Chen Shi continued, "We should call the SWAT team and try our best to save her with police methods, instead of thinking about whether to follow the way they’ve drawn out."

Xu Xiaodong roared, "Isn't that exactly what they want?!"

Lin Dongxue walked over. "Captain Lin is contacting the SWAT team and they’ll be here soon. Xiaodong..."

Lin Dongxue put a hand on Xu Xiaodong's shoulder, but he shook it away. Suddenly, he turned and rushed out. Chen Shi saw that when he pushed the door open, he had taken out his gun.

"Stop him!"

There was a gunshot outside, which almost shattered the glass inside the restaurant. Everyone rushed out and saw Xu Xiaodong shooting at the tires of a police car.

He blasted everyone’s tires, including Chen Shi’s, with several shots. He opened his door and said with tears in his eyes, "If I don’t save my mother now, I will regret it for the rest of my life. Please don’t follow me. Please!"

"Shall we discuss further? At least make some preparations before going." Lin Dongxue tried to get him to stay.

Xu Xiaodong shook his head desperately. "I won't even have a chance when Captain Lin arrives. I'm sorry! I don't care how I’ll be punished afterwards, I can't... I can't lose my mother!"

As he said this, he got in the car and threw his gun out of the car window, leaving behind a cloud of smoke.

Chen Shi's mood was indescribable. Ling Shuang's judgment should be that the police wouldn’t abide by the rules because the thoughts of a group of people are more predictable than the thoughts of one person. The decisions made by a group of people follow their standpoint, interests, and way of thinking.

Xiaodong's impulsive actions undoubtedly broke Ling Shuang's plan. Could this be a turning point?

The sky gradually darkened, and the gloomy sky foreshadowed torrential rain. Xu Xiaodong wiped his tears away with his sleeves while driving. His thoughts surged. The GPS indicated that the destination was approaching, and a cluster of gray buildings appeared in front of him.

It was rumored that around ten years ago that this place would have a subway line connecting to it, so housing was built in a rush due to the opportunistic real estate companies, thus creating a large commercial and residential complex. However, they had to stop because of a break in the capital chain. It was an understatement to say they were unfinished buildings. It looked more like a large piece of fixture and cement ruins in the countryside.

On the way to the destination, a truck was blocking the road. It was the one that was robbed in the morning. Since the road was entirely blocked, Xu Xiaodong was forced to stop.

The people in the car walked down. A woman with long, straight, and black hair[1] with a lollipop in her mouth could be seen, and the other was in a hoodie. He really looked like Song Lang, but Xu Xiaodong thought his eyes looked a little strange.

Xu Xiaodong parted his hands fearlessly. "I'm here alone! No one is following me. I don't have any location tracking equipment on me! I also have no weapons on me!"

"Do you think I’ll believe you?" Ling Shuang sneered.

Xu Xiaodong was furious. He strode over, but a switchblade was immediately pressed against his throat. "Song Lang" stared at him with threatening eyes and motioned him to back off.

"The police were going to send people. I shot their police car tires. No one will come within half an hour. Let my mother go. Let my mother go!!!" Xu Xiaodong shouted.

Ling Shuang's expression froze. The policeman in front of her looked honest. Her prediction was wrong. She had ignored the impulsive nature of the "patient" himself.

"Let my mother go. You guys said so yourselves. You can't go back on it!"

"Tch just like a child." "Song Lang" laughed at him.

Xu Xiaodong walked forward, pressing his neck against the switchblade, and actually forcing "Song Lang" to move back. He glared at them and said, "If you don't keep your promises, what is the difference between you and those ordinary criminals? Let my mother go. As long as you let my mother go, I don’t care about anything else!"

"You don’t even care about death?"

"I don't care about death!!!"

"Fine then." "Song Lang" took out a vial. "Take the medicine inside."

"You’ll let my mother go if I take it?"

