Chapter 61: The Jewelry Store Robbery

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Jiangnan City, Songshan Road.

Qi Tian parked his bicycle near the intersection and chose to proceed on foot.

Just as Leng Qiangguo had mentioned over the phone.

The suspicious van, possibly involved in illegal activities, had indeed not left Songshan Road.

To be precise, the vehicle was parked right within Qi Tian’s line of sight by the roadside.

But inside, it was completely empty.

Qi Tian wiped some dust on his face, disguising himself as a beggar, then approached the van to examine it carefully.

“That van sped past me just moments ago; the scent lasted only an instant, but now I can confirm—there’s definitely the smell of specialized gun maintenance oil inside. However, the people who were in the car…”

As he spoke, Qi Tian looked up, scanning the distance.

Songshan Road was a commercial street bustling with quick-moving traffic and lined on both sides with various shops.

Due to the time of day, a few stores had yet to open.

At first glance, Qi Tian could find no obvious abnormalities.

“Auntie, how’s business this morning? Going well?”

Since nothing suspicious caught his eye, Qi Tian turned his attention to an elderly woman across the street, pushing a food cart and selling breakfast.

Hearing his voice, the woman smiled wryly and shook her head.

“No good, young man. My regular customers haven’t arrived yet! And you’d better keep your distance from that van. The people inside don’t seem like good folks. If they catch you leaning on their vehicle to rest, they definitely won’t let you off easy!”

“Not good folks? Auntie, could you explain more carefully?”

“Alright, since the girls working at the gold shop haven’t shown up yet and I have time to spare, I’ll tell you.”

The woman showed no prejudice against Qi Tian’s shabby appearance; instead, she handed him a steaming packet of peanut milk to help fill his stomach.

“About ten minutes ago, that van suddenly stopped here, kicking up dust everywhere.

I was busy preparing some corn, and the dust even landed in my pot. I went over intending to complain.

But when the door opened, out came a bunch of tall men wearing baseball caps and masks, their arms covered in tattoos.

Though I could only see their eyes, I still sensed they weren’t good people, so I quickly backed away.

The leader glared at me but didn’t say a word; he just led the other five down a side street. No idea what they were up to.

I figure some businesses on this street are fighting over customers and hired some thugs to cause trouble!”

Her voice trembled slightly by the end.

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Clearly, those men in caps and masks had left the woman shaken and still unsettled.

Qi Tian, however, showed no intention of engaging further. After taking a sip of the peanut milk, he continued questioning her:

“Auntie, you mentioned the girls from the gold shop got up late today—what’s that about?”

“Ah, young brother, you don’t know. Many shops here sell food, and my little cart doesn’t do well in this spot.

Only those girls from Lucky Gold like to come here for some corn or pancakes every morning.

Usually, they’d be here by now, but today, for some reason, none have come yet—maybe they’re tied up with some event?”

“No sign of the gold shop people?”

When something’s amiss, there’s always a reason.

Qi Tian’s gaze sharpened like an eagle’s, locking onto the Lucky Gold shop right in the center of the street.

“Auntie, is this the first time this has happened?”

“It should be. I’ve been here with this cart for over half a year, and this is the first time they haven’t opened their doors at this hour.”

“I understand. Thank you, Auntie. You should move your cart along quickly. I imagine the police will be here soon, and since your breakfast cart isn’t fully licensed, be careful not to get it confiscated!”

With a friendly warning, Qi Tian swiftly set off, heading down the side street the woman had mentioned.

This alley led to the back of the left side of the street.

The ground was unpaved and rough underfoot.

Normally, only shop staff leaving work would use this path.

As Qi Tian stepped onto the alley, a faint but sharp metallic scent of blood reached his nostrils.

The further he advanced, the stronger the smell grew.

By the time he reached the corner behind the Lucky Gold shop’s back door, the stench of blood was overwhelming.

“Everyone just behave! We’re only after money, not lives. If anyone doesn’t watch themselves, don’t blame me for sending you to the underworld to keep company with those three stinking security guards!”

Pressing his ear against the closed metal shutter, Qi Tian listened to the noises inside the shop, his expression darkening instantly.

“This is serious trouble!”

He quickly pulled out his phone and called Leng Qiangguo, briefly reporting the situation.

Then, glancing up at the outdoor unit of the central air conditioner overhead, he proposed:

“Secretary Leng, I request to enter the gold shop through the central air conditioning system. Whatever happens, I must ensure the safety of the hostages!”

“But you’re unarmed, and the others—”

“The civilians being held hostage have no weapons either. I have no right and no reason to back down!”

Before Leng Qiangguo could finish his sentence, Qi Tian interrupted sharply.

Hearing this, Leng Qiangguo on the other end relented, agreeing:

“Be careful. Also, keep your phone line open!”

With the order received, Qi Tian leapt up, grabbing hold of the air conditioner's outdoor unit.

He then climbed step by step through the ventilation duct into the gold shop.

Minutes later, he reached above the shop’s main hall.

Through the mesh of the ventilation grate, Qi Tian could clearly see the scene below.

“There are five robbers in total; their faces are obscured. One is holding a gun, forcing the shop manager to open the safe.

The other four stand guard at the shop’s four corners, their weapons unknown.

Three security guards at the entrance have been shot and appear lifeless.

Including the manager at the safe, there are four hostages.

I recommend evacuating the civilians near Songshan Road before initiating the rescue!”

Speaking in a low voice, Qi Tian reported every detail to Leng Qiangguo.

At the same time, he gently placed the phone down and began loosening the screws on the grate, preparing for the next move.

“The nearest police officers will be here in two minutes at the fastest. I’ll have them disperse all the civilians until SWAT arrives.

Robbing a main street at gunpoint—these people are definitely deranged and well-planned criminals.

Qi Tian, be extremely careful. If anything happens to you, our rescue plan will become much more difficult!”

Leng Qiangguo’s tone was urgent, almost shouting commands through the phone.

But precisely because of his urgency and volume, combined with Qi Tian placing the phone on the ventilation grate for easy access, the robbers below faintly heard some noise.

One of the guards in the corner abruptly drew a pistol from his waist.

He aimed it at the group of gold shop salesgirls sitting on the floor, huddled together and crying uncontrollably.

“Shut the hell up! If you keep whining, I’ll shoot you dead!”

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