Something had really happened at the company.
When Lin Jian returned, he saw a fleet of police cars parked outside the mall, with officers hurrying in and out.
“Lin Jian, over here!”
Liu Fei seemed to have been waiting for him.
Before Lin Jian could even step inside, Liu ran out to meet him.
“Liu, what’s going on?” Lin Jian asked.
“What took you so long?” Liu retorted.
“President Ye just finished up…
uh…”
Halfway through his sentence, Lin Jian spotted the stunning woman walking out of the mall’s revolving doors alongside several police officers.
“President Ye has been back for almost an hour,” Liu whispered.
“AHEM.” Lin Jian coughed awkwardly.
“I was hungry, so I went to grab a bite.”
Liu didn’t bother exposing his lie.
Instead, he pulled Lin Jian into the building through the employee entrance.
“Someone stabbed a person on the third floor and took hostages,” Liu whispered.
Startled, Lin Jian asked, “Who’s in charge of the third floor?”
Normally, the security department scattered its guards across the mall, the underground and surface parking lots, and the hotel.
If an armed assault happened in the mall today, the security guards wouldn’t be able to dodge the blame.
After all, their primary duty was to maintain order, protect the company’s property, and ensure the safety of the customers.
Now that something had happened on the third floor, the guard on duty was undoubtedly in deep trouble.
“AHEM, that would be you.” Liu coughed a couple of times as well.
Lin Jian had been assigned a shift the moment he reported for duty today, and his post was exactly as the security guard for the mall’s third floor.
Lin Jian raised an eyebrow.
“Liu, are you messing with me?
I don’t even know which way the main doors face, and you’re telling me I’m the security guard on duty today?”
Pausing, a sudden realization hit him.
He looked Liu up and down and asked, “Or am I the scapegoat?
Who am I taking the fall for?”
“You’re really not a scapegoat.
After you reported in today, the security department rearranged the schedule.
You were assigned to patrol the mall, but someone was supposed to show you the ropes.”
“Then where is the guy who’s supposed to show me the ropes?” Lin Jian asked.
In a mentorship setup, any accident would typically fall on the senior employee’s shoulders, not the rookie’s.
Looking awkward again, Liu said, “You know Zhang Erjun, right?
He’s the one who stabbed someone.
He was supposed to train you today.”
“PFFT—” Lin Jian nearly spat blood.
“What’s going on?
The more I hear, the more confused I get.
You’re saying Zhang Erjun from our security department committed an armed assault on the third floor and took hostages?”
He actually did know Zhang Erjun.
They lived in the same residential complex, though the man was about ten years older than him—nearing thirty and still unmarried.
The hostages are his girlfriend and another guy.” By now, Liu and Lin Jian had reached a corner of the staircase.
Liu pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and continued, “Zhang Erjun is dating Sun Limei, a saleswoman at the menswear section on the third floor.
“Seeing each other every day, they ended up clicking.
“But who would’ve thought?
Today, Zhang Erjun cornered Sun Limei and another guy in the dressing room.”
“That’s so melodramatic.” Lin Jian filled in the blanks in his head.
Sun Limei was probably two-timing.
The other guy had the guts to visit her at work today, and the two got hot and heavy in the dressing room.
Coincidentally, Zhang Erjun was on duty and caught them red-handed.
How could he not lose his mind?
“What’s the situation now?” Lin Jian asked.
“The dressing room is small, and Zhang Erjun is armed.
Nobody outside can see what’s happening inside, so the police don’t dare to rush in,” Liu explained.
“So it’s been a stalemate for half an hour now, but everyone is still alive.”
“Then why did you call me back?
It’s not like I can help with this,” Lin Jian said with a strange expression.
“President Ye is furious.
She’s definitely going to clean house in the security department.
If you’re caught absent from your post right now, aren’t you just begging to be fired?”
“Good point.
I need to be on duty.”
Right at that moment, Liu’s walkie-talkie crackled to life.
“Liu, Liu, where are you?
Get to the first-floor elevator of the mall immediately and protect President Ye.”
