Chapter 609: Chapter 412: Fury
She heard a whimpering sound, and with a sense of urgency, she jogged forward, shouting:
"Jun! Are you in there?"
The response to Minamoto Tamako was a series of dog barks. Jun seemed to have found someone to back him up, wagging his tail and barking aggressively.
Minamoto Tamako saw Jun lying in the hollow layer and also noticed the blue line on him. Her heart pounded wildly, and she quickly said, "Don’t move! Don’t move at all!"
Jun seemed to understand and indeed did not move, sitting still in place with his tail tucked.
The officer and the criminal police made space, allowing Minamoto Tamako to move closer and soothe the pet dog’s emotions.
Minamoto Tamako noticed the sutures on Jun and the blue line extending into them, making her heart ache. She reached out to touch Jun’s head and whispered, "It must hurt, doesn’t it?"
Jun whimpered again, as if complaining about his grievances.
"Sorry, you have to endure a bit more... we’ll get it off you soon..."
Minamoto Tamako stroked Jun’s head, signaling the veterinarian to start the surgery. Through the face shield of her bomb suit, she leaned close to Jun: "It might hurt a lot, but try to bear it."
Jun blinked at her, pressing his tail tightly.
Anyone could see that Jun was very scared.
The veterinarian took a deep breath, removed the bomb suit, opened the medical box, and began sterilizing the instruments. If the bomb exploded at such a close range, having a bomb suit or not made no difference—the outcome would still be death, just in different forms.
Everything served the surgery first; only after the surgery is done and the dog is still alive will he have a chance to leave alive.
The veterinarian knew the priorities; he donned gloves and a mask, shaved the stitches on Jun, carefully cleaned and disinfected them, and then cautiously cut open the sutures.
Jun flinched involuntarily from the pain, and Minamoto Tamako’s eyes reddened as she continuously murmured, "I’m sorry... Bear with it... Just a bit longer..."
With a spotlight over his head, under this sterile environment, the veterinarian gently opened the wound, vaguely seeing an indicator light flashing inside the abdominal cavity.
The bomb disposal expert was watching from the side and immediately used the walkie-talkie to report: "Report to the command center, there’s an electronic circuit inside the dog’s body!"
Not directly pulling out the blue line was the correct choice.
Kujo Yua did not act rashly. She chose to do her best and minimize risks. From this perspective, she was a competent commander.
But she was not a competent mother.
Kujo Yua knew this well, but she had no time to ponder these issues: "Continue the surgery, expand the visual field, and determine if the electronic circuit is linked to the organs."
The bomb disposal expert’s walkie-talkie was on public broadcast; the veterinarian heard the order as well. He lifted the wound slightly. Jun screamed in pain, but under Minamoto Tamako’s comfort, he didn’t struggle wildly, enduring the pain with sheer willpower.
A pool of blood gradually spread, and Jun’s breathing grew increasingly weak.
The bomb disposal expert confirmed no other adhesions or devices. Without needing a command station’s order, he made a prompt judgment—he removed the blood-soaked blue line.
The veterinarian also responded swiftly, immediately starting to clean the wound, re-stitch the incision, and give Jun a blood transfusion.
"He might not last much longer," the veterinarian’s forehead was covered in sweat, and he didn’t even bother to wipe it off: "Disarm the bomb quickly!"
After saying that, he was ready to flee.
The officer pinned him down, keeping him there, ready to treat Jun if he couldn’t hold on, needing to ensure the dog was alive until the bomb was defused.
The veterinarian felt Jun’s pulse: "There’s not enough time... He can hold on for half an hour at most."
Minamoto Tamako’s heart hung in suspension, and she hastily pleaded with the veterinarian to save Jun. The latter also looked helpless. A clever woman can’t cook without rice. How do you save a dog with an open abdominal cavity, which is also poisoned, in this environment?
He’s not a god!
The bomb disposal expert had no time to spare. As soon as he removed the blue line, he began the bomb defusal, injecting inert chemical agents inside the bomb while cutting off the fuse and sensing device.
