Chapter 101: The Room Has a Secret Passage

“State your terms.” Jiang Li’s handsome face was twisted slightly with rage, his voice suppressed but his anger bursting forth between clenched teeth.

The caller seemed intent on provoking Jiang Li, describing how he would torment Xu An’an without ever revealing his true motive.

Like a devil whispering, “The mistakes you made—let her pay the price!”

Laughter echoed, wild and cruel.

Then the call abruptly ended.

Jiang Li dialed back, only to find the number was already disconnected. The caller had clearly come prepared, yet Jiang Li’s decision to bring Xu An’an to the hot springs had been purely spontaneous.

Either the perpetrator could foresee the future, or it was a coincidence.

He leaned toward the latter.

Lake Island Resort was not yet open to the public; many areas were still being improved, and workers lived nearby, making the crowd unpredictable.

It wouldn’t be surprising if someone slipped inside during the commotion.

But what mistake had he made?

Jiang Li searched his memories, convinced he’d done nothing wrong. Anyone claiming otherwise must be one of his defeated adversaries.

To the victor belong the spoils; to the vanquished, disgrace.

Such is the unchanging law of this world.

With this in mind, Jiang Li instructed his assistant Wang to investigate. He wanted to know who, after losing to him, had refused to accept defeat, vowed revenge, and had lately been active in the city.

Even though the scope was narrowed significantly, Wang’s head was still spinning.

Those assigned to this task felt the same.

Jiang Li had far too many enemies, and all those who’d crossed him had been crushed, left with no chance to rise again.

They wondered who could be so desperate, so reckless as to seek revenge against Second Master Jiang.

Wang urged them to move quickly: “Our top priority is to find Miss Xu and ensure her safety.”

To impress upon everyone the importance, Wang quietly revealed, “Miss Xu may very well become our future boss’s wife.”

In an instant, everyone grew more serious, their vigilance heightened to the utmost.

It wasn’t fear of Jiang Li that drove them, but gratitude. Jiang Li had pulled them from the mire and entrusted them with responsibility.

“Yes, sir!”

“We will do everything in our power to bring the future mistress home safely!”

Jiang Li was still searching the room for clues, trying to figure out how Xu An’an had been taken—this was the most inexplicable part.

Suddenly, he noticed the painting on the wall was askew.

Last night, when he brought Xu An’an back, he hadn’t paid much attention to his surroundings, but he remembered the painting near the bed.

He stepped forward and gently moved the frame aside.

He discovered a crack in the wall, visible only at close range.

Could it be…

A suspicion struck him. He pressed a button beside the gap, and the wall slid open effortlessly, revealing a passage into the next room.

There was a secret corridor connecting the two rooms!

Jiang Li also found pieces of rope scattered on the floor, suggesting the culprit had first brought Xu An’an here before smuggling her out.

He quickly searched the area, confirming Xu An’an was not hidden in this room.

There were no similar secret passages elsewhere.

So the kidnapper must have taken Xu An’an out through the front door!

Jiang Li recalled the sequence of events. After he entered, the corridor was empty; that would have been the ideal moment to spirit Xu An’an away.

He grabbed the walkie-talkie. “Check the surveillance. After I entered the room, did anything appear in the corridor?”

Soon, Jiang Li had his answer, just as he had suspected.

A cleaner pushing a cart emerged from the next room—a tall, thin man wearing a mask, his features obscured.

“That’s the one. Track where he went next.”

“Yes, sir!”

Thinking of how frightened Xu An’an must be upon waking, possibly crying, Jiang Li’s fury surged anew. He was determined to tear this audacious criminal apart!

To think someone dared abduct his people right under his nose!

Jiang Li could scarcely believe such reckless courage existed.

…

Xu An’an woke to find herself locked in a pitch-black, damp little room. She hurriedly sat up.

She remembered entering the room, hoping to play a prank on Jiang Li.

Who could have guessed that someone would suddenly appear and knock her out?

Strangely, the kidnapper had neither tied her up nor seemed to care about her escape, as if certain she wouldn’t dare try.

Xu An’an felt her way along the walls, searching for a door.

Her hand came away slick with moss, the slimy sensation making her nauseous.

What on earth was this place?

Not a single ray of light.

Suppressing her revulsion, Xu An’an continued to grope along the wall, hoping to find the door.

Bit by bit, she reached an iron door. Suddenly, she remembered noticing a unique feature about the resort’s hotel last night.

There were numerous small iron doors, almost identical in design.

These doors had a small window in the handle; if it was locked from outside, one could reach through and pull the door open.

Xu An’an decided to try.

But the door was locked.

Disappointed, she retreated to a corner, planning to ambush her captor when they returned, hoping for a slim chance at survival.

She continued searching the room, looking for a suitable weapon.

Tap, tap, tap.

Footsteps echoed.

Xu An’an gripped the stick she’d found, prepared to strike with all her might as soon as the door opened.

Click, click.

The sound of the lock turning.

The door was pushed open. Xu An’an held her breath, swung the stick with all her strength. “Die!”

She felt the blow connect with flesh, doubled her efforts, striking furiously as her assailant shielded their head and fled, giving her a chance to dash for the door.

The person made no sound, but quickly chased after her.

Xu An’an ran wherever there was a path, only stopping to catch her breath when the footsteps behind her disappeared.

But what kind of place was this?

She’d seen something similar in TV dramas—like an underground bunker, with dim lights spaced along the corridor.

The light was barely enough to distinguish the way forward.

Where had she been taken?

Xu An’an dared not act rashly, nor did she dare turn back; her kidnapper might be waiting in ambush.

She took a deep breath and pressed on.

She wondered if Jiang Li was still angry about her not letting him in—if so, he’d probably not noticed her disappearance yet.

She had no choice but to rely on herself.

She walked for what felt like ages, finally stopping from exhaustion, realizing she’d been wandering in circles. She took off her hair tie and hung it on a lamp.

Another circuit.

When she saw the hair tie hanging from the lamp again, despair washed over her. Clearly, her pursuer had good reason not to chase after her.