As Yang Xu casually reloaded his pistols, the bank erupted with the piercing wail of sirens. A bank employee, amidst the earlier chaos, had triggered the alarm.
Yang Xu, however, wasn't fazed. This was part of his plan. The nearest police station was only a few blocks away, and the post-rush hour streets meant they'd arrive within ten minutes.
Ignoring the huddled hostages, he retrieved the discarded pistols and turned to face them.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" he announced, his voice laced with amusement. "It's robbery time! Men to the left, women to the right, and those who are… ambiguous, stand in the middle. Thank you!"
His blend of humor and threat kept the panicked crowd in check. Surprisingly, no one claimed to be "ambiguous."
"Remember," he continued, "I'm here for the bank's money, not yours. Cooperate, and no one gets hurt!"
With the hostages organized, Yang Xu handed the suitcase to a terrified teller. "Fill it up. And if there's extra, empty the drawers!"
He then addressed the bank manager, who was trembling among the male hostages. "Mr. Manager, you know where the security controls are, right?"
The manager nodded, his eyes wide with fear.
"Good. Close the security doors and lower the window shields."
"What?"
"You heard me. We're going to have a lovely morning together."
The manager, bewildered, obeyed when Yang Xu raised his pistol. The bank's rolling shutters and window shields descended.
"Excellent! Thank you for your cooperation," Yang Xu said. "Now, everyone with a jacket, take it off and hang it on the window bars."
"Bang!" Another gunshot punctuated his command. The hostages, now thoroughly cowed, complied.
By the time Yang Xu finished his preparations, the police had arrived. Dozens of squad cars surrounded the bank.
An officer, seemingly in charge, stepped forward with a megaphone. "Robbers inside! This is the Manhattan Police. You are surrounded. Surrender now!"
Yang Xu, peering through the gaps in the hanging jackets, grinned. "Too bad my pistols don't have the range to snipe the leader. Missed opportunity for legendary points!"
He noticed a squad of heavily armed officers, likely a SWAT team, quietly positioning themselves.
"They're serious," he mused.
He instructed a hostage to exit with his cell phone. The man, shaking uncontrollably, crawled through a partially opened security door.
"I'm a hostage! Don't shoot! I have a bomb!" he sobbed, his eyes fixed on the array of black gun barrels.
The sheriff, spotting the cylindrical objects strapped to the hostage, hesitated. "Everyone, hold your fire! We can negotiate!"
The hostage's cell phone crackled to life. "I'm the robber. Who's the sheriff? Are you in charge?"
The sound of rustling paper followed.
"I'm John Garcia," the sheriff replied, wary. "You're surrounded. Surrender!"
"Hello, Sheriff John. Call me the Joker," Yang Xu's voice echoed through the phone.
"The Joker? Never heard of you," John said, then raised his megaphone. "Mr. Joker, you seem calm. You must know your situation!"
"You're surrounded. Don't resist. Surrender—"
"Surrender? No thanks," Yang Xu interrupted.
John, ignoring the cell phone's unexpectedly loud volume, asked, "What do you want?"
"You wouldn't understand. But I'm willing to negotiate."
Yang Xu glanced at the hidden SWAT team. "I'm alone. Forty-two hostages, all alive. Two guards shot in the legs, but they'll survive. That's my situation. What's yours, Sheriff?"