces. Military personnel don't slaughter civilians; he was discharged from the army. He hates society and the country, feels used and betrayed, is emotionally numb, very clever with strong control, and disdains simple, brute physical abuse—he prefers psychological torment.
He is playing a killing game. You don't need to negotiate with this person because he will absolutely refuse."
Lily looked at him, both admiring and surprised.
"But you can approach the other two. The one pretending to be a guard only fired once, hitting a non-vital area; he doesn't want to kill and won't take the initiative to shoot. Initially, he had the hostages form a human wall, prioritizing safety. His goal is to rob money and leave.
The young guy is impulsive and violent, treating the robbery as a game. Once he realizes the real danger, he will be the first to explode. So your task is to make him aware that what he's doing now is different from what he imagines."
As soon as he finished speaking, Vik voiced his discontent. "S.A., you're neither a police officer nor an agent; you can't be held responsible for what you just said. If you provoke them…"
"At any time, I can take responsibility for anything I say!" Yan Su interrupted him coldly, his gaze icy. At this moment, he seemed to lose his usual composure.
Vik trembled with anger. "You…"
"Everything he said is true!" A strange voice came from behind, belonging to the arriving FBI agent Nell. She had collaborated with Yan Su multiple times, so there was no need for introductions.
Sheriff Vik was about to introduce himself, but Nell quickly got to the point, looking directly at Yan Su:
"We have been chasing this robbery murderer for nearly a year. The profile we have on him is that of a veteran; he's highly skilled in theft, hired to rob, sees robbery as a challenge and a game, with no compassion and treats life as a joke. Moreover, he has ample resources."
Yan Su listened attentively and immediately asked, "Are you saying it's him? One person?"
"Yes. His code name is King. The two people who follow him often change because after robbing more than a dozen banks, the ones known as A and J have either been killed or captured. Only he remains; although we suspect he is a military man and have obtained a vague image of him, we couldn't find a match in the database."
Yan Su remained calm as he listened and posed the second question, "Why use the term 'ample resources'?"
"He's likely hired; each time he robs, he not only takes money but also completes specific tasks. He is always well-prepared, disguising his companions as guards and customers, capturing many hostages to ensure his own safety. But after December last year, he has not appeared again until today."
"What happened in the last robbery in December?"
"We saw nothing unusual; there were hostages injured and fatalities, as usual. His two companions were shot and later died, left by the roadside."
Yan Su fell silent, staring at the monitor.
Nell also looked over. "He always plays games with the hostages, and each time it's different. Last time, he had the hostages play a game of tag; those who lost were shot."
"How cruel!" Lily, who usually worked at N.Y.T, rarely encountered this type of criminal. She was furious. "S.A. said they were playing a killing game. Just now, King chose a girl; it was her."
She pointed to the shadow of Zhen Ai at the bottom corner of the screen, admiringly saying, "When 'killing,' she pointed at King. So brave."
Yan Su's cold heart suddenly thumped. Yes, that girl had always been brave. He liked her for being such a courageous girl.
He liked her a lot—most of all.
When she got out, he would definitely tell her that in person.
Nell watched him but frowned. "Strange!"
This made Yan Su snap back to reality. It was indeed strange; why hadn't King killed Zhen Ai?
In the video, King stood up again and walked around everyone.
This time, he didn't choose to kill anyone. Perhaps he preferred to watch people self-destruct from doubt and suspicion. Yan Su quietly observed, his confusion deepening. If that were the case, why did he choose Zhen Ai the first time?
Seconds later, King picked up a card, and at the same moment, there was a gunshot in the bank.
The Japanese man fell into a pool of blood.
What happened next was even more jaw-dropping; the hostages in the circle began to argue fiercely.
Lily gasped, covering her mouth. "What are they doing?"
Yan Su, glaring ominously at the screen, yelled at Lily, "Call immediately!"
Lily trembled as she reached for the phone, but it was too late. Five hands quickly went up, and another gunshot rang out! A college girl fell into a pool of blood.