Ling Shuang answered on his behalf. "We’ll keep our promise and release your mother, but it would be using our methods. Now, you just have to take the medicine!"

Xu Xiaodong clutched the vial as tears welled up. "I know what kind of people you are. I beg you to let her go. She has never harmed anyone in her life. She shouldn't meet such an end. Please, I beg you guys. Please!"

"Okay, okay, you’re so long-winded!" "Song Lang" was impatient.

Ling Shuang said solemnly, "I understand your mood. I won't lie to you!"

"Thanks! Thanks!"

Xu Xiaodong was so grateful his nose ran. He poured the medicine in the bottle into the palm of his hand and swallowed it with his neck raised. After ten seconds, he became unconscious and fell to the ground unconscious.

Zhou Xiao took off the artificial mask from his face. Wearing it made him sweat profusely. He whistled. "Your psychology trick was successful. They really obeyed us, hahaha!"

"No, I'm going to let go of the old lady!"

"Why?!"

"He's right. If we don't keep our promises, what is the difference between us and ordinary criminals?"

"Fuck!" Zhou Xiao spun around in shock. "The dignified psychologist Miss Ling was actually moved by the words of a little policeman. Are you kidding me? The task is to kill the police's relatives. We can’t release the old lady. This policeman also can't be released!"

"The purpose of revenge had been achieved long ago. If Mr. Lie hired us, he would naturally respect our style!"

"You have the teacher's true essence!"

"If we have no style, what is the difference between us and beasts?"

"Then we’ll cancel the original plan?"

"Cancel it! We’ll take this policeman and leave. When we successfully make our getaway, we’ll kill him, take all the money, and flee abroad."

Zhou Xiao expressed regret. "I was looking forward to the finale. Okay, let's do it like that."

He dragged Xu Xiaodong back into his car and drove into the housing community. Ling Shuang went to release the hostage. Xiaodong’s mom was forced to go around with them for an extremely long time. She was like a frightened and wounded bird. She pleaded when she saw Ling Shuang’s indifferent face. "Don't kill me, don't kill me!"

"We’ll let you go now."

"Huh?" The old lady thought she had heard wrong.

Ling Shuang untied the rope from Xiaodong’s mom’s hands, took her hand, and walked out. The whole way along, Xiaodong’s mom was talking to her. "Why are you suddenly letting me go? Did my son pay the ransom? Girl, I think you’re pretty good. Why do you do such things with that fierce man?"

"If you keep nagging, I will change my mind." Ling Shuang said flatly.

Xiaodong’s mom dared not speak further.

Walking out of there, Ling Shuang gave Xiaodong’s mom a push and told her to go.

Xiaodong’s mum was relaxed momentarily. She looked back from time to time as she walked away, for fear that the bad guys would shoot her from behind like what she’d seen on TV.

She went from walking, to jogging towards the lost freedom.

Suddenly, Xu Xiaodong's police car rushed out from the side door of the community and drove extremely fast. When passing through the rugged wasteland, it even lifted for a second. It was obviously aimed at Xiaodong’s mom. Ling Shuang saw Zhou Xiao was sitting in the car, and she gritted her teeth. There was a wound on his forehead.

Xiaodong’s mum was stunned in place. At the critical moment, Ling Shuang dragged her over and the car rushed past dangerously and turned a corner. Zhou Xiao walked out angrily. "Damn bastard lied to us! He didn’t take the medicine. His motherfucking acting skills are pretty good as well!"

"Did he run away?"

"No, I cleaned him up!" Zhou Xiao looked at Xiaodong’s mom fiercely. "Don’t motherfucking release anyone. Just kill this old thing too!"

"Who is the policeman you’re talking about? Is it my son?" Xiaodong’s mom asked timidly.

"Go and see for yourself." Ling Shuang stabbed the syringe in her hand into Xiaodong’s mom’s neck.

1. The hair part was just added in by me (translator), as the author just wrote “black long straight woman”.