"Isabella Xiang!" Leon Chen was still contemplating how to greet Isabella when Cynthia confidently stepped forward.
Isabella glanced at them, her cold gaze sweeping over Leon and Cynthia. Leon, dressed in a new casual suit, and Cynthia, in her vibrant attire, holding shopping bags, looked like a typical couple to an outsider.
Isabella nodded politely in response to their greeting.
Leon had thought Cynthia would give up, considering Isabella's extremely aloof demeanor. But he underestimated the French girl's enthusiasm. Cynthia began chatting with Isabella energetically, completely unfazed by her indifference.
After a while, Leon couldn't stand it anymore. "You two continue chatting. I need to go to the restroom."
"Oh, alright. Leon, we'll wait for you at the observation deck," Cynthia said.
Leon nodded, glancing at Isabella, who remained expressionless, showing no objection. He couldn't help but admire Cynthia's ability to engage with Isabella.
After asking a staff member, Leon found out that most of the restrooms in the mall were still under renovation, and only the one on the first floor was available, requiring an elevator ride.
In the elevator, Leon observed the newly opened mall. He noticed that the shutters around the mall were down, with only the main entrance left open. The security guards appeared hurried and were whispering among themselves.
Leon sensed something odd. Normally, a newly opened mall would keep as many entrances open as possible to accommodate more customers, unlike this one where most entrances were closed, and the security guards seemed inattentive.
Maybe it's because they're not fully prepared yet, Leon thought. As the elevator doors opened, a crowd rushed in.
Leon was jostled by a man, feeling a hard metallic object against his chest, which hurt.
"Watch where you're going, kid!" the man snarled.
Leon noticed the man was wearing a uniform similar to the mall's security guards. Leon frowned at his rudeness but decided to ignore it. Several other similarly armed guards were with him, who pulled the angry man back and gave Leon a mocking glance without saying a word.
In his hurry to use the restroom, Leon didn't pay much attention, unaware that a world-shocking event was about to unfold in the next few minutes.
...
At the observation deck, besides offering a view from the highest point, there were also lounge seats for people to relax.
Cynthia had secured a seat and ordered a coffee.
"Isabella, you're Leon's class monitor. Can I ask you about computer science problems in the future?" Cynthia asked after taking a sip of coffee.
Isabella retracted her gaze, her expression still blank. "I haven't touched a computer in a long time."
Cynthia was taken aback, then laughed, "That's impossible. You must be joking. How can a computer science major not use computers?"
"I don't joke," Isabella replied coldly.
"Why don't you use computers? Are you not interested in this major?" Cynthia asked, puzzled. It was hard to imagine a computer science major not using computers, but Isabella seemed to genuinely avoid them.
The icy girl's answer remained cold, "I prefer this kind of atmosphere."
Cynthia was speechless, finding her senior truly enigmatic. She chuckled, "Do you know about XO? The famous hacker? Do you know how he does it?"
"I don't," Isabella answered bluntly.
"True, everyone says XO is the pinnacle that every computer science student aspires to reach," Cynthia said, smiling.
Isabella nodded slightly, showing she also admired XO.
Cynthia smiled happily, as getting Isabella's approval seemed very meaningful.
The two chatted a bit when suddenly, the observation deck doors burst open, and a group of people stormed in.
The guests were displeased with the rude interruption, ready to scold the intruders, but froze upon seeing their heavily armed appearance.
Those who had been calmly sipping tea and chatting now screamed and ducked for cover.
"If you don't want to die, cooperate!" the leader barked.
The terrified guests immediately complied. The armed intruders quickly surrounded them.
"Congratulations, you're now hostages. Tomorrow, you'll be on the front page of global news. If you don't want to be on the death list, stay quiet," the leader laughed hoarsely.
Cynthia's face turned pale, instinctively glancing at Isabella, who remained unperturbed, her brows barely furrowing. She showed no sign of panic.
Is she really my age?
After securing the hostages, the leader sat down on a chair, his eyes scanning the captives. He noticed Isabella but, surprisingly, didn't comment on her.
"Gree, the equipment is ready. The satellite link is set up," another young man reported.
"Ah, good." Gree withdrew his gaze from Isabella, clicking his tongue, "That woman is really beautiful."
The young man looked at Isabella and smiled, "Indeed."
"Such a pity…" Gree muttered, unsure what he meant by that.
"This operation is high-profile. We need to hurry. Chinese special forces will surround this mall within ten minutes. We'll be trapped," the young man warned.
"Didn't we anticipate this?" Gree dismissed it.
The young man remained silent.
"Tell everyone to stay alert. We've been lying low in Xi Jing for this moment. We can't afford any slip-ups."
"Understood."
"Let's issue our ultimatum."
Gree sneered.
Leon, having just finished washing his hands, was about to leave when the restroom door was kicked open, and a man stormed in.
Seeing Leon, the man hesitated for a moment, then quickly said, "Stay put and don't move!"
"Huh? What's going on?" Leon asked, confused.
"I'm a cop!" the man showed his badge.
"Do cops need to control restroom use?" Leon was speechless.
After scrutinizing Leon and confirming he posed no threat, the cop sternly said, "Hide immediately and don't move."
Leon was skeptical. This was the last day of the National Day holiday, and security was tight.
"No time to explain. Just trust me!" the cop said before making a phone call.
Leon hesitated. The cop said, "Yes, they've infiltrated as security guards… What? They've already broad-casted the video online? And hijacked some TV signals in Xi Jing? Damn…" Noticing Leon, the cop lowered his voice, "Yes… I understand… We must protect the hostages at all costs…"
Realizing something serious was happening, Leon returned to the restroom, locked the door, and activated the holographic network, quickly finding the video.
In the video, several masked men holding guns appeared. The man seated on a chair spoke, "Listen up, people of the world. My men have taken over a mall in Xi Jing. I have a hundred hostages ready for execution. But I'm not here for them. I have only one target—"
"XO, you infiltrated our organization and stole classified information. I don't like being played by someone I don't know. If you don't reveal yourself within an hour, my wrath will be upon these hostages… Any action from you will result in bloodshed. Consider yourselves warned. The countdown begins now!"
Watching the video, Leon's anger boiled. He never expected the enemy to use such despicable means to force him out.
What organization is this? Leon had never heard of it.
"Student, find a place to hide. I need to gather more intel on the terrorists. Be careful," the cop instructed before leaving.
Hide?
This is an insult. Leon touched his watch.
He couldn't run away, especially when it was clearly related to him.
If they want XO, they'll get him—in another form!
Leon smirked coldly.