Chapter 3The Daughter in the Storm Drain

“Ms. Jones, I understand how you feel, but property management really has no reason to lie about this. It’s a matter of life and death; if someone isn’t rescued, they would also be held responsible.”

I truly didn't know how to explain the situation to the firefighters. I could only say, “Please, I beg you to go back and check again. I will bear all the costs, including any wasted manpower, resources, and potential losses incurred from this deployment! Please, I’m begging you!”

Under my continuous tearful pleas, the fire department finally agreed.

But soon, the fire department called again. “Ms. Jones, although we managed to force our way into the complex, property management is refusing to cooperate. We don’t know where the drain is. Do you know where the opening is?”

I thought of several locations, but none of them were right. Our complex was huge, with many residential buildings, like a maze. It was easy for someone visiting for the first time to get lost.

Time was ticking away. Every minute of delay meant another minute of danger for my daughter. My heart was churning, but thankfully, I was just around the corner from home.

When I reached my front door, I saw the firefighters preparing to leave. I quickly stopped them and then led them to the property management office.

“Take me to the drain, now!”

The property manager was impatient. “Who are you?”

“My daughter is still in that drain! Who do you think I am?! Lead the way!”

“We already told you your daughter has been rescued. If you go home now, I’m sure she’s there!”

“I have surveillance at home! My daughter never came back!”

“We already sent her home. If she’s not there, she must have run off again herself. Your daughter is seven or eight years old; there’s nothing we can do if she runs off!”

I was shaking with rage. They were murderers, pure and simple. They were treating a human life as dirt! I stopped wasting words and pulled out a fruit knife, pressing it against the property manager’s throat.

“Take me there, now!”

The property manager was terrified. “This lunatic! Call the police for me!”

The firefighters tried to calm me down, but my daughter’s life was on a countdown. I couldn’t calm down. I pressed the knife closer. “If you don’t take me there, I’ll kill you and make you my daughter’s grave mate!”

Seeing the killing intent in my eyes, the property manager finally got scared. “Alright, alright, I’ll take you! Just put the knife away. I’m scared, and I’ll walk slowly like this.”

I hesitated, then removed the knife.

The moment I did, the property manager shoved me away. “Murder! Call the police! There’s a crazy woman here!”

I quickly shouted, “Stop him! He refuses to take us to check the drain; there must be something wrong!”

The firefighters reacted quickly and caught up to him, but even held by them, he wouldn’t cooperate.

“Why are you helping that crazy person? I told you the child was rescued ages ago! You’re letting her threaten me with a knife! I’m going to sue you; you’ll all be facing charges!”

The property manager was utterly arrogant. By this point, I had completely lost my rationality. “If I can’t save my daughter, then you can go down and join her!”

I charged at the property manager like a madwoman but was pulled back by two firefighters.

“If my daughter dies, you’re a murderer! Every single one of you at property management is a murderer!”

The property manager sneered, uncaring. “You need proof for those accusations. Where’s your proof? We did rescue your daughter. Everyone at property management can testify to that.”

In that moment, I finally realized that all these people were colluding, determined to kill my daughter.