Lily's hand froze, and tears streamed down her face.
Old Diaz trembled as well, "No, the people around us aren't like this." As the former sheriff, he had run through every corner of this city and was familiar with many of its inhabitants. Now, seeing people turning against each other, he couldn't believe it.
Yan Su remained silent, slightly narrowing his eyes, staring at the shadow of Zhen Ai on the screen.
Her left hand was placed by her ear, as if she was fixing her hair, moving back and forth. No, it looked more like she was tapping something. Pause, once, twice, pause...
Her meaning is... binary code!!! She is actually communicating with him!!!
Yan Su suppressed the sudden surge of emotion in his heart and said sternly to Nell, "When you did the image comparison for King, did you include overseas troops, like those from Japan?"
Nell paused for a moment. "I'll call Perrin right away." Perrin was their team's computer genius, the best at information searches.
In the video, the catalyst for the infighting among the crowd was the death of the Japanese boy, and his death was King's choice.
As Yan Su thought about this point, he was about to speak when Nell voiced it first:
"When selecting victims, he subconsciously incorporates personal choices. Even as a soldier, he has basic counter-surveillance abilities, but he still inadvertently reveals his mentality through certain behaviors and actions..."
This meant that one of his actions in the previous video was particularly strange...
The two spoke in unison: "There's someone among the hostages who is..."
"The call is here." Vick interrupted their conversation. "King's real name is Jo Rains-Loo. What a strange surname."
Nell gasped in disbelief. "Oh my! In the bank robbery in December, there was a female hostage who was injured. She accidentally slipped and was caught while playing a game, and she was shot by the one called J. Her name was Jo Rains-Loo."
Jo is a unisex name.
But she suddenly remembered something and raised her head in regret. "At that time, she was severely injured and unconscious. When the doctor asked her name, she wasn't responding; she was calling out to someone. Oh my, no wonder those two companions died—they were killed by King because they mistakenly injured her. King disappeared for more than half a year because his only true companion was injured!"
Yan Su asked, "Do you remember what she looked like?"
Nell shook her head. "The bank surveillance footage was all destroyed, and when she was rescued, her face was covered in blood. But I have a clear impression of her. If I see her again, I'll definitely recognize her..."
Her gaze fell on the monitor, her finger almost poking the screen. "It's her!"
Yan Su looked over and was momentarily stunned.
Nell was pointing at Zhen Ai. "It's this feeling! Just like now..." She looked at the calm Zhen Ai amidst the chaos on the screen. "She's too composed. When that Japanese man died, when that college girl died, did you see? She seemed indifferent, cold-blooded, and heartless..."
"It's not her!" Yan Su interrupted her coldly, his tone betraying his suppressed anger, hard as a brick.
Nell was taken aback.
To be honest, after so many collaborations, this was the first time she saw Yan Su showing anger. In her memory, no matter how vicious the criminal or how difficult the situation, he had always remained calm and collected.
Yan Su looked at her for half a second, then coldly turned his gaze away. "Agent Nell, didn't you notice? Throughout the game, King's role was quite limited. He was merely maintaining order, restrained yet indifferent. In this situation where he has total control, why wouldn't he be more flamboyant?"
Nell calmly pondered for a moment. "Rather than saying he's playing a game, it's more accurate to say he's accompanying people in play. He takes on the role of a judge, watching as his murderer kills, while he disregards the rules of the judge and the morals of society to protect her. It's like a crazy yet misguided affection."
What this meant was that Zhen Ai, the first choice of King, was the murderer.
Yan Su frowned again, displeased.
"I believe that since the last game ended in an accident, this time they chose a more cautious approach. Otherwise, what if the others guessed the true murderer and J and A accidentally executed her? So this time there's no murderer, just killing. They enjoy watching the panic and fear in others, the suspicion and distrust among people—they see this as the best game."
Yan Su pointed to the two girls sitting across from Zhen Ai. "In the game, he only looked in that direction once. The person he wants to please is right there."
