Chapter 454: Deadly Pursuit

After a moment of silence, Wang Xindong’s voice came through the radio, “Negotiator, you’re basically saying my bad luck is my own fault, right?”

Chen Shi replied, “That’s about it. If this had happened to anyone else, the result might be the same… The person who gave you the gun is just exploiting your anger. Are you really willing to be his puppet? Calm down!”

“Calm down? Hahaha!” Wang Xindong laughed wildly. “Let me ask you, negotiator, what would you do if you drew the short straw?”

Chen Shi hesitated, ignoring Lin Dongxue’s frantic head-shaking to stop him. “I would accept reality,” he said.

“Alright, now I’ll give you a short straw. Come over and trade places with the hostage.”

“Okay!”

Everyone’s heart skipped a beat. Only Captain Zhang of the narcotics team sighed in relief. Lin Qiupu said, “If anyone should trade places, it’s me. I’m the captain, and he’s just a consultant.”

“Shut up!” Wang Xindong shouted. “In one minute, I’ll stop the car. That smooth-talking guy better run over and get in from the passenger side. If anyone else gets out, I’ll kill the hostage.”

“I agree,” Chen Shi said.

Lin Dongxue turned off the radio and, heartbroken, said, “Are you crazy? He’s already killed someone. He won’t listen to reason.”

“It’s alright. He’s different from typical hijackers. He’ll keep his word.”

“That’s not what I mean…” Lin Dongxue was nearly in tears. “What if he kills you?”

“I’ll find a way to deal with him. Trust me,” Chen Shi said, gently patting her shoulder to comfort her.

As the car stopped, Lin Dongxue hugged Chen Shi, crying, and whispered in his ear, “If you die, I’ll kill myself!”

“I won’t, I won’t.”

Despite his reassuring words, Chen Shi was uncertain. He could only take it one step at a time.

He got out of the car, opened the door of the hijacked police car, and sat in the passenger seat. The seat was still stained with the blood of the officer who had been shot, a stark and horrifying sight. Wang Xindong, a gaunt man, looked skeletal and sickly. He wore a linen coat, had an unkempt beard, and long, greasy hair that hung down the sides of his face. Despite his frail appearance, his eyes were bright and sharp.

He waved his gun. “You, get out!”

The driver, relieved, scrambled out of the car and fled back to the captain’s car. Chen Shi moved to the driver’s seat. Wang Xindong said, “Empty your pockets.”

Chen Shi took out his belongings one by one: phone, wallet, ID. Wang Xindong took each item, and after Chen Shi turned his pockets inside out to show they were empty, Wang Xindong nodded. “Drive!”

The convoy followed behind on the empty midnight roads. Wang Xindong flipped through Chen Shi’s wallet and found a photo of Tao Yueyue, a school ID photo Chen Shi had printed recently and kept in his wallet.

“Is this your daughter?”

“No, she’s my ward. Honestly, if I die, it doesn’t matter much. My house, car, and savings should support her until adulthood. She’s smart. She’ll manage. She might just be a little sad.”

“Haha, you’re interesting. Most people would play the sympathy card to get pity.”

“I’m just being honest. Besides, would that work on you?”

“Hmph, no.”

Wang Xindong examined Chen Shi’s ID. “Criminal consultant. So, you’re not a real cop. That means you’re in trouble. They’ll probably shoot you along with me if necessary.”

“Don’t worry. They won’t unless you shoot me first.”

“What’s your job?”

“Taxi driver.”

“Hah!” Wang Xindong laughed. “So, driving is your old job.”

“Where do you want to go?” Chen Shi asked in the tone he used with passengers.

“Keep driving in circles.”

“Just so you know, we’re low on fuel. I suggest we stop at the nearest gas station. The police won’t shoot there. Fill up and continue.”

Wang Xindong considered the suggestion. “No tricks!”

“Don’t worry. The passenger is always right.”

Wang Xindong chuckled. “This must be your most dangerous fare.”

“Not really. Once, I drove a long distance through a mountain pass in a storm. That was dangerous…” Chen Shi calmly recounted the story, and Wang Xindong listened quietly, making the atmosphere feel like a normal ride.

Half an hour later, they reached a gas station. After filling up, Chen Shi signaled okay to the trailing officers. Lin Qiupu and his team were anxious. Communication was cut off, and they had no idea what was happening. With no special forces available, their only hope was Chen Shi’s wits.

Back in the car, Chen Shi asked, “Hungry? There’s a place nearby for skewers. Shall we go?”

Wang Xindong slowly replied, “Are you trying to help me or trick me? A different place for a move?”

“I’m trying to help you.”

“How?”

“To get you out of the city.”

Wang Xindong was taken aback that a negotiator would suggest such a thing but found it somewhat believable since Chen Shi wasn’t a cop.

“Really? Aiding and abetting a criminal is a serious offense.”

“Better than dying.”

Wang Xindong poked Chen Shi’s head with his gun. “How does it feel to draw the short straw?”

“Honestly, pretty unlucky. I shouldn’t have spoken up.”

“You deserve it!” Wang Xindong laughed, then looked melancholic. “A person like me has no hope. Surrender or be shot dead. It’s just a matter of time.”

“Do you have family?”

“I had a woman once. After I started using, I became a monster, constantly taking money from her. Her family forbade us from seeing each other… I even told her to sell herself for money. I was a bastard, always hurting those around me. Now I’m alone. Let me tell you, the first time I used drugs, it was by choice. The dealers wanted my loyalty. I’d worked with several who got busted. They’d be fools not to suspect me. If I didn’t use, they’d kill me. The first time nearly killed me. But the second, the third, I began to enjoy it. The high was better than eating, drinking, or sex. Once you cross that line, you’ll do anything. I became more of a dealer than a cop. My former colleagues were shocked to see me. I often wonder if I made the wrong choice that day. I should have refused and died a hero. Like a pilot with a crashing plane: landing in a city would save his life but kill others, making him a villain. But flying away, he dies a hero, praised by all… Sometimes, duty demands you to die. But I just wanted to live, just to survive!”