Could there be a malfunction with the surveillance cameras?
Zhu Ming’an had barely stepped out of the study when there was a sudden "snap," and the lightbulb above his head flickered a few times before going out.
He immediately sensed something was wrong. Just as he started to take a few steps, a servant came rushing toward him to report, "Master, someone has sabotaged the villa’s power box!"
After Zhu Ming’an left, Ji Wei waited a little longer. Once she confirmed that no one had discovered her, she cautiously stepped out of the storage room.
Before leaving, she grabbed a flashlight from the shelf nearby.
What she was certain of now was that Mo Qian was locked in a room on the second floor. However, her presence must have already alarmed members of the Zhu Family, and getting into the room wouldn’t be easy.
When Ji Wei passed by a window, she glanced toward the distant wall, at the spot she had set ablaze with gasoline. The fire had already been extinguished.
What should she do now to get into the room?
One way or another, she had to figure out a way to get in!
Ji Wei walked a short distance and suddenly noticed a small square-shaped panel on the wall ahead. From the gaps in the panel, faint blinking red dots could be seen.
Ji Wei instantly understood what it was—the power box!
A look of delight crossed her face as an idea struck her. She briskly walked toward it.
Because of the sudden blackout in the villa, the servants searching for her had no choice but to use flashlights to look around. The Zhu Family Villa was massive, and trying to find someone in such a large area without lighting was no easy task.
After sabotaging the power box, Ji Wei sneaked around to the back of the villa.
Hiding within the tall grass and avoiding the passing servants, she lifted her gaze to the pitch-dark villa that was devoid of a single glimmer of light.
She remembered Zhu Jianian’s room was the third one from the left.
The night’s sky was gloomy, with no trace of moonlight. Through the shadows, Ji Wei could vaguely make out the outline of the terrace outside the third room. Lowering her body, she carefully moved toward it.
The second-floor terrace wasn’t particularly high, but climbing it barehanded posed a challenge.
Fortunately, there was a large tree not far from the terrace. She could use its trunk to get close to the second-floor area and then figure out the rest.
Luckily, on the way to the gas station, Ji Wei had stopped by a shop and bought tight-fitting clothing and sneakers. Though she wasn’t skilled at climbing, she managed to scramble her way up.
A thick branch, approximately the width of an arm, stretched out toward the edge of the terrace.
Ji Wei cautiously stepped onto it. Her weight wasn’t much, but the moment her foot settled, she could still feel the branch sharply sink downward.
She could hear her heart pounding furiously in the eerie silence. If she were to fall from the tree, she’d very likely break her leg!
But Ji Wei couldn’t afford to think about that. Even at the risk of broken bones, she had to find Mo Qian.
For him, all of this was worth it!
Ji Wei leaned against the sturdy tree trunk for a moment, forcing herself to stay calm and composed. Then, inch by inch, she began to move forward on the branch. Her hands gripped the other branches to maintain her balance.
As her body shifted forward, the branch underfoot bent more and more.
Hold on. It has to hold on!
Ji Wei prayed silently in her heart.
She knew that the longer she remained on the branch, the greater the risk of it snapping. Holding her breath, she quickened her pace.
Just as she was half a meter away from the terrace, she suddenly heard the sound of the branch cracking!
Everything happened too fast. Ji Wei’s face turned pale, and instinctively, she stretched out her hand to grab the railing of the terrace. But the railing, slick with dew in the night, was slippery, and her hand couldn’t grip it securely!
As her fingers slid off, a horrified scream escaped her lips: "Ah—!"