The real life of an American police officer: Winning over others with virtue

Chapter 229 Test
"Have all the restrooms been checked?" Eric pressed.

The female train attendant nodded: "Only that restroom didn't respond; I personally saw the people inside the others come out."

Hearing this, Eric had already formed a conclusion in his mind.

“If he were a suicide bomber, he would never detonate in the bathroom.”

Seeing the confusion in the female train conductor's eyes, Eric continued, "Because the biggest advantage of a suicide bomber lies in its mobility; otherwise, why make such a huge sacrifice?"

Therefore, he would inevitably enter the most crowded areas of the carriages in order to cause the greatest possible casualties!

Eric, thinking of the tightly closed restroom door, looked at the female train attendant and said seriously:

"So I need your cooperation. I need our communication to stay online. What's your name?"

Eric's calm tone, composed expression, and reliable demeanor that made people subconsciously overlook his age and handsome appearance all made the female train attendant unconsciously place all her reliance on him.

She answered obediently.

"Belin!"

Eric took out his phone and said, "Okay, Belin! Thanks for your trust, here's your phone number."

"310.973.8634."

As Eric was saving the number, Belin hesitated and said, "I have to report this to them and your situation."

"Okay, go ahead, I'll take care of the restroom." Eric saved the number and immediately turned to walk towards the restroom.

The passengers in the carriage were completely unaware, busy with their own affairs, and had no idea that there was a suicide bomber on their train, and that the bomb could be detonated at any moment.

“409 seconds...408 seconds..." Eric silently counted the remaining time before the train arrived at the old marshalling yard. He stopped in front of the closed restroom door and looked down to check the indicator light to make sure someone was there.

He stepped forward and pressed his ear against the door.

When he first acquired the Deep Blue ability, he could barely hear the breathing inside, but now it was a completely different story.

Whether it's physical fitness or the five senses, there have been significant changes.

Eric's keen hearing allowed him to hear every subtle sound inside.

Rapid inhalation, a brief, suffocating breath-hold, followed by an explosive, deep gasp.

This indicates that the person inside is experiencing a dramatic fluctuation in adrenaline levels.

However, it was this breathing pattern that gave Eric a glimmer of hope.

The person inside was not someone who was fully prepared to commit suicide; rather, they were more like someone who was passively drawn in and deeply affected.

Because the breath-holding time is too short.

If someone is determined to die, they should be able to hold their breath for a longer time after psychological training and breath-holding exercises to control their anxiety.

Besides these, there were also short, sharp scraping sounds, the rhythm of which was synchronized with the low points of breathing; this was probably a hissing sound caused by the friction of the fabric.

An image flashed through Eric's mind: the nylon straps of his bomb vest rubbing violently against the jacket he was wearing.

It appears that the surge of adrenaline caused the body to tremble.

There are also obstructive hiccups, indicating an attempt to swallow saliva but failure due to laryngeal spasms, as the person inside struggles to suppress the urge to cry out.

Hearing this, Eric felt a sense of relief. If it had been the opposite, he would have run away without hesitation, even if it meant jumping off the train.

But now it seems there's still hope for those inside.

Because Tifa is a member of the BAU and is about to become one of its bigwigs, he has seen some of the files.

The locking sound in the throat of a suicide bomber before detonation is a more reliable indicator of hesitation than tears.

This means he's hesitating!
Even so, Eric still hesitated for a moment. A wise man doesn't stand under a crumbling wall… But just as this thought arose, a system notification suddenly rang in his ears.
[Trigger Task]
[Saving the bomber with a conscience, rescuing the train passengers, and averting a suicide bombing]
[Completion Reward: +2]
[]
Eric raised his eyelids, revealing a look of surprise.

The surprise of the mission being triggered was instantly overshadowed by the message 'Completion Reward: +2'.

This seems to be the first time he has received such a large reward; in the past, it was usually only 0.5.

But Eric held his breath the next second. He glanced instinctively at the passengers in the carriage, where several children were sitting and sleeping.

There were even some elderly people.

He understood something.

The mission message is quite clear: when the car stops, the bomber, still struggling inside, will most likely detonate the bomb due to the combined effects of the environment and accumulated pressure.

This would definitely result in many deaths. Even if the FBI and other departments are on high alert at the docking points, how effective would that be?

"At most, it'll just become a cleanup situation, right?" Eric smiled bitterly.

He seemed to understand why adding points to Deep Blue would give such a big reward and why the quest would be triggered.

This is also a test for his inner self: to complete the mission or to run away, abandon everyone, and become a selfish person.

"You fucking did this on purpose!" Eric thought bitterly, staring at the virtual window in front of him.

He shook his head, took a few steps back from the bathroom, took out his phone, and dialed Belle's number.

The call was answered immediately: "Hello?"

“We can’t let him walk out on his own when the train stops!” Eric said with unusual calm.

"The fact that this carriage is crowded with passengers shows that he carefully planned to choose this toilet. As soon as the door is opened, the bomb will be detonated, causing maximum damage."

So, if we let him figure it out on his own, it will be too late, and all our plans will be useless.

Belin's voice was tense: "What should we do?"

After reporting Eric's situation, she clearly heard a surprised voice on the other end of the phone.

And a rather hesitant question: "What does he want to do?"

This means that what the young man said before was true and credible, and the authorities really knew him!

Unfortunately, she didn't know what the young man wanted to do, so she couldn't give him an answer.

The official response was that the plan would proceed as scheduled, but if the young man wanted to do something, they could cooperate.

"Can you unlock the doors while the car is moving?" Eric asked, his gaze fixed on the door ahead, his tone remaining calm.

Although he didn't want to let inner demons develop, he was even more unwilling to lose his life here.

If things go wrong, he can choose to jump off the train to survive, and his chances of survival are always higher than if he were trapped inside.

Even if the bomb explodes after he jumps out of the car, Eric believes that with his current physical condition, his chances of survival are higher than all the other passengers.

The female train conductor, Belin, paused for a moment, then said, "It can run."

“OK! Now you follow my instructions. When I say open, you open. Leave the rest to me,” Eric said calmly.

Remembering the official's words, the female train conductor, Belle, subconsciously asked, "Others? What do you mean?"

"Stun him before he detonates it! Or kill him before the bomb explodes!"

Eric's words stirred up a storm in the heart of the female train conductor, Belin.

(End of this chapter)