5: Chapter 5: Hundreds of police cars surrounding the area—you call this a drill?

"Wooo— Wooo—"

The piercing sirens were no longer intermittent background noise; they had merged into a roaring tidal wave of sound, as if they were about to tear the air of the entire block to shreds.

Outside Jianghai Bank, the area had transformed into a jungle of steel.

Without looking at the street signs, no one would believe this was a bustling city center; they would only think it was some front-line battlefield.

Dense crowds of SWAT riot control vehicles stood like mobile steel walls, blocking the bank's entrance so tightly that not even a fly could get out.

In the sky, three police helicopters circled in a triangular formation, their massive rotors slicing through the air with a deafening roar.

Atop the distant high-rises, the reflections from sniper scopes looked like wolf eyes hidden in the shadows, flashing with a lethal, cold glint.

The cordon, originally set at a hundred meters, had been pushed back to over five hundred meters away.

Even a Hollywood blockbuster set wouldn't have a spectacle this grand.

...

Inside the broadcasting van, the atmosphere was more freezing than a cold storage locker.

The walkie-talkie in Chief Director Wei Guanqi's hand was vibrating frantically, but he didn't dare answer it.

Because it was a barrage of life-threatening calls from the Municipal Bureau's dedicated line.

"Answer it! Director Wei!" the assistant director shouted, his voice cracking from fear.

With trembling hands, Wei Guanqi pressed the answer button.

"Wei Guanqi! This is Zhao Shanhe!"

The roar from the receiver was even louder than the helicopter rotors outside. "Where the hell did you find this Qin Feng? Huh? You call this an actor? He’s practically a terrorist in human skin!"

Wei Guanqi’s legs gave out, and he slid straight from the director's chair onto the floor. He didn't even feel the pain as his rear end hit the ground hard.

"Dir... Director Zhao, this really is an exercise! He's an extra, I have a contract..."

"Exercise my ass!" Zhao Shanhe's roar made Wei Guanqi's eardrums ache. "The Technical Department just analyzed his micro-expressions and muscle reactions! His heart rate didn't even skip a beat in the face of fifty million in cash, and he only sneered when surrounded! You don't develop that kind of psychological resilience without killing at least a hundred people!"

"I'm warning you, as of now, command is being handed over to the police! If a single hair on a hostage's head is harmed, I'll personally send you inside to work a sewing machine!"

"Beep— Beep—"

The call ended.

Wei Guanqi slumped on the floor, his eyes hollow as he muttered to himself, "It's over... This time it's not about Best Actor awards and accomplices; this is going to be a life sentence..."

...

Bank second floor, Manager's Office.

The view here was wide, directly overlooking the main road outside.

Qin Feng stood before the blinds, extending a finger to gently press down on one of the slats.

Through this centimeter-wide gap, he saw the desperate scene outside.

The black wall of riot shields, the reflections from sniper scopes, and the battering ram being set up in the distance.

"Hiss—"

Qin Feng sucked in a breath of cold air, feeling a phantom ache in his teeth.

They're really giving me too much credit, aren't they?

"I'm just holding a plastic gun; is it really necessary to bring in armored vehicles? Does gas not cost money anymore?"

He had originally planned to just phone it in, waiting for the negotiating officer to shout "Drop your weapon and we won't kill you" so he could take the opportunity to surrender.

With the current situation, if he dared to show his face, he'd probably be turned into a sieve before he could even shout "I surrender."

"I can't do this job; this definitely falls under the category of high-risk workplace injury."

Qin Feng complained wildly in his head, his heart thumping.

But he didn't dare show it.

The [Bandit Aura] given by the system was a passive skill. If he chickened out and the aura broke, his persona would collapse. Not only would his appearance fee be gone, but he might even have to pay the production crew for breach of contract.

Being poor was scarier than death.

Qin Feng took a deep breath, forcing himself to control his trembling legs.

He let go of the blinds, and the slat snapped back with a soft "clack."

...

To the sniper's ears, this soft sound was no different from a clap of thunder.

The top floor of the opposite building.

SWAT sniper Leng Feng lay on the ground, his body blending into the concrete floor.

Through his high-powered scope, he remained locked onto that window.

Just now, he had seen those eyes.

Even if it was just a fleeting glimpse, even across several hundred meters.

There wasn't a hint of panic in those eyes; they even held a trace of... playfulness?

"Reporting to Command Center, this is Leng Feng."

Leng Feng's voice was low, carrying an unprecedented gravity. "The target just observed my position. He's smiling."

"Smiling?" Inside the Command Center, Zhao Shanhe clenched his fists.

"Yes, it's a kind of... contempt for our deployment." Leng Feng swallowed hard and continued his report. "Moreover, the target's breathing rate is extremely stable. At that moment just now, he even actively held his breath. This was to prevent the rise and fall of his chest from revealing his silhouette."

"This counter-reconnaissance awareness is incredible."

Zhao Shanhe snapped the pen in his hand, and half of it flew quite a distance.

"Well played, Qin Feng! What a display of contempt!"

Zhao Shanhe grabbed the walkie-talkie, fury burning in his eyes. "Since he doesn't take us seriously, let's turn up the heat! Negotiation Team, get in there!"

...

"Listen, those inside! You are surrounded!"

A massive loudspeaker suddenly blared, the sound amplified hundreds of times, making the bank's windows vibrate.

