You're dumping me, huh? Fine, then I'll just pick up the school beauty and make her my wif

Bai Yuning put away her phone, and the hesitation in her gaze as she looked at Jiang Che was gone.

"What are you planning to do?"

Jiang Che zoomed in on the map on his phone to its maximum size and slowly traced a circle around the terrain surrounding Palm Villa with his finger.

The resort is built against the mountain, surrounded by continuous mountain ridges to the east and south, and a dense primeval forest to the north.

The main gate faces west and is the only vehicular access road. A two-lane asphalt road winds its way up from the foot of the mountain to the manor gate.

This means that the possibility of entering head-on is basically zero.

A private estate with security personnel stationed year-round would most likely have surveillance cameras, sentry posts, and vehicle recognition systems at its main entrance.

Strangers who try to force their way in will be stopped before they even reach the door.

But Jiang Che's gaze quickly fell on another path.

To the northwest of the resort, a thin gray line is marked on the map, with the words "Public Walking Trail" written in small print next to it.

The mountain road starts from the mountainside, winds its way down the contour lines of the mountain, and finally merges into a highway at the foot of the mountain.

Jiang Che used two fingers to enlarge the width of the road.

The road was very narrow, probably only a little over a meter wide, with dense vegetation on both sides.

This type of path is generally used by hiking enthusiasts, and there isn't much foot traffic on ordinary days, especially at night when almost no one walks on it.

If you want to get out of the villa, besides the main gate, this walking path is the most likely route.

Conversely, if he wanted to approach the villa without being discovered, this road was also his best option.

Jiang Che carefully examined the contour lines and the location of each marker on the map several times to ensure he had a sufficient understanding of the terrain before looking up.

"sister."

"Um?"

"We'll split into two groups."

Bai Yuning was slightly taken aback. "What do you mean?"

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Che said, "Go to Palm Manor first and tell them that you are representing the Jiang family of Beijing to visit the manor owner and negotiate with him."

"No matter who the other party is or what conditions they propose, you should talk to them first. If you can talk, then talk. If you can't reach an agreement, that's okay too. At least you can keep their attention occupied."

Bai Yuning's mind worked quickly, and she immediately understood his meaning: "You want me to play my cards right and draw their attention to the main entrance?"

"Yes." Jiang Che nodded. "You go in from the front, and I'll sneak up from the northwest path to scout out the perimeter of the manor first."

"Once we confirm Qinghe's exact location, we'll figure out the next step: how to bring her out."

Bai Yuning remained silent for a few seconds.

To be honest, she was a little worried.

Jiang Che went alone in the dark to scout the outskirts of a heavily guarded private estate. No matter how you looked at it, this was not a very safe thing to do.

But she also knew that if both of them went in through the front door, it would be no different from walking into a trap.

Since the other party dared to take someone away in broad daylight and then dared to call you, it means they weren't afraid of you knowing at all.

This confidence and arrogance must be backed by something truly extraordinary.

In this situation, pursuing both overt and covert strategies simultaneously is currently the most reasonable approach.

"Okay." Bai Yuning finally nodded. "I'll go first and buy you some time."

She paused for a moment, then lowered her voice and added, "But Jiang Che, you remember this: you're going there to investigate, not to rescue anyone."

"You are not allowed to act without first figuring out what's going on inside."

Jiang Che glanced at her, neither nodding nor shaking his head, but simply hummed in agreement.

This reaction made Bai Yuning even more uncertain, but she also knew that now was not the time to waste time.

The two parted ways at the entrance of the police station.

Bai Yuning rented a car on the day she landed in Atlanta. After getting in the car, she headed straight for the western suburbs of Atlanta.

Jiang Che, however, did not rush to act and planned to set off after dark.

While the mountains and forests offer a wide field of vision during the day, it also means an extremely high risk of exposure.

At night, when the light is dim, the surveillance equipment around the villa will be less effective in low-light conditions, and the patrol personnel's field of vision will also be limited.

For him, the night was the best cover.

……

5:40 PM.

A black minivan slowly drove up the driveway of Palm Hill Villa along the winding mountain road in the western suburbs.

With the car window half open, Bai Yuning wore sunglasses, one arm draped over the window, and the other hand gripping the steering wheel, looking quite dashing.

Her gaze swept across the scenery on both sides through the car window.

The road was very clean, and the roadside trees on both sides were neatly trimmed. Every thirty or forty meters or so, you could see a hemispherical surveillance camera, quietly hanging on the tree trunk.

This is definitely not an ordinary place.

After driving for about three minutes, a wrought iron gate appeared in front of us.

Two security guards in black uniforms stood on either side of the gate, their figures upright and their eyes alert.

When one of them saw a vehicle approaching, he raised his hand to signal it to stop, and then walked towards the driver's seat.

"May I ask who you are?"

Bai Yuning rolled down the car window and calmly said, "Bai Yuning from the Jiang family in the capital wishes to meet the owner of the manor. Please inform him."

The security personnel looked her up and down for a few seconds, their faces expressionless. They didn't ask any questions, but simply said, "Please wait a moment." Then they turned and walked to the side, took out their walkie-talkies, and whispered a few words.

While waiting, Bai Yuning kept her eyes busy, constantly observing the situation inside the manor.

Although there wasn't much in sight, there were only towering trees one after another, and some flowers and plants.

However, the outlines of several villas can still be vaguely seen among the flowers and trees.

That's quite a large scale.

About two or three minutes later, the security guard returned, his attitude much more polite than before. "Miss Bai, my young lady is waiting for you in the main building. Please follow me."

Miss?

Bai Yuning silently memorized the title and nodded without showing any emotion.

The wrought iron gate slowly opened to both sides, and the security personnel got into an open-top tour vehicle parked inside, gesturing for Bai Yuning's car to follow.

Two cars drove into the manor one after the other.

Bai Yuning continued to observe the layout of the park along the way.

The driveway is lined with tall palm trees, interspersed with bougainvillea and hibiscus, all meticulously maintained.

In the distance, you can see a wide lawn, at the end of which stands a three-story white building with a European style, but with some Southeast Asian design elements in the details.

That must be the main building.

The car quickly stopped on the circular driveway in front of the main building's main entrance.

Bai Yuning pushed open the car door and got out. A maid in a plain-colored uniform was already waiting on the steps. "Miss Bai, please come with me."

Bai Yuning straightened her collar and followed the maid through an arched doorway into the main building.

The interior decoration is just as exquisite as the exterior, with marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and several oil paintings of indeterminate age hanging on the walls. A faint sandalwood scent wafts in the air.

After walking through a corridor, the maid stopped in front of a dark wooden door.

"The young lady is inside, please."