Time ticked by, every second agonizing as if frying on a hot pan.
Ruan Qi had been kneeling on the ground for over twenty minutes now.
She wielded professional wire cutters, teasing apart the bomb's complex circuitry as if unraveling silk from a cocoon.
Sweat beads slid slowly down her smooth forehead, dripping off her chin as they traced her cheeks.
The air was so oppressive it seemed to split one's heart, and Bo Ye, standing by with a cell phone in hand, had palms drenched in sweat.
At Q Base, Xi Jiu stood motionless in front of the large screen.
A pair of bottomless black eyes fixed intently on the young girl in the video, his hands clenched into fists in his pockets.
No one dared to speak; even their breathing slowed down.
Ruan Qi's wire cutters slowly snipped a green wire.
Now, only four crucial wires remained on the bomb's timer.
The young girl wiped her sweat, her beautiful peach blossom eyes shining brightly.