Chapter 853: Escape: It turns out that hell and heaven are connected.
Zhang Ning leaned against the doorframe, clutching her abdomen, suppressing the pain, and panting softly.
The sound of footsteps grew closer, but she no longer had much strength left.
This made her, having finally escaped, feel waves of despair.
—The main thing was that only after escaping did she finally realize she had actually long had nowhere to run.
It turned out that the bumps and swaying all along the way were because they had arrived on a ship.
Perhaps they weren't even in domestic waters now, but somewhere on the High Seas!
During this time, they had been crammed into shipping containers, kept like livestock, hidden from the light of day. Even the sounds from the outside world were muffled, and most of the time they were sleeping, leaving their senses blurred, making it impossible to discern the details of the outside situation.
When she finally seized the chance to make a desperate gamble, wanting to carry the hope of others and send out a message for help, she realized how unfamiliar the outside world was.
This was no high-end hotel or club; it was a moving island on the ocean!
Her expectations and the chances of survival for the others were extinguished right there on the vast sea.
Just thinking about it filled her heart with despair. Zhang Ning gripped the item she had stolen when escaping from the room, desperately contemplating ending her own life.
But thinking of her companion who had chosen to stay behind and hold off the guests to help her, and thinking of that hellish world, Zhang Ning had to force herself to suppress her despair and began to devise an escape plan in her mind.
The guest she had seen earlier was dressed quite well, from which she could judge that his status was likely extraordinary.
The overall layout here was also relatively high-end; it certainly didn't look like an ordinary cruise ship or cargo ship. Even when she walked through this corridor, she didn't feel the swaying of the ship, which showed that the quality of this cruise ship was excellent, and it might even be very large.
Their current location should be on the lowest level.
What was above?
Sightseeing tourists?
Among these tourists, would there be anyone she could trust or turn to for help?
Just as she was lost in thought, the cabin door behind her, which she had been unable to open, was suddenly opened by someone.
Zhang Ning was startled; she never expected that this cabin door would be opened from the other side.
Her current location was a small space sandwiched between two cabin doors that could connect the two areas. However, because their area was being used for the underground Feng Shui gathering, the door to the other side had always been locked, and no matter how she tried, she couldn't open it.
The only stroke of luck was that the door on this side hadn't been locked due to the staff's negligence, so she could temporarily hide in the gap between the two doors, allowing her to evade the pursuit of those people for the time being.
She just never expected that someone would come over here!
Zhang Ning raised the weapon in her hand, intending to fight back, but then she saw a woman dressed in professional, capable attire, looking like an elite white-collar worker, standing before her.
"Ah, he really didn't guess wrong; you were hiding here."
The woman said, not at all afraid of her attack, simply raising her hands to show she was harmless, and then continued speaking at a rapid pace: "Don't be afraid, I'm here to help you. Perhaps you don't know me, but please trust me. This isn't the place to talk; I'll take you up first! Their search is currently limited to the lower level; as long as you go to the upper level, they definitely won't be able to find you."
Zhang Ning looked at the person before her, stammering. Thinking that she was already in this state, it seemed that trusting or not trusting wouldn't make things any worse than they currently were. So, she could only look at the person vigilantly, not forgetting to grip her weapon tightly, and said with a dry voice: "Th-thank you!"
Afterward, she was led by the other party into another area, successfully escaping the search zone she hadn't been able to leave on her own.
The further up they went, the more surprised she felt.
She never imagined that this cruise ship, which carried such sin, was dozens of times larger than she had imagined. Looking around, it didn't even seem like a cruise ship. After walking out of the temporary fire exit, the first thing she saw were the magnificent shop windows of a shopping mall.
The high-end furnishings and luxury brand goods inside were beyond the knowledge of ordinary people, and even the busy reception staff walking around were dressed much more brightly and beautifully than ordinary people.
Yet the more it was like this, the more of an eerie feeling there was, as if coming from hell to heaven—as if hell and heaven were originally connected.
Down below, there was clearly a terrifying and sinister Feng Shui evil trade taking place, while up here, it was a bright shopping mall where distinguished guests were entertaining themselves and strolling around.
Such an extreme contrast even gave her a feeling of being immersed in a dream, not yet awake.
Why were there such bright lights and such lively pedestrians...
Could it be that she was already dead?
Zhang Ning's eyes gradually turned red. Because of the danger and struggle with death over these past few days, when facing passersby, she still couldn't help but shrink back, trying her best to hide her figure so she wouldn't be so prominent or conspicuous.
"Don't worry, the news of your escape hasn't reached up here yet; it's safe for you here for the time being." The woman beside her said while soothingly helping her tidy the stray hair by her ears. "Wait here for a moment; I'll go buy you some suitable clothes. It'll only take two minutes, don't be afraid."
Afterward, under Zhang Ning's worried and panicked gaze, the woman indeed walked out of a luxury shop to the side in less than three minutes.
"Change into these first, don't rush."
The woman continued, "In a while, I'll take you to attend a party here. There are a lot of people there, and there are people we know. We will definitely protect you."
That party was jointly hosted in the names of Bao Wenyu and Xiao He, inviting some people from the entertainment industry and some from the "Travelogue of Mountains and Rivers" Program Group.
Originally, parties were already being held in many places on the ship, so holding one more didn't matter. Once the lights were turned off and the stage lights flashed, who could tell who was dancing wildly on the dance floor?
This was something Bao Wenyu had proactively suggested. Because he was worried that if Xiao He went to the lower level to attend the Feng Shui evil gathering and auction, there would be a risk of being seen by others, he very considerately helped Xiao He host the party to fish in troubled waters, create an alibi, and maintain Xiao He's reputation as a public figure.
"This way, not many people should discover that Brother Xiao went to attend that kind of activity."
That was what Bao Wenyu had said at the time.
And this also aligned with Xiao He's plan, because with Bao Wenyu, a member of the Bao Family, leading the way, even if something happened later and a large-scale screening was required, the party venue of the Bao Family members themselves would definitely be the last place to be checked.
Originally, it was just a precaution, but it turned out it was actually put to use now.
After all, who would have thought that a pregnant woman who had just escaped from the lower level would quietly arrive at the party venue hosted by the Bao Family's own people?
"Thank you."
After changing her clothes, Zhang Ning finally calmed down and believed most of what the person before her said. However, she looked back in the direction she had come from downstairs, her eyes still filled with unconcealable worry.
"But there are still other people down there..."
"Don't worry, we have already contacted the Coast Guard. Both they and we will definitely take you all back."
The woman took her hand, giving her enough courage and strength: "By the way, I haven't told you yet; my name is Liu Rulan. What is your name?"
"...Zhang Ning."
Zhang Ning was silent for a moment, then finally said in a hoarse voice: "Sister Liu, thank you."