Before Yin Chen finished speaking, a young man in the audience suddenly stood up, shouting: “You’re insane! Lunatics! I’m done recording! Do whatever you want with whoever you want!”

He turned and ran toward the studio door. All eyes followed him, and some others, seeing this, also began to rise.

You Mingxu gasped: “No!” Her body instinctively moved to act, but Yin Feng held her down firmly. You Mingxu turned to see his cold, calm expression.

“Bang.”

After this sound, the entire audience fell silent as if slapped.

The Punisher standing closest to the fleeing audience member lowered his gun. Though his mask hid his expression, one could imagine his face must have been emotionless, even numb.

The escapee collapsed on the path to the sealed doors without a sound—the bullet had struck the back of his head, killing him instantly.

Murder!

They killed someone!

Right in front of everyone, they killed one of their own!

After a brief silence, the audience erupted in terrified screams. Almost everyone moved—jumping up, shrinking back, clutching each other. They watched this dreamlike scene in horror, staring at the bullet wound and spreading blood, but not one dared to leave.

Like 200 huddled chicks finally seeing their cage and the fresh blood on its bars.

You Mingxu felt her lungs would explode with rage.

A human life!

A living, breathing human life!

The Punishers just shot him down!

And she, a police officer—a police officer!—outnumbered and carrying secret orders to rescue these 200-plus people, couldn’t move. Could only watch as criminals snuffed out a life as easily as breaking a blade of grass.

Terror filled the room.

Under absolute evil and armed control, 200 ordinary people who had lived in the sunshine trembled, not daring to make a sound.

You Mingxu’s eyes reddened.

“Don’t they claim to promote good and eliminate evil?” The words came out one by one through her throat. “How can they win people’s hearts by killing in public?”

You Mingxu’s tone dripped with sarcasm. Yin Feng knew she was furious and again pressed her shoulder, turning her toward himself. With the room in chaos, it looked like he was embracing her, like many other couples in the audience.

“Fear is also a means of conquering hearts,” Yin Feng said softly. “Xu, stay calm. This isn’t your failure—there was no time, you had no other option. You still need to save more people.”

You Mingxu gritted her teeth: “I know…”

I just feel awful.

No life is insignificant. Every person is precious. Only criminals fail to see the vitality of life.

That person.

The Punishers’ leader, hiding behind an idyllic facade—do you think you changed them, gave them new meaning and life?

No.

They never changed.

They still don’t understand the preciousness of life and the meaning of freedom. Their eyes were once filled with darkness, and you thought you’d opened a window for them—they thought so too. In reality, you pushed them into deeper, inescapable darkness.

You Mingxu looked up and met Yin Feng’s eyes. Even behind disguising lenses, they remained ice-cold and serene. Yet she thought of Graffiti, Old Nine, Chen Feng, and the others. Thought of the changes he brought them. Suddenly she realized what a truly remarkable soul she faced and had fallen in love with.

Meanwhile, Yin Feng, looking into You Mingxu’s eyes, saw a momentarily confused child whose eyes suddenly blazed brightly. He felt the flash of dependence and admiration in her gaze. Without words, as if just holding her in his study chair, he pinched her cheek and said: “We’ll win.”

His tone was as casual as commenting on nice weather.

You Mingxu’s spirit lifted.

He was right.

Yin Chen allowed audiences to keep their phones to ensure videos would spread no matter what. It was human nature—even in crisis, people crave attention. Yin Chen wasn’t afraid of audiences communicating with the outside; police were already confronting them, what was there to fear?

If only 200 ordinary audience members sat in this hall.

No matter how desperately they wanted rescue, they couldn’t identify the hidden infiltrators to notify the police preparing to attack. They couldn’t, like You Mingxu, plan to sneak backstage alone to locate the other hostages.

Following Yin Chen’s original plan, with over 200 hostages and a sealed environment, the police would be truly helpless.

But now, she and Yin Feng were like lamp-bearing assassins in the night, standing silently under Yin Chen’s nose. The seeming deadlock suddenly showed promise.

When Yin Chen’s group framed Yin Feng and removed him and her from the case, they probably never expected Yin Feng would deduce the mastermind and turn their plan against them, becoming their only oversight.

Perhaps this was the nature of dealing with criminals, walking on a blade’s edge. The greatest opportunities often hide in the greatest crises. When they forced Yin Feng to the brink, he saw the light of a breakthrough.

“I’ve sent the positions of the six plus four Punishers in the venue,” Yin Feng whispered in her ear.

“Mm.”

Whether snipers or armed police assault, when the final confrontation came, these pieces in Yin Chen’s game would be the police’s primary targets. Controlling them would control the studio situation. Without this intelligence, police charging in would suffer heavy casualties.

They had completed half their mission.

Just then, Yin Chen’s voice rang out again:

“I said, as long as you follow orders and play by the rules, otherwise you bear the consequences. Can we keep quiet now? Your choices aren’t finished.”

The room quickly fell silent, filled with suppressed breathing and whimpers. Many eyes watched the criminals below, showing anger, fear, confusion, tension…

Yin Chen said: “Please watch a video.” He laughed. “An interesting video.”

The lights dimmed, barely showing the six men still standing with their guns.

The LCD screen lit up again.

It was a 3D animation.

By the river, a tall building looked very familiar. You Mingxu recognized it instantly—this very TV station building.

The camera rushed forward, ascending to the upper floors, showing the number “50.”