Chapter 238: Bank Robbery
"Could it be that Penny is just a cover for you? In reality, you've been eyeing my brother this whole time?" Ron thought of a possibility.
Everyone remained silent, scooting their chairs a step away from Leonard.
"No, I'm perfectly straight. I was planning to take Penny with me anyway," Leonard explained hastily.
"Oh, okay, then I guess you're going to face a very awkward situation when you get home."
Leonard could only look to Ron for help: "Ron, what do you say—can you help me talk to Sheldon?"
"Talk to him? No, I want to talk to you instead," Ron cleared his plate and wiped his mouth with a napkin satisfactorily: "Although our Cooper family are devout Baptists, we're still accepting of different lifestyles. My uncle Mitchell, for example, married his partner Cameron, and the two of them adopted a Vietnamese baby, so if you really have feelings, you don't have to hide them."
"No, I swear I have absolutely zero interest in Sheldon." Leonard raised his hand and swore: "I only love Penny."
"Then I guess you're going to be in hot water when you get home." Ron stood up: "Thanks for lunch, guys. The Caltech cafeteria is definitely decent, but there's still room for improvement. Maybe next time I can take you all to experience the food at the IRS headquarters."
"Good luck!" Ron patted Leonard's shoulder and said goodbye. Everyone gave him sympathetic looks. Everyone knew Sheldon was someone who would never give up until he got his way.
A showdown was about to happen in the apartment, but that wasn't Ron's concern anymore. He was already heading to Hollywood Boulevard. Just two hours earlier, he had received a text from Hobbs requesting backup.
The man, whose cognitive abilities were somewhat limited because his brain was packed with muscle, had another problem he couldn't solve. Without any competent subordinates, he had to turn to Ron for assistance again.
On Hollywood Boulevard, near the bank, the FBI perimeter was packed with gawkers, constantly pushing forward, pulling out their phones trying to get footage. The cops could only push them back.
The media had already swarmed like sharks smelling blood, setting up cameras outside under the banner of press freedom and pointing them inside.
If they could capture the robbers, that would be a scoop. If they could capture law enforcement being humiliated, that would be even better.
"What's the current situation in there?" Ron ducked under the police tape, casually flashed his credentials, dismissed the two officers maintaining the perimeter, and walked straight to Hobbs.
"As you can see, we got a call three hours ago. A patrol officer here noticed unusual smoke coming from the bank. He was about to investigate when the robbers inside aimed a weapon at him and told him to mind his own business. That's when we discovered this bank was being robbed."
Hobbs shouted in frustration, "Ron, can you believe this? It's the 21st century, and there are still morons who think robbing a bank is a good idea! They don't take law enforcement seriously at all!"
"Let me correct you. It's not law enforcement—it's you they don't respect, so it's not us." Ron was ready to throw shade as soon as he opened his mouth, but Hobbs was asking for help, so he had to bite his tongue.
"In that case, why not just take out the perpetrators? What's the holdup? Why waste time?"
"The problem is there are fifty hostages inside! And these guys are clever, constantly releasing smoke from every window and entrance. Our sharpshooters can't get a clear shot. A tactical breach would definitely endanger the hostages, so we're stuck."
"What a pain! Being law enforcement in Moscow is way more straightforward. I could just storm in there. I'd make them regret ever being born," Hobbs complained angrily.
Ron checked his watch. "So, the incident occurred around 10 AM, right? You've been in a standoff until now? Not even a probe attempt?"
"No, I gave the order, but was overruled. Those reporters showed up too fast. If there's footage of hostages getting killed or wounded on TV, I'll definitely be the scapegoat. I'm not an idiot,"
Hobbs said. Even a muscle-head can show wisdom sometimes.
While Hobbs was explaining, Ron carefully compared the bank's blueprints provided by Hobbs's team with the actual building.
The bank had been operating for sixty years. There were no adjacent buildings, and there were no exits besides the front and rear entrances.
"How did they get in? Did surveillance capture any footage of their faces or builds? At least let's confirm the identities of this crew first."
"No, nothing." Speaking of this, Hobbs became even more frustrated: "They just released a hostage. According to the hostage, they infiltrated the bank disguised as maintenance workers, and as soon as they entered, they used some kind of electronic device to disable all the cameras inside.
And I had the tech unit run the plates on their vehicle. It was reported stolen two days ago. There are no prints or other evidence on it, as if no one ever drove it. This crew must have been planning this for months!"
"Obviously, anyone who robs a bank will have a comprehensive plan. You said they released a hostage? What kind of person? Why did they let him go?" Ron showed some interest in the hostage.
"That was a 73-year-old man, released after having a cardiac episode. He also brought out a note requesting we send in food."
"So you complied?"
"What choice did I have? There are reporters out there." Hobbs gestured outside, triggering another barrage of camera flashes.
"Well, I have to admit, you made the wrong call. I really shouldn't have expected a meathead like you to show any tactical intelligence." Ron spread his hands.
"You're not thinking of lacing the food with sedatives, are you? Come on, don't be so naive, okay? Even I know the cops sent food and made a hostage taste-test it first." Hobbs, finding a rare moment of intellectual superiority over Ron, quickly gloated.
"I had a better idea. I had my guys deliver pizzas and then planted listening devices in the pizza boxes. We'll know what they're saying soon."
Ron shook his head. He felt that Hobbs's intelligence was truly hopeless. But he also found this crew of robbers to be somewhat unusual.
"Trust me, these guys are smarter than you think. I bet they'll spot a simple trick like a bug. Want to bet on it?"
(End of this chapter)
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