Chapter 246: Rampant Provocation! (2/2)
The photo depicted a time bomb placed under the table, next to a window through which the streets were visible. A sentence was written behind the photo: You have 10 hours! Good luck!
”So he’s asking us to find the time bomb that he planted somewhere?” asked Xiaotao.
”That crazy motherfucker!” condemned Dali.
The photo was passed around until it reached my hands. I carefully captured every detail of the photo using Cave Vision. ”There’s a floor-to-ceiling window, a fixed table with a brown stain on the tablecloth. It might be a cafe. From the shadow of the street lamp, the picture was taken at around 7 o'clock in the morning or 5 o'clock in the afternoon. The former is more likely, so this street goes north to south.”
I stared at a small figure at the end of the street and added, ”There’s a student in uniform who looks like he might be in middle school.”
”It's not a main road,” Wang Yuanchao concluded. “7 in the morning is right during rush hour but there’s almost no traffic on this street.”
Xiaotao took a moment to examine the photo. ”There is a London Plane tree on the street and a hardware store opposite. I also see a large ball of light in the reflection of the glass. Is it lighting equipment?”
”It’s a crystal chandelier inside a cafe,” I replied.
Xiaotao left a few officers to continue investigating the area while everyone else searched for the location of the bomb according to the clues we determined from the photo. Lao Yao and Dali would return to the station to watch the live stream since The Strongest Mantis Shrimp was likely to reveal some information there.
”I'd better come with you,” said Dali. “It's a challenge staying in the same room as Lao Yao.”
”Up to you!” replied Xiaotao.
If this crime had been committed ten years ago, the police might not have the resources to locate the bomb. However, we were in the age where the current police technology was approaching its peak. It was easy to locate anything anywhere within the city. At 1 pm, a phone call came through reporting the discovery of the bomb.
Without further delay, we headed to the scene. It was a cafe that wasn’t faring too well with few customers on ordinary days. Upon hearing there was a bomb in his shop, the owner was almost frightened to tears.
The bomb squad wasted no time in dismantling the time bomb under the table. To be on the safe side, several armored personnel carriers surrounded the store. In case of a bomb, it could withstand the impact of the debris.
”Being a bomb expert is really dangerous but also exciting,” remarked Dali.
”Aren’t you in applied electronics?” asked Xiaotao. “You can apply for this profession in the future.”
”I certainly can't!” Dali shook his hand vehemently. “I'm much too careless for this job...”
During this time, I was on a call with Lao Yao. I asked him how the live stream was going, to which he replied, ”There are many people berating the streamer, saying that his plan to kill the police has failed again, and have stopped watching the live stream.”
”These assholes!” I cursed.
Now that The Strongest Mantis Shrimp had openly declared war on the police, he must have installed more than one bomb. Sure enough, the police found a second aluminum lunch box in the cafe also containing a photo. This time the time limit was only five hours.
However, the information was minimal, that is, a bare wall with a time bomb on the ground.
”This time, our task is even more difficult,” sighed Xiaotao. “Song Yang, do you have any ideas?”
I stared at the photo for a long time and reluctantly shook my head. I wasn’t a miracle worker who could determine the location based on a photo of a bare wall alone.
From the other end of the line came Lao Yao’s solemn voice, ”This bastard said in the live stream that he’s going to kill a bunch of policemen if the rewards reach 200,000 before midnight.”
Hearing this, it suddenly dawned upon Xiaotao. ”That bastard planted a bomb in the public security bureau!”
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