BANG!

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Suddenly, a crisp sound echoed within the Emperor Dragon Building!

Gunfire!

After a single gunshot, three more followed.

Then, the entrance to the Emperor Dragon Building slammed shut, and noises of commotion and screams emanated from within.

The district's Public Security Bureau director, Luo Han, who was originally about to enter the building with his men, was taken aback. Seeing the doors of the Emperor Dragon Building shut, he had a sinking feeling.

Damn, I underestimated the enemy's strength! They actually have guns in the company!

Luo Han became worried instantly. Seeing the doors shut, he knew time was of the essence and shouted, "Break down the door, rush in!"

The dozen or so fully armed SWAT officers behind him picked up their pace, intending to storm through the main entrance.

Luo Han was immensely worried. If there were gunmen inside the Emperor Dragon Building, it would be disastrous. There were at least hundreds of innocent people inside.

If a seemingly easy arrest operation turned into an armed hostage situation, it would be a disaster for him!

BANG!

Another gunshot rang out from inside the building. Then a gruff voice roared, "Listen up, police outside, don't come in. If any of you dare step through the entrance, for every one of you who comes in, I'll kill one person; if ten of you come in, I'll kill ten!"

BANG! BANG! BANG...

As soon as the man finished speaking, he fired three more shots. The building erupted into screams and cries... which made Luo Han's heart pound in his chest.

"Damn it!"

Luo Han swore, his eyes shut tight. Then, he gestured to the SWAT officers who were looking at him, "Forget it, come back. We can't provoke the criminals. They have too many hostages. We must not put any of them in danger."

At this point, Deputy Director Cheng Ye also hurried over, asking anxiously, "Director Luo, the criminals inside the building have guns, what do we do now? If there are casualties, we'll be dismissed on the spot!" His words were not an exaggeration. Within their jurisdiction, there were not only drug dealers but also criminals hiding firearms. If these individuals were now taking hostages and murdering people, the consequences would be severe. It wouldn't just affect their own positions; even the city's leaders could be implicated.

"Don't panic, don't panic..."

Although Luo Han was saying this, anyone could tell he was so anxious that even his hand was shaking.

"Bring me the loudspeaker. I need to talk to the criminals."

An officer brought over the loudspeaker. Luo Han then held it up and commanded, "Listen up, criminals inside. I'm District Public Security Bureau Director Luo Han. You must not harm the innocent people inside the building. Surrender now, and I might consider leniency."

A voice from upstairs immediately responded, "Leniency? Bullshit! Stop messing around, retreat, and let all the cops back off. Also, bring five SUVs with full tanks of gas here. Don't dare play any tricks, like installing tracking devices. We have experts. If we notice anything amiss, we won't hesitate to kill the hostages!"

Upon hearing this, Luo Han exchanged a glance with Cheng Ye. Cheng Ye asked, "Director Luo, what do we do now? The criminals obviously want to escape. If we give them vehicles, they could endanger more people. We can't allow that; it'll only create a worse outcome."

Luo Han wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked, "Then what do you suggest?"

Cheng Ye looked around and suggested, "We could dispatch a sniper to take down the criminals."

Hearing Cheng Ye's suggestion, Luo Han shook his head in despair. "Snipe? How can we do that? The Emperor Dragon Building has dozens of floors; do you know which floor the criminals are on? Furthermore, there are hundreds of innocent people inside. How are we going to distinguish the criminals from them? Besides, we don't even know how many criminals there are. Once they realize we've taken action, they'll most likely retaliate by killing hostages indiscriminately. Such consequences... Gosh, the public would probably crucify us."

Cheng Ye broke into a cold sweat and nodded in agreement. "True, true, deploying a sniper isn't practical... So, shall we give the criminals the vehicles?"

Luo Han sighed in despair. "What else can we do? Just get them the cars for now to buy some time. We'll have to think of another way."

As for another way, Luo Han was currently at his wit's end, feeling completely out of options.

He was kicking himself now. Originally, he could have quietly sent his men into the Emperor Dragon Building and arrested the Emperor Dragon Group's executives unexpectedly.

But he wanted to make a big show, to gain attention and show the city leaders and the public his achievements. So, he sent SWAT and a dozen patrol cars to ostentatiously surround the Emperor Dragon Building. Now, though he had made a big scene, Luo Han had no idea how to end it...

I'm really asking for it... He touched his forehead, then felt his phone vibrate. He instantly pulled it out. Seeing it was a call from Mayor Cao Tiannan, his heart sank.

"Hello, Mayor Cao..."

As soon as Luo Han began to speak, Cao Tiannan started berating him, "What the hell is happening! How did such a huge commotion erupt at the Emperor Dragon Building? I heard there's a hostage situation with hundreds of people? What were you doing! You better handle this situation and give the public an explanation. If a single life is lost, you can forget about your position as director!"

"Yes, yes, yes... Yes, yes, yes..."

Luo Han was shaking with fear as he listened to Cao Tiannan's tirade. After Cao Tiannan hung up, Luo Han's palms were still cold. Looking up at the Emperor Dragon Building, he felt a wave of despair. Currently, the perpetrators held all the advantages. To capture the perpetrators and rescue the hostages without a single life lost was an almost impossible task!

A sudden roar came from within the building. "Have the cars arrived yet? If not, I'm going to start killing people!"

"Don't panic, don't panic, we've already dispatched people to bring your cars... You absolutely must not hurt the hostages; otherwise, there'll be no negotiations! We'll definitely bring you to justice!" Holding the loudspeaker, Luo Han's response was filled with despair.

「...」

Inside the building, Wu Hao's group was also extremely anxious.

Even though they had guns and manpower, among the security and transport teams, fewer than ten were truly willing to confront the police alongside Wu Hao.

After all, those men were merely involved in gambling operations, a relatively minor crime. If they took up arms against the police, it would be an absolute capital offense!

Moreover, there were hundreds of people inside the building. They certainly couldn't kill all of them. If they sparked a riot, these hundreds of people could easily overpower them within the building, even without police involvement. After all, they didn't have that many bullets.

Inside the office, Wu Hao was deep in thought, his face grim as he planned.

Suddenly, the office door opened, and Sun Tianlin entered. "Mr. Sun, Assistant Ye Lin says she wants to see you."

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