"Done staring?" came the cold voice as she looked out the window.

Han Jin Yu felt a bit embarrassed. Seeing her wound, he asked with a serious expression, "Are you still okay?"

Glancing down at the blood on her left arm, she fell silent for a moment before saying, "I'm fine."

Then there was silence again. Han Jin Yu looked at her cold profile, fine beads of sweat appearing. It must have been very painful, and few people could endure such pain. Yet, she remained silent, her eyes deep. Wanting to find a topic to distract her from her pain, he realized that in most cases, others would try to cater to him and actively engage in conversation. Now, having to come up with a topic himself, he was momentarily at a loss, so the car fell into silence again.

When the car arrived at Xihuan Road, a large crowd was gathered around the mall. Dozens of police cars were parked nearby, and dozens of security guards began to evacuate the surrounding area. Most people were eager to follow the guards and leave, but the road was blocked, and they couldn't drive through.

His phone rang in his pocket, and Han Jin Yu frowned, picking up the phone to answer the call.

"Mayor Han, there's been a bomb threat at the Xihuan Road department store. The road is blocked, and traffic isn't moving!"

"I've already arrived at Xihuan Road," Han Jin Yu replied nonchalantly, his gaze still fixed outside. His expression grew more serious. He hadn't expected to stumble upon this situation. Since he was here, he naturally had to go and inquire. But with this young man beside him, wounded by a bullet, they couldn't waste time. He turned to her. "It's dangerous outside. You stay here, and I'll go ahead and have someone take you to the hospital." With that, he twisted open the car door.

Zhan Yan kept her eyes fixed outside, silent for a moment. She had overheard some of their conversation earlier. She knew what had happened. Seeing him get out of the car, she endured the pain in her arm and got out too.

"Mayor Han?" The one who recognized Han Jin Yu was Captain Wu, the head of the police department. He had seen the famous Mayor Han on a few occasions during social events, so he immediately recognized him. "Why are you here?" His tone was somewhat flattering but not overly so. He spoke respectfully, clearly distinguishing between superiors and subordinates.

Han Jin Yu was initially somewhat surprised that someone recognized him. It lasted less than a second, and his eyes returned to calm. If it weren't for the fact that Wu Xiong was a police officer and usually very observant, he might have thought he was seeing things.

Han Jin Yu didn't show any signs of dislike for someone recognizing him, which made things a bit less troublesome. He looked around and Wu Xiong immediately understood, quickly explaining, "Mayor Han, it's better for you to leave here quickly. This department store was fine in the morning, but suddenly at noon, there were rumors of a timed bomb. At first, we didn't know whether it was true or not, but we couldn't just sit idly by. So we had an explosive ordnance disposal expert come and take a look. Unexpectedly, we really found one. But this bomb is quite complex and not made in our country. The expert hasn't figured it out yet, but time is running out. It's really urgent. Now, Young Master Gu is also rushing over to the building."

Gu Mo Xi showed up too? Han Jinyu squinted, a glint passing through his eyes. He spotted Zhan Yan getting out of the car behind him. By now, Gu Mo Xi had rolled down his sleeves, looking pale but otherwise normal. This dude, he must be enduring some serious pain to keep it together like this. He ain't your average Joe, that's for sure. Han Jinyu thought, maybe I should snatch him up and put him to work for me. Someone who can handle pain like that might just be a real talent. With a pensive look, he glanced at her and said, "I'll have someone take you to the hospital right away."

Wu Xiong looked up and saw Zhan Yan behind Han Jinyu. She was stunning, but when he noticed the scar running from her forehead to her eye, his expression turned strange. She'd be a knockout without that scar, but even with it, she was easy on the eyes. He quickly looked away though; with things being urgent and all, he had no time to admire a pretty face, especially not a pretty boy's. His thoughts on that matter were put to rest.

Just then, his walkie-talkie crackled to life, and a deep, magnetic voice came through. The commanding tone left no room for doubt.

"Get the research institute to send over a few more bomb disposal experts pronto."

