Chapter 144 - 37: Unpreventable Knockout Drug
Chapter 144: Chapter 37: Unpreventable Knockout Drug
Today marked the end of the current phase of photo shoots for Yikoo Magazine.
The magazine enjoyed excellent sales both online and offline, with Xia Xiqing’s faceless photos receiving an especially high amount of praise. Although the models all appeared to have supermodel figures, the faceless shots exuded a mystery that thoroughly piqued the readers’ interest. Coupled with Xia Xiqing’s unique aura—which far surpassed that of an ordinary model—it made people realize at a single glance that she was entirely different. Therefore, it was no exaggeration to say that she was one of the greatest contributors to this issue’s outstanding success. Taking advantage of the festive mood, the magazine’s editor-in-chief invited Xia Xiqing to join the staff at the celebration banquet.
Generally speaking, Xia Xiqing didn’t attend gatherings like team-building events or celebration banquets. In all her time working part-time jobs, she had always been this way. However, for this particular event, it was hard to turn down everyone’s great hospitality; since she was considered a primary contributor, it would have been difficult to decline without a specific excuse. Moreover, she had been missing meals quite often lately, causing her desire for good food to grow considerably stronger, so the banquet was quite tempting. Furthermore, ever since meeting Zhang Yan, she had been gradually learning how to interact with people in a normal, everyday manner. She wanted to use this opportunity to make a few new friends. After all, though her mother’s disappearance had left her with endless trouble, it had simultaneously lifted her shackles, allowing her to finally choose the lifestyle she wanted. Taking all these factors into account, Xia Xiqing uncharacteristically decided to attend the party.
The banquet was quite ordinary, mostly just eating and eating. Everyone was very enthusiastic. Although Xia Xiqing couldn’t immediately break her unsociable habits, she was somewhat infected by the lively atmosphere and felt much more relaxed. She did want to make friends. Alina, a colleague she frequently shot with, became her friend through tonight’s celebration. Xia Xiqing thought they had at least become friends; they had spoken a few words to each other today and even exchanged their lunch and dinner plans for the next day.
However, Xia Xiqing’s vigilance remained quite high. First, she would absolutely not drink alcohol. Second, she would not drink anything handed to her by anyone other than a waiter. Third, she would not drink any beverage that had left her line of sight, such as when she went to the restroom.
Just like that, the bustling celebration lasted from around five or six o’clock until it finally ended at eight in the evening.
The group was on their way to an afterparty. Xia Xiqing actually wanted to go back. She had spent a lot of time today and lost out on making more money. But everyone’s enthusiasm was running high. Having somewhat integrated into this group for the first time, she felt a bit reluctant to just leave.
On the way, her new good friend Alina suddenly pulled out a bottle of beverage. "Xia, are you thirsty? Have a drink."
Alina was an exchange student from Russia who had lived in Meng City for four years. She had picked up fluent Mandarin with a slight Northeast accent. Xia Xiqing was already accustomed to her enthusiasm but only shook her head politely.
"Oh, I know. You’re a cautious girl, I noticed that a long time ago," Alina said, unscrewing the unopened bottle. "As a girl out alone, being cautious like this is completely correct. How about this? You should feel at ease now." She tilted her head back and took a large gulp without letting her lips touch the rim. "How about it? Can you drink it now?"
Although Xia Xiqing still wanted to refuse, looking at her new friend’s sincere face, the words of rejection simply wouldn’t come out. After hesitating for a moment, she took the bottle and took a symbolic sip.
This scene was precisely captured by Fang Hanyu, who had been keeping a close eye on them. The corners of his mouth lifted uncontrollably. Unobtrusively, he sought out the magazine’s editor-in-chief and whispered something.
The editor-in-chief immediately spoke up loudly. "Colleagues, I’m truly sorry, but I have some urgent official business to take care of right now. Why don’t you all go and have fun on your own?"
"Without you here, Chief, we’re missing our soul. I actually drank a bit too much just now and want to go home to rest. I was just too embarrassed to leave earlier."
"Haha, you too? I actually..."
With a few scattered voices echoing the sentiment, the formerly jubilant atmosphere—where everyone had wanted to party late into the night—suddenly cooled down. Inexplicably, the group was ready to disband on the spot.
"Although the public security in Meng City is very good, everyone still needs to pay attention to safety. The guys will be fine, but you girls should try to go home in pairs..."
At this moment, Alina suddenly leaned close to Xia Xiqing. "Xia, let’s go together. By the way, do you want to come hang out at my place? It’s not far from here."
Xia Xiqing checked the time. It wasn’t too late. Since Alina was a newly made friend and she didn’t want to reject her goodwill, she agreed.
The residential area where Alina lived was quite deserted. There weren’t many people around, and it consisted mostly of narrow paths. Xia Xiqing felt a bit uneasy, but fortunately, Alina was chatting enthusiastically beside her the whole way, dispelling those inexplicable emotions.
As they walked, Xia Xiqing suddenly felt her vision blur. This was immediately followed by a wave of dizziness and physical exhaustion. Her thinking also began to slow down.
"I don’t feel quite right. Alina, can you take me home?" Xia Xiqing barely managed to force out a complete sentence. But when she looked at her new friend beside her, Alina didn’t look much better.
Supporting each other, the two sat down on a roadside step.
Her first instinct was to take out her phone to call for help. However, for some unknown reason, her phone—which she had definitely placed in her bag—was nowhere to be found. This couldn’t go on. She wanted to call out for help again, but she simply couldn’t muster the strength. The abnormal symptoms were flaring up rapidly; the voice she struggled to let out was no louder than a whisper.
Soon, her limbs grew heavier and heavier, and her consciousness became increasingly fragmented. Finally unable to support her body, she collapsed onto the ground, completely losing consciousness.
After quite some time had passed, a few figures stepped out from the shadows.
"You guys don’t need to come over, nor do you need to know what happened," Fang Hanyu directed. "Just keep an eye on the surroundings for me. If anyone comes, figure out a way to keep them away."
The figures dispersed. In the end, only he and two women approached.
"Qiqi, take her to this address. Call me when you get there."
Qiqi was a casual hookup Fang Hanyu had met at the gym. She owed him a lot of money and often paid it off with her body, so she was considered a relatively obedient subordinate. She had a somewhat muscular build, so handling Xia Xiqing on her own wouldn’t be too difficult.
As for him, he was going to take Alina back to his place first for a wild session, thereby creating a perfect alibi. And unsurprisingly, Alina’s real home wasn’t even located here. Of course, for the sake of his "grand plan" tonight, he had also taken quite a few supplementary drugs, so there was no need to worry about his stamina.
Meanwhile, once Qiqi drove to the vicinity of the address, he would call the temp worker, Zhang Shuai, and have him lure the hotel owner away for a while. Then, Qiqi would take the opportunity to deliver Xia Xiqing to the pre-booked room. Finally, he would head over at a specific time to enjoy his grand feast.
Out of everyone participating in this plan, aside from him, no one knew its true purpose and full scope. For instance, the suspicious bottle of beverage: the person who brought it only followed instructions to place it in a specific stall in the restroom, and Alina, upon retrieving it, only knew that she needed to get Xia Xiqing to drink it.
This was his smug, perfect criminal plan.