Chapter 141: The Heist

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“Are you sure the police station is this way?” Ji Ning finally couldn’t hold back and asked.

“Hmm, it should be, right?” Qin Mo replied sheepishly. The excitement she had just felt had completely overshadowed her sense of direction. She only remembered a vague general direction, and as it turned out, she was mistaken.

Ji Ning shrugged and prepared to ask another passerby for directions. Perhaps due to the freezing weather, the streets of Norway weren’t very crowded. People aimlessly wandering like them were even rarer, so there weren’t many candidates for Ji Ning to choose from. He casually approached a hurried middle-aged woman.

Unexpectedly, this woman was not as friendly as the previous passersby. When she saw Ji Ning approaching, she didn’t show any willingness to help but instead quickened her pace and started jogging in the opposite direction.

Ji Ning’s curiosity surged, and he sped up. Physically, he had a clear advantage. But just as he stopped the woman, she suddenly yelled at the top of her lungs, “Help! Someone’s robbing me!”

Ji Ning looked baffled. Who robs people out on the street these days? Usually, such things happen in alleys, not in broad daylight.

“Wait, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I just want to ask for directions. My companion and I are lost,” Ji Ning took a few steps back, spreading his hands to show he meant no harm.

Only after Qin Mo caught up and they explained did the tall, blonde, blue-eyed Norwegian woman relax. Ji Ning then noticed she was clutching a paper bag.

“Sorry, I just came out of the bank...” she said.

The apology should have come from Ji Ning, really. Anyone coming out of a bank and suddenly being chased would naturally try to avoid people.

Ji Ning sincerely apologized this time. After confirming the direction to the police station, he watched the Norwegian woman walk away holding the bag, but he didn’t immediately leave. Instead, a strange expression crossed his face.

Qin Mo’s heart skipped a beat. Knowing Ji Ning well, she was certain he wasn’t thinking anything good.

Sure enough, Ji Ning turned and stared intently at the building the woman had just come out of. Though he couldn’t read Norwegian, she had already told him it was a bank.

“Qin Mo?”

“No.”

“I haven’t even said what I want to do yet.”

“But that’s a bank! Even though we’re in a dream, if it’s just the two of us, we could still get caught.”

Ji Ning looked at Qin Mo in surprise. “When did I say I wanted to rob a bank? I just want to see if I can use a real-world credit card. Your idea sounds a bit unlawful.” He pulled out a familiar black card from his pocket. This card was second in importance only to the girl beside him. He even kept it in his pajama pocket when sleeping, and naturally, it had followed him into the dream.

Qin Mo ignored his teasing and began thinking seriously. Finally, she said, “It probably won’t work. No matter how realistic the dream is, it’s still just a mental world.”

Ji Ning whistled. “Trying won’t hurt. If it actually works, that would make things a lot easier. Even in a dream, money’s still valuable.”

Qin Mo considered this too. It couldn’t hurt to try. If it worked, they wouldn’t have to lie to the police. They could just buy mountains of tiramisu and put up signs offering free samples to lure a certain girl.

“Darling, your bank robbery plan is certainly eye-catching, but if we really rob a bank, don’t you think we’re missing something on our faces?”

“What?”

“Stockings, darling. Specifically, your stockings. Though they were invented for men, I’m not wearing any.”

Qin Mo’s face flushed. She ignored him, but Ji Ning quickly guessed the reason for her blush. The gentle, reserved, pure girl rarely wore anything revealing. Even during their long time at Deer Academy, he never saw her in anything skimpy. When they went to the movies, she’d only wear a simple white long dress. If he looked too long, she’d shyly grab the hem. Most of the time, she wore the academy uniform, designed for physical training, so the girls’ uniform was a sporty casual style with no skirts. As for revealing outfits, that was unthinkable—Ji Ning knew well the strict anti-flirtation rules of Chinese school uniforms.

“Darling, maybe you should try embracing a more mature style?”

Qin Mo suddenly stopped walking, hands behind her back. She approached Ji Ning gently and softly said, “Then you choose. I only wear it for you.”

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Ji Ning had to admit that faced with the pure and lovely girl’s unabashed affection, he felt awkward like a child. When Qin Mo giggled mischievously, he came to his senses and took the chance to kiss her on the cheek as a gesture or playful retaliation. Her fair, exquisite face visibly flushed. She covered the kissed cheek and chased after him playfully as they walked into the bank.

Sunlight shone on the polished marble floor. A pristine white statue of Njord stood in the most prominent spot in the lobby—the Norse god of summer and the sea, who governs summer, oceans, storms, fishing, and wealth. A few bank clerks were conducting business behind silver-gray counters. A khaki Norwegian Forest cat lay lazily in a patch of sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the pair.

The moment they entered, Ji Ning spotted an old acquaintance. Perhaps the three Norns were watching over them, subtly weaving their destinies with the dream’s master. A girl wrapped tightly in a cashmere coat and wearing black sunglasses sat in the center of the lobby.

Though she tried to conceal herself, longtime companions recognized her at once.

“Afra!” Ji Ning and Qin Mo exchanged glances. After a brief silent exchange, they decided Qin Mo should approach Afra.

But before she could get close, the unexpected happened.

