Chapter 15 Before The Initial Surge Recedes
Qi Xia found himself in a difficult position. He had tried to extract the harpoon once already and realized that the intricate barbs made it incredibly difficult to dislodge from Han Yimo's body.
As he watched the blood flow, Qi Xia felt a moment of disorientation. Weren't they already dead? Can the dead... also be injured?
Qi Xia quickly composed himself. Now was not the time to ponder such questions; he needed to act immediately to cut the rope. All the harpoons were slowly retracting. How could they grab one to cut the rope?
The only certainty was that once all the ropes retracted into the wall, the harpoons would vanish, and Han Yimo would die. 'We need to find a way to get a harpoon... but how?' Qi Xia thought, frowning as he scanned the room. He knew he had to take another gamble.
Quickly, he grabbed two slowly retracting harpoons from the ground and tied their ropes together into a knot. "Hey! Stop surrounding Han Yimo," Qi Xia commanded. "Do what I'm doing! We must ensure at least one harpoon remains."
Lin Qin quickly grasped his intention. She found two harpoons and deftly tied a knot. The knot she formed was unusual, one that Qi Xia had never seen before. However, at this moment, Qi Xia had no time to ponder the unfamiliar knot. He focused intently on the two harpoons in front of him.
As the ropes continued to be reeled in, the tension between them grew tighter and tighter. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before one of the ropes snapped, leaving a harpoon behind.
Qi Xia slowly stepped back, watching as the two ropes strained against each other, producing a terrifying sound. He guessed correctly that the snapping ropes might injure someone with the force they were under.
Qi Xia sprinted forward, his hands moving quickly to untie the broken rope before the harpoons could retract back into the wall. It was only at this moment he realized that the immense pulling force had completely deformed the two ropes he had tied together. Untying them seemed impossible, as even the shape of the knot was now unrecognizable.
"It's done!" Lin Qin shouted from nearby. "Who has the most strength? Go and cut the writer's rope!"
‘Done?’ Qi Xia looked back and saw that the knot Lin Qin had tied was indeed ingenious; it had automatically separated when the rope broke.
Police Officer Li, who was still working on his own knot, heard her call. He quickly dropped the harpoon in his hand and said, "I'll do it, give it to me!"
As Police Officer Li took the harpoon, he hurriedly strode towards Han Yimo, who was on the brink of being pulled into the wall. Thankfully, the harpoon in his hand not only had a pointed end but also featured a small blade at the tip, just enough to serve as a makeshift knife.
Witnessing this, Qiao Jiajin also moved forward to assist. Despite Qi Xia's quick thinking, Han Yimo was now less than half a meter away from the wall.
Han Yimo, unable to withstand the tearing pain, could only inch backward with the rope, as the barbs in his shoulder caused excruciating agony, making him wish for nothing more than to escape the torment.
Police Officer Li seized the rope behind him, taking a moment to assess the situation. With a steady hand, he aimed for the point closest to Han Yimo's body and commenced chopping with the sharp harpoon. His hands remained steady, each incision was precise.
However, to his dismay, the rope proved to be tougher than anticipated, and despite several chops, only a small gap had formed. A quick visual assessment revealed a thorny dilemma. While the rope would eventually be cut, time was their most pressing concern. With less than a minute remaining before Han Yimo's body would collide with the wall, chopping the rope from behind would soon become impossible.
"What the hell?" Qiao Jiajin exclaimed anxiously. "You're too slow! You are going to kill this lan-joeng!"
"Shut the f*ck up!" Officer Li barked coldly, his voice laced with urgency, as he continued with renewed strength. As Han Yimo's body drew nearer to the wall, beads of sweat formed on Police Officer Li's brow. It must be acknowledged that his mental fortitude was exceptional. Despite the air being thick with tension and pressure, he wielded the small harpoon with precision, each cut aligning perfectly with the previous indentation.
With Han Yimo now less than 30 centimeters away from the wall, Police Officer Li's options were dwindling.
Qiao Jiajin, with his keen eyes and dexterity, positioned himself behind Han Yimo, using his own body to shield and cushion him. Although this meant Han Yimo would endure additional pain, it effectively prevented him from getting any closer to the wall for the time being.
Police Officer Li held his breath and persisted in his efforts. By now, more than half of the rope had been severed, but it remained stubbornly connected.
Han Yimo's agonized cries filled the air. The harpoon, piercing through his body, was now being dragged back, its barbs inflicting ruthless wounds from every angle. His clothes were stained with blood, presenting a ghastly sight. "Am I going to die?" Han Yimo asked through gritted teeth. "I'm really going to die... Who… and why are they after us?..."
"Pull yourself together!" Police Officer Li responded sternly. "We're all doing everything we can to save you. Stop crying and moaning!"
Han Yimo fell silent upon hearing Police Officer Li's words. He understood that Li was correct; he couldn't afford to hinder their efforts now that everyone was scrambling to help.
The barbs dug deeply into Han Yimo's flesh, eliciting groans as he clenched his teeth in agony. Observing this, Doctor Zhao promptly grabbed a piece of cloth and inserted it into Han Yimo's mouth. In moments of extreme pain, individuals may inadvertently clench their teeth too tightly, risking damage to their teeth.
As everyone surrounded Han Yimo, the brief twenty seconds stretched out, feeling like several hours, while Police Officer Li continued to methodically chop away at the rope.
With one final stroke, the resilient rope was finally severed.
Simultaneously, Han Yimo and Qiao Jiajin collapsed to the ground from exhaustion. Their companions swiftly moved in to lend support, ensuring both were stabilized. It appeared that Han Yimo's life had been spared.
Doctor Zhao wasted no time in shifting Han Yimo aside and began to assess his wound. As expected, the condition was dire; the harpoon still needed to be extracted from the front. The most pressing issue now was to staunch the bleeding. After careful consideration, Doctor Zhao decided to temporarily stem the bleeding by applying pressure with several pieces of cloth around the area of the harpoon wounds.
"Hey doc, aren't you going to take the harpoon out?" Qiao Jiajin inquired.
"No, he'll die if we do," Doctor Zhao replied grimly.
"Die?" Qiao Jiajin expressed disbelief, striding forward to confront Doctor Zhao. "What the hell? We've put in all this effort, and now you're refusing to save him?"
"I am saving him!" Doctor Zhao retorted, impatiently brushing off Qiao Jiajin's hand. "To put it plainly, he can only survive if the harpoon remains lodged in his body."
"Why?" Xiao Ran couldn't suppress her curiosity.
"If we extract the harpoon, he'll sustain a grievous wound, resulting in profuse bleeding. In such a state, death would be inevitable," Doctor Zhao explained calmly. "Leaving the harpoon in would entail enduring suffering, albeit mitigating the risk of excessive blood loss. The smaller wounds should clot relatively promptly, thus temporarily halting the bleeding."