Xiaotao told us to get in the car and as soon as our backs touched the seats, a loud boom sounded in the distance. Xiaotao drove on without turning back. I radioed an officer to ask what had happened, to which he reported, "The suspect threw a bomb at us but there are no casualties."

"Alright, be careful then!" I cautioned.

We sped towards the location where the hostages were held; two hostages were hidden at two different locations, dividing several police cars into two directions at the junction. Xiaotao, Dali and I headed to an old rented house in an urban village within the city. At the scene, I grabbed the wire from my pocket and got to work unlocking the door. A loud wail came from within the house, "Don't come in! Don't come in!"

Xiaotao’s gaze flicked up to meet mine, fearing that the push of the door would trigger some sort of mechanism. "We’re the police, here to save you!" I shouted through the door.

The man in the house asked, "Really? Hurry up,...