Chapter Sixty: Madness

Liu Jingye observed the unfolding events through his scope.

At that moment, his phone rang unexpectedly. It was a call from Yuan Xiaoying.

As soon as he answered, Yuan Xiaoying spoke in a tone of grievance, “I’m in trouble again.”

“Why did you say ‘again’?” Liu Jingye chuckled wryly.

“We managed to intercept the school bus, but the criminals inside are armed with grenades and other weapons. There are dozens of children as hostages, and we’re powerless to do anything,” Yuan Xiaoying said. “Just now, the criminal specifically demanded that I get on the bus.”

“Then you must know who this criminal is,” Liu Jingye replied.

“It must be Huang Xing, that bastard. Even now, she’s still bent on revenge against me,” Yuan Xiaoying said fiercely, then suddenly switched to a pitiful tone, “He’s at the end of his rope. I’m afraid he’ll lash out desperately. What if, once I get on the bus, he shoots me dead?”

“It’s very likely,” Liu Jingye said calmly. “He has dozens of children as hostages. He doesn’t need you as an extra risk, especially since you’re a police officer. That only makes things more dangerous for himself. So, the odds of him seeking revenge on you are high.”

“What should I do? I don’t want to die.” Yuan Xiaoying’s voice quivered, nearly in tears. “If I die, no one will kiss you anymore!”

Hearing this, Liu Jingye almost fell out of the tree. This woman was truly outrageous.

He replied, still smiling bitterly, “Go ahead. Someone needs to break this stalemate. Try to distract Huang Xing, and, if possible, get the children near the east-side windows to sit down.”

“How do you know so much? Are you here?” Yuan Xiaoying exclaimed, suddenly aware that many colleagues around her were watching. She quickly lowered her voice, “I knew you’d come. With you here, I feel at ease. Our sharpshooter duo, united, is invincible.”

“Lady, you’re a hostage, remember?” Liu Jingye said, amused. “Just relax and be bold. Try to keep the call open throughout, so I can stay informed about Huang Xing’s movements and make better decisions.”

“No problem,” Yuan Xiaoying replied. “I’ve got my Bluetooth headset, I’ll cover my ear with my hair.”

“It’s rare for you to be clever,” Liu Jingye remarked.

“All right, I’m heading out,” Yuan Xiaoying said. “Do your best—make sure I come back alive, and I’ll make sure you do your best too!”

Liu Jingye nearly fell from the tree again. “Lady, please show some class, don’t be so blunt.”

“I like being direct.”

“That’s subtle enough!”

“Get lost…”

After their carefree banter, Yuan Xiaoying appeared in Liu Jingye’s scope. She had her long hair down and wore a tight, black slip dress—cinched at the waist, low-cut, off-the-shoulder, and a narrow skirt that constrained her stride.

“Lady, are you here to negotiate or elope with him?” Liu Jingye said with a bitter smile.

Yuan Xiaoying touched her hair by her ear. “I was at my uncle’s funeral. They pulled me back in urgently.”

“So, do Arab women always dress like this for funerals?” Liu Jingye asked, puzzled. “Normally, their women are covered head to toe, faces veiled—you can’t see a thing. Is it only at funerals that they can show some skin, since the deceased can’t see them in the grave?”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Yuan Xiaoying retorted, annoyed.

Yet, after the banter, her nerves eased considerably, mostly thanks to her absolute trust in Liu Jingye.

Actually, Yuan Xiaoying’s outfit was advantageous—it made it clear at a glance she wasn’t carrying any weapons, sparing her a body search by the criminals.

Yuan Xiaoying walked with the grace of a model to the side of the school bus. Many police colleagues stood solemnly nearby, fully aware she faced a real risk of sacrifice.

But Yuan Xiaoying herself was smiling. She was famously carefree, yet to be able to smile in this moment seemed truly odd.

The leader beside her was deeply worried—Yuan Xiaoying was the daughter of a high-ranking provincial official. If anything happened to her, how could he explain?

Yuan Xiaoying entered the bus. As soon as she stood still, she heard Huang Xing’s cold, sneering voice, teeth clenched, “Yuan Xiaoying, damn woman, I finally got to see you. You’ve ruined me!”

From Liu Jingye’s vantage point, he couldn’t aim at Huang Xing; the children at the windows blocked his view. He could only track Huang Xing’s movements, glimpsing his arms and shoulders.

But Liu Jingye could clearly see the bus driver, who seemed to be slumped unconscious over the steering wheel. Yet Liu Jingye knew this man was definitely Huang Xing’s accomplice, and a dangerous one at that.

“In such a tense situation, he knows to hijack the bus to help Huang Xing escape, and the bus is full of children. Clearly, they planned from the start to use the kids as hostages if forced. Ruthless and insane.

And now he’s pretending to be innocent, so no one pays him any mind.”