“On my way!”
Liu led Lin Jian and sprinted toward the first floor of the mall.
By the first-floor elevators, Ye Ziqiu wore a frosty expression.
Zhang Qiang, head of the security department, was sweating profusely.
He knew his time as the security manager had come to an end.
After an incident like this, he would undoubtedly have to give up his position.
Ye Ziqiu didn’t say a word, but her gaze was so sharp it could kill.
The few security guards present didn’t even dare to lift their heads.
Liu and Lin Jian rushed over, and Liu immediately snapped to attention.
Seeing Ye Ziqiu’s murderous glare, Lin Jian was too intimidated to let his eyes wander.
He kept his eyes glued to the floor, pretending he didn’t know her.
Suppressing his anxiety, Zhang Qiang said in a deep voice, “Zhang Erjun wants to negotiate with President Ye, and he refuses to let the police get close.
Our security department must do everything in our power to protect President Ye’s safety.
“Liu, you’re on fairly good terms with Zhang Erjun, so you’ll accompany President Ye.
But remember, no matter what happens, President Ye’s safety is the top priority.
If she suffers even the slightest scratch, I’ll hold you personally responsible!”
Even now, the security manager didn’t forget to flaunt his loyalty, speaking with tough bravado while shamelessly kissing up to his boss.
Ye Ziqiu shot Zhang Qiang a cold glance and turned to leave. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
However, Liu suddenly spoke up nervously, “President Ye, Manager Zhang, let Lin Jian go.
I…”
Ye Ziqiu whipped her head around, anger flashing in her eyes.
Were all the men in this security department this cowardly and incompetent?
Did they have even less guts than a woman like her?
Knowing Ye Ziqiu had misunderstood him, Liu hurriedly explained, “Zhang Erjun knows Lin Jian too.
The reason I’m suggesting Lin Jian go with you is because he has excellent martial arts skills and a solid foundation.
You’ll be much safer with him than with me.”
Liu genuinely wanted to give Lin Jian a chance to prove himself; he was truly looking out for the younger man.
Ye Ziqiu cast a skeptical glance at Lin Jian.
She found it hard to believe.
Just last night, this guy had performed pitifully—he’d been knocked out by a thief wielding a brick.
What kind of martial arts foundation was that?
However, Liu was nearing fifty.
He obviously wasn’t as agile as a young man, and his reaction time would be slower.
Indifferent, Ye Ziqiu simply said, “Hurry up.
The rest of you don’t need to follow.”
With that, she stepped into the elevator.
Lin Jian looked at Liu with a complex expression.
He had never actually planned on proving himself, as he didn’t even intend to work here long-term.
But Liu’s good intentions stirred a swell of complicated emotions within him.
The two of them got into the elevator.
Ye Ziqiu stood in the front while Lin Jian leaned against the back.
Neither spoke.
The ride from the first to the third floor took only a fleeting dozen seconds before the doors slid open!
As soon as Ye Ziqiu arrived, a police officer approached to brief her.
The two had clearly spoken earlier, so the officer was just confirming the details once more—what to say, what to avoid saying, and not to provoke Zhang Erjun.
The police had originally planned to have an officer disguise himself in a security uniform to accompany Ye Ziqiu inside.
However, Zhang Erjun had rejected the idea.
Fearing for the safety of such a major investor, the police agreed to a compromise: a genuine member of the security department would accompany Ye Ziqiu into the menswear store.
A moment later, Lin Jian followed Ye Ziqiu as they pushed open the glass doors of the menswear showroom and walked in together!
“Is that President Ye?
Who is the other person?”
The dressing room obviously had a view of the outside.
Inside, Zhang Erjun nervously questioned the identity of her companion.
Just as Ye Ziqiu opened her mouth to answer, Lin Jian started cursing.
“Zhang Erjun, are you blind?
Pretending you don’t know who the hell I am?”
Hearing Lin Jian’s sudden outburst, Ye Ziqiu was instantly dumbfounded.
Inside, Zhang Erjun also froze.
Why was this bastard Lin Jian here?