Chapter 267 — Sitting Tight and Watching

The bungee cord bound to the jumper's ankles is long enough to let them enjoy several seconds of "***fall" in midair. When the body has dropped to a certain distance above the ground, the cord pulls taut and tightens, halting the descent; at the lowest point the cord springs back, hauling the jumper upward, and then down they fall again, repeating the cycle over and over until the cord's elasticity is spent. That is the whole of the bungee jump.

Wei Zhao bought three tickets. Xiao Ma, disguised as a bungee-jump attendant, came trotting up to the three of them, beaming — he still thought Wei Zhao had no idea who he was.

"Huh? Yaoyao, look — this attendant's face is so strange! It looks swollen, doesn't it?" Shen Yushu stared at Xiao Ma's face in puzzlement and spoke to Gu Mengyao.

"I don't know. Someone must have pinched him. Xiaoshu, why do you even care?" The thought that she would be jumping in a moment had Gu Mengyao's nerves drawn tight.

She was less bold than Shen Yushu. She had looked forward to the bungee jump because she wanted to vent some of the unhappiness pent up inside her, but now that the moment had truly come, she felt uneasy.

"Oh..." Shen Yushu kept studying Xiao Ma with a puzzled look. "Your face really is strange!"

Xiao Ma was so furious he was rolling his eyes inwardly. Strange? And whose pinch made it that way? Now you tell me I'm strange? But on the surface he could only force a smile. "I was born looking like this, haha! Right this way, all three of you — please sign the agreement, and then we'll measure your weight and blood pressure!"

Before a bungee jump, one must first sign a safety agreement containing a number of declarations — whether one has a heart condition, nearsightedness, or the like. If an accident is caused by concealing such a condition, the amusement park accepts no responsibility.

Then comes the insurance; the premium is already included in the ticket price.

Since Xiao Ma's whole purpose was to do away with Gu Mengyao, he did not bother at all with the blood-pressure and weight measurements — he simply waved the three of them through as having no problems whatsoever.

"All right, that's done. Who's first?" Xiao Ma collected the signed agreements and asked.

"Yaoyao goes first — I'll let you have the first time!" Shen Yushu looked at Gu Mengyao with a giggle. "We agreed on it!"

"Agreed on what?" Gu Mengyao shot her a glare, then said mildly, "Fine. I'll go first."

What the two had agreed on was, of course, not the bungee jump, but that pact of theirs about marrying the same man. Gu Mengyao was the elder sister... so the wedding night would naturally be ceded to her...

But such things could be said in childhood; said now that they were grown, they were bound to make Gu Mengyao a little embarrassed.

At Gu Mengyao's words Xiao Ma was overjoyed. With Gu Mengyao jumping first, it would be far easier to rig something. "This way, please!"

Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu walked in front, Wei Zhao behind. Just now, Wei Zhao could not decide whether to expose Xiao Ma's identity or to pretend he knew nothing.

Wei Zhao had no idea how things had been arranged on Gu Pengzhan's end, so he dared not rashly tip his hand. After a moment's hesitation, he dialed Qing Bo's number — he wanted to hear what Qing Bo had to say.

"Qing Bo, this is Wei Zhao. I'm at the amusement park. Someone means to harm Miss Gu. Should I expose him, or..." Wei Zhao asked quietly.

"One moment. I'll consult Mr. Gu." With that, the line went silent. A while later, Qing Bo's voice came back: "Mr. Lin, I spoke with Mr. Gu. He says it would be best if you did not tip your hand. He is still laying his plans, and he fears that if we alert them, they will turn desperate and lash out."

"I understand. Then I'll sit tight and watch how things unfold." Wei Zhao nodded.

"Of course, that is on the premise that Yaoyao's safety is assured. If anyone threatens Yaoyao's safety, please, Mr. Lin, hold nothing back!" Qing Bo added.

"Naturally. I will protect Yaoyao and Xiaoshu. But Qing Bo, if you have the time, you had best come to the park as well — I want to follow them afterward and see who is behind all this," Wei Zhao said.

"Very well, I'll head over now. I drive fast — about twenty minutes. Where in the park are you?" Qing Bo asked.

"The bungee jump," Wei Zhao said.

"All right, I'll be right there." Wei Zhao hung up on Qing Bo and quickly hurried after them. His manner had been that of a man casually taking a call from a friend — someone of Xiao Ma's caliber had noticed nothing amiss whatsoever.

As far as he was concerned, Wei Zhao still had no idea that he was the "Faceless Man" in the haunted house.

Wei Zhao caught up, only to see that Gu Mengyao, under Xiao Ma's instruction, was already preparing to strap the rope onto herself.

Wei Zhao frowned. He wanted to stop her, but then he recalled Qing Bo's words and fell into hesitation. Gu Pengzhan had told him not to alert the enemy, yet if these people meant to tamper with something during Gu Mengyao's bungee jump, then even if Wei Zhao thought to save her, it would be too late!

The best way was for Wei Zhao to jump together with Gu Mengyao, reducing the danger to a minimum. But strapped together with her — would Gu Mengyao agree?

Just as Wei Zhao was pondering his next move, Gu Mengyao glanced down at the surging waves beneath the cliff and felt a flicker of fear: "I... I want to get ready first..."

Xiao Ma, though he dreaded any delay that might breed trouble, had no choice in the matter. The rope had been tampered with anyway, and it could only be used by Gu Mengyao — no other tourist could use it. So for all his reluctance, Xiao Ma had to keep a smile on his face and say: "Then get ready, get ready... Though really, there's nothing to it. Everyone's scared on their first bungee jump. You just close your eyes and down you go, and when you open them again, you'll see how vast the world is..."

Xiao Ma had bungee jumped before, so he spoke about the experience with great authority, and it did not rouse Gu Mengyao's suspicions at all. Only Wei Zhao had long since seen through the trick, and now he could not help but find it somewhat amusing.

Gu Mengyao's timidity had, in fact, bought Wei Zhao time to respond. He walked to her side, seemingly casually, yet he reached out and picked up the rope beneath her, intending to examine it closely.

"What are you doing?" Xiao Ma immediately stopped him. "This rope can't be moved about carelessly. If you damage it and something goes wrong when she jumps, who's going to take responsibility?"