But there was more fear of the unknown situation.
Ji Yu had also noticed something was off. "Brother, there might be some troublemakers here. Be cautious."
Though their motives were unclear, the fact that everyone was locked in the ballroom, with even the surveillance cameras cut, made it evident this had been premeditated.
It was unlikely they’d let anyone off so easily.
Ji Yu hesitated briefly, pulling out her phone to check the time, only to find that the signal had been cut off as well.
"Could you please turn on the lights first? In this situation, everyone is already scared. Keeping the lighting dim is of no benefit to anyone. If the assailants attempt something in this darkness, we wouldn’t even be able to notice."
She believed the matter needed to be approached rationally.
The manager quickly went to turn on the lights.
The crowd glanced warily at the strangers around them, with unease spreading like wildfire.
Ji Yu stood beside Ji Yuanzhou, while Gu Qixiao was being held onto by Song Xuan.
"Xiao," Song Xuan’s voice trembled, "what’s going on here? I’m so scared. Are they going to take us all hostage?"
She hadn’t imagined encountering such an incident at her first banquet. Her anxiety was palpable.
Gu Qixiao sighed, also unable to make sense of the situation. "I don’t know who’s behind this act, but whoever set this up must have a reason. Why don’t you come forward and state your demands? We can negotiate."
There was a murmur among the crowd, but no one stepped up yet.
Gu Qixiao led Song Xuan to Ji Yu’s side. "You okay?"
"What could possibly happen to me?" Ji Yu shrugged. "These people clearly have a target, but since things have escalated to this point, it’s definitely purposeful. I suspect we’ll find out soon."
It was only a matter of whether they’d be able to seize the opportunity when the time came.
Ji Yu was concerned, though more about whether they might be the assailant’s primary targets.
Time ticked by slowly, as the manager tried countless methods but found no suitable way out.
The crowd grew increasingly uneasy.
The unsettling atmosphere weighed heavily, making the tension unbearable.
"Whoever is after money, just come forward! There’s no need to make things difficult for us. We have other matters to attend to—we don’t have time for this!"
Who would willingly deal with such a mess?
Patience was running out.
Frowning, Ji Yu surveyed the scene and suddenly noticed something. "Cai Xun doesn’t seem like someone who’d even be eligible to attend a banquet , does he?"
There might’ve been a reason before.
But now Ji Yu was well aware of how far Cai Xun had fallen.
Since that botched collaboration, he’d been out of the picture for quite some time. His presence here simply didn’t add up.
Gu Qixiao also spotted Cai Xun in the distance. The man wore an uneasy expression, as though his secret had been exposed.
"Cai Xun, is this your doing?"
Cai Xun froze as if struck by lightning. "What are you talking about? I don’t know what you mean. I’m trapped here too. How would I know what’s happening outside?"
He attempted to feign ignorance, but his demeanor seemed to confirm otherwise.
"Oh really? Wasn’t it more likely that your plan was interrupted midway? If I’m not mistaken, your original intention was to take everyone down at once. But the surveillance cameras exposing your actions ruined it."
Ji Yu couldn’t figure out what exactly Cai Xun was thinking, but given the situation, there had to be more to it.
There was a fleeting moment where Cai Xun’s expression twisted, revealing his inner turmoil. Perhaps he had been confident in his plan, but things taking such a drastic turn due to Song Xuan’s presence left him seething with hatred.
"If you’ve figured it out, then you can come die with me!"
He stormed toward Ji Yu, rage contorting his face as though intent on dragging her down with him. But with both Ji Yuanzhou and Gu Qixiao beside her, he stood no chance of succeeding.
"Cai Xun, you still have a chance to stop this."
A knife had appeared in his hand at some point, clearly prepared beforehand.
"Stop? My life is already ruined by you people! I could’ve made a fortune this time, but you ruined my entire plan!"
Cai Xun had already made up his mind for a desperate act, yet the situation had pushed him to his breaking point.
Ji Yu was exasperated by his reasoning and couldn’t fathom why he thought such a clumsy scheme would work.
"Do you think your puny blade can kill anyone?"
"I’ll kill every single one of you!" He tore open his shirt, revealing a bomb strapped underneath.
How had something so dangerous slipped through unnoticed?
Ji Yu had a fleeting moment of doubt, but now wasn’t the time for speculation. The sudden turn of events sent the crowd reeling in terror.
"What’s going on? Is this man insane?"
In truth, Cai Xun had long since lost his sanity, though it hadn’t been outwardly obvious until now.
Originally, he’d wanted to confront things rationally, but the situation had spiraled beyond his control. He decided to escalate matters further.
"Ji Yu, if you people want to keep making my life miserable, then I’ll make sure you go down with me! Let’s see how arrogant you’ll be after I take you all to the grave."
Gu Qixiao shielded Ji Yu and spoke calmly, trying to reason with Cai Xun. "If it’s money you want, just name your price. There’s no need for this. Look at yourself—this isn’t going to end well for anyone."
He aimed to distract Cai Xun as much as possible.
But Cai Xun simply let out a chilling laugh. "Do you think I could escape even if I got the money? No, I don’t want money—I want your lives."
"If you truly wanted to kill us, you wouldn’t have waited until now. Are you really so eager to give up your life?" Ji Yu discerned that his actions reeked of desperation.
"If you stop now and leave, there’s still a way out. Staying here will do you no good, and you’ll only make more enemies in the process."
After all, practically everyone present here was influential.
If they met again, taking Cai Xun down would be effortless.
"If I stop now, do you think they’d let me go?" Cai Xun sneered, glancing at the onlookers with complete disregard for their actions.
He knew he had no retreat left and decided to throw caution to the wind.
"I’m already at a dead end. Why not take everyone down with me? You people, always so sanctimonious, always so good at crushing me."
There was even a trace of grievance in his voice. Get full chapters from nοvelfire.net