Xiang Wan gave a pause and spoke in a serious tone."Xuan Yue, you wanted to live and the police wanted to save the hostages… There is no conflict between these two issues! If you make your request, the police would agree to it. If the standoff continues, your "bargaining chips" might lose value…"
Lose value?
Xuan Yue looked at the few hostages who were s.h.i.+vering in fear, then at the little girl who was sitting on the counter with an ashen expression.
"I won"t be taken in by you!" The fake Xuan Yue"s voice suddenly sank and she let out a sneer. "Xiang Gongzi is indeed eloquent and almost talked me into it! Hurhur, it"s Bai Muchuan"s fortune to have you… Do you believe me? If not for your reminder today… your friends might have become the next "zombie" as well as the "zombie"s target" today. It might be Fang Yuanyuan or maybe Qing Dai… Hahaha, by then, luck will decide who would be the one who survives!"
Xiang Wan was shocked.
But she was suddenly a little glad.
Although she had sort of thwarted Bai Muchuan"s plans, she also thwarted the fake Xuan Yue"s plans as well.
This thought calmed her down a little.
"Thank you!" Xiang Wan said in a friendly tone, "We"ve been friends after all. So, I sincerely advise you that it"s not too late to turn back. If you drag it any further, there might not be a chance to turn back anymore…"
"Turn back? Hur, how do I do so? Cooperate with the police?"
"Yes, cooperate with the police… release the hostages so as to get the lightest amount of charges against you!"
"Do you think you"re trying to coax a three-year-old kid? To get the lightest amount of charges? Haha, do you think I"m a fool? The moment I released the hostages, I"ll die!"
"You won"t. Believe me." Xiang Wan had said this sentence firmly.
This was because she knew that Bai Muchuan needed more information from Xuan Yue. Why would he want her dead?
"I can guarantee you," Xiang Wan continued to persuade her, "that as long as you release the hostages, the police would not kill you. How about this? I"ll let the one in-charge make that promise to you!"
Bai Muchuan was standing beside her.
However, from Xuan Yue"s location, she might be unable to see them clearly.
Bai Muchuan took the mobile phone from Xiang Wan. "I"m Bai Muchuan. I guarantee that if you release the hostages, we won"t shoot you…"
Xuan Yue snorted, "Not shoot me? Why isn"t it that I can leave this place safely?"
"Sure, as long as you release the hostages," agreed Bai Muchuan, "you can leave here safely!"
Xuan Yue asked, "What are you using as a guarantee? Don"t tell me that you"re using your upright personality to make me believe you. With our opposing stance, whether you are honest or upright is of no use to me."
Bai Muchuan asked, "What do you want then?"
Xuan Yue said with certainty, "No matter what, I will not believe you!"
Xiang Wan and Bai Muchuan exchanged glances and she decided to push her further. "Xuan Yue, we are sincere in negotiating with you, shouldn"t you give yourself a chance and negotiate with us? We"re willing to take a step back, you also need to do the same. Otherwise, if this drags on, the one who"s in a disadvantage is actually you."
Xiang Wan looked around her and was certain that n.o.body could hear what she had said. Then she lowered her voice, "Think of it yourself, how long can you last behind the counter without food? You don"t even dare to take a sip of water. The police will definitely save the hostages but if they realized that they really couldn"t do so… Then, that couldn"t be helped, right?"
She had put it very vaguely and knew that Xuan Yue was clever enough to read between the lines.
At worst, the police would fail at rescuing the hostages.
For the fake Xuan Yue, it would only spell doom for her.
This was a kind of invisible psychological pressure.
The fake Xuan Yue was prepared for death. At one time, she thought that she was not afraid of death.
But when it came to that step, anyone would be afraid.
There were still too many things that she didn"t want to leave behind in this world.
"Alright!"
The fake Xuan Yue finally gave in. "I can release the hostages, but…"
She dragged her voice and a smirk appeared on her face.
Xiang Wan asked, "But what?"
"You have to come here," demanded Xuan Yue, "then, I"ll let the hostages go."
Didn"t that mean she wanted Xiang Wan to become her hostage?
Xiang Wan was a little taken aback by the request and took a glance at Bai Muchuan. "You don"t believe me, do you?"
