"You're targeted by more than one sniper. I advise you not to make any sudden moves. Surrender now! Confess and you will be treated with leniency; resist and you will be dealt with severely!"

Behind the car door, Traffic Brigade Chief Jiang Wei held up a megaphone and shouted. The situation had escalated too big, too fast. There hadn't even been time to seal off Qingyun Hospital, let alone deal with the reporters' helicopters swarming the sky.

It was certain that this tiny patch of sky above the Qingyun City Hospital outpatient department was being broadcast live across the nation. If this Didi driver couldn't be subdued, the Qingyun City Traffic Brigade would never be able to hold its head high again.

"I really am a Didi driver. I didn't fire the gun; my passenger did."

Xia Liang didn't move recklessly, answering with a smile. The familiar sensation of being locked on by a sniper was something he knew all too well. He understood that Jiang Wei wasn't making empty threats.

Meanwhile, journalists and anchors swarmed the periphery of the scene, lugging their cameras and equipment.

"Bros, look! That's the owner of the BMW. He can't be more than twenty years old."

"I've never respected anyone in my life, but I respect this guy. He pulled off actual stunts in the sky over Rainbow Bridge. What a freaking beast!"

"Don't worry, everyone! We can't get any closer because of the officials, but don't lose hope! Trust your Anchor to get you to the action. For every big gift, I'll take a step forward—no limits! For my fam, I'm putting it all on the line!"

For the average worker, tonight was no different from any other. But for the major media outlets, it was an unprecedented feeding frenzy.

Websites, short video apps, and trending topics on social media were all filled with live broadcasts about the mysterious driver. Videos of his cool driving stunts were also available for netizens to watch on repeat. In a word, he'd gone viral!

The crowd of onlookers still thought it was an Easter egg put on by the film festival organizers, just on a slightly larger and more expensive scale. Others guessed he was a race car driver trying to crash the party for a bit of fame. As for the gunfight, who was to say they were real guns just because they made a bang?

In any case, news and posts about the black BMW began to dominate everyone's screens. The effect was especially pronounced in the used car market, where the price of similar BMWs skyrocketed several times over.

But for such a sensational, ongoing event, there was no shortage of people trying to direct the public narrative.

A prominent pundit wrote: "The red carpet wasn't just for our domestic stars. We all saw how dangerous that BMW driver was. If any of the foreign guests had been hurt, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Journalist Chai Jingjing posted: "Our great Huaxia is a land of etiquette. No matter what his reasons were, he had no right to act so recklessly in front of foreigners. This driver must face criminal charges."

The writer Fangfang added: "The sorrow of our people, the sorrow of our nation. I must write this down in my diary."

There was no shortage of suck-ups, either. Beneath the posts of these major influencers were all sorts of fawning comments like, "Well said, Teacher!" and "The teacher is absolutely right!"

In a short amount of time, the incident began to spiral out of control.

With the narrative being stoked like this, netizens from South Bang Country also caught wind of the event. As a matter of national pride, how could they tolerate their celebrity's red-carpet walk being interrupted? It was like being publicly humiliated. The most powerful nation in the universe had lost face; they had to demand justice.

"What? They dare to publicly insult the Dahan Ming Clan!"

"So what if it was an arrangement by the show's producers? So what if he was taking a patient to the hospital? Who said the patient was definitely going to die? Couldn't he have taken another route? Was it worth fighting over a few minutes?"

"Heh, I think he did it on purpose to humiliate us."

"He must apologize! He must pay compensation!"

"That's right! Let's use this chance to demand Changbai Mountain back!"

"Give us back our sacred mountains and rivers!"

Jiang Wei's face was ashen. In the information age, he too could see the tide of public opinion in real time. However, it was already too late to impose a cordon. The situation had escalated so quickly that forcefully suppressing it now would likely have even more severe consequences.

But right now, he had no idea if the BMW driver was carrying any dangerous weapons. If there was a bomb in the car, rushing in to arrest him would surely result in heavy casualties.

"I told you, I'm innocent. Why won't any of you believe me?" Xia Liang sighed, shaking his head.

