Chapter 267: Mantlescramble Battle (II)

Chapter 267: Mantlescramble Battle (II)

"Got us into this mess; even I'm finding it hard to escape", Feng Bu Jue muttered. "If I use my spirit sense body technique to charge out, those three might miss me, but the cops outside will turn me into a pincushion."

The thug guarding the door walked past Feng Bu Jue. Glancing back, Feng noticed the elevator door behind him had vanished, replaced by a solid wall. Clearly, the entrance for players entering the scenario was invisible to outsiders, and would disappear once a player stepped through. The plot characters ignored it completely—probably because, in their eyes, there had never been anything there at all.

"Let me observe the situation first..." Feng decided to hold off and watch how things unfolded. He shifted his focus to the game menu.

———

Since entering the scenario, Feng Bu Jue hadn't yet checked the profiles of the five opponents. Now seemed as good a time as any.

He didn't expect to be shocked.

"Are you kidding me?! Three of them are in the top twenty of the combat power leaderboard?!" Feng Bu Jue always glanced at the leaderboards whenever he visited the mall. With his photographic memory, he had memorized every named player and guild on the lists.

"I remember that level 31 named [Wu Si Can Xuan]—isn't he one of the 'Drunken Life and Death' quartet from the Order? He's on the same level as that guy who smokes, drinks, and perms his hair! And this other level 31, [Qi Sha]—isn't he the No.3 character in Long Ge's guild?" Feng had become familiar with the nicknames of top players from frequent forum browsing. "Wait... That level 32 named [Shiva] is the leader of The Gods, right? He's fifth on the level leaderboard! And all the top four are level 32 too?!"

Besides these three, one of the remaining two was someone Feng had encountered before in team survival mode—[Caibupainenotafraid]. "This girl's no pushover either..." He felt a sinking dread. "Wait... Could it be... Are all five of these people besides me in the top twenty of the combat power rankings?!"

Feng Bu Jue instinctively assumed the worst-case scenario. Sadly, he was right.

[Wu Si Can Xuan], level 31, male, Order studio, combat power leaderboard No.8.

[Shiva], level 32, male, The Gods studio, combat power leaderboard No.2.

[Qi Sha], level 31, male, Blade studio, combat power leaderboard No.15.

[Caibupainenotafraid], level 30, female, Jianghu studio, combat power leaderboard No.20 (anonymous).

[Zhao Ying Wang], level 30, male, independent class player, combat power leaderboard No.19 (anonymous).

These were Feng Bu Jue's five opponents. In terms of level, they all outclassed him. In combat power, they'd likely dominate him effortlessly.

If Terrifying Paradise had a "Player Comprehensive Strength Ranking", Feng Bu Jue would definitely be near the top. But these five might not even crack the top fifty.

The problem was, no such ranking existed—because "intelligence" couldn't be quantified.

From an observer's perspective—or from any of the other five players' viewpoints—Feng Bu Jue appeared to be the weakest participant in this kill game mode.

But being underestimated had its advantages.

As the saying goes—"The tallest poppy gets cut down." In this free-for-all mode, everyone's focus would naturally center on Shiva, the strongest on paper. Wu Si Can Xuan and Qi Sha would also inspire caution. As for Caibupainenotafraid and Zhao Ying Wang, both anonymous on the combat power leaderboard, the three major characters might not even know their names, and they likely didn't know each other either—making them easy to dismiss.

As for Feng Bu Jue... When others scanned the game menu and saw the other opponents' names, then finally read: "Mad Bu Jue, 28, surviving", their mental reaction would probably be: "Never heard of him. Lowest level. Total pushover."

Under these circumstances, the "weakest" Feng Bu Jue was easy to overlook—or even ignore completely. Others wouldn't waste much energy guarding against or targeting him. That was an advantage.

Of course, not everyone dismissed him outright.

Wu Si Can Xuan had once heard Meng Jing Chan mention the name "Mad Bu Jue", but he hadn't taken it seriously and quickly forgot.

Qi Sha had heard Long Ao Min describe him as a possible serial killer, but... he hadn't remembered much either.

As for Shiva and Zhao Ying Wang, they had no impression of Feng Bu Jue's nickname at all.

Only Fearless Girl recognized him—and her memory was still fresh. At least in her eyes, Feng Bu Jue was no easy target.

———

"Damn it! I'll make you hide! Come out and face me!" The thug sent to scout for an escape route soon returned to the lobby, dragging someone back with him.

It was a bank employee, still in uniform, sweating profusely, face pale with terror.

"What happened?" The submachine gun thug asked while nervously peering outside the bank.

"He was hiding in the restroom, calling the cops on his cell phone", the handgun thug replied.

The money-packer thug interjected, "Did you find another way out?"

"All the windows have bars. The restroom window's too small, and there are cops on every street behind us."

