NOVEL NEXT Chapter 285: I Want to Blow Up the Bank_2
The smile on the man with glasses was a little awkward. Xia Liang moved a nearby stool over for him.
"It's no big deal. I don't smoke myself, but I have some. Here, let me light one for you."
"Thank you, thank you," the man with glasses said, expressing his gratitude repeatedly.
"My dad's a smoker too, so I get it. Besides, it's just one cigarette, not like it costs a fortune."
Xia Liang just wanted the man to feel at ease, but when he said this, the man's expression turned resentful and twisted.
"I always thought this society was cold, blood-sucking, and utterly devoid of humanity. I walked all the way here from my house, asking smokers along the way, but no one was like you. Heh, it's just a cigarette, sure, not a fortune, but most people these days can't even be bothered to spare one."
What does that even mean? How can a small gesture like this get blown so out of proportion? Xia Liang was a bit confused.
"Bro, since you've shown me this kindness, let me talk to you for a bit before I go."
"I graduated from a prestigious university and landed a job as a minor supervisor at a large chemical plant. Life was good, and I had a decent chunk of savings. But that damned bank went behind my back and put my money into some wealth management product. In just a few months, not a single penny was left."
"I went to the bank to argue, but they insisted I had consented. What kind of bastard agrees to let someone else gamble away their entire life's savings? It was their shady, backroom dealing. Now I'm penniless because of their underhanded schemes. My wife left me, I lost my house, and I'm a broke good-for-nothing who can't even afford a pack of smokes."
Xia Liang listened quietly. Everyone has a story, the only difference is whether it's happy or sad. Anyone would buckle under such a miserable situation.
"Bro, don't be too downhearted. Life goes on. You never know, maybe one day you'll get a System and become a harem-building Long Aotian, so don't lose heart."
The man with glasses gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
"I'm just sharing a little life experience with you. Never, ever trust the damned capitalists. Anyway, it was good to chat with you before I go. At least I won't have a sour face when I get to the other side. I'm off to blow up the bank now. If fate allows, we'll meet in the next life."
With that, he grabbed his suitcase, stood up, and left. Xia Liang waved his hand, bewildered.
"Good luck with that, bro."
He then ordered another bowl of soy milk. Blow up a bank? What, you think this is Red Dead Redemption or something? But then, a horrifying possibility dawned on him.
Screwed by the bank... Works at a chemical plant... The bank... A big suitcase...
"Volodya!"
With a WHOOSH, Xia Liang shot to his feet, but when he looked around, the man with glasses was nowhere in sight.
"Hello! Yaoyao Ling?"
"Yes, that's right, I want to report a crime."
"Some guy is planning to blow up a bank!"
"Which bank? The one he's going to blow up!"
"He just asked me for a cigarette, then dragged a big suitcase inside! He said he works at a chemical plant, got screwed by the bank, and now he wants revenge! Are you the one who's incoherent?! I'm talking apples and you're talking oranges!"
"You're not coming? Fine! Then how about I blow up a bank?! Hurry up and arrest me, you son of a bitch!"
Minding your own business is the normal way of the world, and it was Xia Liang's way too, but that depended on the situation. If something had already happened and couldn't be changed, it was fine to be a bystander; he didn't owe anyone anything. But to stand by and do nothing when something like a bank bombing could be prevented? Xia Liang would never do that.
After hanging up, he still felt uneasy, so he made another call.
"Hello? Yun Bing, yes, it's me, Xia Liang. I'm ninety percent sure someone is about to bomb a bank."
With Xia Liang's guarantee, Yun Bing had no choice but to act. Even if he was just bullshitting or joking, the report had to be passed up the chain.
Just as various departments were being alerted and preparing to dispatch officers, the New City Protectors received a report. A criminal had entered a bank with a homemade high-temperature bomb. If the bank manager, currently on vacation at home, did not appear within an hour, he would detonate it.
