For some unknown reason, Manager Jiang increased the number of security guards on duty each night from one to two. This was a welcome change for Xiao Ma, who was on duty tonight. The long nights would no longer be unbearably dull. Finally, there would be someone to talk to, a companion.
In the security room of the Chu Xiao Group's office building, Xiao Ma and Xiao Liu, the two security guards, were chatting intermittently while keeping an eye on the four surveillance screens. Their topics were diverse, ranging from ancient to modern times, from women to men, chatting happily and the security room was filled with their laughter.
Three of the surveillance screens monitored the front, left, and right sides of the office building, while the remaining one was for the finance room. Although the cameras covering the exterior had a large area to monitor, their high quality and performance allowed for a clear display of the entire area. Except for the unnecessary monitoring of the back of the building, one could see everything around the office building clearly from their position.
While Xiao Ma and Xiao Liu were engrossed in their conversation, Xiao Liu suddenly pointed to the screen monitoring the right side of the building and said, "Look, what's that guy doing?"
Xiao Ma quickly looked and saw a figure briskly crossing the pedestrian street on the right side of the office building, swaggering towards the building, and then pulling out a brick-like object from behind and smashing it against a window!
The sound of shattering glass was heard almost immediately in the nearby security room.
"Damn it! I'll kill that bastard!"
Xiao Ma spat out the sunflower seed shell from his mouth in anger, grabbed an electric baton, and rushed out first, followed closely by Xiao Liu.
By the time the two reached the scene, the person who had thrown the brick had already disappeared. They grumbled as they returned to the security room.
Unbeknownst to them, while they were rushing to the right side of the building, a person passed the parking lot exit, casually tossing a handful of sunflower seed shells on the ground...
The lights in the office were blazing, illuminating the corridors outside the doors, the lounge downstairs, all the hallways, bathrooms, and other areas. The statue of the God of Wealth above the water dispenser had already been moved downstairs.
Now, Jiang Xiaofen had regained her composure. Apart from the right-side glass window being shattered by a drunkard or mischievous kid, nothing strange had happened.
"Li Tian, do you think you can take revenge on me with a few pranks?"
Humph, I'm not a child. Now, let's see what other tricks you have up your sleeve...
Jiang Xiaofen, watching Chu Chu happily playing games across from her, felt more courageous than ever.
If there are more tricks, bring them on, you'll run out of ideas eventually... Jiang Xiaofen thought smugly, immersing herself back into work.
Work was going smoothly, and Jiang Xiaofen felt her mind was as clear as ever, turning the tedious data into neat and harmonious notes under her manipulation...
Time passed by.
At nine o'clock, Chu Chu, tired from playing, raised her head from the computer, rubbed her eyes, and ran to Jiang Xiaofen, whining about being sleepy and wanting to go home to sleep.
Jiang Xiaofen, engrossed in her work, patiently persuaded her to wait another half hour. To "bribe" Chu Chu, Jiang Xiaofen also promised not to work overtime the next night and to take her out for a seafood feast.
Chu Chu, now bribed, returned to the computer, browsing the web listlessly.
Jiang Xiaofen heaved a sigh of relief and hurried to finish her remaining work.
Just then, the multimedia message ringtone suddenly rang out!
The sudden ringtone startled both mother and daughter. Chu Chu, stunned, reached for the phone on the desk.
Jiang Xiaofen had a bad feeling and snatched the phone first.
The multimedia message was from a new unknown number. Jiang Xiaofen hesitated, then pressed play.
Immediately, a burst of loud laughter filled the office. The laugh was so piercing, eerie, and sinister, filled with intense resentment and sorrow, as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured over Jiang Xiaofen from head to toe!
Amidst the laughter, a blood-red character slowly appeared on the black screen: Death!
The sound also startled Chu Chu, who then quickly returned to normal. Such prank multimedia messages were too common, and she had grown immune to them.
But why was her mother reacting so strongly?
Chu Chu looked at Jiang Xiaofen, who was trembling while holding the phone, pale-faced and shaking exaggeratedly.
"Mom? Mom!" Chu Chu nudged the dazed Jiang Xiaofen, took the phone, checked the multimedia message, and casually said, "Mom, it's just a prank message. Don't be so scared! I deleted it!"
Jiang Xiaofen watched Chu Chu delete the message and put the phone back on the table. Her fear slowly faded, and she thought with some shame, "Yes, it's just a prank message. Why am I so scared? Am I not braver than Chu Chu... or is it... guilt..."
Guilt. The thought of this word made Li Tian's resentful gaze start shaking in front of her eyes again...
She shook her head, went to the water dispenser for a glass of water, drank it, and said to Chu Chu with a smile, "I'm old, I can't take scares like you young people..."
After chatting for a while and finishing her water, Jiang Xiaofen's mood calmed down again, and she returned to her work. But just as she picked up her pen, the phone rang again.
Chu Chu grabbed it and saw a different number, but the same content, the piercing laughter again invading the room...
"Who is so bored? So annoying!" Chu Chu angrily turned off the multimedia message and deleted it. Just as she deleted it, the ringtone sounded again, a different number but the same content. This time Chu Chu was furious. She cursed, "Die, die, die, just go kill yourself! Think you're so smart changing numbers?" She deleted the message again and then simply turned off the phone.
"Let's see how you send them now!" Chu Chu stood triumphantly, arms akimbo, looking at the phone on the desk, then at her restless mother. "There, now it's quiet!"
Jiang Xiaofen nodded, ready to resume work, but found she couldn't concentrate, her mind was a mess and unable to perform any calculations.
"Let's call it a day. Chu Chu, let's go!"
Jiang Xiaofen made up her mind, quickly got up, packed up, and, together with Chu Chu, locked the office door and headed downstairs...