Just then, I suddenly felt something strange... odd!
It was a chill, or rather, an intuition in my heart! It was an extraordinary intuition that I cultivated after countless struggles on the brink of life and death!
That chill felt like a wisp of cold air sliding down your back to your heels! It was as if you knew somewhere in the shadows that a ferocious beast was waiting to devour you!
murderous look!?
murderous look?
I froze, then my heart sank. I carefully searched my surroundings, but that fleeting feeling suddenly vanished...
I shook my head. Was it just my imagination?
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter 140: The Shocking Heist (Part 1)
“Jessica, turn around!”
“Jessica, smile brighter.”
"Jessica, give me a look..."
Reporters from various media outlets nearby were shouting loudly. Jessica seemed to be in high spirits, constantly striking various alluring poses on the spot. Occasionally, she would make small movements, revealing her shoulders and bending over to slightly reveal her cleavage, which attracted countless flashes from the surrounding cameras.
I stood cautiously about a step behind her, making sure I wasn't caught in the camera's view. However, many reporters seemed determined to get my attention; clearly, this newly arrived Hollywood millionaire and film company owner was of great interest to them. Several reporters jostled and pushed around outside the security cordon, trying to find angles. Jessica suddenly took my hand, leaned close to me affectionately, smiled, and whispered, "Smile, Chen. That serious face isn't good. See, this is Hollywood. It's part of the game."
I reluctantly posed for a few photos with her, then quickly pulled her away. Jessica was clearly satisfied; she had achieved her goal.
I felt a little uneasy.
The feeling I just experienced, though not very clear or real, definitely made me feel a chill! But after it disappeared, this fleeting illusion made me hesitant to confirm it.
We entered the lobby on the first floor of the building. Today's grand exhibition party had gathered almost all of the local celebrities. The security level was clearly very high.
Several security gates were set up at the building's entrance, and guests walked through them. This was supposedly to prevent media personnel from sneaking in with photographic equipment. Of course, firearms were even less likely to be brought in. It was all for security!
Only a select few media outlets, upon special invitation, are allowed, at a specific time, to bring in photographic equipment, accompanied by security personnel, to photograph the world's most expensive jewels and the diamonds worn by Hollywood stars...
The red carpet stretched all the way to the elevator entrance. We took the elevator up to the 62nd floor and arrived at a large exhibition hall on the top floor.
The showroom spanned over a thousand square meters, and several crystal display cases already showcased numerous precious diamonds and jewels—diamonds of unknown carat weight—immediately drawing admiring and expectant glances from many of the distinguished ladies among the guests.
Jessica and I walked into the hall. Jessica immediately turned into a cheerful little bird, chatting and greeting everyone around us.
Tonight. Here, all the most famous handsome men and beautiful women in Hollywood are here; everyone who could attend is here. There are also representatives from several major film companies, producers, A-list and B-list directors, investors, and so on…
Looking around at the countless faces worshipped by movie fans worldwide, I felt as if I were in a dream world. Even the Black actor Jessica had introduced me to earlier... after exchanging a few words and walking away, it suddenly dawned on me that this Black actor had apparently been on the Oscar stage...
The entire venue was predominantly blue, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.
The most excited person was probably Lei Xiaohu. Seeing so many big stars around, he only managed to avoid the embarrassing situation of running up to them for autographs thanks to Yang Wei's restraint. I quickly found them in the crowd.
Clearly, Yang Wei came from a prominent family. With ample experience in these types of situations, she seemed to be thriving in just a few minutes. She chatted and laughed with the person beside her with remarkable ease; it seemed the other person was some famous Hollywood film investor or something similar. Initially, the other person was probably only struck by Yang Wei's beauty, but after the conversation progressed and Yang Wei subtly revealed her background, she earned genuine respect in return.
After we walked over, Yang Wei immediately introduced me to the person she was talking to, and then Jessica came up too...
In the time that followed, I heard conversations like these:
"Oh, have you seen Michael Bay's new movie? That guy made a lot of money with Transformers, and now he has tons of people offering him money to make movies."
"What? Julie? Which Julie are you talking about? Julia? Or Angelina? Oh, I don't know, but she seems to be quite enthusiastic about charity work lately..."
"Hey, I heard Spider-Man 4 is having some funding issues lately. Maybe you could contact them; this movie should be a sure thing. Oh, and of course, Batman isn't popular anymore. Oh, and that prequel was absolutely terrible!"
"Stephen? He won't be directing again so easily now... understand? He's the boss now, the kind of person who can fire a director anytime, haha... but unless another film glorifying Jews comes out, who knows? Maybe only God knows."