These were intricate tasks—not necessarily finer than doing surgery, but certainly more pressured.
As a competent bomb disposal expert, not only does he require immense stress resistance, but he also needs the ability to remain patient in crisis situations. He meticulously executed each bomb defusal step, time ticking away moment by moment. He didn’t dare to hasten for a second.
The officer struggled desperately beside him to buy time, nearly roaring at the veterinarian to make sure this dog stays alive no matter what.
"I, I brought adrenaline. If he’s about to go, I can give him a shot but..."
The veterinarian paused, looking at Minamoto Tamako: "After that, he won’t make it; it’ll only stall for a while."
The officer didn’t care about Minamoto Tamako’s feelings, sternly ordering: "Watch its condition. If it is about to die, administer the shot! If one doesn’t work, give it another, until the bomb is defused!"
Hearing this, Minamoto Tamako bit her lower lip and remained silent.
She knew the gravity of the situation, wouldn’t delay big matters due to personal feelings. To some extent, she was similar to Kujo Yua.
Time raced by, everyone on the front line frantically busy.
The command center could only serve as backup, meeting their demands at all costs, shielding them from all interference.
The clock at the center of the command station ticked away, like the march of death closing in.
Ten minutes passed.
Twenty minutes passed.
The five people on the frontline were approaching exhaustion, even Minamoto Tamako was mentally drained, only able to stroke Jun repeatedly, comforting him to endure a bit longer, promising she’d take him away.
Jun no longer responded. He lay on his side in the hollow layer, motionless with eyes squinted.
The veterinarian continuously listened to Jun’s heartbeat through a stethoscope, swallowing and said, "He... can’t hold on much longer."
"Administer the adrenaline." The officer didn’t hesitate.
Choosing this line of work, naturally, the veterinarian liked small animals. He also didn’t want to be the executioner, but as Minamoto Naoaki said, life inherently varies in significance and rank. He had no other choice.
The veterinarian removed the pre-prepared adrenaline syringe, inserted the needle into Jun’s body, and pushed the adrenaline in.
In a blink, Jun’s heart regained vigor, breathing grew labored, and his spirits revived greatly, even wagging his tail at Minamoto Tamako.
"Ow..."
Jun extended his tongue, licking Minamoto Tamako’s hand through the bomb suit.
Minamoto Tamako felt her heart sink bit by bit. She forced a smile, not wanting Jun to leave in sorrow.
The veterinarian had done all he could. He patted Minamoto Tamako’s shoulder, saying, "If there’s anything you want to say, say it now."
Then he, not even bothering to pack his medical kit, prepared to dash out.
The officer grabbed him, telling him to stay and prepare another shot. The veterinarian could only smile bitterly, saying, "There’s simply no spare shot planned. After this one, even administering a hundred more would be useless."
"How long will this shot last?" the officer asked.
"Ten to fifteen minutes," the veterinarian said, "it could be even shorter; he can’t hold on."
"That’s enough." The bomb disposal expert didn’t turn, still busy with his work.
Indeed, there was nothing more for the veterinarian there, so the officer had to let him go.
The walkie-talkie abruptly sounded, with the command post transmitting orders again: "Everyone except the bomb disposal expert, evacuate immediately."
The officer glanced at Minamoto Tamako: "We’ve already made our resolutions..."
"That’s an order!!" The voice on the other side intensified: "Don’t make me repeat myself!!"
The officer took a deep breath, along with another criminal police officer, pulling Minamoto Tamako and softly saying: "Officer Minamoto, let’s go."
Minamoto Tamako didn’t say anything. She deeply gazed at Jun, clenched her fist, and took steps backward.
The red light in the basement grew dimmer, Jun lay deep in the hollow layer, slowly fading into the darkness.
At that moment, Minamoto Tamako felt the profound malice of the bomb placer. Unlike the Heavenly Punishment murderer, the person took pleasure in taunting and wantonly destroying what others held dear.
Never before had she been so angry, a flame seemingly erupting from within her chest.