42 PLEASE SPEAK FREELY

In spite of her questionable mental health, Jian Ru was not a stupid girl. Moreover, she was particularly good at social engineering. With a few manipulative words here and there, she could get almost anything. It was the reason she had been able to get the coveted gala ticket even though she was a mediocre marketer on her best days.

Therefore, when she realised that the rice had probably already been cooked, she could only do some damage control to prevent further escalation of the situation. She swallowed a few more bites of food with difficulty and then excused herself from the table with a smile.

Without wasting a second, she rushed to the reception lounge of the hotel and found the customer service office. Right now, she only knew one person who could rectify the situation. She would not allow that slut to destroy her happiness.

"Excuse me, Sir. I would like to speak with Zhong Mian." She said in a soft shy voice.

The receptionist looked at the woman before him in his usual friendly way. He could see that this person did not per se belong in Demesne, so she had to be with the gala. For the life of him, he could not fathom why she would think that people could just speak to Ms Zhong. However, it was company policy to treat every person with respect.

"It is not possible to see Ms Zhong at the moment. Could you leave a message? If it is an important issue, I am sure that your concerns will be addressed immediately." He responded with a standard answer and smile.

Damn this NPC, Jian Ru thought.

"It is a matter of a personal nature, and it is time-sensitive. I will not take up much time." She pleaded in a soft voice.

The receptionist felt annoyed at her insistence.

"I am not aware of Ms Zhong's whereabouts. If you must speak directly to her, you will need to make an appointment at the Zhong Industries headquarters. I am merely a small receptionist for the hotel. If there is nothing else, you should return to the gala." He spoke with finality.

Jian Ru turned away pitifully, but the receptionist did not seem to have a change of heart. She gritted her teeth in annoyance. Once she became a member of the Zhong family, she would ensure that this debt was repaid.

She decided to change her tactic. She could not afford to waste even a single second. If she did not do something drastic, it would mean the end of everything. She found a bathroom and entered. After a few moments, she came out crying. Though her face was common, she could induce protective feelings with her pitiful weak face.

She walked while sobbing pitifully until she saw the security personnel before an elevator. It seemed that there were concerns that some of the gala attendees might sneak around the hotel. She approached them slowly as if scared. Seeing a distressed person and a crying woman at that, one of the security guards came towards her.

"Is there a problem, Miss?" he asked in a rough but kind tone.

Jian Ru bit her lip as if thinking about telling him before nodding pitifully.

"How can we help you?" he inquired sympathetically.

With a sob and a sniff, Jian Ru finally spoke.

"I am not sure it is anything, but I am really worried. I don't know what to do."

"If you do not tell us, we cannot do anything. Please speak freely." The other security guard spoke.

"Well, it's just that I think I accidentally saw a women drug a drink and give it to our CEO. She has not come back, and it has been over an hour. I didn't know if I should say anything. May be I am overreacting." She started to leave.

She knew that if she made a firm and direct accusation, she might be treated as normal witness. They might even question her motives. Her goal was to become a scared and troubled girl who might have seen something and could not stand for injustice

"Miss, please wait." The second guard spoke quickly.

They did not care about a random CEO, but if they did not solve the problem, it could come back to haunt the reputation of Demesne. Their mission was to protect the hotel from all threats. If a person was drugged and taken advantage of, the high-profile persons who valued the hotel would no longer feel safe.

"Who is your boss? We will find out more." His voice sounded serious.

Jian Ru looked around nervously before speaking in a low voice.

"I work for Etude Technologies." She whispered as if she did not dare mention a name.

The faces of the guards changed quickly at the words. That statement changed everything. If it was the young master of the Zhong family, they could not afford any delays. However, they could not help wonder. How could anyone have the guts to poison him within the territory of his protective family?

Without further ado, the guards stepped back from Jian Ru who also tactfully moved a small distance away. One of the guards spoke to the CCTV surveillance personnel while the other contacted Zhong Mian. Even if it was not a confirmed problem, they could not leave any room for mistakes. It was better to report a false incident than to overlook anything.

After a few moments, one of the security guards beckoned to Jian Ru. He told her that they were following up on the matter and might need to ask some questions. After speaking a few more words of comfort, he told her to wait for follow-up in the reception lounge.