But why did King choose Zhen Ai the first time? That question sank into his heart.
Before he could finish speaking, the screen changed again.
Among the outer hostages, a college boy rushed over, kneeling in front of the dead girl and crying. He was extremely agitated, roaring furiously at the gunman. In response, another gunshot rang out, hitting him in the right shoulder, but it wasn't immediately fatal.
Everything happened too quickly, and both Lily and Vick were caught off guard. Yet Yan Su and Nell closely watched the reactions of the others; the hostages were all holding their heads and crying.
Zhen Ai was the first to rush over, untying the boy's ropes. She pressed down on his shoulders with both hands and called over the two girls who had come to check on the situation to help hold him down.
#
Zhen Ai assigned the task of pressing the wound to Anbo and Suki, then stood up and said to King, "Let the doctor come in!"
The panicked people around looked at her in astonishment.
King shrugged nonchalantly. "Why?"
"You said that only the ten of us are playing the game. Life and death are within these ten people. If he dies, you'll violate the rules."
King nodded. "Alright. You first say who the murderer is. Regardless of whether you're right or wrong, once you say it, I'll let the doctor in."
The rest of the people immediately begged for mercy. "Don't say me, it's not me, it really isn't me."
Zhen Ai looked carefully at everyone's reactions, her gaze quietly landing on King. "It's..."
"Not including the three of us," King interrupted as he saw through her intention.
Zhen Ai fell silent.
She was also in doubt, considering whether to take a gamble. But if she guessed correctly, would they really shoot?
At this moment, the phone rang again.
#
Lily didn't wait long before Jack picked up the phone. Lily looked at the sign in Yan Su's hand and whispered, "After playing for so long, did King tell you the way to escape?"
The voice on the other end sounded a bit weak. "We have our own ways. Besides, how do you know his code name?"
"Because he's robbed over a dozen banks and has killed three police officers."
Jack was taken aback; killing police officers was a completely different concept.
Lily continued to observe Yan Su's instructions. "He hasn't told you about his glorious history, has he? Does he prohibit you from coming up with your own code names and force you to call yourselves Jack and Arch? King has always been King, while J and A keep changing, because previous members have died, some of whom were killed by him. You are just his tools."
On the monitor, Jack blinked hard several times, glanced back at King, then lowered his head and said hatefully into the phone, "I don't believe your words."
Yan Su wrote another line, and Lily asked, "Don't you find it suspicious why the police arrived so early? J, we received the alarm just five minutes before the robbery and were told that two people were dead. Who do you think called the police? Among the three of you, who could control the number of dead?"
"You trust him so much, does he trust you? He trained you into efficient robbers; you must have spent a long time together. Do you know his real name?"
Jack didn't respond, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
He was starting to have doubts.
Doubt, indeed, is the best weapon.
Lily continued her attack: "His name is Jo Rains-Loo. He's a member of the overseas U.S. military, a former major, with a hearing impairment in his right ear and an injury to his left leg. You should have figured that out."
Jack certainly knew all of this.
To make a doubtful person believe what you're saying, you must share some truths they already know. Once they start believing part of it, they will quickly begin to believe all of it.
Yan Su was sure that his method was working. He watched Jack's visibly panicked eyes on the screen and sent another signal to Lily.
"Let our doctor in to treat the wounded; saving a few more people will lighten your burden. He hasn't shot anyone; you have. J, you need to save yourself now."
Jack suddenly turned back and shouted at King, "Let the doctor in! We need to find a way to get out quickly."
King squinted his eyes, looking at him with curiosity. Before he could give any orders, Jack took the initiative: "Fine, you can let the doctor in."
The police officer who understood medicine had already disguised himself as a doctor, ready to go in. At this moment, Vic shoved a gun into the doctor's box and reminded him, "Listen to my orders once you're inside."
Just as Yan Su was about to step forward, Nell moved ahead and grabbed the gun. "No! Do you know the consequences if they discover you?"