Afra suddenly pulled a black handgun from her coat and fired three shots, shouting, “Everyone get down! I just want the money. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Ji Ning and Qin Mo were stunned. Of course, only Afra would attempt a bank robbery in a dream. To avoid being shot—whether or not Afra had lost her memory—they both dropped to the ground immediately.

But Ji Ning soon had to get up again. The romantic notion of robbing a bank alone sounded good in theory, but anyone who thought they could pull it off solo was destined to spend the rest of their life in prison.

The great sage and master of robbery, Hermann Lam, had once summarized the industry standard—the famous Lam Method:

1. Prepare weeks in advance;

2. Pioneer “casing”: scout the bank, make diagrams, even pose as a reporter to learn internal operations;

3. Assign roles: lookout, lobby person, vault handler, driver;

4. Conduct rehearsals in a warehouse;

5. Strictly follow the schedule—leave immediately when time’s up, money or not;

6. Scout escape routes for different weather and calculate times;

7. Attach detailed maps to the car’s dashboard, accurate to a tenth of a mile.

From all appearances, Afra’s impulsive robbery had no preparation at all. If nothing went wrong, that would be the biggest surprise.

Perhaps because it had been years since they’d seen a traditional robber, the two bank guards were momentarily stunned but quickly reacted.

Their eyes met: two against one, advantage to us! In these peaceful days, such a situation was rare. The two Vikings recalled their ancestors’ glory and drew their guns, preparing for a modern duel.

While they drew, silly Afra was still talking to the bank clerks behind the counter. “Please help me get some money. Not too much—just enough to fill this bag...”

When the guns were aimed at Afra, Ji Ning and Qin Mo had to act. They couldn’t gamble on whether the guns were loaded.

Ji Ning lunged forward and kicked one guard’s gun away. Qin Mo swiftly picked it up, released the safety, and without hesitation, fired.

The ringing in the ears reminded Fredis what had just happened. The bullet missed his head by inches, but he lost all courage to gamble on whether the next shot would go astray.

Ji Ning apologized while taking Fredis’s gun, “Sorry, please all lie down over there with the others.”

The bank fell silent after the shot. Customers and staff held their breath, hoping not to attract attention.

Afra paused briefly, then walked straight over, making Ji Ning and Qin Mo nervous. But her next words dispelled the tension.

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“Hey, buddy, are you here to rob the bank too?”

Ji Ning was speechless. True to form. He nodded absentmindedly, then gave Qin Mo a look. She nodded, handed him the gun, and ran outside.

Afra babbled on, “What a coincidence! This is my first time robbing a bank. I don’t know if there’s a first-come, first-served rule. But if you’re in a hurry, I can have the teller start packing your money first...”

Ji Ning glanced at the terrified tellers and thought: police will probably arrive in five minutes at most. Are you not afraid of having money but no life to spend it? Oh right, the Nordic countries have abolished the death penalty, but getting caught means spending half your life in prison.

Afra was like an overly curious child, never stopping. “Where did your partner go? Oh, and why aren’t you wearing masks? Aren’t you afraid of being wanted by the police?”

Ji Ning gave her a sharp look. Who expects something like this when entering a bank? If it weren’t for you, how would we become robbers? Well, judging by your look, Adonis must have erased your memories of reality.

“She went to prepare the getaway car. If I were you, I wouldn’t still be here asking questions. How do you plan to leave afterward?”

“I have a car.”

“Your own car?” Ji Ning paused.

“Of course. I’m robbing a bank, not stealing a car,” Afra said matter-of-factly.

Ji Ning sighed. “There’s no point talking to someone like you who’s just here to boost police stats. Just follow us later.”

Afra looked puzzled. “Why?”

“The police will trace you through your car. Given your lack of planning, they’ll probably be waiting at your house before you get there.”

Afra nodded, looking rather dim-witted. Maybe it was just his imagination, but she seemed adorably silly, like the penguins he’d seen at the aquarium—doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and acting cute.

Outside the bank, sirens blared. Ji Ning put the guns—his, Afra’s, and the guard’s—on the floor. Running from the police with a gun is a whole different level from running unarmed. He frowned when he saw Afra’s gun—it was too light. Upon closer inspection, he was amazed again by her boldness: it was a toy gun.

Ji Ning placed all three guns on the floor, then looked at Afra, worried she might have another plan. “Let’s go.”

“But the teller hasn’t filled my bag yet,” Afra hesitated, pointing to her bag with professional concern.

Without a word, Ji Ning picked up the toy gun and went to the counter. Within seconds, he had a bag full of money.

Outside, Qin Mo sat in a sleek black Tesla Model X. Ji Ning tossed the bag-carrying Afra into the back seat, then opened the passenger door and climbed in.

Afra immediately asked, “Where are we going?”

Ji Ning replied casually, “To the edge of the world.”

Driving in the cold polar country, Qin Mo smiled faintly. It seemed every direction beckoned her—the world’s end. For some reason, it felt quite romantic.

Afra exclaimed, “Wow! You two are the coolest criminals I’ve ever seen!”

Ji Ning opened his phone to check the map and replied mercilessly, “You’re the worst we’ve ever seen.”

And so, under the March sun of Tromsø, the trio known as the “Seekers of the Forgotten” reunited in an unexpected way, thanks to a dramatic bank robbery.