THE POLICE WORKED FAST. They were approaching the hijackers’ location.
Judging by the satellite images, the hijackers had chosen a spot in a strategic position. The place was empty on all sides, meaning that the SWAT team would be spotted immediately if it tried to approach. Meanwhile, the hijackers had a bunch of kids in a bus, and the bus had curtains; if they kept the curtains shut, there’d be nothing the police snipers could do. Seconds ticked by. The police tried to call the number back, but the caller’s phone was turned off. The hijackers were running a tight ship. The cops would have to think of a way to enable the hijackers to contact them instead.
After ten o’clock, the rain finally lessened. Although it was the middle of the night, Tao Ran quickly took a small team straight to the bus driver’s home, and they turned the residence upside down.
“Han Jiang used to drive trucks. Then he started playing cards,” Tao Ran reported. “He was losing hundreds of thousands a year, and he’d even missed work over it. He was fired, and his wife divorced him and took their kid with her. After that, he behaved for a while, and a friend helped him find a job at a rental company, but that only lasted a few years before he got hooked on mahjong. He was targeted by a rigged-gambling ring and lost everything. On top of that, he owes over a million to loan sharks.”
“No wonder he risked it all.” Lang Qiao pressed on her earpiece. “What about the other guy? Any clues about him? His gambling aside, Han Jiang has never even been booked at the station. Even if he decided to try a life of crime, I doubt he’d start with something this crazy. Whoever planned this must have experience.”
“Han Jiang has a distant relative called Han Chengzheng,” said Tao Ran. “A twenty-nine-year-old male. He’s gone to prison twice, once for armed robbery and once for assault. He’s recently been let out, and he came to Yancheng to look for a job—or at least that’s what he said. He never actually did anything, and he mooched off Han Jiang a lot. Apparently, he’s had several conflicts with people and often carries a machete around. The neighbors all avoid him. Last night, Han Chengzheng rented a shitty little car, and then he left this morning. We don’t know where he went, but he’s probably the hijacker. I’ve sent you guys a photo.”
“Like really does attract like, huh?” Luo Wenzhou said from the side. “Han Jiang used to be married? And he has a kid? How old? Boy or girl?”
“A boy, nine years old. The ex-wife moved out of town with him, and she won’t let Han Jiang have any contact with him because of his gambling addiction. The rental company Han Jiang works for has a long-term working relationship with Number Sixteen Junior High, and every time the school has a field trip, they send him. The teachers all treat him like staff. He’s usually honest and gentle, and he quite likes kids. No one expected this from him.”
“Got it. Negotiation team, did you catch that?” Luo Wenzhou’s brain rapidly organized all the information. “We can deduce from the teacher’s reaction when the hijacker called that she didn’t know that he was working with Han Jiang. She trusted Han Jiang, which means that unless something extreme happens, Han Jiang will try not to reveal his part in the plan. I’m guessing he felt the loan sharks had left him no other choice, so he probably has some sympathy for the children. The other hijacker is likely the driving force behind the kidnapping and ransom. He’s an unrepentant repeat offender. He might do anything. They have the same goal right now, but their partnership probably isn’t very strong. We can—”
“Boss,” Lang Qiao cut in suddenly, “the phone! The hijacker is calling!”
Luo Wenzhou looked up. “All departments, pay attention!”
With that, everyone was at the ready. They put in their earpieces, and the negotiation team prepared themselves.
The second call was coming exactly one hour after the first one. A negotiator picked it up. This time, the caller wasn’t the female teacher from earlier; the voice was male and hostile. “Is the money ready?”
Everyone’s hearts sank.
“Who are you?” the negotiator asked tentatively. “Where’s the teacher we spoke to before?”
The only response was the man’s heavy breathing.
Afraid to anger the hijacker, the negotiator added, “A few of us parents have rounded up three million in cash. My wife is rushing over here with the money as we speak. We’ll get the rest as soon as possible. We’ll borrow, if necessary. But you can’t go back on your word and hurt anyone!”
The man on the other end started laughing. “Whoa. How obedient. You guys went and got the money? You didn’t go to the police?”
The negotiator looked up, silently requesting instructions. At his side, Lang Qiao scribbled Luo Wenzhou’s instructions on a tablet. Repeat offender. Tell the truth.
“We…we did,” the negotiator said in a panicked voice. “Before you contacted us, we had already… You…you didn’t tell us not to soon enough—”
“Oh?” the hijacker interrupted. “Then where are they?”
“The Xiling County Public Security Bureau said they had to consult the municipal bureau, and the municipal bureau said they needed at least another hour to get here.” The negotiator’s acting skills were incredible. He sounded as though he was so worried that he was on the verge of tears. “We really can’t wait any longer, so we started gathering the money just in case. Please…you can’t harm the kids.”
“I told you guys not to rely on those useless pigs.” The hijacker sounded very smug, and he’d seemingly relaxed slightly—perhaps because he’d been told that the money was almost at hand. “All right. I’ll let you talk to your kid,” he continued. “What’s his name?”
Someone handed the negotiator a piece of paper, and he took a quick glance. “Chen Hao. I’m Chen Hao’s father. Please put him on.”
The hijacker let out a cold laugh. Not long after, a boy’s voice came over the line. “Daddy! Daddy!”
A few officers from the negotiating team gestured at each other. The child sounded terrified but still lively. It seemed clear that everyone was unharmed.
“Don’t be afraid, Haohao. Are you with the other children?” the negotiator asked, trying to confirm the others’ safety. “You have to be brave and set an example for the other kids, okay?”
The boy probably realized that the man on the phone wasn’t his father; he responded with a vague noise. Before he could say anything else, the hijacker took the phone back. “Enough bullshit. You heard your son’s voice. Don’t try anything funny. And we don’t need food or water, so don’t think you can sneak any cops over here that way. Hurry up and get the money. If I get the money, you get your kid.”
The negotiator furrowed his brow and shook his head at his colleagues. At that point, Lang Qiao withdrew the paper on which they’d set down their “try to find a way to send someone in” plan, gesturing for the negotiator to switch to plan B. “Hold on,” the negotiator said. “C-can I speak to an adult from the school? My son is too afraid. Any adult will do!”
Hearing “any adult will do,” the hijacker gave a strange scoff and, unexpectedly, agreed. A deep but slightly fearful male voice came over the phone. “Hello?”
It was Han Jiang!
“Laoshi, I…I’m Chen Hao’s father,” the negotiator said in a hushed voice, trying to sound like he was desperately begging. “Laoshi, this is very selfish of me, but do…do you have children? Can you sympathize with me?”
Han Jiang was silent for a while. “…I do.”
“Then please keep the kids safe no matter what, Laoshi! We’ll figure out the money. As a parent, you must understand how we feel. I know you’re in a difficult position too. You must be very scared yourself… Your kid must be about Haohao’s age, right? Please think of your own child. We can’t be there, so all we can do is beg you to look after them. If they’re just frightened, it’s fine—just, please, don’t let anything happen to them. We’re all begging you!”
Han Jiang was silent for even longer this time. When he spoke again, his tone was much less steady. “I…I’ll do my best—”