Vic's dignity had been provoked repeatedly, and he could no longer tolerate it: "He can kill the robbers!"
"There are at least six guns with three criminals inside, along with one disguised hostage," Yan Su said coldly, lowering his voice, "Officer Vic, are you out of your mind?"
Vic grew even angrier and was about to say something when old Diaz suddenly asserted himself, saying to the doctor, "Brook, don't take a gun; go save people immediately."
The police doctor immediately took the medical kit inside.
Old Diaz looked at the young Vic, about to speak, but then Yan Su shouted, "Shut up!"
The man, who was always a gentleman, had never yelled so loudly before, like a mad lion. Old Diaz stared in surprise, realizing he wasn't speaking to himself but to Lily.
A few seconds ago, Lily had said into the phone, "King's true partner is among the hostages; she's his Queen. They are playing a game; you're just tools. They've been communicating all this time; didn't you see…"
In the monitoring screen, Jack raised his head, fired a shot, and the footage was filled with static.
---
Jack fired a shot, and in the astonished eyes of everyone, including his companions, he suddenly slung the sniper rifle onto his back, pulled out his handgun, and strode forward. But instead of aiming it at King, he suddenly grabbed Zhen Ai by the collar, pressing the gun against her neck, lifting her up.
Zhen Ai didn't struggle, worried about provoking him.
Jack then leaned closer to her ear, coldly sneering, "So it's really you."
As soon as those words came out, the remaining hostages screamed, "So she's the real killer!"
"No wonder only she dared to confront them!"
"She even voluntarily exchanged with that little girl because they're in cahoots!"
"Just now, when she went to press the wound of that man, it was all an act. She's the murderer."
The phone at the counter rang again, but this time, no one went to answer.
Zhen Ai felt she didn't care at all, but inside, she felt completely cold. They would suspect her, wouldn't the outside police also doubt her? What about that idiot Yan Su? Would he suspect her?
Jack threatened fiercely, "King, you said there's a way for us to leave safely. I don't want to play anymore; let me out now. Otherwise, I'll kill her. Don't move; if you dare pull out a gun, I'll take out your true partner first."
As he spoke, he pulled Arch into his camp: "He's lied to us. This woman is really his accomplice. He never planned to take us away. We came to rob, not to kill. And what happened? We both killed, and he did nothing!"
"Jack, let's talk calmly!" Arch replied, but he didn't aim his gun at Jack. After all, they were more familiar with the inscrutable King. Moreover, having played this killing game for so long without a way out, Arch had long since harbored grievances.
"Jack," King remained unmoved and coldly commanded, "You're not listening?"
"I said I want to leave now." Jack angrily pulled the trigger safety back, "I really will kill her. One, two…"
---
After dialing three times in a row, there was still no answer.
Yan Su's hand holding the phone began to shake.
Lily hadn't made it clear that it was eye contact; if Jack understood it as verbal communication, he would now surely press the gun against Zhen Ai's neck, using her to threaten King.
He stood motionless in front of the phone, cold air gradually creeping up from the soles of his feet.
The beeping "beep beep" from the phone sounded to him like a mournful death knell. Damn it, for the first time, he had completely lost patience, throwing down the phone and sprinting toward the bank.
Nell was startled and hurriedly shouted, "Stop him!"
The first row of police officers surrounding the entrance surged forward to block him. Yan Su suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of despair.
He seemed to suddenly see Zhen Ai's face, pale and quiet, often blushing, rarely smiling—what a lovely girl!
He almost broke down, but all his emotions were stuck in his throat, unable to say a word. He could only silently push aside all the obstacles in front of him.
Until another deafening gunshot rang out, he suddenly froze, standing dazed for a long while as his eyes gradually reddened.
He violently shook off the special police officers holding him back, turned, and took a step, like a lost person spinning in place, before turning back again.
He stared at the glass door across the half street, eyes unwavering, stubborn and hopeless, gritting his teeth, saying nothing, tears streaming down his face.