The trio's reactions varied.
Luo Shu raised an eyebrow, Angela Yu frowned, and Frank Zhang's body gave a sudden jolt—well, more of a shiver!
Frederick Chen enjoyed watching their reactions, standing outside the car with an air of superiority. "Relax. This is just a timed reminder that will go off every hour on the dot… to remind you exactly how much time you have left."
Luo Shu's mind sparked with an idea.
Feigning a sudden outburst, he steeled his face, pushed open the car door, and strode purposefully toward Frederick Chen.
Chen took an uneasy step back. "What… What are you doing?! I'm warning you! Don't—"
Without a word, Luo Shu cocked his handgun and pressed it against Frederick Chen's forehead.
This was the underground parking lot of a private hospital, with cars coming and going. People around saw what was happening but hurriedly looked away, unwilling to get involved.
Frederick Chen was completely caught off guard. He never expected this seemingly amicable detective to pull a gun on him!
Luo Shu leaned close, his voice chilling. "Are you threatening me, four-eyes?"
Chen's hair stood on end, and his first instinct was to reach for the detonator in the inner pocket of his jacket.
The cold barrel pressed harder against his temple.
His nerve broke instantly. His legs buckled, and he sank to the ground, hands raised in surrender. "No! Don't! Don't shoot! I was… I was just… I didn't mean anything by it… Just reminding you all…"
Frank Zhang took a worried step forward, but Angela Yu quickly pulled him back, exchanging a meaningful look. She had an inkling of Luo Shu's strategy.
Luo Shu stayed silent, keeping the gun firmly against Frederick's head as he unbuttoned Frederick's suit and reached into his inner pocket. He found a small detonator.
It had three buttons, each covered by a glass panel to prevent accidental triggers.
Luo Shu examined it, forming a plan in his mind.
Oh, it's just a press-to-trigger type. They're not taking us seriously at all.
Frank felt a glimmer of hope, whispering to Angela, "If it's a remote detonator, we could block the radio signal and disable it." While he still had no leads on solving the case, he suddenly felt there might be a way to survive.
Luo Shu knew now wasn't the time to reveal too much. Frederick Chen was obviously easily frightened.
He decided to lean into the performance.
Frederick Chen, watching Luo Shu handle the detonator, stiffened, his eyes wide as he stared at Luo Shu's expression and every tiny movement.
Then he saw Luo Shu look up with a twisted smirk, fingers tightening as if he were about to pull the trigger.
Frederick panicked, shouting frantically, "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! If you kill me, you'll all die! There's another detonator! It's not the only one! Mr. He has one too! If I die, you all die! Don't pull that trigger!"
Angela and Frank exchanged a knowing glance. They both smirked, relieved.
Luo Shu's bluff had worked. Now they knew there were only two detonators, both using radio-triggered mechanisms.
They might just have a shot at surviving this—even if they failed the mission.
Frederick, still curled up on the ground with his hands over his head, took this moment to open one eye. Luo Shu turned to his teammates, giving them a sly grin.
Angela suppressed a chuckle and silently gave Luo Shu a thumbs-up.
Well done!
Returning to his icy demeanor, Luo Shu lowered his gun.
"Huh?" Frederick felt the pressure at his temple release and, sensing that his threats had worked, slowly raised his head, breathing heavily as he looked at Luo Shu.
The cold look on Luo Shu's face shifted to a disturbing smile as he carefully returned the detonator to Frederick's pocket, giving it a light pat. "You're holding our lives in your hands, executioner. Handle it carefully."
Then, tucking away his gun, he spoke in a more relaxed tone. "Don't take it personally. We all want to survive, but this is a high-stakes situation, so don't provoke us unnecessarily. If any one of us loses control… we're all dead, and your job won't get done. Mr. He won't be pleased with you either. Am I right?"
Frederick let out a huge sigh of relief, feeling the cold sweat trickle down his back. He was nearly spent, his body trembling with exhaustion.
He wasn't one of Hunter He's longtime loyalists from his empire's early days. He was a flatterer who had only recently climbed the ranks, unable to handle this level of intimidation.
Properly intimidated, Frederick's tone softened dramatically. "Yes, yes… I'm sorry. That was my fault." He gulped, "It won't happen again. Now, let's not waste time. We'd better head to the morgue."
With that, he hurriedly led the way.
The trio followed, with Angela and Frank catching up to Luo Shu, exchanging a complex look.
They were impressed with his quick thinking but also a bit unsettled.
There was something about Luo Shu… something different from ordinary people.
An unpredictable, unrestrained quality that left them uncertain of what he might do next.
Almost… like a dangerous psychopath.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]