Officer Sato fell silent, seemingly lost in thought on the other end of the phone.
Jiang Xia did not wait for her response. As steadily and swiftly as he usually gathered clues at crime scenes, he relayed the information: "Judging from its current structure, this bomb is not only set to detonate on a timer, but is also equipped with a device that can be remotely triggered at any time. Two different solutions have been placed inside. Neither will explode when kept separate, but once mixed, they will immediately cause a violent explosive reaction with tremendous power.
"According to the time displayed on the electronic screen, there is about an hour left on the countdown. The scheduled detonation time is exactly noon.
"The Mercury Column has already been activated. The elevator cannot withstand any vibrations. Do not have rescuers descend on ropes, and do not activate any rescue devices inside the elevator. That would put both sides of us in danger."
The more Sato Miwako heard, the more certain she became that this was the work of the Bomber from three years ago.
She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and tried to keep her voice steady. "Then I'll have the rescuers lower ropes. You and Miss Shirai can climb up them."
Jiang Xia shook his head. "The Bomber is not a machine. This bomb has a listening device installed. If Miss Shirai and I really try to escape, and there is a high chance that we'll succeed, he will probably detonate the bomb directly."
Sato Miwako's heart sank.
Inside the elevator, Curacao, sitting atop the Elevator Car, felt her heart sink as well.
—She had only told Uzo that there was a bomb overhead. She had never mentioned the type of bomb, the countdown screen, the Mercury Column,