1. No Ordinary

In the silent hours of night, her footsteps were barely audible as she glided through the dimly lit corridor. She passed several rooms before finally pausing at the door marked 304.

She slid her key card through the lock, and as she stepped inside her phone vibrated. After closing the door behind her, she retrieved the phone from her jacket pocket.

She glanced at the screen, noticing an unfamiliar caller, and without much consideration, set the phone aside on the table. Yet, it vibrated again and this time signaling a message notification.

Her eyes narrowed as she read the message:

"You won’t hide forever."

She was correct to sense that someone was threatening her with something she was unsure of.

She scanned the room, noting that everything was just as she had left it. But her mind couldn't shake the unsettling message.

She hadn’t imagined anyone knew her location but they had obtained her number she had registered only two days ago upon arriving in Las Vegas.

Her mind clicked. If they had already uncovered her identity and phone number, how difficult would it be for them to track her location? Not at all. Waiting for them to strike would be sheer folly.

Without hesitation, she turned to leave. But before she could reach the door, a deafening explosion erupted from the bathroom, blasting through the living room obliterating everything in its path.

She collapsed to the floor like a ragdoll, her strength sapped as pain engulfed her body.

She struggled to move as shards of glass pierced her abdomen, and it wasn’t long before she succumbed to darkness.

Her eyes fluttered open briefly before she jerked them wide, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She surveyed the unfamiliar room, spotting an IV line attached to her hand and was clad in a hospital gown.

The last thing she remembered was being in the hotel room, where someone had set a trap for her. Her brows knitted together. Whoever this person was, hadn’t intended to kill her outright, given the type of explosive they used.

Who was he? She wasn’t afraid of him, but the unknown gnawed at her. She needed to leave as soon as possible.

She tried to push herself off the bed, only to feel a sharp sting in her abdomen. Lifting her shirt, she saw a bandage covering the wound.

If she ended up in that man’s hands, such an injury would be the least of her worries. Ignoring the pain, she forced herself out of bed.

She managed to sit up, removed the IV, and walked to the window, clutching her stomach.

Outside, the sky was pitch-black, and she wondered how long she had been in the hospital. Her ears pricked up as she caught the sound of footsteps approaching the door. She quickly grabbed a metal pole for defense and waited in the shadows near the bathroom.

As the door creaked open, her grip tightened, bracing herself to confront whoever entered.

“Miss, please don’t move around, you’ve just undergone surgery,” a calm voice said as a woman stepped inside.

Before her stood a woman with short, shoulder-length black hair, her hands casually tucked into her trouser pockets.

She didn’t appear to be a nurse, nor was she the man Lijun had imagined. Her questions were answered when the woman took a badge and held it up.

“Investigator. Call me Rochelle,” she said, approaching the couch and settling into a seat.

Rochelle’s eyes fell on Lijun’s hand, noticing the blood seeping from where she had yanked out the IV. Rochelle’s gaze sharpene her instincts had been right. This woman was no ordinary.

“I suppose we’ll need to call a nurse before anything else,” Suggested Rochelle as she began to rise.

“If it’s about the explosion, I have no idea,” Lijun interjected.

Rochelle eyed the woman, who appeared to be of Asian descent. “You flew from China to Vegas, and a bomb targets your room, yet Miss Lijun, you have no idea?” Rochelle scratched her brow thoughtfully, frowning at the sight of the blood. “Anyway, I’ll call the doctor.”

Later, Lijun was back in bed, with Rochelle still seated on the couch.

“If you didn’t get a chance to see this...” Rochelle began, pulling out her phone as she approached Lijun and handed it to her.

Lijun watched her with a mix of confusion and suspicion, wondering why the investigator was still there. Nonetheless, she accepted the phone, maintaining her composure.

Her eyes focused on the screen, which displayed a video of someone revealing intricate details about the identity of Scupper, one of the world’s most notorious criminals.

The speaker’s face was obscured, but they spoke as if they were a close confidant of the criminal. Lijun’s eyes narrowed slightly before she sighed and returned the phone.

“I understand that someone wants viewers, but I fail to see why you want me to watch this.”

Rochelle’s eyes widened in surprise. She glanced at the phone, then back at Lijun. “You mean to say that, despite the person claiming you are Scupper, you’re not concerned?”

Lijun’s sharp gaze met hers. “I don’t think you’d be here alone if you believed that.”

Rochelle smirked. “You’re right. I’m here for something else.”

Lin Lijun leaned back against the bed, scrutinizing Rochelle. Only she knew the turmoil roiling inside her. Had the video been sent exclusively to detectives, or had it reached the public?

But to her, the most suspicious figure in this scenario was the so-called investigator sitting before her. She turned to Rochelle.

“Name: Lin Lijun, age 25...” Rochelle read from her phone. “You have no criminal record...”

She turned the phone toward Lijun, displaying a photo. “This is you. I assume you recognize yourself? This was taken the day Celine Wen, a congressman’s daughter, went missing at the Kendric Club. Miss Lin Lijun, can you tell me what you were doing?”

Lijun glanced at the photo, seeing a woman with green hair. “Investigator, are you asking me to elaborate on what one typically does in a club?”

“No, that’s unnecessary. I’m asking about your specific actions,” Rochelle’s expression hardened as she leaned in closer. “I suspect you’re involved in her disappearance. I just need concrete evidence. But my top priority right now is finding out where you’re hiding her.”

Lijun remained unflinching, as if Rochelle were talking to a wall, with nothing able to rattle her.

“Don’t bother trying, I know you won’t answer me.” Rochelle pocketed her phone. “And you were right. If I believed you were Scupper, I wouldn’t have come alone. That’s why there are three officers outside to accompany you.”

With that, Rochelle turned and walked toward the door but was halted by Lijun’s voice.

“The video... am I missing something?”

Rochelle raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I found it among a list of viral videos. What exactly are you curious about?”

Lijun’s hands clenched the blanket. “That.”

Rochelle studied her for a moment before exiting to where three officers—two men and one woman—were stationed.

Her expression turned serious as she issued them some instructions. After all, Lijun wasn’t a criminal, nor was she a permanent resident.

Once she finished, she left and soon arrived at the parking lot. She opened her car door, but before getting inside, she glanced up at the higher floor where Lijun was staying.

Her phone rang, and when she saw the caller ID, it was one of the officers she had left to guard Lijun.

She answered, “Yes?”

Her eyes widened as she lifted her gaze again to where Lijun was, just in time to see a silhouette crashing through the glass, plummeting from the upper floor.

She couldn’t comprehend what was happening, and the figure landed with a resounding thud on a nearby ambulance.

Her phone slipped from her hand. If it had been anyone else, she might have thought Lijun had pushed them, which would have supported her suspicions. But what left her utterly speechless was the fact that the person who had fallen... was Lin Lijun herself.