Anks: Such a thrilling chapter, even though i know BJY is the ML, for a moment, i was really really scared while reading a certain scene. Leave a comment and let us know if you guys felt as anxious as me while reading this chapter.
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Chapter 89
Chang Baoshi saw a pair of cold, desolate eyes.
"Chang er*?" that person asked emotionlessly.
*T/N 二 (er) – literally, two. Chang Baoshi was probably the second-in-command of his gang.
Chang Baoshi quickly appraised him with a glance, while his hands clenched into fists. He was just about to attack when, unexpectedly, that man coldly said, "Don"t move! Do you think your fists are faster, or my gun?"
Surprisingly, Chang Baoshi was not in the least cowed. He merely smiled grimly, remaining silent while he surrept.i.tiously kept a lookout for an opening. At this time, that person looked up and seemed to notice that the police were already close by. He gestured at Chang Baoshi with the gun and said, "Come with me!" Chang Baoshi was taken aback. "You are not the police? Who are you?"
That person actually smiled faintly as he said, "Your saviour."
Chang Baoshi looked at him carefully once again. He was wearing a black T-shirt and black pants, trekking boots, and a cap, with a big black bag on his back. Judging from his well-proportioned and sharply defined arm muscles, this was definitely one fierce character.
Not fully trusting that person, Chang Baoshi walked in the direction indicated by the gun barrel. That person seemed to be pretty familiar with the surroundings, and used the gun to compel Chang Baoshi to move forward quickly in the direction he had come from.
Chang Baoshi said, "Hey, if we walk this way, we"ll encounter the police!"
"Nope," he replied. "The most dangerous place is actually the safest. We will take the small paths and escape the police cordon.
Chang Baoshi did not say anything, but he quietly kept watching that person"s every move. However, he did not dare to act rashly, because that person"s gun was firmly pressed against his head.
The shadows of the trees swayed gently, and the sun hid behind the clouds. Within the cool, damp forest, the two men crept forward, climbing up and down, and the sounds of the police hunt indeed became more and more distant. Moreover, the village was not far beneath them.
Suddenly, while jumping onto a rocky outcrop, Chang Baoshi staggered and stepped into a clump of th.o.r.n.y undergrowth. He groaned as he fell to the ground and was unable to get up.
That person jumped down, stood behind him and said, coldly, "Get up!"
Chang Baoshi huffed out painfully, "d.a.m.n it, I"ve been on the run for five days already! I haven"t eaten or drunk anything. Brother, my foot is stuck, help me up!"
That person hesitated for a moment and coldly surveyed Chang Baoshi. Finally, he put down his gun and reached out a hand to pull him up. Chang Baoshi grabbed his hand and, with a great deal of whining and muttering, finally managed to pull his foot, covered with fresh blood, free from the th.o.r.n.y undergrowth. In a flash, a gun appeared in his hand, which he pointed at that person"s chest, and Chang Baoshi"s previously fierce and vicious visage changed entirely. With a cold and determined expression on his face, he said, in a voice like ice, "Don"t move! I"m a criminal investigator!"
Don"t move, I"m a criminal investigator.
This is probably the most fearful statement every criminal on earth could hear. That person"s expression froze momentarily, before he slowly started to smile.
The expression on "Chang Baoshi"s" face became even more frigid as he said, "No smiling!"
That person abruptly raised his gun.
"Chang Baoshi" never in a million years expected that he would be met with resistance, and was filled with apprehension. The criminal investigator"s gun was already square on that person"s chest, all that was needed was to pull the trigger. That person still had to raise his hand before pulling the trigger. In this life-or-death moment, when time seemed to be suspended, it really did come down to whose reaction and speed was faster.
Bang!
Bang!
Two shots rang out almost simultaneously. One person fell to the ground.
He said, "You can"t be faster than me."
——
In an instant, the sound of gunshots rang through the entire forest. Jiang Yao noticed that the gunshots were actually very close to her position, but were not in front of her, where the majority of the police team were following the trail of the fugitive. She immediately realised that the situation was very complex and more tense than it seemed. The criminal investigators were well disciplined and would not open fire rashly. There was no Chang Baoshi in this forest, anyway. Chang Baoshi had been secretly captured by the criminal investigators early that morning, and his place had been taken by a highly experienced criminal investigator whose body shape and appearance resembled Chang Baoshi"s. In this way, they hoped to beat the b.u.t.terfly killer at his own game, and lure him out of hiding*. They were not entirely certain that the b.u.t.terfly killer would come back today, but ever since Chang Baoshi had deviated from his planned route, they knew that "he" was really coming. It was just as Bo Jinyan had theorised; he had absolutely no fear of what the police could do, what he enjoyed was the thrill of walking on the edge of the knife. Thus, the shots were most likely fired by "Chang Baoshi" or the b.u.t.terfly killer.
