Qi Xia looked troubled. He had just tried, and the barb on this harpoon was so intricately designed that it was basically impossible to pull from the body. Watching the fresh blood gush out, Qi Xia fell into a daze.
Were they really dead? Could dead people... also be injured? Qi Xia composed himself.
Now was not the time to ponder this question; he had to cut the rope immediately. Right now, all the harpoons were slowly retracting. How could they use another harpoon to cut his rope?
The only thing he could be sure of was that when the ropes fully retracted into the wall, the harpoons would all disappear, and Han Yimo would die.
"We have to find a way to get one of the harpoons... But how..."
Qi Xia's brows knitted slightly as he quickly scanned his surroundings. He could only take another gamble. He grabbed two of the slowly retreating harpoons from the ground, then quickly tied their ropes together, making a dead knot.
"Hey! Stop crowding around Han Yimo," Qi Xia called out.
"Everyone, do what I'm doing! We need to secure at least one harpoon."
Lin Qin understood his meaning instantly. She also found two harpoons and tied a knot with clean, swift motions. But the knot she tied was a strange shape, one Qi Xia had never seen before.
He didn't have time to dwell on it; he could only focus on the two harpoons in front of him. As the ropes continued to retract, the two lines pulled taut against each other. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before one of the ropes snapped, leaving the other one behind.
Qi Xia slowly backed away. The two ropes were now emitting a terrifying groaning sound. If he guessed correctly, a rope snapping under such immense tension could injure someone.
Sure enough, in the next second, one of the ropes snapped with a loud crack. The other rope, still attached to its harpoon, whipped wildly through the air a few times before slamming viciously onto the ground, carving a deep gash. Qi Xia rushed forward, hoping to untie the broken rope from the harpoon before it retracted into the wall.
But he found that due to the immense pulling force, the two ropes that had been tied together were completely warped. Never mind untying the knot, it was difficult to even make out its original shape.
"I've got it!"
Lin Qin shouted from nearby.
"Who's strong? Quick, help cut his rope!"
"Got it?"
Qi Xia turned his head and saw that Lin Qin's knot had been remarkably clever; it had come apart on its own the moment the rope snapped. Officer Li hadn't even managed to tie his first knot yet. Hearing her words, he quickly dropped the harpoons he was holding and said, "I'll do the cutting, give it to me!"
After taking the harpoon, Officer Li hurried over in a few large strides, reaching Han Yimo just as he was about to be dragged to the wall. Fortunately, while the harpoon in his hand looked like it only had a pointed tip, it had a small, sharpened edge, sufficient to be used as a knife.
Seeing the situation, Qiao Jiajin also came forward to help. Even though Qi Xia had thought of a solution in the first instance, Han Yimo was now less than half a meter from the wall. The tearing pain made it impossible for Han Yimo to resist.
He could only let the rope pull him slowly backward, otherwise the barb in his chest would make him wish for death. Officer Li grabbed the rope behind him and, after a moment's thought, aimed for the section closest to Han Yimo's body and began sawing at it with the sharp harpoon.
His hand was very steady, every cut landing precisely on the rope. But the rope was tougher than he had imagined; after several strokes, he had only managed to make a small notch. He quickly sized up the situation and realized it was tricky.
Although the rope would eventually be severed, what they lacked most right now was time. In less than a minute, Han Yimo's body would be against the wall, and it would become impossible to cut the rope from behind.
"Damn it, aren't you done yet?"
Qiao Jiajin asked anxiously.
"You're so slow, you're going to get this poor bastard killed!"
"Shut your trap!"
Officer Li snapped coldly, and then put more strength into his efforts. As Han Yimo's body drew ever closer to the wall, Officer Li's face was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. It had to be said, his mental fortitude was impressive.
Even though the air was thick with tension and pressure, he hadn't made a single slip with the small harpoon, with every cut landing precisely in the notch he'd already made. But with Han Yimo now less than thirty centimeters from the wall, it became difficult for Officer Li to move his arms.
With quick eyes and swift hands, Qiao Jiajin moved directly behind Han Yimo, using his own body as a buffer. This way, although Han Yimo would be injured prematurely, the distance between him and the wall would remain fixed for a short time.
"Cop! Hurry up!"
Officer Li held his breath and continued sawing. The rope was now more than halfway through, but still holding on. Han Yimo let out constant, agonizing wails.
The harpoon had pierced through his body, and now its barb was digging viciously back into his chest. His clothes were soaked in blood, a truly horrifying sight.
"Am I... am I going to die...?"
Han Yimo said through gritted teeth.
"I'm really dying, aren't I... Who on earth wants to kill us..."
"Be a man!"
Officer Li said sternly.
"So many people are trying to save you, so stop your damn crying!"
Hearing this, Han Yimo immediately fell silent. He knew Officer Li was right. Everyone was running around trying to help him; he couldn't be the one to hold them back.
The barb dug deep into Han Yimo's flesh and blood. He let out a muffled groan, gritting his teeth relentlessly. Seeing this, Doctor Zhao quickly picked up a strip of cloth and shoved it into his mouth.
After all, people in extreme agony can sometimes shatter their own teeth. The group crowded around Han Yimo. A short twenty seconds stretched on for what felt like hours as Officer Li sawed at the rope without a hint of disarray.
Finally, with one last decisive cut, the tough rope was severed. At the same instant, both Han Yimo and Qiao Jiajin lost their footing and collapsed to the ground. The others immediately rushed forward to help them up.
It seemed Han Yimo's life was saved. Doctor Zhao immediately pulled Han Yimo aside and began to inspect his wound. The injury was much as he had expected; the harpoon would still have to be pulled out from the front.
The most difficult problem now was stopping the bleeding. Doctor Zhao pondered for a long while, and in the end, he used several strips of cloth to pack the wound around Han Yimo's harpoon.
"Hey, Doctor, aren't you going to remove the harpoon for him?"
Qiao Jiajin asked.
"I can't take it out. He'll die if I do," Doctor Zhao said, his face grave.
"Die?"
Qiao Jiajin was bewildered. He stepped forward and shoved Doctor Zhao.
"What are you talking about? We went through all that trouble, and you're just going to let him die?"
"I am saving him!"
Doctor Zhao impatiently shook off Qiao Jiajin's hand.
"To put it bluntly, the only way he stays alive is if this harpoon stays in his body."
"Why?"
Xiao Ran, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but ask.
"If the harpoon is removed, all that will be left is a wound that won't stop bleeding. Death would only be a matter of time," Doctor Zhao answered calmly.
"As it is now, if we leave the harpoon in, he'll be in excruciating pain, but at least he won't die from blood loss. The smaller wounds around it will clot soon enough and stop bleeding for now."