"Damn it!" The money-packer cursed.

"Give me his cell phone", the submachine gun thug ordered.

His accomplice had already taken the phone earlier and tossed it to him.

He checked the screen, pressed a speed dial key, and the call connected within three seconds.

"Are you okay, sir? Why did you—" a police officer's hushed, rapid voice came through.

The submachine gun thug interrupted, "No, he's not okay. He's got a serious problem." He gestured for his accomplice to bring the hostage forward.

The handgun thug understood, kicked the bank employee, and forced him to stagger toward the bank entrance with the gun barrel prodding his back.

"Listen up, cop! Hear my demands!" The submachine gun thug no longer needed to risk sticking his head out to shout. Hidden behind the wall, he barked into the phone, "Prepare a helicopter and pilot. Have your men withdraw three blocks away!" Before finishing, he set down the submachine gun, drew his handgun, and fired.

The bank employee collapsed, blood splattering the wall and floor. This scene unfolded right at the bank entrance, fully visible to the police and civilians behind the barricades and reporters on the street.

Raising his voice, the submachine gun thug addressed both the disconnected phone and the hostages inside: "From now until I see that helicopter, I'll kill one hostage every ten minutes! Anyone trying tricks gets the same as him!" With that, he ended the call.

"God...!" The money-packer thug pressed his hand to his forehead, staring at the corpse, breathing rapidly. "God... God... You killed him..." He suddenly yanked off his mask and vomited onto the floor.

Many hostages were already women. Just now, seeing the blood had stunned them with fear, but now this triggered a chain reaction. Many kneeling hostages shifted positions and began vomiting too.

"You idiot! Acting like a damn woman! Useless!" The submachine gun thug spat. He raised his weapon and roared at the hostages: "Hey! Hey! Who told you to stand up?! Get back down! Hands on your heads!"

"Inside the bank, listen up!" A middle-aged man approached the bank's entrance, bullhorn in hand and wearing no police uniform. "I'm the police negotiator, and I'm unarmed. Can I come in and talk with you?"

Tat-tat-tat—

The response came in the form of submachine gun fire. However, the bullets peppered the ground rather than aiming directly at him. The shooter simply extended the weapon's barrel and fired randomly without ever exposing his head to aim.

The negotiator had no choice but to retreat.

"Eight minutes left, and I'll kill another hostage!" That was the bandit's reply.

After finishing his bout of vomiting, the money-packing bandit seemed to feel slightly better. Once he caught his breath, he said hesitantly, "Maybe... uh... maybe we should hear what he wants to say..."

"Shut up! Keep your stinking mouth shut!" the submachine gun bandit barked. "I'm in charge here!"

"Helicopters won't come", a strange voice system suddenly declared.

Since all the hostages in the lobby were too terrified to make a sound, Feng Bu Jue's words clearly reached everyone present.

"Who said that?" the submachine gun bandit demanded, scanning the room. "Which bastard dared to speak?"

"It's him!" The handgun bandit, standing closest to Feng Bu Jue, answered clearly. "The guy in the purple long coat."

"You", the submachine gun bandit ordered the money-packing bandit, "take over guarding the entrance for me." The latter immediately hunched his back and shuffled toward the door.

After switching positions, the submachine gun bandit strode directly toward Feng Bu Jue. "Get up, you bastard!" He grabbed Feng Bu Jue's hair and yanked him from a prone position to kneeling. "What did you say? Repeat it!"

Feng Bu Jue tilted his head upward, his expression calm as he looked at his captor. "I said the helicopter you're expecting won't come. Not in eight minutes, not even in eighty."

"You son of a..." The bandit viciously pressed his submachine gun against Feng Bu Jue's forehead. "Think you're clever? Huh? Talk! Who are you? Are you a cop? Or are you trying to play hero?"

"I'm just an insignificant nobody", Feng Bu Jue replied smoothly, skillfully avoiding questions about his identity while immediately shifting focus to something the bandit would care about. "I'm merely pointing out that the two-lane street outside, even including the non-motor vehicle lanes, simply doesn't have enough width for a helicopter to land. Even if the police somehow managed to deploy a helicopter—which they won't—it couldn't possibly land right at the entrance. You'd have to walk to the nearest intersection to board. During that time, you'd be exposed outside the bank, right in the snipers' sights." He paused. "You've already killed one hostage. Given Gotham City's current situation, I'm sure the police have more than enough justification to shoot you all on sight."

"Oh god..." The money-packing bandit, standing by the wall near the entrance and having overheard this analysis, immediately covered his head with one hand, his voice trembling with fear. "What have we gotten ourselves into..."

"Shut up! I said shut up!" The submachine gun bandit roared at his annoying accomplice before turning back to Feng Bu Jue. He released Feng Bu Jue's hair and sneered, "That all you got?"

