Chapter 165: Tom: Hello Again, Miss Han Xue
After sending the message to Fang Xiaocao, Tom quickly got up and deliberately took a detour, passing by the entrance to the stairwell on the first floor before heading toward the elevator.
As he passed the stairwell door, he glanced inside from the small window. In the dimly lit stairwell, he could make out a human figure hiding in the corner.
“So she’s really here!” Tom muttered to himself.
He continued walking to the elevator and pressed the button for the fifth floor.
Tom always carried his bomb-defusing tools with him.
For someone like him, disarming an ordinary bomb was just a matter of minutes.
This wasn’t arrogance—it was confidence.
Tom had undergone professional training.
He was a rare bomb-defusing prodigy.
Second-Floor Stairwell
Looking at Tom’s message, Fang Xiaocao hesitated.
Tom was going to defuse the bomb…
Should she agree?
Or should she refuse?
Fang Xiaocao had to admit—Tom’s analysis was spot on.
Han Xue was most likely planning to escape during the ensuing chaos of the explosion.
By preventing the explosion, they could cut off Han Xue’s best chance of slipping away.
If the bomb didn’t go off, Han Xue would have two choices:
- Risk leaving the hotel.
- Go back to her previous hiding spot.
But would Han Xue dare go back?
She wouldn’t know why the bomb hadn’t detonated.
Fang Xiaocao hesitated for ten seconds, her mind in turmoil.
Finally, she gritted her teeth and agreed to Tom’s plan.
Even though Hot Noodles’s foresight assured her the second floor was safe, having a bomb overhead was still unsettling.
What if Hot Noodles’ prediction was off?
Or worse—what if the explosion sent debris crashing down on her brilliant little head?
“Tom, proceed!”
“Make sure to disable the security cameras—don’t leave any traces of you disarming the bomb. And when we deal with Han Xue, we can’t let the cameras catch us.”
Fang Xiaocao sent the message.
At that moment, there were three minutes left until the bomb was set to detonate.
Tom, seeing Fang Xiaocao’s approval, immediately stepped into the elevator.
[Tom: Understood!]
Fifth Floor
At this point, there were two minutes and thirty seconds left until the bomb was set to explode.
Instead of stepping out of the elevator right away, Tom pulled a small device from his pocket, pressed a button, and tossed it into the hallway.
The device rolled forward, releasing arcs of electricity.
The lights flickered, and several surveillance cameras went dark.
In the hotel’s monitoring room, the screens turned to static, and a progress bar appeared on a nearby computer screen:
“Clearing surveillance storage…”
Tom checked his phone—everything was working as planned.
At this point, there were one minute and thirty seconds left.
Stepping out of the elevator, he held a device resembling a Dragon Ball radar and followed the signal.
As he approached Room 508, the radar flashed, revealing a red dot.
“Oh-ho, there you are, little cutie.”
Tom smirked, squatting down and lifting the carpet in the hallway.
Beneath it lay a palm-sized bomb, its red numbers counting down.
Tom chuckled at the well-crafted device.
“Not bad—quite the delicate little thing.”
He pulled out a small pair of wire cutters and carefully examined the bomb.
Time ticked away.
Thirty seconds remained.
Tom finally moved, swiftly snipping a red wire with a snip!
Then, he took a button-sized metal patch from his pocket and attached it to the bomb.
With that, he picked up the device and slipped it into his pocket.
Standing up, he calmly walked back to the elevator.
He pressed the button for the first floor.
[Tom: My dear Princess, mission accomplished. Bomb successfully disarmed. I also hacked the entire hotel’s surveillance system and wiped the storage.]
Second-Floor Stairwell
“Nicely done!”
Fang Xiaocao smiled at Tom’s message.
Tom was indeed reliable.
Choosing to spare him and make him work for her had been one of her best decisions.
She whispered to herself, then turned her focus back to Han Xue.
If Han Xue came upstairs, Fang Xiaocao would take care of her personally.
If Han Xue tried to run, then Tom would have to handle it.
“Tom, keep an eye on Han Xue. Don’t let her escape.”
She quickly messaged Tom.
[Tom: Don’t worry, Princess. I won’t let her get away.]
Hotel Lobby
Tom put his phone away and walked toward the hotel entrance.
The hotel lobby was too crowded—not ideal for action.
So, he decided to wait outside for Han Xue.
Based on his analysis, even if the bomb didn’t explode, Han Xue’s chances of trying to escape were over 90%.
With a bomb upstairs, she wouldn’t dare go back.
And if she tried hiding on the second floor, she’d run into Fang Xiaocao.
That was too risky.
Han Xue wouldn’t want to engage in direct combat right now.
If Fang Xiaocao shouted for help, escape would become impossible.
First-Floor Stairwell
Han Xue glanced at her phone.
The bomb should have already exploded by now.
But… there was no explosion.
A growing sense of unease filled her chest.
“No… I have to leave!”
She bit her lip, murmured to herself, and quickly walked toward the stairwell door.
Hotel Entrance
Just as Tom reached the front doors, he heard a sound behind him—the stairwell door creaking open.
He turned around.
At that moment, Han Xue emerged from the stairwell, heading toward the exit.
“Aha?”
“This woman is decisive!”
Tom muttered, watching her.
Just as he was considering his next move, a police car suddenly pulled up outside the hotel.
Officers Shi Guang and Xiao Li, along with two others, stepped out and hurried toward the entrance.
Tom’s eyes gleamed.
“They must have come because of my tip-off… perfect. I’ll just let them do the dirty work!”
With that thought, he positioned himself near the door.
As Shi Guang’s team pushed open the entrance, Han Xue—lowering the brim of her hat—stepped out.
Seeing her, Tom grinned mischievously and waved.
“Hi, Miss Han Xue, we meet again!”
(End of Chapter 165)