*T/N 引蛇出洞 (yin she chu dong) – lit. to lure a snake out of its hole.
If they were really nearby, it would be too late to wait for Fang Qing and the main force to double back.
Jian Yao unconsciously touched her gun and turned to look at Bo Jinyan. Bo Jinyan had naturally grasped the current situation perfectly. In a stern voice, he said, "Go after him, I will wait here."
Jian Yao nodded. After the forces had been dispersed, there were three criminal investigators apart from themselves in her squad. Jian Yao nodded at two of them to follow her, leaving one behind with Bo Jinyan. With a final squeeze of his hand, she turned to run in the direction of the sounds.
The surroundings were suddenly pin-drop silent.
Bo Jinyan was not an impulsive, bravado-filled person. Although Jian Yao had gone off to chase the criminal, she was careful and brave, and she was backed up by a hundred-strong police force. Thus, he was not worried. However, it would be just as easy to fail in capturing this incredibly skilled killer as it would be to succeed. Although they had a large force, a tiny misstep by any one of them could allow the other party to escape. Just like a battle between two masters, there was no room for error. There was also some luck required.
Thus, Bo Jinyan was very calm, and even sat on a rock beneath a tree, resting and awaiting the results. The young criminal investigator by his side surveyed the surroundings with vigilance, understanding that his duty was to protect Professor Bo.
At this moment, the sun was already in the west, and the forest was overcast with shadows. A faint breeze blew, and the distant clamour seemed to have died down. The police forces seemed to have moved far away, including Jian Yao.
Bo Jinyan heard a soft pu sound. Then the sound of something heavy next to him falling to the ground.
He lifted his head.
He did not say anything, because there was no need to. That was the sound of a gun with a silencer attached, and the young criminal investigator next to him had already been shot down.
In the secluded forest, the wind blew gently. Bo Jinyan leaned on his walking stick, silent, unmoving.
That person could hunt down the most savage bandits and his skills were at the very least equal to Fang Qing"s; he might even be Fang Qing"s superior. Ten Bo Jinyans would not even be a match for him.
That person was able to walk almost soundlessly in a forest full of mud and fallen leaves. He jumped out from behind a hillock and, with his gun trained continually on Bo Jinyan, walked slowly until he was behind him.
All this time, Bo Jinyan did not move, and his face remained tranquil, as if he had no knowledge of anything that had happened around him. Just waiting in the same place for Jian Yao to return.
That person stood still for a while. Then, seeming to have made a decision, he moved around slowly until he was in front of Bo Jinyan. The muzzle of the gun silently stretched out until it was a mere one inch away from Bo Jinyan"s forehead. Any person in this situation, facing this kind of killer, being this close to death, would be so scared that he would p.i.s.s his pants.
Bo Jinyan sat without moving; his slender fingers, as delicate as jade, clasped his walking stick, and his profile was so peaceful, he was like a sculpture.
That person quietly aimed the gun at Bo Jinyan for 10 seconds. He seemed to realise that he was truly blind, not knowing anything of what had occurred in the world around him, and unaware that he was on the precipice of life and death. Thereafter, that person put away his gun, turned, and once again disappeared into the forest.
Only after he had walked into the distance did Bo Jinyan raise his head to face the direction in which he had left. The black sungla.s.ses obscured his eyes, and also shielded him from the brightness of the outside world.
That person moved swiftly. Although he could hear the footsteps behind him getting closer, he did not panic, and a reckless smile even crossed his face for a fleeting moment. He ran to the side of a cliff; behind him, just a few trees away, he could see the figures of several criminal investigators, and a gunshot suddenly rang out among the trees. That person clutched the right side of his chest and gritted his teeth, and extracted a rope from his bag which he wrapped around his body. It turned out that a long rope had previously been attached to this remote cliff and was now hanging down it, leading down the rock wall to end off near the main path. Moving very quickly, that person gripped the rope tightly and dropped off the cliff. When the criminal investigators rushed to the cliff, all they saw was the empty rope swaying and a figure disappearing into the underbrush by the roadside before vanishing completely.
The b.u.t.terfly killer had successfully broken through the police forces" five lines of defence in the forest, wounded seven criminal investigators, and seriously injured the criminal investigator who had served as bait. However, the killer had himself been shot by that criminal investigator, and, in the end, had escaped the police cordon bearing an injury.
The first round of the operation to capture him had failed.
Translator: Shl
Editors/ Proofreaders: Anks