"Bad news, master! The young lady has disappeared! We've searched the entire manor, and the gates are locked from the inside. There's no sign of her anywhere."
"We've looked everywhere, inside and out. No one has even seen which way she went."
"You didn't find her?"
Jia Rengui's face immediately darkened.
He hastily placed his champagne glass on a passing waiter's tray and hurried to apologize to those around him.
"My apologies everyone, I need to excuse myself for a moment. There's something I need to attend to."
The others were very understanding.
"It's alright, Boss Jia. Go ahead and take care of your business."
"Yes, yes, Boss Jia. We'll be here waiting for you. Don't worry too much about it. If it's something important, you should handle it first."
Jia Rengui offered a quick smile and apology, then turned to leave.
But the moment he turned his back, his smile vanished. He hurried over to the security captain, his voice laced with anxiety.
"What in the world is going on? How could Mengmeng be missing? She's just a weak woman, where could she have gone?"
The security captain felt utterly helpless and speechless.
He spoke cautiously.
"We really haven't found her... We've searched the entire manor and even examined the outer walls for any signs of disturbance. We've also checked the surveillance footage. Since we're hosting a banquet tonight, all the cameras are operational."
"But the surveillance cameras show absolutely no indication of Miss Mengmeng entering or leaving the manor. Every angle is covered, yet there's nothing."
Jia Rengui's brow furrowed slightly.
He suddenly stopped and asked a question.
"Who was the last person Miss Mengmeng interacted with?"
The security captain thought for a moment.
"It seems to have been the mercenary here tonight... and Young Master Wang."
A sharp glint flashed in Jia Rengui's eyes.
"Where are they?"
"I'll take you."
When Duan Chen was found, he was with Wang Fugui and others.
They were still in a corner of the banquet hall, undisturbed by anyone, engrossed in conversation. Then they saw Jia Rengui hurrying towards them.
Duan Chen raised an eyebrow.
Judging by Jia Rengui's hurried pace, something must have happened.
He glanced around, ensuring none of his teammates had fallen behind, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Wang Fugui's face lit up with a smile as Jia Rengui approached.
"What brings you here?"
Jia Rengui, with no mood to deal with Wang Fugui, adopted a serious expression and spoke coldly.
"Have you seen Mengmeng?"
"Mengmeng?"
Wang Fugui blinked in surprise.
He pointed towards the kitchen.
"Didn't Mengmeng just say she was going to the kitchen? She said she wanted to get a small cake. What happened? Hasn't she returned yet?"
Jia Rengui looked at Duan Chen. Duan Chen frowned slightly and stepped forward. "Did something happen?"
Jia Rengui nodded with a somber expression.
Frankly, he already had a terrible premonition. At such a time, having a mercenary, who was of high caliber, comparable to a senior agent, by his side was the safest course of action.
Therefore, he had devised a plan in an instant.
Furthermore, he didn't want Duan Chen to leave his presence. If chaos were to erupt later, he might not be able to execute his original plan.
"That's right. Just now, the security captain informed me that Mengmeng has disappeared for reasons unknown."
"We searched everywhere and couldn't find her. We only learned that she had interacted with you before her disappearance."
Wang Fugui's expression turned serious.
He clearly understood the importance of Jia Mengmeng.
He immediately said,
"Is there anything we can do to help, Uncle?"
Duan Chen also spoke, aligning with Jia Rengui's intentions.
"Mr. Jia, if there's anything you need my assistance with, please don't hesitate to ask."
Jia Rengui had been waiting for this very statement.
His face immediately brightened.
"Then I'll trouble you. Mr. Bai, would you mind accompanying me to the kitchen?"
When Jia Mengmeng was discovered missing, the entire manor, except for the banquet hall, was already under lockdown.
"Of course, no problem."
Duan Chen readily agreed.
He was also curious as to why Jia Rengui was suddenly facing an internal issue at such a juncture.
They took a less conspicuous route to the kitchen, avoiding any unnecessary attention.
Upon reaching the kitchen, the staff had already been cleared out. They stood around, some wearing their chef hats, others clutching them, watching the people moving about the kitchen with apprehension.
Their unease grew even more when Jia Rengui entered.
What could have possibly happened?
Could someone have poisoned the kitchen?
The thought made the master chefs grit their teeth.
They were working diligently; who had they offended?
Damn it, if they ever found out who was responsible, they would curse them for eternity.
Jia Rengui surveyed the kitchen and asked.
"Has anyone seen the young lady come here?"
One of the master chefs, gathering his courage, stepped forward. His deep voice, when spoken in the center of the kitchen, always drew everyone's attention.
"We haven't seen the young lady here."
"Master, has something happened? How could the young lady possibly come to the kitchen?"
Wang Fugui frowned and stepped forward.
"You're lying. Just now, I clearly heard Mengmeng say she was coming to the kitchen to get a small cake. How could she not have come here?"
"But we truly didn't see the young lady here..."
The master chef sounded helpless.
The others also stepped forward.
"Yes, master, the young lady really hasn't been here."
"If the young lady had been here, we would have known. But she hasn't made an appearance at all."
Jia Rengui's brow furrowed deeply.
He was about to say something, but hesitated, unsure of what to say.
At this moment, Xi'er, with an innocent gesture, placed her finger on her lips.
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, and she tilted her head, looking genuinely confused.
"What are you talking about? Are you discussing the young miss of the Jia family?"
Duan Chen nodded.