There was no room for negotiation. The news sent an earthquake through all the relevant departments in New City. Combined with Xia Liang's report, everyone finally believed that a madman was really trying to bomb a bank. Yun Long swiftly organized a response and personally rushed to Bin Hai Road to command the operation.
When he saw Xia Liang again, he pushed down his annoyance and forced a smile.
"Comrade Xia, we owe you again for your timely report."
Xia Liang shook his head and sighed. "If I had just paid a little more attention, maybe I could have stopped him. Ai, who would've thought the guy was serious."
Yun Bing, standing beside him, offered quiet consolation. "It's not your fault. If it were me, I probably wouldn't have taken him seriously either."
By now, negotiators, bomb disposal experts, and the special response team had all arrived, completely surrounding the bank's entrance. Snipers did their best to acquire a target, but in this day and age of action movies and video games, everyone knows to stay behind cover.
"Get lost! I'm not listening to you capitalist lapdogs! There are only twenty minutes left! If he's not here by then, I'm blowing this place to hell!"
The muffled shouts of the man with glasses could be heard from inside the bank. A negotiator walked out, dejected, shaking his head with a sigh. Several others took his place, but none had any success.
The man was adamant: if the bank manager didn't show, there was nothing to talk about. It didn't take a genius to figure out his intentions. He was aiming for mutual destruction. If he had a shred of conscience, he might release the innocent hostages, but the bank was definitely finished.
"Haven't the snipers locked on yet?"
"The criminal is hiding behind the counter and using a megaphone to shout. He's not even showing a single strand of hair. The snipers have no shot."
Yun Long ground his teeth in frustration. It was truly a season of troubles, one disaster after another these past two days.
"On what grounds did you bring me here! Catching criminals is your job! What does it have to do with me, a law-abiding citizen!"
A grating, duck-like voice sounded from behind them. A greasy man with a Mediterranean hairstyle was being escorted over by two officers in uniform.
"I'm Yun Long. Please, don't be nervous. We asked you to come to help us. The criminal is likely to detonate the bomb if he doesn't see you, so you must show your face. Of course, we will guarantee your absolute safety."
Yun Long spoke politely, without the overbearing air of a superior.
However, the balding man struggled to break free, shouting, "Why should I? What the hell does this have to do with me? Just rush in and shoot him!"
With the man being so uncooperative, Yun Long couldn't force the issue. In public, with reporters all around, they couldn't just drag him inside.
Xia Liang offered a helpful reminder. "Uncle Yun, time is running out. If he doesn't go in, the man with glasses will definitely do something stupid."
"Let it blow! It's not like my money is in there! You guys can have fun with this, I'm out of here!"
The balding man wrenched himself free from the officers, sneering as he arrogantly dusted off his clothes.
"You should speak with a clear conscience. Don't you have a fucking clue why that guy inside is trying to blow up the bank?" Xia Liang shot him a cold glance.
"I don't know, and I don't want to know! And—ARGH! Murder! An official is killing a commoner!"
No one had expected Xia Liang to lunge forward and slam the man against a car door, shattering the window.
"Sorry, just a concerned citizen," Xia Liang sneered, then looked at Yun Long. "I should be able to get through to the man with the glasses. How about this? I'll take him inside."
Could it really be this easy? Yun Long was overjoyed, resisting the urge to hug and kiss Xia Liang.
"No! I won't go! I'd rather die than go in! AAAGH!"
Another scream echoed out. Xia Liang had dislocated the man's left arm. Around them, the Protectors suddenly found great interest in either their own shoes or the clouds in the sky.
"See? No one gives a damn about you. You were just unlucky enough to run into me today. Heh, This Master really detests scum like you."
The common folk of the new century.
While the quality of life had improved, the dangers of the world had also deepened. The elderly would sometimes think back to the old days, when even if they didn't have enough to eat or warm clothes to wear, there was at least a sense of humanity in their communities.
And now? A single phone call could empty your entire savings account.