“Don’t come any closer! None of you come any closer! One more step and I’ll stab her to death right here!”
The moment he saw Wuming and the others approaching, the knife-wielding man completely lost it.
He roared hoarsely, threatening them to stay back.
Wuming’s group immediately froze in place, not daring to make any move that might provoke him further.
“Sir, please calm down! I mean you no harm. I just want to talk with you.”
As he spoke, Wuming very carefully pulled out his identification and held it up for the man to see.
“I’m a psychologist. If there’s anything troubling you, you can tell me. Maybe I can help—”
“Bullshit!!!”
The man brutally cut him off.
The blade pressed even closer to the hostage’s throat as he retreated another step.
The situation was extremely precarious.
“I want a woman! Can you give me one? Stop feeding me that pretty talk! You can’t help me! No one can help me! Even if you’re some fancy psychologist, it’s useless!”
This is tricky…
Wuming thought to himself.
The obsession gripping this man ran bone-deep, and what he wanted was the one thing least likely to ever be granted.
Of course, Wuming could use his own ability to satisfy the man’s demand—but that was absolutely impossible.
He could never reveal his power in front of the public like this.
And even if he did, would the man believe him? He couldn’t just conjure up a woman on the spot for him to see, could he?
As for stepping forward himself to trade places with the hostage—that was even more out of the question.
He wasn’t about to risk his own life like that, and he definitely didn’t want anyone else seeing his true form.
All he could really do was talk.
“And another thing!”
The man’s eyes locked onto the two people standing beside Wuming, his voice shaking with a mix of rage and fear.
“What the hell do you mean by bringing two cops with you?! Is this your idea of ‘sincerity’?!”
He was glaring at Officer Judy and Captain Qin, who were standing right behind Wuming.
In the man’s eyes, their presence was nothing less than a massive, looming threat!
He’s scared of the two officers beside me…
Wuming instantly understood the root of the man’s agitation.
Having uniformed police so close would naturally set him on edge.
“Um… Officer Judy, Captain Qin,” Wuming turned his head slightly and lowered his voice.
“Would it be possible for the two of you to… step back beyond the cordon line for now?”
“With both of you here, I’m afraid… it’s going to make negotiating very difficult.”
He wanted to test whether removing the most obvious “threat” might calm the man down even a little and open the door for further conversation.
“Kid,” Captain Qin said gravely, staring at Wuming, “I know what you’re trying to do, but this isn’t a game! You only get one life—think carefully!”
“Doctor Wuming, this is too dangerous…” Officer Judy’s face was filled with worry.
“It’s fine, both of you.”
Wuming’s tone remained calm, as if trying to prove he could handle it. “I’ve got this.”
“…”
“…”
Judy still looked deeply concerned and hadn’t moved an inch.
While she hesitated, Captain Qin had already given a firm nod.
“Be careful then, Doctor Wuming.” The captain’s voice was serious. “We won’t get in the way here.”
“But Captain Qin…” Judy still wanted to stay by Wuming’s side, but the captain cut in.
“If you trust the kid, then listen to him.”
Captain Qin turned and strode toward the cordon line. Judy’s gaze returned to Wuming, still brimming with worry.
“I’ll be fine, Officer Judy.”
Wuming gave her a reassuring smile. “You and Captain Qin should go together.”
“…” Judy’s lips moved, but she ultimately swallowed her words.
She gave Wuming one last worried look and said, “The moment anything feels off, run back here immediately.”
With that, she quickly caught up to Captain Qin’s retreating figure.
Now, in the center of the wide-open space, only Wuming remained—along with the knife-wielding man and the trembling hostage in his arms.
The invisible pressure suddenly surged.
“So… can we talk properly now, brother?” Wuming spoke cautiously, trying to close the psychological distance.
“…”
“I…” The man’s mood seemed to have eased slightly after the police withdrew. At the very least, he was no longer roaring.
He was even willing to exchange a few words with Wuming.
“Brother, what kind of dead-end situation forces someone to go this far?”
Wuming deliberately slowed his speech, his tone full of concern.