"Got it." After hanging up, he let out a sigh of relief. Even though he hadn't actually seen Master Gu, that voice had some serious authority behind it. Wiping the sweat off his brow, he turned to Han Jinyu and said urgently, "Boss Han, I've got some urgent matters to attend to. Let's talk later." Then he dialed the research institute and yelled into the phone, relaying Master Gu's message word for word. But while he was all worked up, the folks on the other end seemed unfazed. They kept making excuses and refused to send anyone over. Wu Xiong's face turned red with anger, and his voice grew louder and more agitated. He even resorted to threats, but halfway through his tirade, they hung up on him. Frustrated, he cursed under his breath, "Damn, these bastards don't give a damn even when lives are on the line."

Han Jinyu probably realized they weren't keen on getting involved. The director of the research institute was from the same generation as Old Master Gu, but their relationship wasn't great. Despite Gu's family's current prominence, their relationship wasn't friendly. The Gu family had risen to prominence long before the reforms, and Old Master Gu was a decisive and ruthless figure. Since he took charge, the Gu family had flourished. However, some of his peers had fallen behind, and he didn't get along with them, especially the director of the research institute. They clashed often due to their differing personalities and too many private conflicts. Old Master Gu was straightforward and didn't associate with people he didn't like, so their relationship had soured over time. People always had their own agendas and couldn't stand seeing others do well. The Gu family's descendants were all talented, especially Gu Mo Xi. He was just as capable as Old Master Gu, if not more so. Many people envied and resented them. With the Gu family's rise to prominence, some people couldn't bear it and looked for opportunities to undermine them. But who were the Gu family? Trying to challenge them was unwise, to say the least. Gu Mo Xi was notorious, and everyone knew it.

Wu Xiong was sweating profusely under the scorching sun, feeling increasingly agitated. He glanced at his watch; it had already been over ten minutes. If that time bomb didn't get defused soon, this place would turn into rubble in no time. What's more, Master Gu was still up there. If anything happened, they wouldn't be able to bear the consequences. As people started evacuating from the department store, the danger still hadn't been neutralized.

Another call came through, and Wu Xiong answered, hesitating to relay the jerk's message. Zhan Yan stood nearby, hearing the deep, magnetic voice on the other end of the call. There was no panic in that voice, only a commanding presence. Even when he said they couldn't defuse the bomb, his tone remained calm and composed, earning her admiration.

After hearing Gu Mo Xi's instructions, Wu Xiong couldn't help but shout in surprise, "Master Gu, you... you're going to detonate it yourself?" His voice trembled with shock. Didn't he know how dangerous it was to detonate explosives himself? If something went wrong while moving the bomb, it could blow them all to bits. Wu Xiong had initially thought Master Gu was aloof and difficult to deal with, but now he couldn't believe Master Gu, in such a high position, would be willing to take such a risk. Before he could say anything, Zhan Yan snatched his walkie-talkie and said, "Don't move, I'll go up there." There was a moment of hesitation and surprise on the other end.

Zhan Yan told herself she was willing to help only because she couldn't bear to see this place turn into rubble. The department store was in a bustling area surrounded by tall buildings and residential areas. Even if they could evacuate, there was nowhere safe nearby. A mishap wouldn't just endanger their lives but also the residents nearby. After hearing his plan, she couldn't help but admire this man, Gu Mo Xi. Not everyone in a high position valued life so much. It was this aspect that made her decide to step in.

Han Jinyu's shock was evident in his eyes as he squinted, sizing up this young man again. He was younger than he seemed, and Han Jinyu had underestimated him. Wu Xiong's eyes widened, and he struggled to find words. "Kid, this... this ain't child's play! This... it's explosives!" Even though he said that, there was a hint of anticipation in his words. He hoped for a lucky break, just like a blind cat catching a dead mouse. He kept his eyes on her, eager to say, "Kid, if you pull this off, it's a big deal! You might even get on TV!" Nowadays, don't all young people want to be celebrities? Wasn't this a form of temptation?

Zhan Yan glanced at him and said, "Forget about TV!" Then she untied the rope around her, agilely flipped over, and jumped in. A few police officers in the vicinity moved to grab her, but Wu Xiong immediately shouted to stop them and let her go upstairs.

