423: Chapter 423 Please come with us!

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow and spoke indifferently, "Go ahead then, let's not waste each other's time."

The hijackers' leader's face was distorted from being stepped on, but he couldn't care about the pain. He cried and shouted.

"It... it was someone who gave us ten million to hijack the plane!"

"He said that as long as we successfully hijacked this plane, he would give us another ten million once we reached the USA!"

"We were momentarily blinded by greed, so... so we agreed..."

As his voice fell.

An uproar broke out in the first-class cabin.

"Holy crap! There really is an inside story?"

"I knew it! Security is so strict nowadays, how could guns be brought on board?"

"There must be someone inside the airport helping! Otherwise, these guns could never pass through security!"

"How terrifying! This is taking everyone on the plane hostage!"

...

The passengers discussed fervently, their faces filled with lingering fear and anger.

Yan Qingwu's brows furrowed tightly. She took a step forward and stared down at the hijackers' leader. "What does the person who gave you the money look like? What's his name?"

The hijackers' leader shook his head desperately.

"I don't know! I really don't know!"

"Every time we met, he was wearing a mask!"

"It was... it was that kind of Daniel Wu mask!"

Hearing this, the corner of Ye Chen's mouth twitched slightly.

A Daniel Wu mask?

What the hell is this?

He applied more pressure with his foot and asked coldly, "You dared to take this job without even knowing what he looks like or what his name is?"

The hijackers' leader wanted to cry but had no tears.

"Sir! They really gave us the money!"

"Ten million in cold, hard cash was deposited into our account. We verified it!"

"Who would turn down money?"

Yan Qingwu's teeth itched with anger. She kicked him in the shoulder. "Aren't you afraid of having the life to take it but not the life to spend it?"

The hijackers' leader clutched his crotch and then his shoulder, curling into a ball and weeping.

He looked as miserable as could be.

But Ye Chen's eyes narrowed slightly, a glint flashing through them.

Something was wrong.

Ten million just to hijack a plane?

And with a clear target—a flight to the USA?

There was definitely more to this.

He immediately closed his eyes.

[Earth Vein Tracking] instantly expanded!

Invisible perception surged out like a tide, covering the entire plane in an instant!

Every corner, every gap, every passenger's luggage...

Everything appeared clearly in his mind!

And then.

He "saw" it.

Deep inside the overhead bin of the economy cabin, inside an inconspicuous black duffel bag, lay a bundle of items.

A Time bomb!

On the countdown display, the red numbers were ticking.

03:47:22...

Ye Chen's perception continued to spread, scanning the bodies of the three hijackers.

And then.

His gaze fell upon the hijackers' leader's abdomen.

Inside the stomach was something the size of a thumb.

It wasn't food.

It was a remote control!

A miniature remote control, wrapped in a waterproof film, had been swallowed into his stomach!

Ye Chen opened his eyes and looked down at the hijackers' leader under his foot. "Did that person ever give you anything to eat?"

The hijackers' leader was stunned, then nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"He said it was a tracker! To make it easier to follow our location!"

"He told us to swallow it, saying that way it wouldn't be discovered!"

Hearing this, Ye Chen couldn't help but laugh.

"A tracker?"

"He doesn't want to track you."

"He wants to send you to the afterlife."

The hijackers' leader was stunned.

Yan Qingwu was also stunned and hurriedly asked, "What do you mean?"

Ye Chen pointed at the hijackers' leader's belly.

"The thing he swallowed isn't a tracker."

"It's a remote control device."

"Once he dies or the signal is interrupted, that thing will detonate the bomb on the plane."

As his voice fell.

"Ah!!!"

Screams suddenly erupted!

The passengers in the first-class cabin turned pale. They frantically stood up from their seats, wishing they could get as far away from the three hijackers as possible!

"A bomb? There's a bomb on the plane?!"

"It's over, it's over! We're all going to die!"

"Quick! Have the captain make an emergency landing! Call the police!"

...

Panic spread like a plague.

Some were so scared they slumped to the floor, some held their heads and trembled, and some frantically pressed the call button.

The hijackers' leader lay on the ground, completely dumbfounded.

"Re... remote control?"

"A bomb?"

"He... didn't he say it was a tracker?"

Ye Chen looked down at him and spoke indifferently.

"From the very beginning, you were all sacrificial pawns."

"Whether your hijacking succeeded or failed, you were meant to die."

"The only difference is..."

"Whether you die at the hands of the police or in mid-air."

The hijackers' leader's tears flowed down in streams.

He used all his strength to look up at Ye Chen, his eyes full of pleading.

"Save me! Please, save me!"