“You still look pretty young…”
“Young?!” The man reacted as if he’d been stabbed.
His voice shot up. “I’m almost forty! Young my ass!”
Uh…
Wuming’s heart sank.
“Then… sir, your skin care routine… is honestly impressive…”
Realizing he had accidentally hit a sore spot, Wuming hurriedly changed the subject, doing his best not to provoke the man further.
He would soon learn exactly what people meant by “even drinking water gets stuck between your teeth.”
“Working at a beauty salon—how could my skin be bad?”
The man’s words carried a trace of bitterness. “I used to make decent money, too.”
A beauty salon? Decent money? Then what the hell are you doing this for?!
Wuming couldn’t help but feel puzzled. With treatment like that, why would anyone do something so stupid?!
Couldn’t you just… hire someone? Was it really necessary to go this far?!
What a spendthrift attitude, Wuming silently grumbled in his heart.
“With such a good job and income… your life should have been pretty smooth, right? Someone as successful as you—”
Wuming went along with his words, offering compliments in an attempt to find a new angle to persuade him.
But—
“Smooth?! Successful my ass!!!”
Wuming’s words ignited fresh rage.
The man’s emotions spiraled out of control again. The blade edged even closer to the hostage’s neck.
“Eek—!!!”
Wuming saw the hostage panic under the pressure.
“Last week the manager fired me! Then right after that, my mom at home was diagnosed with terminal cancer! Money? Every last cent got poured into that bottomless hospital pit! Now I don’t have a single penny left!”
“…”
Calm down… calm down…
This is just temporary bad luck…
Wuming forced himself to take deep breaths. It was only a small setback! There was still room to turn things around!
“Your filial piety… is truly admirable.”
Wuming carefully chose his words, speaking in a tone laced with sympathy as he tried to keep the conversation going.
“A man as loyal, righteous, and devoted to his family as you shouldn’t—”
“You don’t understand shit!!!”
The man brutally interrupted him again—this time with real sobs breaking through as he poured out every misfortune that had befallen him!!!
“She was gone the second day after being admitted! Left so suddenly… Now I’m the only one left in the whole family!”
“The house… the house was mortgaged long ago to pay the bills! Gone! Everything’s gone!”
“My dear old mother—!!!”
He suddenly let out a wail. Tears streamed endlessly from his eyes.
“She died without ever seeing her son get married! It’s my fault! I’m unfilial—!!!”
“I’m sorry—!!!”
Every word the man spoke dripped with blood and tears.
The onlookers felt deep sympathy for his tragedy—but to Wuming, it only sent cold sweat pouring down his back!
Is this guy possessed by the god of misfortune or what?
He could hardly believe there was someone in the world capable of being this unlucky.
It was like the walking embodiment of a cursed star!
This dude could be the main character of an entire ‘Unlucky Bear’ series!
Now Wuming finally understood.
The man in front of him wasn’t simply holding someone hostage—he had been completely devoured by despair and was hell-bent on dying!
“But don’t worry, Mom!”
The man lowered his head to look at the young woman he was holding, his eyes blazing with a death-courting madness.
“Your son is coming down to join you right now! And I’m bringing you a daughter-in-law to meet!!!”
He abruptly tightened his grip. The hostage let out a pained whimper.
“Sir! Sir, please calm down!!!”
Wuming’s heart leapt into his throat. His voice cracked as he desperately tried to stop him. “Don’t do anything stupid!!”
My goddamn mouth!
Wuming wanted nothing more than to travel back a few minutes and slap himself silly.
Every single sentence he’d said had landed with surgical precision on the man’s open wounds—each one drawing fresh blood! The fact that the man hadn’t acted yet was already a miracle!
This can’t go on… I have to find a way to distract him.
Just as Wuming was racking his brain, still trying to convince the man to lower the knife—
A figure silently appeared at the shadowed side of a nearby building.
From that position, they had a clear line of sight on the knife-wielding man, the hostage in his arms, and the cornered Wuming.
Then, unnoticed by anyone, the mysterious figure drew a pistol fitted with a suppressor from inside their clothes and aimed it directly at them.
“…”