SFTD -Chapter 422 A Living Guest

Zhou Hai pressed his lips together. From a medical standpoint, it actually could be done. There was no need to connect anything directly to the heart—if the device was only implanted superficially beneath the skin, it could simply be controlled by the pulse. A minor procedure like that was something even he could perform himself, and visually it would still look terrifying.

But if it truly had been connected to the aorta, then the surgery would require a specialist. It was not something that could be carried out secretly.

Zhou Hai narrowed his eyes and looked toward Yang Duxiu.

“I’m going to examine the wound. We’re too far away to make a proper judgment. But this detonator isn’t affected by X-rays, right?”

Luo Jinfang shook his head.

“It isn’t. As long as its stable environment isn’t disturbed, it’s relatively safe.”

Zhou Hai nodded, and the two of them returned to Yang Duxiu. Everyone’s eyes turned toward them. Director Liu and Chu Menghan had already walked over from the damaged section and looked down at Yang Duxiu.

“If he stays here too long, won’t it cause panic?” Chu Menghan asked.

Luo Jinfang shrugged and glanced at her.

“There’s no better option. Right now nobody dares move him. Let Forensic Doctor Zhou take a look first. Director Liu, the best thing now is to evacuate the civilians. No one can be certain whether the bomb he installed follows any normal design principles. This man is a complete psychopath and extremely radical—there’s no telling what he might have done.”

Liu Yong knew they were speaking the truth. Nothing would be surprising when it came to Yang Duxiu. He turned to Chu Menghan.

“Take your people and clear out all ten buildings in this courtyard compound. They’re too close together, and we still don’t know whether there are leftover explosives or some kind of underground setup in the area.”

Chu Menghan nodded and left with Huang Zhongsheng’s men and Wang Xuchao’s team. The workload would be enormous and incredibly tedious—arranging hotels, transportation, everything. In an instant, a large number of people dispersed.

At that moment, Zhou Hai crouched beside Yang Duxiu. Several high-powered flashlights illuminated him. Only at this distance could they see clearly that beneath the explosives on Yang Duxiu’s chest was a piece of gauze hidden underneath.

The colored metal wires they had seen earlier all emerged from the skin above. At a glance, it really did look like a bomb connected directly to the heart.

Pointing at several sticks of explosives blocking the gauze, Zhou Hai looked at Luo Jinfang.

“Can these be moved downward a little?”

Before the bomb specialist could answer, Yang Duxiu suddenly became agitated, twisting violently as the veins on his neck and forehead bulged. He burst into manic laughter.

“A bunch of idiots! With skills like yours, you still think you can catch me? What a joke! Today you’re all going to hell with me!

Let me tell you—my countdown timer has less than two minutes left. As soon as my heartbeat slows, none of you will escape.

You’re all going to die!

Everyone around here is going to die too!

Hahahaha!”

Luo Jinfang crouched down and smacked Yang Duxiu on the head. Because he was wearing thick protective gloves, it didn’t hurt much, but the contact area was huge, practically smearing across the top of Yang Duxiu’s head and left cheek.

Earlier, Zhou Hai had smashed down that bottle of sulfuric acid, splashing Yang Duxiu’s face and hands. By now they were covered in enormous blisters, fresh red flesh bulging beneath curled blackened skin.

The visual impact was horrifying—Yang Duxiu looked like scorched pigskin, his entire body bubbling with blisters. Luo Jinfang’s glove brushing over his head and face acted almost like a wiping motion, tearing away all the blisters and shredded skin.

Burn injuries were agony beyond what ordinary people could endure. The dermis was packed with nerve endings, especially on the fingers and face.

Accordingly, Yang Duxiu let out a long, miserable scream.

And the screaming went on for quite a while.

Luo Jinfang rubbed his nose. Just a second ago, the man had looked utterly determined to die, yet he couldn’t endure pain like this?

With a sigh, he motioned for the people restraining Yang Duxiu to hold him steady and make room for Zhou Hai. Handling this thing personally felt safer. If Forensic Doctor Zhou’s hand slipped, everyone here would be finished.

The silence afterward was much more comfortable.

Luo Jinfang carefully cut open part of the outer plastic wrap and shifted the explosives blocking the gauze downward by five or six centimeters. Soon the entire gauze-covered area was exposed.

Zhou Hai crouched again, holding two pairs of forceps. He pinched the strips of tape securing the gauze and slowly peeled them away. Throughout the entire process, the gauze barely moved at all.

Luo Jinfang’s eyes widened in surprise. He had not expected Zhou Hai to possess such steady hands.

After removing the tape, Zhou Hai carefully lifted the gauze covering the wound—three layers in total—and removed them slowly.

The wound was finally exposed to the air.

A U-shaped incision more than fifteen centimeters long appeared before them, positioned directly along the centerline of the sternum. Blue sutures stitched the wound closed.

Zhou Hai stared at it in astonishment.

The size, placement, and appearance truly resembled the aftermath of open-heart surgery.

Had his judgment been wrong?

Or perhaps there was another accomplice involved?

Zhou Hai looked from the wound to Yang Duxiu. The latter stared back at him with gleaming eyes full of excitement and amusement.

“Scared now? Come on then—try dismantling it!”

Zhou Hai shook his head and stood up. Looking around, he spotted Director Liu nearby and immediately walked over.

Liu Yong knew Zhou Hai must have thought of something, and instantly perked up.

“What is it, Hai-zi?”

Pointing at Yang Duxiu on the ground, Zhou Hai rolled his neck and said:

“He’s completely uncooperative right now. One leg is already broken, and his hands and face are badly burned. He’s determined to die. The only option is to immobilize all four limbs and take him to a hospital to remove the bomb.”

Director Liu paused briefly and glanced toward Yang Duxiu.

“To a hospital? No, that’s impossible. It would be far too dangerous. We’d have to evacuate too many people. Take him to your center instead. I’ll have Director Pang evacuate the personnel there, then find two doctors and bring Luo Jinfang along so the surgery can be performed there.”

Zhou Hai raised an eyebrow. It was actually a good suggestion. His facility really was suitable. The remaining issue was how to transport Yang Duxiu back safely.

“It’s possible to use our place. We have all the necessary equipment. But transporting him back… that’s the problem. Yang Duxiu won’t cooperate. If any wire gets disturbed, the escort team will be in danger.”

Liu Yong leaned closer and lowered his voice slightly.

“Stop playing games with me, kid. There’s not even a trace of panic in your eyes. Just tell me what you want to do. If you want Yang Duxiu to suffer a little, I can turn a blind eye. There are too many people here, so don’t give others something to talk about. But he has to stay alive. Otherwise, just wait and see how I deal with you.”

Zhou Hai smiled. He turned toward the others without lowering his voice, his gaze fixed on Yang Duxiu.

“Don’t worry. I absolutely intend to keep him alive—alive and well. For someone like him, death would be a release. How could I possibly let him escape that easily? Removing the timer, suturing the wound, skin grafting, treatment—none of it can be skipped. And since his condition is special and he can’t be taken to a hospital…”

Zhou Hai’s lips curled into a faint smile.

“Then let my Number One Autopsy Room welcome its very first living guest.”