In my past life, my wife framed me as a serial killer. No matter what I did, I couldn’t prove my innocence. The victims’ families retaliated against my loved ones with the same ruthless methods. Some were brutally murdered, others were left unrecognizable, and I could do nothing but rot in prison. Then I opened my eyes again. I was back on the very day my wife went to the police station to file her report. Knowing that someone would die today, as in my past life, I tried to investigate the truth behind my wife’s accusations, only to find she had vanished into thin air. On my way home, I stumbled upon a bank being robbed. An idea sparked in my mind. “Yes, I’ll voluntarily take the pregnant woman’s place as a hostage.” … Detective Miller, the lead negotiator, froze for a few seconds. “You know those robbers inside have homemade guns, right? This could actually get you killed!” His eyes showed excitement, but mostly deep concern. He worried I didn’t understand the situation, or that I’d back out once I knew the real danger. But I just shrugged indifferently. “Doesn’t matter. If I die, just give me a Good Samaritan award or something.” I’d already died once, a death so utterly unjust. This time, I didn’t crave a heroic end. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t branded a serial killer again, and that my family wouldn’t suffer needlessly. That would be enough. “Alright, we’ll definitely make the most of this hostage exchange. Please, try not to be too nervous!” Detective Miller said earnestly, handing me a bulletproof vest. It was my first time wearing one of these things, and it felt strangely new. I almost thought I was playing some kind of military cosplay game. The police were already negotiating with the robbers inside the bank. I waited behind the line, ready for the exchange. “No! A woman should be exchanged for a woman!” “That guy clearly looks like your undercover!” The robber’s voice boomed. I rolled my eyes so hard. With my scrawny arms and legs, did I really look like a highly trained cop? “Stop messing around, watch this!” I bypassed the officers and walked directly into the center of the scene. Then, I started stripping, piece by piece. My jacket, bulletproof vest, sweater, pants, socks, even my shoes – everything came off until I was just in my boxer briefs. “Buddy, need me to take off more?” I asked, as the officers cuffed my hands behind my back. This move stunned not just the robbers, but even the police hadn’t seen anything like it. “This pregnant woman already has it hard enough. Why do you think she’s at a bank instead of a hospital? Probably because she has no one to look after her, right? She’s suffered enough, clinging on for her baby’s sake, and now you won’t even swap hostages? Are you trying to kill her?” I took two steps closer. The robber just stared, completely dumbfounded. With me looking like this, who could suspect I was up to something? “I’ve got nothing on me, and these handcuffs are on tight! If I *were* an undercover, you should be thrilled – you’d have a cop as a hostage! They’d have to be extra careful!” I continued to persuade the robber. Many onlookers were holding their breath. If even *this* didn’t work for a hostage exchange, then nothing would. Finally, a few minutes later, the robber shouted. “Walk in here with your hands up, no tricks!” Hearing that, I breathed a massive sigh of relief. I wanted to rush in immediately. In just a few hours, it would be the time “I” supposedly committed the crime in my past life, and then my loving wife, Eleanor, would go to the police station to give her false testimony. The police would find the murder weapon at my house, with my DNA on it. And there would be witnesses claiming to have seen me near the crime scene. ### 【Chapter 2】 Even surveillance cameras along the route, from when I left my house to the crime scene, would capture my face. But this time, I was going to find an alibi that would shatter all those lies! As I walked in, Sarah, the pregnant woman, was being released. She was trembling as she walked, but kept thanking me profusely. “You’re a good person, thank you!” “If you really want to thank me, help me out once this is all over.” I raised an eyebrow. Sarah looked stunned. She had no idea what I wanted her to do yet. But I was sure she’d find out soon enough. “Get in here!” The robber was cautious, always staying in a blind spot where the outside couldn’t see clearly. He dragged me inside, and the moment I entered, I felt a sharp blow to the back of my head. “You really aren’t a cop?” I could feel the cold barrel of a gun pressed against me. “Seriously, I’m not. See these handcuffs? Real enough for you?” I struggled a bit, and the cuffs only tightened. Only then did he come around to face me. He didn’t look like a vicious criminal. He scrutinized me. “Kid, aren’t you scared of dying?” the robber asked, frowning. “Scared of dying? Why? If I’m scared, I’m scared of dying unjustly. But I’m saving someone here, so this isn’t an unjust death!” I shrugged, looking at him. The robber stared blankly, then after a moment, he said, “You talk like you’ve died before. Let’s see if you’re still so tough when death is staring you in the face!” “You’re right, actually. I have died once