Duan Yunjie led me outside and climbed from the fire escape to the top floor. It was already night and a siren sounded in the distance. "They may exchange fire, so it’s safer to stay here," said Duan Yunjie.
"Does the Dog Trainer have a gun?" I asked.
"More than one. He has an army, one that’s not afraid of death!"
I saw a row of the Dog Trainer's men standing in the middle of the road. When the SWAT team’s armored vehicles arrived, they raised their guns like a well-trained army. The SWAT officers immediately jumped out of the armored vehicles and set up the 95 automatic rifles under the cover of bulletproof shields. I noticed Sun Tiger among the SWAT team.
The Captain shouted through the megaphone, "Dog Trainer, you’re suspected of kidnap and assault. Get your men to lay down their weapons and surrender, or we will respond with force."
Strong winds howled in the night sky as the two sides were deadlocked. I clenched my fist and asked Duan Yunjie, "Do you have a cell phone?"
I called Sun Tiger with the cell phone Duan Yunjie handed me. He cried in surprise, "Kiddo, are you in the factory?"
"I'm on top of the building in the southwest. Can you see me?" I asked.
I waved my hand and waited till I received a wave from Sun Tiger. "An undercover officer saved me. Her name is Duan Yunjie. Do you remember her?" I added.
After a moment’s contemplation, he replied, "I do. She’s been missing for three years!"
It seemed that Duan Yunjie wasn’t lying. "Uncle Sun, all these people have been brainwashed. Try not to kill them if possible.”
"Alright, I got it. I’ll instruct the SWAT team to use riot guns and rubber bullets and try their best not to kill these people."
Sun Tiger immediately gave his orders. Standing high up above the rest, I could see the situation below clearly. The Dog Trainer walked out of the factory surrounded by his men.
"The Dog Trainer is out,” I reported.
"Don't turn off your cell phone and stay on call,” instructed Sun Tiger.
As the Dog Trainer approached the entrance, he shouted, "Dogs, it's time to show our guests what you can do!"
Without any delay, the first six people suddenly held a gun against their own temples. They shot themselves at the same time. The sound of gunfire shook the night sky, leaving us mortified.
The six men with holes in their heads fell to the ground lifelessly, shedding glistening brain matter and deep red blood.
The other 'dogs' watched as their companions died, their expressions remaining callous and indifferent. Many SWAT officers dropped their guns in shock.
King Goujian of Yue would send a group of death warriors to the front every time he went to war. These death warriors committed suicide by slicing their own necks in front of the enemy to deter them. Their extreme loyalty to the extent of treating their own life like dirt was exactly what the Dog Trainer wanted to show the SWAT officers. Those tamed by him were both his soldiers and his hostages.
Another six people held their guns to their temples. When the Dog Trainer walked out of the crowd, he shook his head and smiled, "Tsk, tsk. Officers, as you can see, they killed themselves. I didn't do anything."
Sun Tiger cursed, "You fucking bastard!"
"Take one more step closer and they will die. If you’re willing to trade hundreds of lives for me, then go ahead," he quipped.
He held out his hands and continued, "But before you say anything, I’m a law-abiding citizen. I have never broken any laws. Have you lost a lovely little consultant? I don't know anything about that at all..."
The man standing next to him raised his hand, "I kidnapped Song Yang!"
The man who voluntarily gave himself in stretched out his hands and awaited arrest. "The real murderer has been brought to justice! Congratulations, the efficiency of the police is really amazing!" the Dog Trainer smiled, clapping his hands.
His performance made me sick, but his strength was far more formidable than Li Wenjia's hypnosis.
Sun Tiger whispered into the phone, "Look out for my signal. I’ll put out tear gas and then hit them with the riot guns."
"You can't, Director. It's too risky. These people are more loyal than terrorists!" One of the officers disagreed.
"From the infrared drones, we’ve detected that the number of people in the factory is several times our numbers. We can't hold out against so many of them. Let's drag this out till the armed police force arrives," said another officer.
Sun Tiger gritted his teeth, "Then let’s buy ourselves some time!"
"Dog Trainer, do you take us for idiots? Stop wasting our time and hand over Song Yang!” shouted Sun Tiger.
The Dog Trainer replied, "I can promise you that, but you must evacuate the premises once you get your man back."
"We won’t negotiate with you. Even if you are as innocent as you claim, gathering people and inciting them to cause trouble is enough for us to arrest you."
The Dog Trainer laughed, "Gathering people to cause trouble–are you kidding, Director Sun? This factory is part of my business and these are just my employees."
"Employees?” sneered Sun Tiger. “What are they holding in their hands? This is a private armed force."
Right then, one of the Dog Trainer's men came rushing in. "Master, Song Yang has escaped!"
Duan Yunjie whispered to me, "Let’s go down now. The Dog Trainer is afraid to make any mistakes in front of the police. He fears doing anything that might be used against him."
Upon second thought, I agreed and spoke into the phone, "Uncle Sun, I'm coming out now."
As Duan Yunjie and I headed downstairs, the Dog Trainer turned to look at us at the sound of our footsteps, his face turning dark. "So it seems there was a wolf among my dogs. Duan Yunjie, why did you betray me?"
"She was kidnapped like me. Are you going to detain us in front of the police?" I retorted.
The Dog Trainer's cheek twitched uncontrollably, as if holding back his anger. "Go then!"
We walked slowly past the Dog Trainer who whispered into my ear, "Song Yang, it's a pity that we can't have a good chat this time. I’ll see you next time!"
Thinking back to what I had experienced in the past few hours, the urge to kill him welled up inside of me, but still, I restrained myself. We were at daggers drawn and any rash actions would put all our lives in jeopardy.
There was one thing that I found suspicious–the Dog Trainer's indifference to Duan Yunjie’s betrayal. I suspected Duan Yunjie might have been deliberately placed among our ranks.
As soon as I reached the SWAT team, Sun Tiger apologized, "I’m sorry, kiddo."
Seeing the two handcuffs he pulled out, I was well aware of his intentions. I had been missing for several hours so I might have been brainwashed. Naturally, Duan Yunjie couldn’t be trusted either.
I held out my hand and allowed him to cuff me. The Dog Trainer sneered, "Is this the way the police behave? You’re as cold as winter towards your comrades and as hot as fire towards your enemies."
"You can't fight now. Let’s retreat first!" I urged.
Sun Tiger asked, "What did he do to you?"
"I'm fine,” I replied. “He has too many people and the internal structure of the factory is complicated. You’re no match for him."
Sun Tiger cursed under his breath, then ordered, "Let's withdraw!"
I turned and glared at the Dog Trainer who returned a sinister smile. "Dog Trainer, the next time we meet will be the day you die!"
These soldiers are usually specially trained to engage in the task of suicide attacks or missions with little chance of survival.