"I'm not finished yet", Feng Bu Jue replied. "Let me tell you about the police's next move strategy. In a few minutes, they'll claim deploying a helicopter is extremely difficult, asking you to temporarily stop killing hostages while they request more waiting time. During this period, they'll be urgently deploying tactical units and positioning snipers." His words flowed clearly and rapidly, not caring whether his captor could process everything. "According to your plan of killing one hostage every ten minutes while waiting for helicopter extraction, there are only two possible endings:

Option one: After you kill a certain number of hostages, the police will claim the helicopter has arrived, luring you out to be ambushed and killed.

Option two: After killing a certain number of hostages, the police will launch a direct assault.

Which approach they take depends on the intelligence they've gathered. The most critical factor? Whether they know how many bandits there are. Unfortunately, you killed the man who communicated with the police. If he were still alive, you could interrogate him about how much information he revealed. But now..."

Feng Bu Jue let out a cold chuckle. "Additionally, I should warn you that at any moment from now on, some 'vigilante' might interfere—Nightwing, Robin, the Huntress, Black Canary... and others. Frankly speaking, if even one of them shows up, you three will likely be captured alive."

He exhaled deeply, watching the stunned bandit before him. "About ten minutes ago, adrenaline overload already pushed you to the edge of losing control. The escape plans you came up with during the hostage phase are far worse than those you devised during the robbery planning stage." His tone turned mocking. "Heh... Of course, if you could even call that a 'plan.'" He smiled. "Meanwhile, your impulsive murder has trapped you and your accomplices with no way out. If you don't want to die or go to prison today, you'd better think of another plan immediately. Otherwise..." He mimicked a ticking clock, teasing his captor. "Tick-tock... Time waits for no one. The superheroes could arrive any moment."

"Who... exactly are you..." The submachine gun bandit, surprisingly calmer after hearing Feng Bu Jue's analysis, no longer appeared in that bloodthirsty state.

Feng Bu Jue studied the eyes of the three bandits, then coldly rose to his feet without hesitation. "That's still a very minor question. Right now, the most important thing for you is... how to escape."

Five minutes later, the metal shutter doors behind the bank's glass entrance began slowly descending—electronically controlled rather than manually pulled down—and soon fully closed.

From this moment onward, the police outside and the bandits inside completely lost visual contact with each other.

Almost simultaneously with the shutter's complete closure, the police phone used for communicating with the bandits began ringing.

The bank employee who had been shot earlier had first called the police from the restroom using his cell phone. That call had never been disconnected, eventually being transferred to the on-site police command's dedicated phone number.

"This is Officer Clapton", the on-site commander answered.

"Hello, officer", Feng Bu Jue's voice came through the receiver. "I'm sure you've noticed by now that I'm not the same person who spoke with you earlier." He paused a beat. "But this should be good news for you. From now on, I'll be handling communications. You may call me Anonymous."

"How are the hostages? Are they all safe?" Officer Clapton asked urgently. "Listen... The helicopter is still..."

"Forget the helicopter, officer. That was just a joke", Feng Bu Jue interrupted. "As for the hostages, they're safe. I can assure you that earlier violent incident was an accident. I'm sure neither of us wants such a scene to repeat, correct?" He chuckled softly, sending chills down the officer's spine.

"Listen... If you surrender now..." Clapton began.

"There are two things I'd like to mention. First, this cell phone is nearly out of power. From now on, please contact me through the bank's counter phone. I assume you already know the number?" Feng Bu Jue said before hanging up.

"Hurry!" Clapton gestured frantically toward his colleagues inside the command surveillance vehicle.

The staff inside the rear vehicle had all heard the conversation. Before Feng Bu Jue even finished speaking, they had already begun acting. Within less than a minute, they reconnected the call.

Clapton listened to the dial tone for a few seconds before Feng Bu Jue's voice returned, getting straight to the point. "Secondly... If my deduction is correct, a well-equipped, highly trained tactical unit is already preparing to infiltrate this building. I know they only need to remove a few iron bars with tools to easily enter through the first-floor windows. At least five rooms could serve as entry points. Then they'll silently approach, confirm our numbers and positions. Finally, at a moment they deem appropriate and certain of success, your team will cut the power externally, plunging this place into darkness. Then, several muscular men wearing night vision goggles will disarm and subdue us."

Clapton covered the receiver with his hand, turning his face away. His expression was priceless. "Could there be a mole?" he whispered to his colleagues beside him.

Feng Bu Jue's voice continued calmly. "This is exactly the scenario I most want to avoid, so I've already taken preventive measures." He paused, speaking leisurely. "I've already moved some hostages into the vault and changed the access password. Based on that room's volume and the number of people inside... Hmm... The oxygen supply should last about thirty minutes."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end