Insights Chapter 3: Bus Exercise

Chapter 3: Bus Exercise

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

At four in the afternoon, in the medical examiner’s office at the City Bureau in Penang, Shen Junci’s phone rang. It was a message from Director Ding, indicating that the exercise was nearing its end, and he was asked to wait in the command center. Shen Junci stood up from his seat and walked towards the rear of Building 3. 

Since Director Ding took office, the Penang City Bureau had started emphasizing the physical fitness of the police force. A large area behind the City Bureau was allocated for a professional shooting range and training ground, equipped with indoor and outdoor scenarios and sports fields. All regular exercises and various training activities were conducted here.

The City Bureau’s exercises were officially called the Penang City Public Security Special Criminal Investigation Practical Combat Training, equivalent to a performance assessment for the police force. In the past, it was held annually as a routine activity. This year, Director Ding issued a new order linking the exercise to officers’ salaries and ratings. This significantly increased the importance of the exercise, turning it into a major event for the City Bureau halfway through the year, almost comparable to the year-end summary meeting.

The exercise lasted for about a week, with each department undergoing assessment and scoring. Key elements such as individual police skills, canine techniques, and bomb disposal exercises were evaluated. Today was the last day and the final stage of practical combat was underway.

As the previous exercise had just concluded – likely a bomb disposal drill – several officers in heavy protective suits were removing their gear. Nearby, heavily armed special forces personnel with firearms were resting, and a few explosion-proof shields were placed to the side.

Despite being an exercise, safety measures were crucial. Medical and firefighting personnel were stationed in the shade near the building, ready for any emergencies. As Shen Junci walked across the open space, he noticed a bus parked in the middle of the field. People were loading human models onto the bus.

Avoiding the crowd, he slowly walked to the back and arrived at the command center.

The City Bureau’s command center was modernly furnished, featuring a massive screen at the front that could switch between various signals. On the left and right were small compartments where several officers operated computers and various facilities, providing real-time updates.

In the center were several rows of leadership seats. At this moment, Director Ding was in the front, overseeing the command. Upon seeing Shen Junci, he greeted him and said, “Doctor Shen, please have a seat. We’re almost done here, and I’ll talk to you in detail later.”

Shen Junci took a seat in the back and looked up at the large screen. The ongoing footage showed recordings of previous exercises, including climbing, shooting, and bomb disposal, all proceeding smoothly. Young officers demonstrated agility and swift movements.

The leaders seemed in good spirits, chatting and laughing, appearing quite relaxed. The upcoming exercise was the final simulation – a scenario where criminals hijacked a bus, and the special forces had to strategize to rescue the hostages.

Bus hijacking training was a standard exercise for many city police departments, often included as an assessment subject. To capture the entire combat process, cameras were placed in different directions inside the bus. Director Ding gave the command, and the simulation officially began.

Everyone else in the command center became serious. Shen Junci, on the other hand, had nothing to do and watched as if he were an audience member watching a police action movie.

Around the bus, several batches of special forces were stationed, and some mannequin models were placed inside to simulate hostages. Some played the role of police, while others played the role of criminals.

Six pretend criminals, also police officers in disguise, entered the bus. This time, the individuals playing the criminals were selected by drawing lots from regular officers, excluding the special forces.

Deputy Director Chen, in charge of the military police, communicated the operational plan with Captain Wang of the special forces. “Remember the key points. Don’t use tear gas; it’s ineffective and may make the criminals desperate. Use snipers if possible. If not, resort to a strong assault. The goal is to end the battle within half an hour.”

Captain Wang quickly responded, “We are finding suitable sniper positions and preparing for the operation.”

In this situation, the preferred strategy was sniper action, ensuring the safety of the hostages and swiftly resolving the conflict. facing multiple criminals, multiple snipers had to be in position simultaneously to ensure the criminals were neutralized simultaneously, preventing them from harming the hostages and retaliating.

Director Ding frowned upon hearing this. He whispered to Deputy Director Dong beside him, “In the past, this tactical arrangement was fine, but today, this sniper method may not work.”

Deputy Director Dong was puzzled, “Why?”

Director Ding explained, “Do you know which officer got chosen as a criminal?”

Deputy Director Dong thought for a moment, “Gu Yanchen?!”

Director Ding nodded, “Sniping is his strength; he will definitely be on guard against the special forces snipers.”

At this point, Director Ding turned to the staff and said, “Check what the criminals are doing.”

A young officer quickly adjusted the camera to focus on a man at the back of the bus, giving the leaders a clearer view of the situation inside. It appeared that this man was the “leader” of the criminals in this simulation.

At this moment, he should be on guard against snipers, sitting cross-legged on the back seat of the bus. All the hijackers wore clown-like masks. The man pulled the clown mask up to his forehead, lowered his head, and counted the training equipment. Then, he quickly disassembled the modified gun in his hands, checking each training round.

Shen Junci also observed carefully. In the camera, the man lowered his head, revealing a high nose bridge and a handsome face. Seeing him after many years, Shen Junci felt his heart skip a beat. He furrowed his brow, placing five fingers tightly on his chest.

After a few seconds of pause, Shen Junci took a deep breath to calm himself down. Suddenly, he remembered what Lin Xianglan had said to him back then. He vividly recalled it was during a meal, Lin Xianglan proudly exclaimed, “This year, among the new recruits in our City Bureau, I’ve really found a treasure. Haven’t seen such an excellent rookie in years.”

At that time, Shen Junci, absent-minded, asked, “Is he really that outstanding?”

