Chapter 34 - Strange Encounters.

The chain of Jia's thoughts was disturbed by a ring at the reception, and she again diverted her attention to the conversation of the two ladies.

Mrs. Altermatt bent forward and whispered, "He seems to be a well-bred elite gentleman of Chinese descent. The client has requested for secrecy in his matters due to a security threat surrounding him."

The word security threat raised an alarm in the wave of thoughts of Dr. Jones, and she questioned in hushed tones, "Are you telling me, that she has gone up to Cervinia in a blizzard, with a man who has a security threat surrounding him?"

Mrs. Altermatt nodded and whispered back, "I have heard, that she is not interested in him, but had gone to get him back to his senses, as he was waiting for her up there in a blizzard. Young people these days go crazy in love. I still find it difficult, that the man in question leads a giant business emporium back in China."

"Well, Mrs. Altermatt" she whispered, "Don't you think we are missing the main point?"

Mrs. Altermatt questioned in whispers, "What are we missing sweetie?"

Dr. Jones replied in a hushed tone, "Their lives could be in danger with the blizzard on one hand, and a security threat on the other."

"We need to discuss this with Dr. Wu. After all, this turn of events would matter to him, and moreover, they are family friends."

"I still can't believe, that women like you, who would care for their competitors, exist in this generation."

"This matter concerns two lives in danger. As a doctor, how can I think of competition now? Let me make a call to him, and apprise him in this regard."

As her phone was out of range, she asked, "Mrs. Altermatt, could I use your internal line to communicate with him?"

Mrs. Altermatt turned to the reception, pointed to the landline, and replied, "Of course sweetheart."

As she made the call she blurted, "Dr. Wu there is an emergency down here, that demands your urgent attention. Could you please come down immediately?"

She then turned to Mrs. Altermatt, and said, "Could we speak to the staff involved, in this matter?"

Mrs. Altermatt pointed to the direction of a passage and whispered, "Yes, of course, let us move to the conference room to avoid unwanted attention."

As Dr. Wu walked toward them, Dr. Jones bent toward him and whispered, "We have a huge problem on our hands."

Mrs. Altermatt directed them to the conference room and whispered, "You both move to the conference room with these receptionists, as I check for the people involved."

The word Chinese descent, and security threat combined with Cervinia rang a bell in the ears of Chang Jia who had been a silent spectator to all their conversation. The moment the sentence ended, she sprang up, and walked up to them, and apologetically interrupted, and said, "I am sorry to bother you, but I heard you discuss certain things."

She lowered her voice, and whispered into her ears, "Is it about Mr. Li? We have come all the way disrupting our honeymoon trip, to ensure his safety.

My name is Mrs. Chang, and I am his sister-in-law. There is a threat to his life, and we have requested support from the local police through the Chinese embassy. I know it is against the rules of the resort to provide any personal information, however, we need your help in this regard."

There was fear in her eyes as she continued, "My husband has just left for the police station, and would be back soon with them. Could you please help me with an introduction to the staff, that had helped with the arrangements, as we are unable to get in touch with him due to the storm? We need to trace him at the earliest to avoid any harm to him, or to people with him."

Mrs. Altermatt pried her from top to bottom and replied, "My dear, it is a very bad manner, to overhear other people. I have never mentioned any names in my communication, and it is against the rules of the hotel to divulge client information. Now, can I be excused? I have some matters, that need my urgent attention."

Jia held her back and replied, "Weren't you doing that a minute ago Mrs. Altermatt, by divulging his details to a third party, whom he doesn't know when he had requested complete secrecy from you, and also changed his room due to the perceived threat? How do I know this, if I am not a family member?"

Mrs. Altermatt ignored her statement and said, "Mrs. Chang, it would be advisable to maintain some form of restraining, while discussing things in the lobby. I do not know you, and it would be improper for me to divulge any information to you. Hence, kindly be patient till the police arrive."

As Mrs. Altermatt walked out, a young lady who had been sitting in the lounge, besides the glass door sipping coffee got up, and walked into the lobby, and crashed into Jia, who lost hold of her wallet.

As she bent down to pick it up, the lady picked it up for her, and said, "I am sorry. I was just rushing out."

As they were talking, a concierge walked in with a tourist guide, who seemed to have met with an emergency, as his facial expression displayed a terrorized demeanor.

The concierge said, "Miss you are still here. I thought you were supposed to—"

Before he could complete it, she gestured him to stop the sentence, and said, "You guys wait outside. I need to get some things."

She then walked into the elevator, and came back after a few minutes with a small bag, and walked out.

Jia watches her as she got into an electric car. The car waited outside for about fifteen to twenty minutes and then left the premises.

Jia who had been a silent spectator blurted out, "That was pretty weird."

After some time, Mrs. Altermatt walked out, followed by Dr. Wu and Dr. Jones.

Dr. Jones shook his hand, and said, "We will meet you tomorrow morning with them."

Mrs. Altermatt replied in a hushed tone, "God bless you both with success in your endeavor. Hope to see you return in the morning, safe and sound. The wind speed has decreased now. The snowfall might stop by midnight as well if the weather forecast is accurate."

Mrs. Altermatt, then showed them out into an electric car waiting for them. She waited till the car left, and came back.

As Jia got up to persuade her once again, she was startled as an elderly man in his late fifties said, "Miss you should be careful while walking. You could trip others with yourself. Now, could you excuse us? We need to leave."

The man seemed to be of Asian descent but his language was of an English or Australian native. There were a group of young men with him. Their reserved and rude demeanor got Jia angry. She however composed herself, and said, "I regret the inconvenience caused."

She then stepped aside for them to leave. As they were leaving one of the men said, "Well, he had been pursuing that lady, and we had overheard it."

The elderly man turned around asked the young lad, "What is the name of the lady in question?"

As they walked out, Jia thought to herself, "How can parents stoop so low to check out on the love life of their sons? They seem to be still living in 200 BC rather than in the twentieth century.

As she walked towards Mrs. Altermatt, Mrs. Altermatt said, "You have a very sharp observation. It might however not always be, as you perceive it to be."

Jia replied, "Well Mrs. Altermatt, I seriously need your help in the matter discussed earlier."

At that moment a young man in a black coat and a black cap bumped into Jia. He immediately got up, and said, "I am sorry."

He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket to clean his hands, and as he did that, a visiting card fell out of his pocket.

Jia picked up the card, and rushed out to give it back to him, however, he seemed to be in a hurry and ran out without even caring to look up to her.

As she looked out, the young man walked over and joined the group of men who had left earlier. They kept discussing some things. After a few minutes they got into an electric car, that stopped by and rode away.