Although they obeyed Wu Xiong's orders and didn't approach her, they couldn't help but feel puzzled. They crowded around him and asked, "Captain Wu, why'd you send a kid up there? Can this kid even defuse a bomb? Even several bomb disposal experts can't handle a timed bomb like this. Are you sure this kid can do it?"

Wu Xiong remained confident, but his heart was in his throat. He was tense, unable to breathe. Once they left, he slowly approached Han Jinyu, unable to help himself. "Is... is this kid really capable of defusing bombs?"

Han Jinyu, who was adept at seeing through people, naturally saw through him. He smiled gently, and Wu Xiong felt a sudden lightness in the room. Mayor Han was actually quite good-looking, but his smile was warm while his words were sharp. "Captain Wu, I only just met Zhan Yan. I don't know."

Wu Xiong's smile froze for a moment, then he closed his mouth and forced another smile, trying to look respectful towards Mayor Han. His smile looked absurdly forced.

Gu Mo Xi had already decided to move the bomb. He had initially called Wu Xiong to prepare, as he wasn't capable of defusing bombs himself. He was confident in moving the bomb, but that was all he intended. The old man at the research institute might not be easy to deal with, but he couldn't be underestimated. Gu Mo Xi just wanted to give him a little push. Although this old guy didn't pose a threat to his family, he was still annoying. He figured it was time for him to step down; he was protective of his family, and anyone who dared to harm the Gu family wouldn't escape his wrath. So, he made the second call just to prepare Wu Xiong. He wasn't really thinking of sending him to his death. But as soon as he spoke, someone on the other end ordered him to wait. Since he was born, apart from his grandfather, there hadn't been anyone who dared to order him like that. He was momentarily distracted, and by the time he regained his composure, the person had already hung up.

"Boss, we've only got five minutes left. Time's ticking, and I don't see how we're gonna defuse this bomb. It's way too complex for us to crack. What are we gonna do?" Everyone was freaking out. We've been studying it for ages, but haven't made any progress. It's frustrating as hell. But looking at that clock ticking away, every one of us is on edge, sweating bullets. But if we try to move it, it's too risky. We can't afford to gamble. We're in a busy area, surrounded by residential buildings. One wrong move, and we'll have a lot more casualties. And this new kind of timed bomb? We don't even know how powerful it is. Beads of sweat are dripping down our foreheads, blurring our vision.

Then, there's this guy, Gu Mo Xi, giving us the stare. Even just a glance from him sends shivers down our spines. He's just standing there, emanating this aura of authority, cool as a cucumber. It's intimidating as hell. We're all holding our breath, not daring to make a sound. He looks calm as a pond, but those eyes of his... They're like bottomless pits, man. And then, after what felt like forever, he finally speaks up with a calm "Wait."

Everyone's freaking out as we watch the clock go from five minutes to four minutes thirty seconds, and counting. Hearts are pounding so hard, you can practically hear them. We're all so tense, we can't even swallow our spit from the nerves. Then, one guy couldn't hold it in any longer and blurts out, "Boss, time's running out. When are those bomb experts from the research institute gonna show up?"

"Yeah, boss. If they don't hurry, we're toast." Another guy's on the verge of tears, looking stressed out and shaking like a leaf.

Gu Mo Xi doesn't say a word. He's just staring at the clock, his face like stone. And as the clock ticks down from four minutes thirty seconds to three minutes thirty seconds, his gaze remains fixed, intense. Then, finally, with just three minutes left, he calmly says, "Let's start moving it. I'll handle the detonation."

"Boss..." We're all in shock.

"Just wait." A sweet voice pipes up from behind. "I don't think I'm too late. Two minutes ten seconds." With that, she steps forward.

We all turn to see this young girl, maybe in her twenties, stepping up. Despite the scar on her face, she's a real looker. But can we trust her to handle this? It's a matter of life and death, and we're running out of time. But right now, we've got no choice. We're up against it, and even if we don't believe in her, we've gotta give her a shot.