For half a second, no one moved. Then chaos detonated.
"Where?" Jia snapped, already turning towards the staircase.
"Basement level! Timer is active!" the officer shouted, sprinting up the basement.
The calm but eerie air of the crime scene dissolved into the rush of scraping boots and shouted orders. Evidence markers toppled all over.
Mingshen was on his feet instantly, his hand reaching out to grab Jia's arm without a second thought.
"Evacuate," he said sharply, voice cutting through the panic with clarity, yet a hint of anxiety remained in his own subconscious. He didn't know why. He couldn't understand why.
If this was before, the threat of a bomb wouldn't have caused even a drop of sweat to form across his brows, yet the news strangely sent jitters down his chest.
Jia said, "But the body-"
"Forget the body. We don't have time to move it."
Another officer stumbled up the stairs. "A minute! Even less than that!"
