noveltune Chapter 105 Fierce Battle
Chapter 105 Fierce Battle
Li Wei crouched in the shadows opposite the bank, his fingertips still dusted from his earlier reconnaissance.
He lowered his voice and told Batman everything he had just figured out, word for word.
He spoke rapidly but clearly, focusing on the congressman and his wife among the hostages.
They are core members of the Gotham City Council and hold key influence over municipal funding.
If an accident occurs, it will not only trigger a citywide media frenzy, but also further exacerbate the already turbulent political situation in Gotham.
Batman leaned against the cold wall, his black cape swaying slightly in the night wind, his eyes beneath the hood as deep as an icy pool.
As a native of Gotham, he knew better than anyone what the kidnapping of the congressman and his wife meant.
That was not just an ordinary bank robbery; it was more likely a bargaining chip used by the mastermind to blackmail the municipal government and seek personal gain.
It might even uncover a deeper conspiracy, since in Gotham, no large-scale heist is ever purely for money.
"In that case, let's rescue the hostages first."
His voice was hoarse and deep, carrying an undeniable determination.
Before he finished speaking, the tall figure was already ready to sprint.
His muscles were tense, his fingertips gripped the batarang at his waist, and his eyes were fixed on the main entrance of the bank lobby.
The place was brightly lit, yet it exuded a suffocating, deathly silence.
Upon seeing this, Li Wei frowned slightly.
He knew in his heart that Batman's suggestion was the most direct solution at the moment.
However, the situation inside the bank is unclear, and the number of robbers and their weaponry are unknown. Rushing in would undoubtedly put them at a disadvantage.
But he couldn't think of a better strategy for the moment. Just as he was about to nod to indicate his cooperation, his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.
Although the touch was faint, it was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.
Like a fine needle, it instantly pierced the silence of the surroundings.
"Wait a moment, buddy, the situation may have changed."
Li Wei quickly raised his hand and pressed down on Batman's arm, his tone carrying a barely perceptible urgency.
He had a strong feeling that the text message must have come from Marcus.
He quickly pulled out his phone, the faint light from the screen illuminating his solemn face.
He quickly swiped to unlock the phone; the text message was short, just one line, but it instantly relaxed most of his tense nerves.
"Abandoned train station in the suburbs."
After reading the message, Li Wei breathed a sigh of relief, finally feeling much more at ease.
He looked up at Batman, his tone more certain.
"The mastermind's hideout is in the abandoned train station on the outskirts of the city; they are there."
Upon hearing this, Batman's previously tense jaw visibly relaxed, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes beneath his hood.
"Fine, I'll make sure they can't escape!" Batman's voice carried a hint of cold anger.
For years, he has been guarding Gotham in the shadows, dedicated to bringing these heinous criminals to justice.
Now that they know where the other party is hiding, they naturally won't let this opportunity pass.
"Dude, you need to be careful."
Li Wei paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the police cars rushing towards them.
The red police lights flashed wildly in the pitch-black night, illuminating the surrounding buildings in an intermittent manner.
The air was filled with the red glow of police lights, and a faint smell of gunpowder began to permeate the air.
"Control them and tape their mouths shut to prevent them from committing suicide."
These people are very cunning; they know they'll suffer a terrible fate if they fall into your hands.
They will most likely choose to commit suicide; keeping them alive might be the only way to truly solve the Red Hood problem.
"Don't worry, I've already prepared for these things."
After Batman finished speaking, he turned slightly to the side and showed Li Wei the duct tape hanging from his waist.
The tape was rolled neatly and looked more durable than regular tape.
It's enough to seal a person's mouth shut, preventing them from making a sound or biting their tongue to commit suicide.
Li Wei took a closer look and discovered that the tape was printed with a special bat symbol.
With its delicate lines and exquisite workmanship, it's no surprise that this must be Lucius's masterpiece.
As Wayne Enterprises' technical director, Lucius has been quietly providing Batman with various high-tech equipment.
From small items like tape and darts to large items like the Batmobile and Batplane, every piece is meticulously designed.
These items are both practical and discreet, and they always help Batman escape danger at crucial moments.
Batman said no more and nodded slightly to Li Wei.
The black figure instantly blended into the night, moving as swiftly as a cheetah, leaving only a blurry afterimage.
