Right аt this momеnt of еxtreme tension аnd anxiеty.
Вeep!
The bus arrived at the statiоn.
Passеngers gоt off, while оthеrs swiрed thеir саrds and bоarded.
If thе реrsоn carrying the bоmb wasn’t found in timе аftеr this stoр, everyоne wоuld bе dоnе for.
Lu Хiao glаncеd at Gu An’аn, his eyеs оnce аgаin signаling hеr to get off.
Gu An’аn’s brеathing quickened. Holding hеr brеath and prеssing а hand аgаinst her рounding hеаrt, she shоok her head.
She refused to believe that the youngest Law Enforcement Officer in history would let himself die on this bus.
Since that was the case, fortune favored the bold. What harm was there in staying?
Gu An’an steadied herself and didn’t move, instead leaning closer to Lu Xiao.
A flicker of amusement flashed in Lu Xiao’s dark eyes. If what Gu An’an said about someone carrying a bomb was true, then her actions were undeniably bold.
Even with a chance to escape right before her eyes, she insisted on staying.
Was she really so certain he could protect her?
Well then, how could he betray the unwavering trust of this little kitten?
Seizing the opportunity, Lu Xiao observed the passengers still on the bus and those boarding with even greater focus.
He paid particular attention to pedestrians carrying items.
Based on his speculation, even if someone truly carried a bomb, it would likely be a homemade explosive with a strong, pungent odor.
Unfortunately for the culprit, Lu Xiao had a keen sense of smell, sharp eyes, and meticulous observation skills.
Among the crowd waiting to board, a middle-aged man clutching a clay jar appeared exceptionally nervous and flustered, his eyes darting uncontrollably around.
When his gaze met Lu Xiao’s, he guiltily looked away.
Lu Xiao’s eyes shifted downward, noticing the man’s hands were still stained with unwashed black grease and grime.
Almost simultaneously, as if sharing a telepathic connection, Gu An’an and Lu Xiao exchanged a glance.
Confirmed.
If someone truly carried a bomb, it could only be this man.
However, this was the busiest time for passengers getting on and off, coinciding with the evening rush hour, with people constantly coming and going.
Rashly attempting to seize the bomb could easily lead to injuries, regardless of where it exploded.
Most importantly, Gu An’an had no idea how much explosive material it contained, but given that it could supposedly blow up an entire bus, she guessed it wouldn’t be a small amount.
Gu An’an took out her phone, typed a message, and handed it to Lu Xiao:
【The next stop passes over an overpass. There are fewer cars on the overpass.】
Even if there were unintended casualties, the damage would be limited.
Lu Xiao nodded. The two held their breath, waiting for the man to board.
Meanwhile, they continued discreetly observing for any other suspects.
*
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Only 30 seconds remained until the 10-minute deadline set by the System.
Just as the man suddenly stood up from his seat—most assuming he was preparing to get off early—only Gu An’an and Lu Xiao knew he was about to commit his sinister act.
Lu Xiao’s eyes sharpened. As the man stood up and raised the clay jar high, preparing to smash it onto the floor, Lu Xiao swiftly used Gu An’an’s backpack to bat it out through the already wide-open window.
Then, outside the bus window, a deafening explosion erupted.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
The passengers hadn’t even realized what was happening.
“Ah!”
“An explosion! Help!”
“Oh my god, an explosion! There’s been an explosion! People are dead! Help!”
The passengers on the bus immediately panicked, trembling as they scrambled to find cover and crouched on the floor.
The bus driver, who had been driving steadily, nearly lost control of the vehicle. Fortunately, relying on decades of driving experience, he quickly managed to pull over to the side of the road.
Lu Xiao had already pinned the bomb-maker to the ground. Seeing the situation, he immediately announced:
“I’m a police officer. The suspect has been subdued. Drive to the nearest police station.”
“Oh, okay, got it.”
With a police officer on board, everyone on the bus let out a long sigh of relief.
As for Lu Xiao, after restraining the suspect, he glanced back at Gu An’an with an unreadable look in his eyes.
Gu An’an touched the tip of her nose, realizing that the matter of the System was likely impossible to keep hidden.
Not that she had any intention of hiding it in the first place. She couldn’t stand by and do nothing when she had the ability to save everyone, simply out of fear of exposure.
These were living, breathing lives.
If she hesitated now, what about the future?
The bus quickly changed its route and headed to the nearest police station.
Since Lu Xiao had personally made the arrest, the officer in charge of the reception only conducted a brief inquiry:
“Hello, you’re Gu An’an, right?”
“We’d like to ask how you knew someone was carrying a bomb to blow up the bus.”
During the questioning, Lu Xiao sat not far away, his dark eyes fixed intently on them.
Gu An’an pursed her lips and hesitated before speaking:
“I…”
She paused, then asked, “Can I trust you?”
“I request to speak with a higher-ranking official and to be taken to a completely secure and confidential space.”
The existence of the Future Information System was of immense importance.
Although it hadn’t provided much useful information yet, who knew what messages might suddenly appear in the future?
Moreover, there were also items that could be exchanged with Technology Points.
Just then, the familiar, emotionless voice of the System rang out again:
[Ding!—Congratulations, Host, for successfully resolving the bus explosion crisis. Reward: one million RMB and 10 Technology Points have been credited. Please check your account.]
Gu An’an instinctively wanted to pull out her phone to check.
At that moment, Lu Xiao stepped forward, motioning for the officer who was about to say something to step back. He looked down at Gu An’an and said:
“I am the newly appointed Law Enforcement Officer of Nancheng. I give you my word as a Law Enforcement Officer.”
“Everything you say from now on will remain absolutely confidential and secure.”
Under the intense gaze of the man’s dark eyes, and with the memory of them working together to apprehend the bus bomber still fresh, Gu An’an took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and spoke:
“Here’s the thing, Officer Lu. You might not believe me, but I’ve been bound to a Future Information System.”
“It tells me about future events in advance. Principal Gao’s grandson and the bus explosion earlier—it warned me about both.”
“How is that possible? Miss, have you been reading too many novels? You must be delusional.”
The officer who stayed behind to take notes reacted with disbelief.
How could something like this happen?
It was utterly absurd.
Gu An’an pressed her lips together tightly, having anticipated that some wouldn’t believe her.
Nevertheless, she continued to defend herself:
“I know it sounds ridiculous, but everything I’m saying is true.”
“I have no reason to lie to you.”
“Oh, right,” she added, suddenly remembering something. She took out her phone, opened Alipay, and handed it over.
“Every time I complete a task and prevent a crisis, the System rewards me with one million yuan.”
“Look, this is the one million yuan just rewarded for stopping the bus explosion.”
“My goodness, your System is quite the generous benefactor.”
The young police officer muttered a couple of sentences but still couldn’t bring himself to believe it.
More importantly, Gu An’an’s identity had already been investigated by now.
As the biological daughter recently found by the wealthy Gu family in Nancheng, it was perfectly normal for her to have one or two million, or even two or three million yuan coming in.