015. Sounding the Alarm

"Woo—woo—woo—"
The shrill, piercing sound of the fire alarm instantly echoed through the entire corridor.

“Ah—!”

“Fire! The building’s on fire!”

The staff, who had previously brushed off the warning, now rushed out of the kitchen in panic, their faces etched with fear.

Witnessing the sudden eruption of flames with their own eyes, they finally realized the gravity of the situation.

No longer able to care about anything else, they joined Lin Mi, shouting at the top of their lungs, urging and guiding the panicked crowd on the floor, desperately trying to alert and evacuate the other guests.

“Run! There’s a fire! Evacuate now!”

Suddenly, the crackling sound of burning materials rang out. Lin Mi turned her head to see the kitchen already thick with black smoke.

Several staff members scrambled hysterically, searching for fire extinguishers, while others hurriedly made phone calls.

Fortunately, there weren’t many guests on the third floor. The moment they sensed something amiss, they quickly rushed downstairs, so the situation remained relatively under control.

Seeing this, Lin Mi didn’t hesitate—she dashed into the stairwell, heading straight for the banquet hall on the fourth floor!

The third floor was the source of the fire—dangerous beyond words.

She needed to get out as quickly as possible, but more importantly, she had to warn the people upstairs—especially those at the summit on the fourth floor!

The banquet hall was soundproofed exceptionally well; who knew if anyone inside had heard the alarm.

The attendees at the summit were all seasoned figures, likely to remain composed, possibly dismissing the situation as a minor accident and continuing their discussions as if nothing had happened.

Moreover, the fourth floor was the most densely populated area during the fire, with over two hundred people attending the summit. Any mishandling or delay could result in utter chaos and disaster.

...

Lin Mi sprinted up the stairs, arriving at the fourth floor in one breath. Sure enough, the floor was still calm; most people seemed oblivious to the danger.

She headed straight for the banquet hall, pushing open the doors with force.

Inside, the lights were bright, the summit’s presentation was still in progress on the screen, and a speaker was addressing the audience. Below the stage, seats were filled with suited elites. Staff members stood to the sides of the hall.

Some commotion from outside had trickled in, and people were whispering among themselves, curiosity and confusion on their faces. Clearly, no one was yet aware of the unfolding emergency.

Lin Mi watched anxiously, her heart pounding.

There was no time to explain!

Before the staff could react, and under the astonished gazes of the summit’s distinguished guests, she dashed onto the stage and seized the microphone.

“Please remain quiet and listen to me. There’s been a severe gas leak in the kitchen on the third floor—it’s already on fire, and the flames are spreading. This is extremely dangerous. The hotel staff are working to contain the situation.

So I urge everyone to evacuate the hotel in an orderly fashion. There are fire exits on both sides of the corridor, and an employee staircase by the restroom corner. The first six rows, please use the left exit; the middle six rows, use the right exit. Those in the back rows, use the staff passage. Do not use the elevators! The fire will soon reach the fourth floor and may even trigger an explosion. That’s all—please evacuate calmly and don’t panic!”

Lin Mi spoke in a rapid, breathless rush. When she saw someone rising to interrupt, she simply raised her voice, her commanding tone silencing the audience.

Her words brought the entire hall to a standstill for several seconds, before erupting into an even greater uproar.

Some doubted her, some stood up, some cried out in alarm.

“Let’s go!” she urged.

Without pausing to argue or heed the staff’s protests, Lin Mi tossed aside the microphone and strode toward the audience.

Her goal was clear.

While speaking on stage, her eyes had already locked onto Wei Xun in the front row.

...

Wei Xun, who had been idly fiddling with his pen, was startled by the familiar voice. He finally looked up at the stage.

It was her?

She hadn’t left?

A fire?

So this was the danger she’d mentioned that morning?

In truth, he hadn’t entirely dismissed her warning.

After all, he had made his share of enemies.

It wasn’t impossible that someone would attempt to harm him.

So after returning to the conference room, he’d ordered his assistant to check the entire floor. They’d found nothing suspicious.

The hotel seemed as safe as could be.

He hadn’t thought much of it, though he remained on guard.

But never did he expect the “danger” she’d spoken of to be a gas leak!

Lin Mi crossed over to him, pushing through the people between them. Without a word, she seized his wrist and pulled him toward the exit.

“Mr. Wei, we have to go!” she said urgently as she dragged him along. “The fire is spreading—it could explode any minute. Come with me!”

She had already memorized the hotel’s layout and all the emergency routes.

...

Wei Xun was momentarily stunned, clearly not expecting such boldness and directness from her. His body stiffened for a second, but Lin Mi’s grip was firm and unyielding.

Before he could process it, his body had instinctively started running after her.

He didn’t resist, allowing her to pull him along, matching her pace as they charged toward the exit.

By now, the banquet hall had erupted into chaos.

Fortunately, people kept their composure. Though anxious and worried, they followed Lin Mi’s instructions, forming three orderly groups. With the guidance of event staff, the evacuation proceeded without disorder.

Lin Mi and Wei Xun were among the first to rush out of the conference room.

...

Assistant Han, left behind and entirely overlooked, was dumbfounded.

His boss had been swept away by a woman?

Or was this a case of a beauty saving the hero?

“Hey, Boss! Wait for me! You forgot your phone!”

Han Lin quickly grabbed his boss’s phone from the table and gave chase.

But as the crowd surged around him, he was soon separated and lost sight of them.

Meanwhile, Lin Mi and Wei Xun plunged into the throng, sprinting toward the stairwell. The faint scent of smoke was already in the air.

“Why are you here?” Wei Xun asked in a low voice as he ran beside her, urgency and curiosity in his tone.

Clearly, he wanted to know how she’d known what was about to happen, how she could be so precise.

“No time to explain!” Lin Mi didn’t look back, focusing solely on forging ahead, her grip on his hand tightening. “We’ll talk after we get out!”

She knew her actions might appear abrupt and reckless, but once the fire spread, the consequences would be unimaginable.

She was only one person—she couldn’t save everyone. She had to ensure her own safety first; the only one she could hold on to was the benefactor who had once helped her.

She truly couldn’t bear to see tragedy unfold or so many innocent lives lost. She desperately hoped to change the trending headlines and earn her reward.

But all of that depended on her own safety.

She was selfish, too.

She was still young, with parents to support—she couldn’t give up her life for others.

So she would do what she could and leave the rest to fate.

She had already done her utmost.