In the Turbulent Spring of Youth, Only You Captivate (3) Part 1

Lu Huaizheng had one hand on his waist, pinching the earpiece of his walkie-talkie as he asked He Lang on the other end.

"Where's the location?"

Inside the auditorium, voices were clamoring.

Outside, the wind howled ominously. A glance revealed the verdant green of the mountains, bathed in the morning light, yet it was imbued with a deathly silence.

Static crackled from the earpiece, drowned out by the wind. He Lang was trying to lock onto the other party's positioning system. After a moment of silence, Lu Huaizheng inadvertently glanced at Yu Hao beside him and noticed something was wrong.

Yu Hao didn't speak, just stood there blankly, her eyes filled with struggle and hesitation.

Lu Huaizheng immediately pulled her over to face him. "Did you figure something out?"

When He Lang said the other party hadn't come down the mountain.

Yu Hao had figured it out. A flash went through her mind, and at that moment, everything seemed to make sense.

But just now, she had hesitated for a moment. It was the thrill of revenge, like at the end of a movie when the villain, who escapes legal justice, gets his head blown off by a bystander. A sense of satisfaction had surged in her heart.

Lu Huaizheng saw that something was wrong with her at a glance. She was too transparent; malice, goodwill—her eyes were too clear to hide any emotion. He gripped her shoulder, his grip tightening slightly, his voice carrying an unprecedented chill: "Yu Hao!"

She seemed not to hear.

"Dr. Yu," he deliberately reminded her.

A rude awakening!

It was as if the dark, obstructive energy congealing in her chaotic mind was instantly shattered! Yu Hao snapped back to her senses. When she looked up again, Lu Huaizheng's expression was cold and stern. Her voice gradually regained its composure.

"He should be right outside this auditorium now."

Lu Huaizheng also came to his senses. So, it was a trap from the very beginning!

Yu Hao said, "It's all fake. If I'm not mistaken, there are no bombs at all. His goal is to get revenge on everyone in this town. If he relied solely on bombs he made himself, plus the fact that everyone in this town knows each other, he would likely be discovered while planting them. So he adopted an extreme plan. He maintained a non-negotiable attitude, demanding a helicopter and a hostage—it was all a smokescreen, just to eventually tell you this safe location and lure everyone here!"

At the same time, He Lang's voice sounded in the earpiece.

"Captain Lu, the car's location is right at the entrance of Heshui Primary School!"

Fucking brilliant!

Lu Huaizheng squeezed the wire and replied, "You guys stay put."

"Yes!"

After speaking, Lu Huaizheng surveyed his surroundings and finally understood why he had chosen this grand auditorium. It was an abandoned old hall located behind Heshui Primary School. It had been deserted by the school years ago due to some 'unclean' incidents. The surrounding buildings had been mostly demolished, leaving it empty and desolate. Besides an earthen slope, there was no high ground, almost nowhere to set up a sniper position.

Sun Kai's voice came through the headset.

"What's the situation?"

Lu Huaizheng stood with his hand on his waist, squinting as he scanned the area, and replied distractedly, "We've been had."

Sun Kai: "What do you mean?"

"It means that if the other guy just takes a gun and sprays the entrance of the auditorium right now, it will be an unprecedented massacre."

Sun Kai: "Fuck, what do we do now!?"

It was too late to evacuate the crowd. If they were to run out aimlessly like this, the other party would definitely kill them one by one.

Lu Huaizheng stared intently at a tree behind Yu Hao.

Yu Hao followed his gaze and looked back.

On the other end, Sun Kai cursed again, "I don't believe he'd dare to do that."

Lu Huaizheng grabbed a sturdy branch nearby and nimbly climbed up in a few movements. From the high vantage point, he could see the roof of the auditorium. As he assessed the sniping angle, he said to Sun Kai on the other end, "That guy is seriously ill; he's probably a desperado. If I'm not wrong, he never planned on making it back alive."

The barefooted are not afraid of those with shoes. It's this kind of person you have to be afraid of.

Yu Hao had already thought of this and was mentally prepared, but hearing Lu Huaizheng say it, her heart couldn't help but pound faster, rising to her throat. Fine beads of sweat broke out on her forehead.

Lu Huaizheng came down from the tree, gently stroked the back of Yu Hao's head, took off his helmet, and put it directly on her head. As he bent down to fasten it for her, he said in a low voice, "Go inside now and find Sun Kai, find a corner—"

"Senior Sister Zhao!"

