Her friends gathered around curiously, all asking, "Xiaxia, stop keeping us in suspense and tell us what happened!"

Lin Wan proudly raised her chin and embellished her story of how she had been used as Liu Zhaoan's pawn to lure Chen Yu into a trap. "Hmph, that Chen Yu guy thinks he's so smart, but he still fell into my trap step by step. Once this is done, Master Liu will definitely not treat me unfairly. At that time, I can have whatever I want."

Her friends all looked on with envy and flattered her, saying, "Xiaxia, you're really amazing to be involved in such a big thing. Don't forget us when you become successful!"

Hearing these compliments, Lin Wan felt even more smug and couldn't stop smiling. "Don't worry, once I achieve great success, I will definitely not forget you all."

Just as Lin Wan was basking in the self-praise and her friends' adulation, her cell phone suddenly rang. Seeing the caller ID, the smile on Lin Wan's face instantly froze—it was Liu Zhaoan. A sense of foreboding washed over her, but she forced herself to remain calm and pressed the answer button.

"Hello, Mr. Liu... Mr. Liu." Lin Wan's voice trembled involuntarily.

"Lin Wan, you idiot!" Liu Zhaoan roared angrily from the other end of the phone. "Have you been spreading rumors about your contact with Chen Yu? Things are getting tense outside, and the police seem to have caught on to something!"

Lin Wan's face turned deathly pale instantly, her legs went weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground. "Mr. Liu... I... I didn't..." she stammered, her voice filled with fear.

"No? Then why are there so many anomalies all of a sudden? You better pray that you don't ruin my big plan, or you know the consequences!" Liu Zhaoan said viciously before hanging up the phone.

Lin Wan's hand, which had been holding the mobile phone, fell limply to her side. She stood frozen in place, her earlier smugness vanishing instantly. Her friends, seeing this, gathered around to ask what had happened. Lin Wan was in no mood to answer them; her heart was filled with fear and regret. She realized she might have truly committed a grave offense.

"I...I have to go." Lin Wan muttered to herself, lost and disoriented, ignoring her friends' surprised looks, and stumbled out of the private room. Lin Wan hurriedly left the room, her mind a mess, with only one thought in her head: get out of there as quickly as possible. She knew Liu Zhaoan was ruthless; once he decided she had ruined something big, he would never let her off easily.

Lin Wan stumbled into the club's parking lot, her hands trembling so badly she could barely insert the car key into the ignition. With great difficulty, she started the car and floored the accelerator, sending it hurtling off like a runaway horse.

On the speeding car, Lin Wan's thoughts calmed down a little, and she began to plan her escape route. She knew she couldn't stay in China any longer and had to find a way to smuggle herself out of the country. But she didn't have much cash on her, and her passport was with Liu Zhaoan, which made her extremely anxious.

Suddenly, Lin Wan thought of someone—Old Hei, a smuggler she knew in the black market. Old Hei specialized in smuggling people, ruthless in his methods but reliable. Lin Wan had dealt with him a few times before, though they weren't very close, but for now, he was the only one she could try.

Lin Wan contacted Lao Hei on her mobile phone while driving. After a few rings, Lao Hei's gruff voice came from the other end: "Who is it?"

"Brother Hei... Brother Hei, it's me, Lin Xiaxia. I... I'm in big trouble. I need your help to smuggle myself out of the country. Money is no object," Lin Wan said, almost in tears.

Old Hei was silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. "Lin Xiaxia? I vaguely remember her. Why are you suddenly trying to smuggle yourself across the border? Have you gotten into some trouble?"

"Brother Hei, please stop asking. Please help me. I'm really desperate. I'll give you any amount of money as long as I can get out," Lin Wan said anxiously.