Liu Jingye spoke coldly, as Huang Xing’s emotions grew more agitated, berating Yuan Xiaoying.

“Damn woman, if it weren’t for you, would I have ended up like this? You deserve to die.” Huang Xing cursed, no longer caring about his identity.

Yuan Xiaoying protested, “How can you blame me? Before we married, you cheated, secretly trafficking drugs and weapons, always deceiving me. I’m the real victim, aren’t I?”

“Don’t try to play innocent with me,” Huang Xing snapped. “Don’t think I don’t know—the reason your father arranged our blind date was to get you close to me, to collect evidence and bring down our Imperial Dynasty.”

“You’re lying…” Yuan Xiaoying shouted.

But from afar, Liu Jingye found it plausible. “Although Imperial Dynasty has gone legit, ordinary people don’t know, but Old Yuan, in his high provincial post, surely knows their shady dealings. As for arranging his daughter to date Huang Xing, it might really have been to get close. That’s why he didn’t tell Yuan Xiaoying, so she’d approach him genuinely and earn real trust.

If he had told her in advance, she’d have been prepared—acting instead of truly relating.”

Yet Yuan Xiaoying would never believe her father capable of such a thing, and now, none of it mattered.

Huang Xing, full of grievances and resentment, erupted, “And you—how did you hook up with that lunatic Liu Jingye? What is he, a cop, a secret agent, an international detective, or FBI?”

“FBI?” Liu Jingye chuckled. “I’m JQK!”

Yuan Xiaoying didn’t answer him. Huang Xing continued, “That bastard sabotaged my drug-making process, turned millions worth of product into flour, sniped me two kilometers out at sea, forced me to hide and cower. Then Li Yue bribed Old Zhu, destroyed all my weapons. Now, a hundred-year-old Imperial Dynasty is ruined in my hands…

And you, Yuan Xiaoying, are the root of all this. Today I’m finished, but I’ll drag you down with me. If I die, you’re coming to hell with me.”

Driven to desperation, Huang Xing had lost his mind, and Yuan Xiaoying was stunned. She hadn’t imagined Huang Xing had gone through so much so quickly, and the mighty Imperial Dynasty, undefeated for a century, had been destroyed by an unknown Liu Jingye.

“Damn woman, if you’d just married me, how good would that have been? Back then, I trusted you, believed you truly wanted to marry me,” Huang Xing suddenly said with sorrow. “If you’d married me, maybe I’d have given up everything and lived an honest life with you. But your betrayal led to all of this.”

“Stop talking nonsense,” Yuan Xiaoying retorted coldly. “You cheated with the bridesmaid before the wedding. I left in anger.”

“How’s that my fault?” Huang Xing roared. “We dated for six months, barely spent any time together, about to get married, and you never even let me hold your hand. Always checking up on me, forbidding me from enjoying myself. Then the bridesmaid threw herself at me—I’m a man, how could I resist?”

“Unbelievable, you think cheating is justified!” Yuan Xiaoying spat.

“Enough talk,” Huang Xing said. “I’m going all out today—dead either way. I’ll try something new before I die.”

“What do you mean?” Yuan Xiaoying asked, confused.

“Strip. Come give me a little pleasure,” Huang Xing demanded.

“Screw you!” Yuan Xiaoying cursed, her face blazing, while she heard Liu Jingye grinding his teeth in fury.

A twisted smile appeared on Huang Xing’s face as he raised his gun, aiming it at a nearby child. “You’d rather watch a child die?”

“You bastard, are you even human?” Yuan Xiaoying denounced him. “How can you threaten innocent children? How did I ever get involved with such a monster?”

“Hmph, I am human, but I’m a bad one.” Huang Xing said, releasing the safety on his pistol. “Hurry up and get over here.”

“Damn it!” Yuan Xiaoying swore, then squinted at him. “You really want me to give you what you want? Aren’t you afraid I’ll bite it off if you push me too far?”

Hearing this, Huang Xing shuddered. This crazy woman really was capable of anything.

“Don’t come any closer.” Huang Xing pointed his gun at her. “Fine, I’ll admit I’m scared of you. You don’t have to touch me, but I want to see you. You always wore your uniform around me—I’ve long wanted to see you without it. Hurry up. If you don’t want these kids to die, take off that layer of supposed dignity.”

“Well, you’re getting bold now,” Yuan Xiaoying sneered. Seeing Huang Xing about to fire, she quickly said, “Fine, I’ll strip, but I always start with my shoes and socks.”

“Good, I’ve got time. I want to savor it. But don’t try anything clever. I’m carrying dozens of grenades,” Huang Xing warned.

From his voice, it was clear: though Huang Xing had lost his mind, his obsession for Yuan Xiaoying remained genuine. He was a man used to controlling everything, surrounded by beautiful women, but the one he couldn’t have was the one he desired most—desperate to possess her.