"Drop your weapons! Release the hostages immediately! This is your only way out!"

"I repeat, whether this is a real exercise or a play-acted reality, this is the Chinese Police! Resistance is futile!"

The voice echoed through the empty lobby, carrying an unquestionable authority.

Qin Feng rubbed his brow helplessly.

These lines are so cliché.

But since the other side had made a move, he had to respond.

Not following through with the scene would be a matter of professional integrity.

Qin Feng looked down and adjusted the collar of his windbreaker.

His fingertip brushed against the first button of the collar, pausing for half a second.

This action was meant to hide his nervousness, but on the surveillance footage, it was interpreted as him confirming some extremely covert communication device.

"Let's play it tough. Hopefully, I can scare them back a bit and leave myself a way out."

Qin Feng turned around, his gaze searching through the crowd.

Finally, he locked onto the round-faced girl in the corner who was staring at him blankly.

Su Tang.

There was no other choice; only this girl seemed to have some courage (actually, she was just infatuated). If anyone else were dragged over by him, they'd probably faint on the spot.

Qin Feng strode over and grabbed Su Tang by the wrist.

"Ah!"

Su Tang let out a soft cry, not because of pain, but because of the sensation from the glove.

It was the rough friction of the tactical glove mixed with the warmth of a man's palm.

"Come with me."

Qin Feng's voice was low as he dragged her toward the window.

Su Tang stumbled along, her heart beating like a drum.

He grabbed me!

He grabbed my hand in front of millions of people!

Could this be the legendary... "The Overbearing Robber Falls for Me"?

Qin Feng pushed Su Tang in front of the blinds, his left arm around her neck (without applying pressure), while his right hand held the prop gun against her temple.

A classic hostage-taking pose.

To make the effect more realistic, Qin Feng deliberately pressed his body close, using his position to hide the fact that Su Tang's neck wasn't actually being squeezed.

"Don't move, cooperate."

Qin Feng leaned into her ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Everyone outside is watching. Do me a favor and act a little more scared."

His warm breath brushed against Su Tang's sensitive ear.

At that moment, Su Tang felt an electric current surge from the crown of her head to the soles of her feet.

Her whole body went limp.

Scared?

Who could even remember how to be scared at a time like this!

Su Tang leaned against Qin Feng's solid chest, where there was something hard.

As if possessed, she quietly moved her hand behind her back.

Her fingertips touched it.

Hard.

Defined.

Abs!

Definitely abs! And more than just six!

"Mmm..."

Su Tang's legs gave out, and she slumped into Qin Feng's arms, her face instantly flushing bright red, her eyes dazed, and her breathing as rapid as if she had just finished a three-kilometer run.

...

"Animal!!!"

In the police Command Center, Zhao Shanhe saw this scene and flew into a rage on the spot.

He kicked away the chair next to him, his finger trembling violently as he pointed at the large screen.

On the screen, Su Tang's "face was flushed," her "body was limp," and her "eyes were vacant."

How was this a hostage situation?

This was clearly a physiological reaction after being subjected to some potent drug or mental control!

"He's torturing the hostage!"

Psychological expert Yun Zhiqiu covered her mouth, her eyes full of horror. "This is a classic acute stress reaction! The hostage's psychological defenses have collapsed! She's trembling! That's a muscle spasm caused by extreme fear!"

"Look at her eyes! That's despair! It's the vacancy of someone who has completely lost faith in the world!"

"This Qin Feng... he's simply a devil!"

The bullet comments in the livestream exploded instantly, filling the screen with exclamation marks.

"Holy crap! The hostage girl is done for!"

"What the hell kind of technique is that? Did she faint from fear? Why is her face so red?"

"Is she running out of oxygen? This robber is being way too brutal!"

"Am I the only one who thinks the girl's expression is a bit... strange?"

"Shut up, you upstairs! This is no time for dirty jokes! Officers, save her quickly! That's my wife!"

...

In front of the window.

Qin Feng felt the hostage in his arms getting more and more unusual.

Why is she getting heavier?

And...

What is this girl's hand doing?

Is she touching my stomach?

Qin Feng looked down, meeting Su Tang's watery, sparkling almond-shaped eyes.

How was this fear?

This was clearly a look that said she wanted to eat him alive right then and there!

"Big Brother..."

Su Tang's voice was soft and sweet, with a sugary tremor, as she whispered, "Is this gun... real?"

Qin Feng's lip twitched as he replied with ventriloquism, "Fake. Nine-ninety with free shipping on Pinduoduo."

Hearing this answer, the stars in Su Tang's eyes shone even brighter.

She nuzzled her head into Qin Feng's chest, a faint, imperceptible curve appearing at the corners of her mouth as she murmured in a tone bordering on coquettish:

"You're so bad."

"But I like it so much."

Qin Feng: "..."

He looked up at the murderous SWAT Team outside, then down at the "hostage" in his arms whose face was full of longing.

I'm tired.

Just let it all be destroyed.

This batch of hostages is too hard to manage.

To prevent this scene from turning into an adult film, Qin Feng had to raise his voice and shout that classic line toward the window.

"Everyone, back off!"

"Come any closer, and I won't be polite!"

Only, no one knew how much helplessness was contained in those words.

I really won't be polite.

If you keep touching me, I'm going to have to start charging for paid services!