Yu Hao suddenly covered her mouth, her eyes staring blankly behind Lu Huaizheng.

Lu Huaizheng turned around.

The dark muzzle of a gun was pressed against Zhao Dailin's head. Her body was rigid as she was pushed forward, step by step.

Lu Huaizheng firmly fastened the helmet for Yu Hao. While reaching for the gun at his waist, he pushed her behind him and, tilting his head slightly, whispered to Sun Kai through the earpiece, "He's in."

Before the other side could reply, Lu Huaizheng added, "He has a hostage."

Sun Kai asked, "Who?"

"Zhao Dailin."

There was a moment of silence from the other end. "I'll go negotiate with him."

Lu Huaizheng stared for a moment, then said, "Wait, let's see what he says."

From the very beginning of this incident, they had been on the defensive. Even after leaving the interrogation room that day, Lu Huaizheng felt he was being reactive. It seemed like he was taking the initiative, but in reality, the other party held all the control.

The sunlight was blinding, piercing through the sparse gaps between the trees.

Yu Hao had never found the sun so glaring. It felt like thorns on her back, as if hundreds of needles were pricking her, so painful she couldn't open her eyes.

The man descended slowly from the hillside, smiling all the way.

He had changed out of his Ghillie Suit. He had somehow found a black trench coat. The collar flapped in the wind, revealing bundles of something tied around his waist as he slowly walked toward them.

After confirming, Lu Huaizheng spoke into the walkie-talkie wire, "Sun Kai, both he and Zhao Dailin are strapped with detonators. Tell the people inside not to open fire recklessly. Zhao Dailin will be in danger."

Sun Kai cursed something unintelligible.

The man stopped five meters away from Lu Huaizheng, the dark muzzle of his gun pointing at him and Yu Hao.

"You, put down the gun. Then the two of you go inside."

Lu Huaizheng remained impassive, his eyes fixed on him like a hawk. Seeing that he didn't move, the man lost his patience and mercilessly fired a shot in their direction!

The moment the shot rang out, Lu Huaizheng raised his arm, turned, and pulled Yu Hao tightly into his embrace, his hand on her head. Yu Hao could feel the cold gun handle pressing against her forehead. She didn't need to look up to know that Lu Huaizheng would rather point the gun at himself than at her.

The bullet hit the tree, causing it to shake violently a few times. The ground trembled.

Yu Hao's heart felt like it was about to burst from her chest.

She bit her lip hard, preventing herself from making any sound.

Lu Huaizheng's gun-holding hand rested on top of her head, while his other hand covered the nape of her neck. He whispered in her ear, "I'm here. Don't be afraid."

Yu Hao nodded, watching a few leaves slowly drift down behind him, fluttering and stopping.

Miraculously, because of his words, her heart, like those leaves, also settled down.

Lu Huaizheng turned back, his eyes devoid of emotion. He slowly raised his hand, very quickly ejected the magazine with one hand, and then slowly placed the gun on the ground.

...

The auditorium was deathly silent. The townspeople who had been clamoring and roaring, demanding supplies from the government, were now sitting obediently on the floor with their hands on their heads, all staring in terror at the man who entered.

He walked and laughed the entire way, as if he had gone mad.

Yu Hao wanted to step forward to negotiate with him.

She was pulled back by Lu Huaizheng, who shook his head at her, signaling her not to speak.

The auditorium's iron door was in disrepair from years of neglect, the paint peeling from constant exposure to the wind and sun, leaving behind pockmarked spots.

The iron door slowly closed.

The light faded, shrinking to a thin line through the crack of the door until it disappeared completely. The iron door slammed shut with a clang.

The auditorium was dim, with only a little fragmented light coming through a few window bars on the side.

The man smiled and said to Lu Huaizheng, "Actually, this has nothing to do with you, but who asked you to insist on protecting them!" After speaking, he suddenly glared at the people on the floor, his eyes sweeping over them one by one, and abruptly raised his voice, "They are scum!!!! The scum of this society!!!!"

Lu Huaizheng suddenly spoke up, "But you're doing the same thing they are."

The man reacted as if his tail had been stepped on, his voice suddenly sharp, "It's not the same!!!! I'm not like them!!!!"

"Ma Zhiming."

Yu Hao suddenly called his name.