They quickly disappeared at the end of the street, speeding towards the abandoned train station on the outskirts of the city.
Li Wei stood there, watching his departing figure, and sighed softly.
He knew Batman's strength, but he still couldn't help feeling a little worried.
After all, He Mang and Gao Le were exceptionally cunning, and no one knew whether they had set a trap in the abandoned train station.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps approached, and Sheriff Gordon rushed over with several officers.
His face was full of fatigue and anxiety, and his police uniform was covered with dust, indicating that he had just come from elsewhere.
He looked up in the direction Batman had gone, his brows furrowed, and couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering him.
"Where is Batman going? The situation inside the bank is unclear, and the robbers are still holding hostages."
"What if something unexpected happens inside if he leaves now?"
Li Wei turned around, waved to Gordon, his tone calm yet full of confidence.
"Having received information about the person behind the scenes, he went to deal with it."
The two scoundrels behind the scenes are hiding in an abandoned train station on the outskirts of the city.
Our task now is to stall these guys in the bank.
He'll come over to help us once he's finished dealing with things there.
Knowing the hiding places of the two masterminds, Li Wei was no longer flustered.
He knew that as long as Batman could successfully control He Mang and Gao Le, the bank robbers would be leaderless.
It will be much easier to rescue the hostage then.
Time is on their side now. As long as they make good use of the time and work steadily, everything will be fine.
Gordon, however, showed no sign of relaxation. Instead, a bitter smile appeared on his face, his eyes filled with melancholy and anxiety.
He shook his head and said in a heavy tone, "Buddy, things might not be as optimistic as you think."
I just had someone conduct a brief negotiation with the robbers inside, and they did indeed request that the media come over.
We wanted to put pressure on the government through the media, but they only gave us ten minutes..."
Gordon briefly recounted the outcome of the negotiations to Levi.
Ultimately, the robbers inside hoped the media would come and use their power to achieve their goals.
But they also knew that delay could lead to unforeseen changes, because the longer it dragged on, the more variables would arise.
They were also worried that things might get complicated if they waited too long, and that Batman and the police might find a way to break the spell.
Therefore, they were unwilling to drag the time out for too long; ten minutes was undoubtedly putting maximum pressure on the police.
Li Wei's heart sank instantly. He immediately took out his phone and glanced at the time. The numbers on the screen were particularly glaring.
Only three minutes remained until the ten-minute deadline set by the robbers.
In other words, they didn't have extra time to wait for Batman's help.
A decision must be made within three minutes, or the hostages will be in mortal danger.
Just then, the main entrance to the bank lobby was opened a crack from the inside.
A man wearing a red hood roughly dragged a pot-bellied fat man to the door.
The fat man was wearing an expensive suit, his face filled with fear.
His hands were tightly bound with rope, and a rag was stuffed in his mouth as he struggled desperately.
His eyes were full of pleading, trying to break free of his restraints, but it was all in vain.
The man in the red hood had fierce eyes but no expression on his face.
With the pistol pressed tightly against the back of the fat man's head, he pulled the trigger without hesitation when the fat man struggled the most.
A gunshot rang out, shattering the silence of the night. The bullet instantly pierced the fat man's head, splattering blood everywhere.
The fat man's body stiffened abruptly, and his struggling movements stopped instantly.
His eyes were wide open, filled with endless fear, and he fell heavily to the ground, motionless.
After killing the fat man, the man in the red hood swaggered outside and shouted.
His voice was hoarse and fierce, carrying a strong sense of threat.
The sound echoed through the night sky and reached the ears of Levi, Gordon, and the others clearly.
"You have three minutes left! I'm warning you, stop wasting time and call the media over right now!"
From now on, we will execute one guy every minute as punishment for your delays!
"If the media doesn't arrive in three minutes, you can expect to be collecting the hostage's body!"
Seeing this scene, Li Wei knew all too well that the situation was urgent.
His eyes instantly turned cold and sharp, and his aura became heavy.
The momentary relaxation vanished without a trace, replaced by extreme calmness and decisiveness.
He knew there was no time to hesitate; he had to act immediately, or the consequences would be dire.
"Immediately arrange for a feint attack from the front, using loudspeakers to attract their attention."
