Yangzhou was considered a bustling metropolis, and bank robberies had been rare in recent years. Therefore, any bank robbery would be classified as a first-class case.
In comparison, Ye Cangtian’s matter was deemed insignificant!
It would take another ten-plus minutes to reach Huaihai Road, and Xu Weiwei had to rush there immediately. If a major case like a bank robbery wasn't handled properly, their precinct would face severe punishment, and the police department's reputation would also be affected.
Xu Weiwei left the restaurant and quickly got into the passenger seat of one of the cars. "Xiao Liu, drive!"
However, just then, the car door opened again! Lin Cangtian smiled and got in.
"Get out, I don't have time to deal with you today!" Xu Weiwei frowned slightly, showing impatience.
"It's fine, you don't need to mind me. I'm just following to watch the excitement!" Ye Cangtian leaned back comfortably in his seat and said with a smile.
"No, get out of the car right now!" Xu Weiwei was speechless. Did he think this was a taxi?
"Don't be so stingy. Just give me a ride!" Ye Cangtian remained unmoved. Now that he was in, he wouldn't get out.
"Team leader, we're running out of time!" the policeman driving said helplessly.
Xu Weiwei gritted her teeth, glared fiercely at Ye Cangtian, then took a deep breath and said, "Let's go!"
Normally, she would never have let Ye Cangtian get in, but he was being stubborn, and time was pressing, so she agreed to give him a ride.
Ten-plus minutes later!
The police car arrived at Huaihai Road, in front of the bank building where the incident occurred.
Xu Weiwei got out of the car. Several police cars were already parked outside the bank building, a cordon had been set up, and many onlookers were gathered around.
"What's the situation now? How many robbers are there! Are there any casualties?" Xu Weiwei walked forward and showed her identification.
"Captain Xu, about twenty minutes ago, eight robbers suddenly stormed this bank. They were all armed, including handguns and modified AK-47s, weapons with lethal force!"
"Currently, there are thirty-five hostages inside the bank, including eighteen bank employees and seventeen customers. Apart from two injured security guards, there are no hostage casualties so far!"
A police officer who arrived earlier reported immediately.
Xu Weiwei couldn't help but frown. The only good news was that there were no hostage casualties. However, the bad news was that the robbers were armed with lethal weapons, which made the situation very tricky!
Although she was a woman, she was decisive in her actions. So she directly said, "Immediately get me the bank's surveillance footage, and also a distribution map of the bank building!"
In just a moment, a laptop and a blueprint of the bank building appeared before Xu Weiwei.
The laptop was already connected to the bank building's surveillance cameras, allowing a clear view of the situation inside the bank.
Switching between different screens, Xu Weiwei's frown deepened. These robbers were clearly well-prepared, having secured almost every passage within the bank. The idea of leading a team inside to rescue hostages was impossible.
Furthermore, these robbers were armed with lethal weapons, and with hostages in their hands, the possibility of a rescue was even lower.
Xu Weiwei felt a bit frustrated. Despite handling many major cases, this was the first time she felt such a case was so difficult.
As she was becoming restless, she smelled cigarette smoke. She instinctively waved her hand, but quickly realized, turning around to glare at Ye Cangtian, "What are you following me for? If you want to watch the excitement, stay outside the cordon!"
Ye Cangtian held a cigarette in his mouth, but his usual playful demeanor was gone. His face was even slightly solemn, and he frowned, saying, "How did she end up in the bank?"
His gaze was fixed on the surveillance footage on the laptop. Among the more than thirty hostages, there was someone most important to him!
His fiancée, Tang Xinwan!
To Ye Cangtian's complete surprise, his fiancée was among the hostages!
In the surveillance footage, Tang Xinwan was huddled with other hostages. Although she hadn't cried from fear like other women, her terrified eyes showed that she was indeed frightened.
Ye Cangtian took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Officer Xu, count me in for the hostage rescue! My wife is in there too!"
Xu Weiwei was about to scold him when she paused, "Your wife? Who is your wife!"
Ye Cangtian nodded and pointed to Tang Xinwan in the surveillance footage, "Her!"
Seeing the beautiful woman in the footage, Xu Weiwei suddenly felt a sense of familiarity, but she couldn't recall where she had seen her.
However, the young policeman beside her exclaimed, "Team leader, this woman is Tang Xinwan, the chairperson of Haitian Pharmaceuticals, the youngest female billionaire in Yangzhou City. She was on the cover of a magazine last month!"
Xu Weiwei then remembered and shot Ye Cangtian a cold smile, "Tang Xinwan is your wife? Why don't you say you're also a billionaire? Stay outside and be honest. Don't cause trouble here."
"She really is my wife!" Ye Cangtian felt like crying but also laughing. Why didn't anyone believe him when he told the truth!
Xu Weiwei ignored him and turned to discuss strategies with some of the surrounding police officers. Her direct superior hadn't arrived yet, so she was essentially in charge here.
Ye Cangtian glanced at the surveillance footage, then looked around at his surroundings before walking towards the cordon and soon disappearing into the crowd.
Xu Weiwei looked back and didn't see Ye Cangtian, but she didn't pay it much mind. It was better for him to leave so he wouldn't bother her here, as she was busy.
"The current situation is very complex, especially since the robbers are armed with lethal weapons and the hostages are at risk of losing their lives at any moment. Fortunately, the bank's internal surveillance cameras can still monitor everything inside without any blind spots!"
As Xu Weiwei was discussing with other police officers, suddenly, a robber in the surveillance footage raised his gun and aimed it at the camera.
Immediately, the surveillance screens went black one by one!
"These scoundrels!"
Xu Weiwei couldn't help but bang on the car door. These damned robbers were smart enough to destroy the surveillance equipment directly. This way, the police would no longer be able to monitor the situation inside the bank.
She gritted her teeth and turned to ask, "Have the nearby stationed troops been notified?"
"They have been notified, but it's rush hour in the city center, so they'll likely need at least another half hour to get here," a police officer replied with a wry smile.
"Then find someone to negotiate with the robbers inside, tell them not to harm the hostages, and that their demands can be discussed!" Xu Weiwei said in a deep voice.
Now, all they could do was stall for time as much as possible, waiting for the troops to arrive. After all, with hostages in the robbers' hands, a direct assault to rescue them was impossible.
These criminals were ruthless, and if they were provoked, they might harm the hostages, which would turn this incident into a major disaster.