These Hollywood moguls, big and small, casually discussed their recent business deals, rattling off millions and tens of millions of dollars with ease. And, it's likely that a single, offhand remark from one of them could alter the movie-going plans of audiences worldwide next year. Want to see Transformers 2? Sorry, that movie probably won't be out for another two years…
I was getting a little dizzy listening to them; I'm a complete novice when it comes to Hollywood. Just as I took the opportunity to walk aside with Yang Wei, I couldn't help but ask, "Who is this Stephen they were talking about?"
Yang Wei glanced at me sideways, suppressing a laugh, and whispered, "Stephen Spielberg."
I:…………"
I felt a little dizzy; this kind of social situation made me uncomfortable—but the main reason was that the strange feeling from before was still lingering. I had a persistent, uneasy feeling...
I pulled Lei Xiaohu aside and said to him, "Stay with Yang Wei. Whatever you do, don't leave her side!"
Lei Xiaohu glanced at me: "Junior Uncle, what's wrong?"
I thought for a moment and said, "It's okay, I'll go out for some fresh air and have a cigarette."
After saying that, without greeting the ladies, I walked directly to the side, grabbed a waiter, asked him where the lounge was, then walked to the edge of the hall, opened a door, and went out.
Outside was a corridor, and I saw a sign overhead indicating that the restrooms were ahead. I frowned. I was looking for a smoking lounge, not a restroom. The waiter from before must have misunderstood my question.
Since the sign indicated that the restroom was on the left, I simply strolled down the right-hand corridor to find it.
Actually, this floor is shaped like the Chinese character "回" (hui), with a lobby in the middle. Around it is a corridor, and further out are various work areas.
Tonight's party, of course, wouldn't be complete without drinks and food. Normally, places like this don't have kitchens. The food is ordered and delivered by specialized food companies. There are many high-end food companies here that specialize in providing food and drinks for these kinds of dinners and parties. Here, as long as you have money, you can enjoy any service.
I followed the trail, walking for about several dozen meters, when I smelled a rich aroma of food. I knew I had probably accidentally wandered into a makeshift kitchen.
I figured I'd probably gone to the wrong place again. Feeling a bit annoyed, I simply took out a cigarette, lit it, and continued walking down the corridor…
But just as I walked past the door of one of the rooms… suddenly, I heard a faint sound…
As a martial artist, my senses are far sharper than the average person's, and when that sound reached my ears, my heart skipped a beat! Instantly, I reacted instinctively, and my feet became lighter!
The sound was short and soft, like an old-fashioned sewing machine turning gently... but it sounded so familiar to me!
That's the sound of a pistol firing after it's been fitted with a silencer!
Damn it!
I realized immediately. Something must have happened!
I immediately pressed myself against the door. These doors all had small, clear panes of glass; I peeked through... and to my surprise, I saw a person with their back to me, then slump down. The person's body was leaning against the door, and the back of their head was covered in blood! Blood smeared onto the glass in front of my eyes...
I noticed that the person was wearing the security guard's uniform from tonight. My heart skipped a beat, and I immediately ducked my head. A few seconds later, I peeked out again and saw the situation in the room clearly!
This was a room that had been temporarily converted into a kitchen. Inside were three men, all white, dressed in white waiter uniforms, but each holding a silenced pistol! On the floor lay two security guards, judging from the bloodstains on their bodies and their motionless state, they had probably been shot and killed!
What caught my attention was that the three gunmen dressed as waiters were carrying plastic handguns! This explains why they were able to bring firearms in through security!
I was startled! But then, I felt one of the people's eyes turn towards me, and I immediately crouched down... There was static from the intercom in the room, and then I vaguely heard someone say in a cold voice, "Clean!"
I hesitated for two seconds... My first reaction was to rush in and take out those three guys. But I wasn't confident I could take them all out if they all had guns.
So I immediately bent down and pulled back, then quickly headed back the way I came, walked briskly to the entrance of the first hall I found, and quickly opened the door and went inside.
Music was still playing in the lobby, and the noise was deafening. The various Hollywood celebrities were still chatting away. I moved quickly through the crowd, trying to find Yang Wei and the others.
Clearly, something big is going to happen tonight!
Finally, my anxious gaze found Yang Wei and Lei Xiaohu standing in a secluded corner, talking to Jessica. I quickly walked over, and Yang Wei had already noticed my strange expression. As soon as I reached her, she asked first, "What's wrong?"
