After enduring several hours of turbulence, Jane finally disembarked from the plane. As she looked at the unfamiliar city, she had only one thought in her mind.
That thought was that if Patrick were here, even in this unfamiliar place, she would still find warmth.
“Patrick, wait for me. As long as you’re here, I will definitely find you,” Jane firmly believed in her heart.
With this unwavering conviction, Jane walked out of the airport. As soon as she found a taxi, she gave the name of a pre-booked hotel.
Her plan was to go there first and then find a guide.
Jane felt that April had indeed come up with many helpful ideas for her. Without April’s suggestions, she would have been lost and clueless in this new city.
But now, at least she had this plan.
While Jane was lost in her thoughts, the driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror, observing her sitting there alone in silence.
The city wasn’t as beautiful as Jane had imagined, nor was it as peaceful as she had hoped. Even though the driver was a woman, she had already made up her mind deep down.
“Are you visiting this city for the first time, miss?” the driver asked politely.
Jane nodded in response, still preoccupied with her thoughts.
“Well, you’re lucky. This city will surely leave a deep impression on you,” the driver said as she gradually deviated from the planned route. Jane, who was unfamiliar with the roads, didn’t notice anything amiss and assumed this was the correct direction.
Once the driver realized that Jane had no knowledge of the route, she grew bolder.
While casually chatting with Jane, the driver picked up her phone and sent a message to a friend. She then continued the conversation with Jane after putting her phone down.
When the vehicle arrived at a secluded street, the driver stopped the car. Jane thought they had reached their destination.
Observing that Jane truly had no idea about the route, the driver glanced at the alley on both sides.
As soon as she spotted her accomplices, a smile appeared on the driver’s face.
“Alright, we’ve arrived. Once you go through that alley ahead, the hotel you’re looking for will be right across,” the driver said. “The fare is eighty dollar. I wish you a pleasant journey and hope this city will bring you peace of mind.”
The driver even opened the door for Jane, displaying her courteous demeanor.
After paying the fare, Jane started walking forward, unaware of the situation. She believed that she would reach her intended hotel by going through that alley.
However, an unexpected scene unfolded as Jane entered the alley. Two women quickly surrounded her as they brushed past her.
“Sorry, darling, but we’ll be taking your wallet. Hand it over now if you don’t want any trouble,” said the blonde woman in front, brandishing a knife. Jane was dumbfounded by what she was witnessing.
To encounter such a misfortune right after arriving here was beyond her comprehension.
She couldn’t understand why this was happening and didn’t expect that the female driver had conspired with these people to deceive her.
Jane tried to struggle, but she was faced with two people holding knives, leaving her with no choice.
She could only obediently hand over her money.
After the two individuals took Jane’s money and seemed to have other intentions, someone in the distance shouted, causing them to hastily flee.
Just when Jane thought she had been saved, she didn’t expect two men to enter with inappropriate intentions towards her.
Jane could only struggle desperately and shout for help. Finally, others came to her rescue.
“Poor girl, how could you end up in such a place with these people?”
After the local law enforcement arrived and learned about the situation, they sighed and touched their foreheads in disbelief.
They were much older than Jane and felt that encountering such an incident in a foreign land didn’t reflect well on the local security but rather suggested a problem with Jane’s own judgment.
“Where are you planning to go? Shall I take you there?” The personnel asked Jane after completing the record.
“I want to go to the embassy.” Jane had learned her lesson and didn’t dare to make random choices anymore. The personnel immediately arranged for Jane to be taken to the embassy.
After a brief exchange with the personnel, Jane finally entered the embassy.
Upon arriving, she felt a glimmer of warmth in her heart, as if she had found a sense of home.
But then she remembered her stolen wallet, and a hint of sadness crept in.
Jane recalled the phone number the police officer in her home country had given her and asked if anyone had found the owner of that number within the embassy.
It turned out that the person was also an embassy staff member and happened to be present that day.
When Jane explained the situation to this person, she noticed a serious expression on their face.
“What a reckless move. You dare to wander alone on the streets of this city? Although the security is decent, it’s still easy to run into trouble.”
Although the staff member spoke sternly, she knew she had to assist Jane in resolving her issues. Otherwise, Jane might encounter further trouble in the city, causing them more headaches.
Moreover, Jane had found her using this phone number, so from any perspective, she had to help.
After considering the situation, she decided to allocate a few days for embassy personnel to assist Jane, which should help resolve her problems smoothly.
The staff member called for someone named Michael Owen.
“This is our compatriot Jane. She came here to find someone and investigate a few things. Can you help her in the upcoming days?”
When Michael heard the staff member’s words, he smiled and nodded. He was also an embassy staff member.
However, his work was relatively relaxed, and he didn’t have many responsibilities on a regular basis. Furthermore, there wasn’t much going on these two days.
“I’m glad to be of service. Your safety and guidance are in my hands.”
“But I must say, I admire your courage for coming here alone.”