Chapter 333: Bloody Graduation (1/2)

Right then, a bright light lit up, projecting an image onto the curtain. The crowd watched on in horror. Xiaotao and I took a few steps back to see the projection clearly. It was a group of children tied in a bus with a bomb. The bomb had an antenna on it which meant it was remote controlled!

Deng Chao's voice sounded from the speakers, ”As you can see, these children are my hostages. I’d like to play an interesting game with you. All the teachers and students present must participate. If anyone breaks the rules, I will detonate this bomb and send these lovely children to heaven!”

The auditorium broke into a loud clamor. Most of the people present hadn’t even heard of Deng Chao but now they were cursing at him for being cruel and ruthless.

Deng Chao's voice drowned out everyone else’s, ”The first rule is that no one of you are allowed to leave school without permission during the game. Song Yang, I'll give you ten minutes now to let your police friends evacuate the people outside the auditorium. I don't want to see any officers or other people on campus in ten minutes. The countdown starts now!”

Xiaotao stared in wide-eyed shock as the image on the curtain turned into a countdown. ”I'm going to evacuate the other teachers and students!”

”Go with them,” I said.

”But...” Xiaotao hesitated.

”You have already identified yourself so you can’t stay,” I replied. “We must do as he says.”

Xiaotao bit her lower lip and nodded, pointing to her ear and suggesting that I should contact her by radio.

After she left, I told the auditorium manager to take me to the control room which was located on the second floor at the back of the auditorium. I suspected Deng Chao was broadcasting from there. When we arrived, we saw the open control room door and a staff member lying on the console with a dagger in his back.

The manager gave a frightened shriek and faltered, ”What the hell is going on? Why is this happening?”

”Can you operate this?” I asked.

The manager nodded so I instructed him to turn on the microphone for me. ”Fellow students, please remain calm. I am Song Yang, an applied electronics student from the graduating class of 13’ and I’m also a police consultant. I’ve assisted the bureau in cracking several criminal cases! The person who spoke earlier is a criminal who committed homicide on campus last year. He escaped from prison a few months ago and is looking to retaliate against me and the university.”

Upon hearing my words, a cacophony of voices sounded from below. I knew I would receive the bulk of the blame but I had no choice. Keeping everyone in the dark would only make the situation harder to control.

However, the noise only grew louder and the auditorium manager looked at me blankly, ”Is he targeting you? Can’t you negotiate with him?”

I smiled wryly. If Deng Chao told me to kneel and lick his shoes, I would do so as long as he could spare the others.

When I got back to the first floor, the students immediately poured in like a tide. Many of them demanded angrily, ”Why did you involve us in your personal feud?”

”What do you think this school is? A place to hold a personal confrontation?”

”Why should we listen to you? Don't we have the right to choose?”