"Something's happened! You have to get out of here immediately!!" I said, quickly summarizing what I'd just seen in a few sentences. At the same time, I grabbed Jessica with one hand and Yang Wei with the other. I gave Lei Xiaohu a wink and then rushed towards the nearest exit.
"Ah!!" After hearing my words, Jessica let out a short gasp before I pinched her arm hard and said to her in a deep voice, "Don't scream! We're in danger right now! I don't even know if there are any bad guys among these waiters!"
Keep in mind, there are at least twenty waiters in the room right now!
Clearly, someone's watching this place tonight! It's probably the astronomical value of the diamonds and jewelry on display that's attracted bad guys.
My plan is simple: get the women out of here as soon as possible! Especially Yang Wei!!
"Did you bring your phone?" I glanced at Jessica. I didn't have it on me, but Jessica had an evening handbag; it should be in there.
Sure enough. She took out a phone and handed it to me. I quickly dialed 911, speaking rapidly into the phone as I walked: "Armed murder discovered on the top floor of Torch Tower..." I hadn't finished speaking when I realized there was no answer, just a short burst of static.
"The phone isn't working!" I glanced at Yang Wei. Yang Wei took it, listened for a moment, and shook her head: "The other side has communication jamming equipment!"
Never mind! We rushed to the elevator, only to find that the elevator buttons weren't lit up!
Jessica was already pale, and she told me, trembling slightly, "I heard that the main elevator will be shut down for a while after the party starts to prevent unauthorized people from sneaking up... for a while. When it's time for the jewelry show, the dressing room is downstairs, and the female celebrities who are invited to wear the diamond jewelry tonight will take the elevator up from downstairs directly to the main venue... Before that, the main elevator is closed. Maybe... only the two internal elevators at the back will be available."
I glanced at Jessica: "Side elevator? Are you sure?"
“I…I was here once before, for a party, so I know,” Jessica managed to say, glancing at me. “Let’s tell everyone…”
"It's too late! If things get chaotic, it'll probably be even more troublesome."
I pulled Yang Wei along. In this situation, I instinctively showed favoritism; Yang Wei was the one I cared about most! I glanced at Lei Xiaohu, signaling him to take Jessica, and the four of us walked inconspicuously along the edge of the hall towards the back of the venue.
Just as we were halfway through, suddenly, amidst a burst of exciting music, the main lights in the hall went out, and the room became much darker, leaving only a ring of side lights around the perimeter.
Then, to the sound of music, a well-dressed, middle-aged man with white hair walked up to the stage, holding a microphone. I knew he must be a famous emcee, having hosted many television shows.
"Ladies and gentlemen... Oh, look how many handsome men and beautiful women we have gathered here tonight. Good heavens, I'm afraid my eyes are blurry... Hey, can anyone tell me, has the Oscars ceremony been moved up?" The emcee showed off his humor, which indeed drew a round of good-natured smiles from the audience.
They quickly said something else. But I didn't pay attention and instead led the people around me quickly toward the back.
"...Alright, since everyone is so happy on such a night, then..." The emcee chuckled and waved the microphone in his hand...
Bang!
Upon hearing that sound, I immediately shuddered!
Following the loud "bang," several nozzles on the platform immediately emitted artificial, smokeless fireworks, instantly creating a dazzling display in the dimly lit venue!
However, I was the only one who heard it. In the midst of the fireworks, I faintly heard a gunshot! And it rang out right in the hall!
I immediately looked around warily and saw the security guard guarding the entrance to the venue, who was directly in front of us, collapse limply to the ground. Immediately, another person in a security uniform coldly pulled him out from behind and carried him away.
Amidst the noisy scene and with the fireworks drawing most of people's attention, no one noticed what was happening!
But because of this, our path forward is blocked! The murdered security guard is right in front of us, right at the exit we were trying to use to leave!
Yang Wei pulled me to my stop!
Then, all the lights in the hall suddenly turned on... This anomaly finally puzzled everyone present. The fireworks hadn't even finished setting, so the lights shouldn't have been on yet!
The white-haired celebrity host on stage was also visibly surprised, but he still managed to say into the microphone, "Oh, it seems our lighting technician hopes everyone won't take advantage of the chaos to steal the diamonds..."
He tried to salvage the situation with his quick thinking, but immediately, an even greater discord arose!
The two side doors on the side were opened at the same time!
Then, simultaneously from both sides, several food carts were pushed in by a dozen or so people dressed as waiters.
I noticed that these people dressed as waiters were both men and women… and what surprised me even more was that none of them were white! Most of them had brown skin…
I don't have much of a concept of race, but their skin color makes them look like Mexicans or...Middle Easterners?!