Even though she had a good personal relationship with Zhan Mohan, and Wei Yumeng’s connection had saved her from being demoted, Mu Linjing felt too ashamed to continue in her position.
They said one must fulfill their duties when in office. Since her promotion, she had taken frequent leave. If she took another leave before the launch of the new project, her subordinates would surely be even more dissatisfied with her.
At that point, not only would it delay progress, but she would also have to face the accusations of her colleagues again.
Thinking of this, she knew she couldn’t just wait for fate to decide; she had to find a way to leave.
She left the rooftop in the dark, trying to find a way to break open the doors on the first floor.
Going down one floor at a time, she moved slowly due to the lack of light. The heavy sounds of her breathing and her slow footsteps could be clearly heard in the stairwell.
Under such circumstances, she could only encourage herself mentally, and then, sticking close to the wall, she slowly descended.
Seeing a light flash below, seemingly from a flashlight, she initially wanted to call for help. However, remembering why she was trapped there, she kept her mouth shut. What if the person was an enemy rather than a friend? She might be in danger.
So, she didn't continue downstairs but returned to the rooftop. At least the rooftop offered places to hide, preventing her from being completely exposed.
She took off her high heels and felt her way upstairs. Just as she found a hiding spot, two men carrying flashlights came up.
By the moonlight, she could vaguely see that their clothes were not neat, more like workers from a construction site in a nearby development.
They spoke with a strong local accent, but she could still understand what they were saying.
“Didn’t someone tell us a girl was coming? Why can’t we find anyone after looking around?”
“I don’t know. Everything here is locked up. We didn’t see anyone when we came up. It’s strange.”
Listening to their words, Mu Linjing’s hair stood on end. These two men were definitely here for her. Seeing that they were carrying cameras, she knew their intentions were impure.
Although the rooftop was large, there weren’t many places to hide. If they searched here for a while, she would be completely exposed.
Mu Linjing hesitated for a moment, then decided to slip away before they found her.
Fortunately, she was barefoot, and her movements made no sound. She quietly felt her way to the door. The two men hadn't turned around yet.
She immediately took off, her heart pounding faster than her steps on the stairs.
Holding her breath, she stumbled down the stairs. When she heard a noise from the exit on the first floor, she was terrified and dared not even breathe.
Pressing herself against the wall, she hesitated for a long time, unsure whether to go up or down.
Suddenly, the beam of a flashlight swept over her head. She was startled again. Those two men had come down.
She had no choice but to move down quietly, hoping that the person opening the door downstairs wouldn't notice her.
Clinging to a sliver of hope, she moved down step by step. Through the glass on the door, she thought the person looked very familiar. Upon closer inspection, it was Zhan Yichen.
She hurried down. Zhan Yichen was trying to pick the lock. Seeing her appear in the corridor, he didn't say anything and sped up his efforts.
Mu Linjing watched him pick the lock while listening to the footsteps of the two men above. Although still scared, knowing Zhan Yichen was just on the other side of the door gave her a sense of relief.
Perhaps, wherever Zhan Yichen was, she could feel at ease.
After all, Zhan Yichen was the one who had saved her from the plane crash. This ingrained trust could never be eroded.
Seeing that the two men were only one floor above them, Zhan Yichen finally managed to open the outer lock. He opened the door and pulled Mu Linjing into his arms.
Feeling her rapid heartbeat, Zhan Yichen gently patted her back, "I'm here, don't be afraid."
Mu Linjing didn't have time to explain anything to him, nor did she have time to ask why he was there. She simply urgently pointed upstairs.
The two men didn't think anyone else was in the building, so their conversation was quite bold. Zhan Yichen could naturally hear them. He gestured for Mu Linjing to be quiet, and they both went into his office.
He held a baseball bat and stood by the wall near the door.
The two men came down from upstairs. Seeing the door ajar, they exchanged glances, finding it strange. "Didn't they say all the doors in this building were locked?"
The other man was also confused, but he wasn't thinking about why this door was unlocked. Instead, he thought Mu Linjing might be hiding on this floor.
So, the two of them walked in, shining their flashlights around the office area without restraint. "Why is no one here?"
The sharp-eyed man noticed that Zhan Yichen's office door was also open. He called out to his companion, "There's another room over there. Maybe she's here."
The two men swung their flashlights and headed towards the office.
Zhan Yichen and Mu Linjing waited by the door. As they entered, Zhan Yichen swung the bat, hitting the man in front on the leg.
The man fell to the ground in pain. The man behind him noticed Zhan Yichen and charged at him, wrestling with him.
Zhan Yichen was naturally strong. Although it was a bit challenging to deal with someone who did physical labor for a living and had immense strength, he only took a few punches before subduing the man.
Mu Linjing seized the opportunity to pick up the flashlight from the ground and shine its bright light directly into the men's eyes. They couldn't open their eyes and therefore couldn't resist anymore.
Zhan Yichen held one of the men down and demanded, "Who are you, and why are you here?"
The man, with his arm twisted, cried out in pain and told the truth. "We're workers from nearby. Someone paid us to come."
The two exchanged a glance, knowing that this was no simple matter.
"Who hired you, and what did they want you to do?"
"A young girl. She said there would be a young girl waiting for us in this building tonight. She said she'd pay us extra, and all she wanted was for us to take some pictures of the girl after we were done."
Looking at the camera lying on the floor, Mu Linjing felt a chill run down her spine.
Everyone in the department knew she had been working overtime at the company these past few days. However, the person who would do this was likely only one person.
Zhan Yichen let out a heavy sigh and delivered a chop to each of the men's necks. They both passed out.
"Lock them in my office. We'll take them to the station tomorrow. We should leave now."
He found a climbing rope in his office, tied the two men together, locked the door, and then took Mu Linjing downstairs.
Only then did Mu Linjing realize that Zhan Yichen had heard about her working overtime every day and, fearing a repeat of the previous incident, had been waiting for her at the company every day.
Perhaps he was too tired today and accidentally fell asleep. When he woke up, he discovered that the entire building had lost power.
He thought he was the only one trapped here, not expecting Mu Linjing to also not leave.