before!” I sighed deeply. Remembering being executed as the most heinous serial killer of the century in my past life, the resentment in my heart threatened to burst. “You’re crazy, aren’t you? Get over there and sit quietly!” The robber gave me a weird look. I couldn’t be bothered to explain. All I needed was to stay here until nightfall. That way, no matter if someone died tonight, it would have nothing to do with me. Countless people could testify to my whereabouts! Time ticked by, minute by minute, and dusk began to fall. Outside, the police continued to negotiate with the robber, and the standoff intensified. “Stop your damn talking! Give me what I want, or I’ll kill one of them right now to show you I’m serious!” The robber’s emotions were clearly escalating. Even though he was alone, the three other hostages, besides me, were all women, tied together and completely helpless. “Chill out, man. You don’t seem like a bad guy. No need to go to such extremes, right?” I casually tried to dissuade him. The robber glared at me, then grabbed me and pushed me towards the bank entrance. “Listen up! I want a bulletproof SUV!” “I’m giving you five minutes to decide. One minute late, and I’ll break one of his legs!” By now, people outside were live-streaming the entire event, and a large crowd had gathered. The situation had dragged on for too long; even if the police wanted to control public opinion, it was useless. “Wait, isn’t that guy who stripped down Julian Sterling, the head of the Sterling Group?” “Holy moly, I think it really is him! I interviewed him once on the business channel!” Hearing the clamor of voices outside, I finally smiled. Come on, make sure my close-ups look good! The news spread rapidly online. The robber, too, unexpectedly learned my identity. His eyes widened in disbelief. “You, you’re the son of that huge company owner?” ### 【Chapter 3】 Along with his excitement, there was a hint of fear. While he might get a lot of money, it also meant much greater risk. I shrugged, unfazed. “Don’t worry, who I am doesn’t change anything.” At the same time, my dad got the news and rushed over, his heart pounding. His car hadn’t even fully stopped before he bolted out, trying desperately to break through the police tape. Seeing this, the officers quickly moved to stop him. “Sir, you can’t go in, it’s too dangerous!” Several officers managed to hold him back. “Our company pays so many taxes every year, contributes so much to society!” “And now you’re letting my son go in there to die? What kind of job are you doing?!” my dad roared furiously. The police understood his distress and didn’t fault him, patiently explaining the situation. “Mr. Sterling, your son volunteered to go in. He said he wanted to help others, and we’re doing our best to ensure his safety.” My dad froze at these words. He knew my personality well and couldn’t comprehend why I would make such a decision. But he didn’t dwell on it. He just grabbed a megaphone nearby and shouted into the bank. “Listen, robbers inside! Whatever amount of money you want, I’ll give it to you!” “Just please, don’t hurt my son!” “Or how about this, I’ll go in as a hostage, and you let my son out!” My eyes welled up. In my past life, he was just like this – no matter what I faced, he was always the first to step forward and shield me from the storm. In this life, I couldn’t let him suffer any harm again. I looked at the robber and said directly, “Don’t listen to him!” “Think about it, in this world, fathers save their sons, but do sons save their fathers? If you let me go, you can do whatever you want with *the old man*, and all the family fortune will be mine, won’t it?” The robbers exchanged glances, clearly stunned by my words. But after thinking it over, it seemed to make a strange kind of sense, so they didn’t agree to my dad’s exchange proposal. At this point, the robbers were even more curious, asking me why I was doing this. A rich kid like me, why not just enjoy life instead of getting mixed up in this mess? No matter how they looked at it, they couldn’t understand. “Are you really crazy?” They could only guess. Seeing their expressions, I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Nothing much, just wanted to experience a different kind of life.” “You guys probably aren’t trying to kill anyone, just after money, right? Don’t worry, I’ll cooperate, and I’ll even get you the money.” They exchanged puzzled looks. While they couldn’t grasp my motives, they didn’t say anything more. By now, many small influencers had set up their equipment and started live-streaming online. On the internet, countless people were curious why I would willingly become a hostage. Some thought I had ulterior motives, that it was a stunt or some secret agenda. But most people praised me, seeing me as a selfless hero. My mom, Mrs. Vivian Sterling, had also arrived. After learning the situation, she broke down crying, pleading with the robbers from outside. “Please, don’t hurt my son! I’ll give you any amount of money, I beg you!” Hearing my mother’s voice, a pang of sorrow hit my heart. Remembering how tragically she died in my past life because of me, I became even more determined to protect her.
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