"I do believe you," explained Xuan Yue, "but you have to believe me as well. Only when we believe in each other, we are able to talk things through. Moreover, with you by my side, I"m more willing to believe that Bai Muchuan would not do me harm. And you, since you wanted me to believe you, why can"t you do the same and believe me as well? If I say that when I can escape safely, I will not harm you… Xiang Gongzi, you don"t believe me as well, right?"
"…"
Her logic actually sounded reasonable.
Xiang Wan was unable to refute her.
"By just having you, I can let the six hostages go," sneered the fake Xuan Yue. "If you don"t agree to such a condition, I"ll feel that the police are not sincere in negotiating with me at all. Maybe right from the start, the police have never thought of letting me off… If that"s the case, these hostages will die together with me instead."
Xiang Wan took a gasp. "It"s not that I don"t want to agree to it. It"s… you should know it, I"m scared too."
Being honest and telling the truth was easier to obtain trust.
There was no problem with her words. The fake Xuan Yue felt much more comfortable when she heard that.
"What are you afraid of? You should trust me! Think about it, if I wanted to harm you, I would have done that long ago, right? Besides… even if I didn"t keep my word, you would have saved six lives—six for one."
"…"
If Xiang Wan said that she was not afraid, that would sound too fake.
Xiang Wan was certainly not someone who would sacrifice herself for some other people recklessly.
But from the current situation, it seemed that she had no other choice but to comply?
She said to Bai Muchuan, "I"m the one who created this mess, let me exchange for the hostages!"
"No!" Bai Muchuan rejected her flatly. "Xuan Yue, six for one. Let me be the one instead…"
"Hahaha, Captain Bai, you"re funny… I must be tired of living if I choose you to be the hostage!"
"Then you can pick who you want!"
"Xiang Wan is the only one I want!" The fake Xuan Yue said loudly and added one more sentence. "Xiang Wan is the only request I make for this negotiation to happen. I want no one else but her."
Bai Muchuan wanted to continue talking but was stopped by Xiang Wan.
After that, Xiang Wan said to the fake Xuan Yue, "How about this? Let us think it over. Five minutes later, I"ll call again…"
"Three minutes!" the fake Xuan Yue demanded, "If it"s more than three minutes, all of you might come up with something to deal with me. If I can"t live, I"ll start killing!"
Xiang Wan acceded to her request. "… Alright."
"Remember," reminded the fake Xuan Yue, "if you don"t make a decision in three minutes, you"ll hear gunshots!"
…
What could they do in three minutes?
Consider her life and death and struggle over the question of humanity?
Xiang Wan"s brain was buzzing. Part of her brain was blank, while the other was full of righteous ardor.
"Bai Muchuan, I feel that, I can give it a try?"
There seemed to be a red glint in Bai Muchuan"s eyes. "Try? Xiang Wan, I won"t allow you to risk your life…"
"But…"
"No buts!"
After conversing with the fake Xuan Yue for so long, Bai Muchuan understood that he was dealing with an exceptionally stubborn character.
If he didn"t accede to her request, she might really start to kill the hostages.
Bai Muchuan took off the earpiece and talked to the walkie-talkie. "Laowu, what are the chances of hitting the target?"
"This woman is very crafty. She just changed to another location and placed the little girl at our sniping spot which blocked our view, totally hiding behind the little girl…"
Bai Muchuan"s gaze dimmed. "So, you"re saying that we have no chance against her?"
"Wait a while," replied Quan Shaoteng, "we"re searching for the best sniping spot now!"
Bai Muchuan took a look at his watch. "We"re left with two minutes now! There"s not enough time. Two minutes later, she will start to kill the hostages if Xiang Wan doesn"t go into the cafe."
"What?!" Quan Shaoteng gasped then spoke calmly, "Listen up, let Xiang Wan cooperate with me. She"ll go in and exchange herself with the hostages and try to lure her out of the counter. I"ll guarantee that I can hit the target…"
"No!"
"Bai Muchuan, you need to have faith in me!"
"I…"
"We"re comrade-in-arms. Have confidence!"
"…"
"One minute left to go!"
"…"
Xiang Wan looked into Bai Muchuan"s eyes.
From his eyes, she could see that he felt torn.
"I can do it—" Xiang Wan held his hand and dialed Xuan Yue"s number. "I"ll come!"