"Delay as much time as possible to buy time for actions at the side and back doors."
Li Wei spoke very quickly and firmly, without the slightest hesitation.
As he spoke, he pointed to the bank's side and back doors, his eyes fixed on those two directions.
"Send the bomb disposal team over here, and quickly!"
There wasn't enough time to disarm the explosives at the side and back doors, so the bomb disposal team had to take out the guards as soon as possible.
Then, a specially made explosion-proof container was used to seal the explosives to prevent injury from an explosion.
He paused, then added, his tone laced with ruthlessness.
"Then they split into two teams and stormed in, with special police in front and regular officers behind."
The priority is to rescue the hostages, especially the congressman couple; their safety must be guaranteed.
As for the guys inside, if they resist, open fire immediately, show no mercy!
The situation is urgent; we cannot afford to be lenient, otherwise more hostages will be injured.
Gordon nodded immediately, knowing that Levi's arrangement was the safest option at the moment.
Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately pulled out his walkie-talkie and quickly issued instructions into it.
Every word was clear and powerful, leaving nothing out.
A unified response came through the walkie-talkie, loud and clear, demonstrating strong execution.
Clearly, the officers were aware of the emergency situation and were prepared to act at any time.
Less than a minute after the order was given, the explosion protection team's vehicles roared over.
The car headlights pierced the night and stopped near the bank's side and back entrances.
Police officers wearing heavy bomb suits quickly got out of the car, working in pairs with perfect coordination.
They used specially made trolleys to push specially made explosion-proof barrels, quickly approaching the side and back doors.
These large barrels are made of special steel, which is hard and has excellent sealing properties.
Simply inserting the bomb and closing the lid can greatly reduce the damage caused by the explosion and protect the safety of nearby police officers and hostages.
At the same time, the police officers on the front also immediately took action.
A police officer raised a megaphone and shouted into the bank.
The loud voice echoed through the night sky, trying to attract the robbers' attention.
"Listen up, you people inside! You are surrounded! Lay down your weapons and release the hostages!"
We can guarantee your safety and give you a chance to be treated leniently!
Stop resisting! Your resistance is futile; surrender now!
However, no sooner had they finished speaking than they were met with a burst of gunfire.
The rapid, piercing gunfire was deafening, with bullets raining down on the loudspeaker.
It hit the loudspeaker, making a piercing metallic sound and sending sparks flying.
With a loud crash, the megaphone was pierced and fell heavily to the ground, shattering into pieces, and the voice abruptly stopped.
Li Wei leaned against the back of the police car, his body pressed tightly against the cold body, his eyes fixed on the side door of the bank.
His eyes were sharp as an eagle's, and he dared not relax for a moment.
He could clearly hear slight noises coming from the side door, as well as the hushed conversations of the bomb squad officers.
He silently counted down in his mind, waiting for the best moment to act.
Soon, two crisp gunshots rang out from the side door. The sound was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear—it was the sound of a sniper's gun.
Li Wei knew that the two men with red hoods at the side door had been taken out by snipers.
He peered through the gap in the police car and saw two figures wearing red hoods lying on the ground, their heads exploding like watermelons.
Blood and brain matter were splattered all over the ground, and then there was no more movement.
Upon seeing this, the bomb squad officers immediately sped up, pushing the cart quickly toward the side door.
Several police officers vigilantly watched their surroundings to prevent any other robbers from launching an attack.
The other officers quickly opened the side door, carefully stuffed the explosives inside into the blast-proof container, and then swiftly closed the lid.
They tightened the switch, their movements fluid and efficient.
It took less than thirty seconds to seal off the explosives at the side door.
"All done!" came the bomb disposal officer's voice over the walkie-talkie, his tone relaxed.
Li Wei immediately raised his hand, nodded to Gordon, a resolute glint in his eyes, and uttered a single word.
"Rush!"
Gordon gave a low shout, his voice filled with ruthlessness, gripped his pistol tightly, and charged towards the bank's main entrance first.
"Charge in! Rescue the hostages!"
The officers in front immediately opened fire, and the sound of gunfire rang out again.
Bullets struck the bank walls in dense volleys, making dull thuds.
The bullet pierced the wall, sending up countless fragments.
The bullets left holes of varying depths on the wall, instantly turning it into a riddled mess.