Chapter 444: The Bus Hostage Situation

Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue returned to the neighborhood from the previous day to check the property surveillance footage. At around three in the afternoon, police cars began arriving, and two hours later, they left. Chen Shi said, “The incident happened between three and five. The paparazzi must have slipped in during this time.”

He replayed the footage. There were five cars that left during that period and three that entered, but none entered and left. Chen Shi was puzzled and rewound the footage. Suddenly, he pointed at the screen, “This red car’s timing is the closest!”

“But we hadn’t arrived yet. Look for something else,” Lin Dongxue suggested.

Chen Shi reviewed the footage from an hour earlier. Apart from the red sedan, there was nothing suspicious. “It seems these paparazzi got the scoop before the police even arrived and left while we were handling the situation.”

“Could they have been eavesdropping on police radio?” Lin Dongxue speculated.

“Let’s ask them ourselves.”

From the surveillance footage, they could barely make out the license plate number. Lin Dongxue called the DMV and found the car belonged to a media company called “Yicheng Information.” The name rang a bell for Lin Dongxue. Chen Shi said, “Remember the paparazzi company we visited last time?”

“Oh, it’s them. But aren’t they focused on celebrity gossip?”

“After our last encounter, I did some research. They pose as a media company but don’t have any significant publications. They just collect news and sell it to other outlets. They wouldn’t miss a sensational story like this. But where do they get their leads?”

“You think they have a list?”

“Ji Xingyao bought their services before, but we found no payments to this company. She might have given them a major news tip instead. If she’s behind the gun distribution, she could have provided the list to these paparazzi, killing two birds with one stone.”

Lin Dongxue got excited, “If that’s true, we can arrest Ji Xingyao for her role in the gun distribution case.”

“But we need to confirm this. You know how slippery those paparazzi are. They won’t talk without evidence.”

“How do we get evidence?”

“We might not have proof, but we can verify…”

Just then, Lin Dongxue’s phone rang. It was Lin Qiupu, asking where she was. He said there was another armed hostage situation, and this time it was a whole bus.

After getting the address, Chen Shi said, “Let’s move quickly. It’s nearby.”

The bus was stopped at the intersection of Dashun Road and the first ring road, causing major traffic congestion. Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue rushed over, parked the car, and ran through the traffic.

As they moved, Chen Shi scanned the area. Lin Dongxue asked what he was looking for. “Looking to see if the paparazzi are here,” he replied.

At the intersection, they saw a green bus. Through the windows, they could see a man holding what appeared to be a gun, talking to the passengers.

Lin Qiupu and his team hadn’t arrived yet. Approaching the bus was too dangerous, so they started searching for the red car.

After checking one side, they split up to cover more ground. Chen Shi’s sharp eyes spotted two men, one with a camera and the other with a video camera, getting out of a red car and starting to film the bus. Chen Shi walked over and tapped one on the shoulder. The man turned around and saw Chen Shi’s badge.

“What are you doing?” Chen Shi demanded.

The paparazzo grinned, “Officer, shouldn’t you be dealing with the bad guys? Is taking photos illegal?”

“Who gave you permission to film?”

“Here’s my press card.” He showed a card from a TV station.

“Cut the crap. Everyone knows you guys carry fake IDs. You’re from Yicheng, right?”

“Looks like you know… It’s just some photos. Everyone’s taking pictures.”

This company was definitely suspicious. They arrived too quickly. Chen Shi decided not to alarm them and said, “Fine, but don’t film the victims or the police.”

“Got it, thanks!” The paparazzo resumed taking pictures.

Lin Qiupu arrived and said, “You guys are fast.”

“Some people got here even faster,” Chen Shi pointed to the paparazzi.

“Paparazzi? No time for them now. Here’s the situation: the bus was rented by a company for a group outing. The driver called in saying a man who isn’t from the company fired a shot to stop the bus and then boarded.”

“Are you going or am I?” Chen Shi asked.

“I’ll—”

Chen Shi interrupted, “I’ll go. You stay here and command.”

“This time, no tricks. Negotiate properly.”

“Understood.”

“Put on the bulletproof vest.”

After gearing up, Lin Qiupu directed the other officers to surround the bus. The arriving police, most in uniform, created a psychological pressure without planning to storm the bus before SWAT arrived.

Chen Shi approached the bus and knocked on the door. “I’m a police negotiator. Can I come in?”

The man inside yelled, “I’ll shoot you if you come up!”

“Calm down, I’m here to help…” Chen Shi peeked inside and saw the man, thin and nervous, in a sweat-soaked white shirt. The bus had air conditioning, but he was drenched in sweat.

Chen Shi gestured for a bottle of water. An officer grabbed an unopened iced bottle from a nearby driver and handed it to Chen Shi.

Holding the bottle, Chen Shi said, “You look hot. Want some water?”

“I want cigarettes!” the man demanded.

“Okay, I’ll get you a pack.”

Chen Shi signaled, and Old Zhang tossed him a pack of Zhongnanhai cigarettes and a lighter. Chen Shi held the items up. “I have no weapons. Can I come in now?”

“Come up!”

Chen Shi slowly boarded the bus. Dozens of eyes watched him anxiously. Most passengers were young men in T-shirts with an IT company logo, all looking tense.

Chen Shi walked slowly towards the man, holding out the cigarettes. When he was a meter away, the man aimed the gun at him and shouted, “Stop!”

Looking closely, Chen Shi saw that the gun matched the model they had previously confiscated. This one seemed real!