"Have some food, Reporter Su," Director Liang said, smiling with relief after she took a sip. He picked up the serving chopsticks and put a piece of food on her plate.
"Thank you, but I don't have much appetite," she replied.
"Oh, then we can chat. Reporter Su, are you back from abroad?"
"Yes."
The Deputy Director of the station chimed in, "Yueyue is a very outstanding reporter. She participated in many interviews abroad and speaks English very fluently."
Director Liang smiled, "Indeed. I had people search for those interview clips; they were quite good…"
…
As Su Yue listened to them chat, she felt a bit dizzy.
It was a dizzying sensation, like the world was spinning, accompanied by a feverish heat all over her body, making her want to sleep.
"Reporter Su?" Director Liang called her from beside her. Seeing her beginning to lose consciousness, he gave a sinister smile and reached out to put his arm around her waist.
This action instantly startled Su Yue awake, but only enough to resist his grasp.
"You look very sleepy. I'll take you to a room upstairs to rest." Director Liang reached out to embrace her again.
"No…" Su Yue stood up with sheer willpower, her hand trembling as she picked up her bag.
The remaining shreds of her consciousness made her realize she had walked into a trap.
That juice… it had something in it.
"I need to… use the restroom…" Knowing she still had a sliver of clarity, she walked towards the restroom in the room.
The people at the table exchanged glances with Director Liang.
Director Liang rose with a smile and followed her, not in a hurry.
Su Yue shielded her bag in front of her, fumbling for a bottle of pepper spray.
Just before entering the restroom, she turned around, gathering all her remaining strength, and sprayed it directly at the unsuspecting Director Liang.
"Ah—" Director Liang’s pained scream rang out.
As the others rushed over, Su Yue ducked into the restroom and, with the last of her strength, locked the door.
Was she safe… now?
She slumped to the floor, her consciousness drifting away.
Yet, a voice in her mind kept calling to her.
—Don't sleep.
—Get your phone.
—Call Chen Ziming.
"Okay…" she murmured. Her hands were so weak she could barely hold her phone, and her eyes were so blurry she could hardly see the screen.
But fortunately, she hadn't completely lost consciousness yet.
She found the contact that gave her a sense of security and dialed it.
"Yes, what's wrong?" Chen Ziming had just finished work and was about to head to the parking lot to get his car.
"Bin… Binyun Road… Yunjiang Hotel… 21st floor…" Su Yue struggled to focus, relaying the location.
As she spoke, the man on the other end of the line showed a look of shock. He quickly hung up and first called the nearest police station.
Then, as he ran to his car, he found Jin Yan and instructed him to contact the owner of Yunjiang Hotel and send security to the floor Su Yue had reported.
After making the calls, he was already driving.
He sped towards Yunjiang Hotel.
On the 21st floor of Yunjiang Hotel, in the Meilan Hall.
The two women who had been dining were helping Director Liang on the sofa, carefully wiping his face.
Director Liang, filled with anger, kept crying out in pain.
The men who had come with them took turns kicking at the restroom door.
Fortunately, the door was made of sturdy material, and they couldn't break it down.
Inside the restroom, Su Yue had completely lost consciousness, collapsing on the floor, her cheeks flushed crimson.
Just as the men were about to find a server to open the door, security guards rushed in first.
Within two minutes, several police officers had also arrived.
Upon seeing the police, everyone in the room immediately deflated and stood against the wall obediently.
A server then arrived and opened the restroom door.
Seeing the limp girl inside, the leading police officer swore in anger and asked a female officer accompanying him to help lift her.
"She can't be lifted, Officer Cheng. She's too heavily drugged," the female officer said with difficulty after several attempts.
"Xiao Lin, go see if there's a strong female server available to help carry her down," Officer Cheng said.
Officer Cheng thought for a moment and then addressed the officer guarding the men.
"Alright!" Xiao Lin immediately went.
However, he retreated just outside the door, saying nervously, "Officer Cheng, Director Chen from the ministry is here."