"To the driver of the BMW, you are completely surrounded with no hope of escape! If you don't want to be shot by a sniper, put your hands on your head and get on the ground!" Jiang Wei continued to shout through the megaphone.

But his internal calculus had already shifted. Although this has become a huge mess, every crisis is also an opportunity. If I can resolve this beautifully, it will be a glorious addition to my service record. A promotion might not be out of the question.

As he considered this brilliant prospect, Jiang Wei's mood instantly brightened. But Xia Liang's next words made his temper flare.

"Sorry, the customer changed her destination. I have to take her there. She also emphasized that I'm not to go with anyone."

He does have an accomplice!

Jiang Wei waved his arm. A small team began to circle around, preparing to rush into the hospital to find the accomplice.

"He can't go with you."

Before the team could rush in, Big Wave had already emerged. She was pushing a wheelchair, in which sat an elderly, white-haired man. His face was pale and he seemed low on energy, but his smile was exceptionally gentle.

Jiang Wei was stunned. I can't believe the accomplice came out on her own, and with an old man, no less. Could he be the mastermind? Does he know it's over and is preparing to surrender?

Big Wave pushed the wheelchair over to Xia Liang's side.

The elderly man in the wheelchair smiled. "Young friend, thank you for your help this time."

Xia Liang was completely baffled, with no idea what the man meant.

Just then, Big Wave pulled a black ID from her coat. The surface was unmarked, save for the image of a five-clawed Golden Dragon.

"I am requisitioning this man and this vehicle." Big Wave's aura was immense; she carried herself like a queen.

Unfortunately, the effect wasn't what she'd hoped for.

From a distance, Jiang Wei squinted at the ID, but it didn't ring any bells. He had never heard of any official identification that didn't list the issuing department.

"Hah! Think you can bluff your way out with some random trinket? Arrest them! If anyone resists, you have my permission to shoot to kill!"

Xia Liang was speechless. I thought she was a queen, but it turns out she's a total flop.

"As expected. Your rank is too low to recognize this," Big Wave sneered, shaking her head. "I advise you not to do anything foolish. One phone call from me, and you'll understand everything."

BANG—

A heavy sniper round slammed into the steps beside them.

"This is your final warning! One more move, and the snipers' next target will be your heads!"

This was truly a case of a scholar meeting a soldier—reasoning was useless. The three of them immediately gave up resisting and were taken to the Southwest Qingyun Police Department.

"Name?"

"Xia Liang."

"Age?"

"Twenty-four."

"Place of origin?"

"Yachiying Middle, Shangluo City."

"Family?"

"My mom and dad."

"Do you have anything to say about your actions today?"

"The mid-air spin was a little flawed, which made the landing unstable. I'll do better next time."

The interrogation expert almost choked on his own rage. "I'm asking you about the high-speed chase and the shootout!"

Xia Liang shrugged. "I already told you, we're colleagues. How could I do something so depraved? Everything I did was simply out of my professional duty as a Didi driver."

The interrogation expert knew how to pick his targets. Seeing that Xia Liang was the youngest of the three, he decided to make him the breakthrough point. But the kid was incredibly slippery. No matter what he was asked, he deflected everything, boiling it all down to one line: He was just a Didi driver, and a colleague of the other two.

A colleague? A Didi driver? Who is he kidding?

There was nothing they could do. The police simply didn't believe a word Xia Liang said. They even assumed the credentials he presented—Crime Consultant for the Municipal Public Security Bureau—were fake. After all, none of them had ever heard of such a position.

"Take him away. Bring the woman in next."

In the detention cell, Xia Liang sat across from Big Wave, staring at her pretty face. Perhaps feeling the weight of his gaze, she let her eyes wander.

Xia Liang couldn't help but chuckle. "So high and mighty earlier. How does it feel now, sitting in a cell?"

Big Wave scoffed. "How was I supposed to know that Brigade Chief was so ignorant?"

Xia Liang waved a dismissive hand. "Whatever. It has nothing to do with me. I'll be getting out of here soon enough."

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