Xiao Zhang was lying on the ground by the corridor not far from Shi Dazhuang, with a large pool of blood next to his head; he appeared to have died.
The thugs had retreated to the front gate, where a Ford F-150 pickup truck was parked. They seemed to be trying to get in and escape.
Shi Dazhuang found it strange. Why make such a big fuss just to kill a Xiao Zhang? A doubt flashed through his mind, and he felt that something was wrong. But at this moment, the enemy's AK was still rhythmically spitting fire at him, and bullets could hit him at any time. He was not wearing a bulletproof vest.
The critical situation left him no time to think. Shi Dazhuang shook his head forcefully, banishing all distractions, and focused all his energy on dealing with the situation at hand.
Taking advantage of the brief interval between the two AKs firing, he fired three shots at them in quick succession. Then he leaped up and ran swiftly towards the low wall where the police station's household registration office was located. He then jumped, stepped, climbed, and flipped over in one smooth motion without any hesitation, reaching the roof of the household registration office and leaving the bullets that had been chasing him behind.
There is a large tree behind the roof. Its branches are gnarled and thick, and its leaves are lush, making it a good hiding place.
Shi Dazhuang climbed the tree and nestled in the branches. This wasn't a great shooting spot; he couldn't even see the thugs' current position. But he had already observed the area carefully; from this vantage point, he could see the pickup truck outside the gate and the passageway inside the yard.
Whether the criminals tried to escape by car or enter the backyard, he could open fire. Although the police Type 92 pistol was far less effective than the military version, with his marksmanship, hitting the target at this distance was a sure thing.
The thugs approached the pickup truck, and one of them opened the door and got into the driver's seat. Shi Dazhuang fired a shot, and before the man could close the door, he swayed and fell out of the truck.
Two AKs simultaneously aimed at the tree branch where he was hiding, spitting fire. Shi Dazhuang remained motionless, letting the bullets shatter the dense foliage. Unless he was unlucky enough to be hit by a stray bullet, the two bandits couldn't possibly hit him from his current position.
The bandits probably realized this as well, and knowing that their options were blocked, they stopped firing. A brief, deathly silence fell over the police station.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shi Dazhuang dialed Meng Yan's number and asked when he would be back. Meng Yan said he was already on his way back and had heard gunshots. Shi Dazhuang then gave a brief overview of the situation and asked Meng Yan, "Do you have any weapons on you?"
Meng Yan said, "Our institute only has two Type 64 rifles in total, and I was the only one I brought with me this time."
Shi Dazhuang said, "64 won't work, it's not lethal. Here's what we'll do, I'll drag them along now, and you go to the firecracker shop in town and buy a few boxes of firecrackers."
At this moment, the bandits attempted to climb into the car through the other door and start the car. Shi Dazhuang fired a shot, which missed, but scared the bandits back.
"Firecrackers?" Meng Yan asked, but immediately understood. "Alright! Captain Shi, hold on for another ten minutes, I'll be there in ten minutes at most."
Time passed second by second.
After a while, the pickup truck started moving on its own.
Shi Dazhuang knew the bandits were hiding behind or pushing the car from the side. If he pushed it forward another five or six meters, they wouldn't be able to see him anymore. He couldn't move now; there was definitely an AK aimed at his position. Although the AK's accuracy might not be able to hit him, the consequences of a burst of bullets were unpredictable. And from his current vantage point, he couldn't hit the tires or the fuel tank, so he could only watch anxiously, completely helpless.
Just then, a police car with its lights on drove up and stopped in the distance.
Shi Dazhuang heard Meng Yan shouting over the loudspeaker, "You are surrounded by the police! Lay down your weapons and surrender..."
After a moment of silence, Meng Yan shouted again, "Since you refuse to surrender, we will have to use force! Comrades, grenades!"
Then, several figures emerged from behind the police car and simultaneously made a series of throwing motions. More than a dozen firecrackers drew parabolic arcs in the air and landed at the place where the thugs were hiding in front of the police station.
The sounds of "bang bang bang bang bang bang" rang out continuously.
Whether the two bandits genuinely believed there were grenades or were terrified by the firecrackers flying around, they ran out screaming and wildly firing their guns as they went.
Shi Dazhuang seized the opportunity and fired two shots, knocking down the two bandits.
Meng Yan arrived with his men, examined the body, and found it was already dead. He said, " Captain Shi, your marksmanship is still as good as ever."
Shi Dazhuang said, "The situation is urgent; we have no choice but to kill them. There's no way to leave any survivors."
Meng Yan said, "It's good that you're alright."
Shi Dazhuang said, "I'm fine, but Xiao Zhang might have been killed."
Meng Yan was stunned for a moment, then cursed "Damn it!" and rushed into the yard.
Xiao Zhang lay stiffly on the ground, shot in the head, his eyes open. It was clear he died suddenly, without even understanding what had happened.
Meng Yan gently closed Xiao Zhang's eyelids, and said to Shi Dazhuang with a choked voice, "He's still just a child! They've already planned to get married this National Day..."
Shi Dazhuang patted Meng Yan on the shoulder, unsure of what to say.
Meng Yan suddenly remembered. "Where is the Beauty?"
"He's inside, with a tourist who came to report a crime."
At this point, Shi Dazhuang was startled and sensed something was wrong. He exclaimed, "Oh no!" and ran inside as fast as he could.
The door to the reception room where the Beauty and Bai Xiaosan were hiding was open. Shi Dazhuang rushed in, turned on the light, and called out, " Beauty, Beauty!" but they were already gone.
Meng Yan comforted him, "Maybe they were scared when they heard the gunshots and ran out from the back?"
Shi Dazhuang shook his head. "No, I was too careless."
Now, upon careful reflection, he realized there were still many suspicious points about Bai Xiaosan. Shi Dazhuang had been wary of him from the beginning, but his refined appearance was too deceptive.
Shi Dazhuang calculated the time and said to Meng Yan, "They shouldn't have gone far. Quickly mobilize everyone in the town. If you spot a man in his thirties from out of town wearing white casual clothes and glasses with a little girl, report it immediately."
"Okay." Meng Yan agreed and picked up the phone to call his subordinates.
At that moment, a young police officer walked into the room, pulled out a suitcase from the corner, and said, " Chief Meng, Captain Shi, here's another suitcase."
Shi Dazhuang turned around and suddenly became alert, shouting, "Put it down and run!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the box exploded with a loud bang, and the shockwave shot out from the doors and windows with tremendous force, sending Shi Dazhuang and Meng Yan, who were standing under the eaves, flying away.