“Calm in handling situations, reliable in tasks, intelligent, and responsible. I plan to focus on nurturing him.” Lin Xianglan piled up a bunch of adjectives and added, “Even his name sounds nice – Gu Yanchen.”

That was the first time he heard that name. Shen Junci rested his head for a while, feeling the discomfort in his chest fade away. He then looked up at the progress of the exercise.

As it was a simulation, negotiations and similar stages were omitted. It was a straightforward confrontation between the defending and attacking sides.

The “hijackers” quickly prepared, clearing the back rows and moving the hostages to the window seats. Gu Yanchen handed out firearms and equipment to each person, arranging two individuals to hold the hostages from the front and back, vigilantly watching, while the other four hijackers gathered together.

Next, Gu Yanchen took out a deck of playing cards from his bag, shuffled them in his hands, and began dealing the cards. Several leaders from the City Bureau sat in the front row of the command center, wearing formal attire to highlight the formality of the day’s exercise. Shen Junci sat behind them, able to hear their conversation.

Deputy Director Chen sat on the left, squinting his eyes and twitching his mouth as he asked, “What are they doing?”

A police officer responsible for monitoring turned his head and replied, “Deputy Director Chen, they seem to be playing Landlord.”

Deputy Director Chen’s expression became even more unpleasant. “I know they’re playing cards, but what’s the purpose? And why bring a deck of cards to the exercise?”

Director Ding spoke up, “It was approved by me. You know that some props are allowed during the exercise. Gu Yanchen said… the exercise is too long, and they can’t use their phones, so he requested a deck of cards.”

Deputy Director Chen’s anger surged, “What kind of attitude is this? Are they looking down on our special forces? What’s the exercise for? Playing house?”

In his view, playing cards during an exercise was disrespectful. It would make people laugh if word got out.

Deputy Director Dong, responsible for criminal investigation, also known as Dong Yuanda, would soon be in charge of the Special Criminal Division that Gu Yanchen was joining. Naturally, he spoke in support of Gu Yanchen.

Dong Yuanda lightly chuckled, “Deputy Director Chen, don’t be so impatient. The exercise has just begun. Besides, this kind of simulation is more realistic. Can you predict what those criminals will do on the scene? Even if they are playing with water guns or blowing bubbles, you have to endure it and find a way to take control of the situation.”

This was indeed the truth. Criminals were unpredictable, and various unexpected situations often occurred at crime scenes.

Director Ding separated the bickering pair, “Ah, Old Chen, don’t get worked up. This exercise just started. Besides, Gu Yanchen drew the role of the ‘boss’. This is also a test for your special forces.”

Deputy Director Chen snorted and muttered, “Nonsense!”

Shen Junci sat in the back, watching the three leaders over fifty quarreling like children. He rested his chin on his fingers, contemplating as he observed the screen. He knew that someone like Gu Yanchen was practically synonymous with reliability. There was no way he would make a mistake in the exercise. Whatever he was doing, he must have a well-thought-out plan.

Even if displeasing, the exercise had to continue.

Deputy Director Chen contacted Captain Wang, “How is your sniper team prepared?”

Captain Wang replied, “We have identified three sniper positions and are discussing the plan.”

Deputy Director Chen said, “Speed up!”

Just as the conversation reached this point, the surveillance officer exclaimed, “Smoke is rising…”

Deputy Director Chen’s eyebrows raised, “Smoke? Where is the smoke coming from?”

Director Ding said, “Oh, right, Gu Yanchen also requested six electronic cigarettes.”

Through the cameras, the people in the command center saw the situation inside the bus. At this point, each hijacker had an electronic cigarette in their mouths, and they began to blow smoke rings. While they continued their conversation, a round of cards had already been played, and Gu Yanchen skillfully shuffled the deck. As time passed, the white smoke inside the entire carriage increased and continued to grow.

The windows were sealed, with only a small skylight at the top. The white smoke from the electronic cigarettes couldn’t dissipate, rapidly filling the carriage. Under the cover of the smoke, even the cameras started to blur.

Deputy Director Chen’s brow furrowed deeper, and he turned to question Director Ding, “Old Ding… why did you give them this stuff?”

Before Director Ding could respond, Deputy Director Dong chuckled, “A few electronic cigarettes, it’s not like they’re dangerous. Bringing them into the exercise is not illegal.”

Director Ding added, “Indeed, these electronic cigarettes were taken from the confiscated items collected by the Anti-Drug Division. We didn’t purchase them separately.”

Deputy Director Chen’s expression turned worse, and he twitched his mouth, “If he dares to ask, will you also give them a few bottles of beer and some kebabs?”

Snipers require high visibility, and this white smoke looked like an elusive mass. Despite being a small environmental factor, it obstructed the line of sight, posing a significant challenge to snipers. If hostages were accidentally harmed, they would undoubtedly lose this round.

Deputy Director Dong continued, “This exercise is too simple to reflect the brilliance and martial prowess of your special forces, Old Chen. You won’t be unable to handle it, will you?”

As Deputy Director Chen struggled to find a solution, communication resumed between the special forces and the command center.

“We have reached the sniper points, prepared for the sniper operation, but… due to the interference of white smoke, visibility is low, and there is a risk of accidentally harming the hostages.”

Hearing this, Deputy Director Chen’s expression changed, and he fell silent.

Captain Wang hesitated and asked, “Director Chen, should we proceed with the sniper operation?”

Deputy Director Chen’s blood pressure surged, and he stood up, cursing, “Snipe my ass! Prepare for a strong assault!”