"Don't! Please stop!" I knew at this point that saying these things was useless; those two freaks wouldn't let us go.
What to do? Less than a second left. I don't know what I did then, but the little one suddenly jumped up and bit directly at a wire on top of the machine. With a strange *crack*, several iron plates on the left side of the machine separated, and the Seven Star Compass seemed to be slightly dismantled. However, several backup structures behind it quickly compensated!
"Damn it, this thing is too complicated. Didn't the physicist in Polaris already die? How is this possible?"
"Ahahaha, are you referring to Kong Xingchang? Detective He, did you think we only had one physicist in our organization? You're wrong! In fact, we all know a bit, just not as professionally as him. But combined, we can manage. Didn't you see this strange Seven Star Compass instrument? The styles on it are all different. That's because it was made by several of us!"
There were at least two more people next to the woman. Because she just said "several people." Given the current situation, even if I saved He Xin, I might not be able to defeat their people. But saving her was the priority. Although the little one didn't completely dismantle the machine earlier, He Xin's body was falling backward, and she was now at a distance from the blades.
"Daddy!" she called out again. I comforted her and immediately started checking. Thanks to the little one's action earlier, I inadvertently discovered a rope on the left side of the machine. I followed the rope and looked around, instantly understanding the principle. I picked up an iron plate from the ground and fixed it onto a platform, then took out my police dagger and cut the rope.
A part of the iron plates behind He Xin slowly loosened. Although some poisonous gas diffused around, it seemed to have no effect. I was wearing a gas mask at the time.
I originally wanted to wear a protective suit, but considering it was too heavy and this was just a hotel, I thought it might not be necessary. My goal was to buy time, so I didn't wear it.
But He Xin seemed to have inhaled some of it. Her limbs gradually went numb, and her eyelids became particularly heavy. "Daddy, I'm so tired!"
Taking advantage of the widest crack, I quickly reached in and, with astonishing speed, pulled her out. Just at that moment, with a few *clacks*, as soon as I pulled my hand back, an iron plate came down like a executioner's blade!
One of my fingers was cut. If I hadn't been a moment faster, I probably would have lost this finger...
After saving He Xin, my heart almost stopped. He Xin, however, had fallen asleep. I hugged her tightly and gently patted her back, "It's okay! Let's go!"
At this moment, the little one was excitedly pushing against me. I turned my head and saw that, for some reason, the staircase leading to the eighth floor was suddenly sealed by a wall with a loud *rumble*.
I rushed here with He Xin, but there was no way out. It seemed we could only go up!
The little one barked a few times, and it quickly found a path for us to go up. I still had one more thing to deal with: Liu Yuning had also been captured, and I had to find her!
Upon reaching the ninth floor, I discovered it was a massive banquet hall, covering almost the entire floor. But the banquet hall was now peaceful and quiet. The chandeliers above slowly lit up as I moved. Holding He Xin, who was now sleeping soundly, I removed my gas mask, tied it to the little one, and then walked step by step towards the stage.
The tables on both sides were covered with red cloths, laden with countless dishes. It was only now that I understood why they had brought me to a hotel. Looking at this banquet hall, I realized they had prepared a death wedding banquet for me!
Liu Yuning was lying in a crystal coffin on the stage. When I reached her side, I saw that she wasn't wearing a hospital gown, but a pure white wedding dress!
"Yuning!!"
I rushed to her side excitedly and tightly grasped her hand. But the moment I held her hand, a strange *beep-beep* sound came from the back of her head!
Her head was resting on a yellowish-gray pillow, but this pillow was no ordinary one; it was likely a bomb!
"See, Detective He? This is the grand gift I've prepared for your wedding! Hahahahaha! Ahahaha!! Aren't you thrilled? But there's more to come!"
Just as the woman's voice faded, Mendelssohn's Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act V, the famous Wedding March, began to play throughout the banquet hall!
As the music rippled through the wedding scene, the surrounding glass began to shatter, turning even the windows and the glass on the tables into fragments that scattered on the floor.
Behind the extremely high decibels, I suddenly heard faint strange noises coming from the coffin, but when I looked back, Liu Yuning was still lying there quietly.
The moment I turned back, a mournful *wooooo* sounded from behind me. The little one was kicked flying, and a man in yellow suddenly appeared behind me, holding a stun baton!
Ah—!!
My whole body convulsed as a devilish voice descended, "How is it, Detective He? Exciting, isn't it!"
"Who are you?"
"I am He Guanghui!!"
"Impossible! Don't lie to me, you must be trying to sow discord!"
"So clever. Of course, I'm not him, because I am your grandfather!"
"Go to hell!"
The guy dragged me down from the stage. "You're finished. Do you know that the back of the stage is all rigged with bombs? I wasn't planning on leaving here either, since they've already escaped successfully. That's right! I'm just here to delay you. But it's all worth it!"
"Who are you?"
"My surname is Du. Do you remember me?"
"You're Du Qitai's..."
"Sister! Du Ling'er! In fact, Du Yuting is our elder sister! That year, our elder sister let Du Qitai go, so she wasn't a good cop!"
"What did you say??" Just then, my heart, filled with horror, twisted into knots.
This was a secret I had never known.
"Hehehehe, but none of that matters. Let me tell you, ever since you arrested my brother, I've been trying to find a way to kill you. You don't know how important he is to me. When I was young, I had porphyria. If he hadn't searched everywhere for expired blood, I would have died long ago. Now, my illness is getting worse, and he's not by my side. Do you know I haven't had any blood recently? Wuwuwu!!"