"I don't want to die! I really don't want to die!"

Ye Chen ignored him. Instead, he turned and walked toward the economy cabin.

Yan Qingwu hurriedly followed him.

"Ye Chen, where is the bomb?"

Ye Chen didn't stop. He spoke indifferently.

"Economy cabin, overhead bin."

"It's a Time bomb, with only a bit over three hours left."

Yan Qingwu gasped, then asked, "Can you disarm it?"

The corner of Ye Chen's mouth curled up slightly.

"What do you think?"

The two passed through the curtain and stepped into the economy cabin.

The economy cabin was currently in a state of chaos.

After all.

They had just experienced a hijacking...

Ye Chen's gaze swept across and landed on the overhead bin of the third row.

He walked over, reached out to open the overhead bin, and pulled out a black duffel bag.

Seeing this, a middle-aged woman nearby screamed, her face pale.

"That's my bag! What are you doing?"

Ye Chen ignored her and pulled the zipper open directly.

Bundles of neatly tied explosives appeared before everyone's eyes!

And above that bundle of explosives, a palm-sized timer was ticking down...

"Ah!!!"

The middle-aged woman's eyes rolled back, and she fainted directly.

The surrounding passengers were even more terrified. They frantically shrank back, wishing they could get as far away from that bag as possible.

Ye Chen, however, remained calm. He reached out and picked up the bundle of explosives, turning it over to inspect it.

And then.

He smiled.

"C4 plastic explosives, military grade."

"Equipped with an electronic timed detonation device."

"Interesting."

Yan Qingwu stood to the side, her palms sweating with tension. "Ye Chen, you still haven't said... can you disarm it?"

Ye Chen still didn't answer. He just raised his right hand and extended two fingers.

He gave it a light squeeze.

"Crack."

That sophisticated electronic timing device was crushed by his two fingers.

The red numbers froze.

They no longer ticked.

The entire place fell silent.

Everyone stared with wide eyes, looking at this scene in disbelief.

Was it... was it really that simple?

Two fingers, a squeeze, and it's over?

Ye Chen casually tossed the explosives back into the bag and clapped his hands.

"Done."

Yan Qingwu's lip twitched slightly. "Aren't... aren't you afraid it'll explode?"

Ye Chen shrugged.

"It won't explode."

"When this thing was designed, they didn't consider that someone could crush it with their fingers."

"Besides..."

He paused and smiled slightly. "Even if it did explode, it wouldn't hurt me."

Yan Qingwu: "..."

She was actually unable to refute him!

But Ye Chen wasn't as relaxed as he made it sound; it was because the things [Earth Vein Tracking] could see went far beyond just this.

Just then.

The announcement in the cabin suddenly rang out.

"Attention all passengers, attention all passengers!"

"This is the captain speaking!"

"A hijacking incident occurred on the plane a short while ago, but it has now been resolved!"

"Suspicious explosives have also been discovered. Please remain calm and do not panic!"

"We have already contacted the ground and will be making an emergency landing in the nearest city!"

"Please follow the instructions of the crew members and fasten your seatbelts!"

The announcement was repeated three times.

The entire cabin erupted into a commotion once again.

Ye Chen didn't bother with it anymore and turned to walk toward the first-class cabin.

After a couple of steps, he stopped and looked back at the middle-aged woman who had fainted.

"By the way."

"This bag belongs to her."

"After the emergency landing, have the police investigate her thoroughly."

Yan Qingwu nodded. "Understood."

...

...

Three hours later.

The plane made an emergency landing at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

On the tarmac, police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances were crowded in a circle, their lights flashing and sirens wailing.

As soon as the cabin door opened, fully armed SWAT officers rushed in.

The three hijackers were dragged away like dead dogs.

The unconscious middle-aged woman was also carried onto a stretcher and sent directly to a police car.

All passengers were taken to the airport police station to be questioned one by one.

Ye Chen and Yan Qingwu sat on a bench in the police station, waiting listlessly.

Soon.

It was their turn.

A middle-aged police officer with a stubbly beard came over with a notebook and spoke a string of English.

Yan Qingwu translated, "He's asking for our names and passports."

Ye Chen pulled out his passport from his pocket and handed it over.

The officer took it and looked at it, then looked at Ye Chen, his expression suddenly becoming strange.

He turned and walked quickly into the office inside.

A moment later.

A bald man in a suit strode out.

Behind him followed four fully armed SWAT officers.

The bald man walked up to Ye Chen, looked down at him, and spoke in stiff Mandarin.

"Mr. Ye Chen?"

"I am Lofus, the head of the FBI Chicago field office."

"You are suspected of endangering flight safety. Please come with us."