As Yu Shuang was going through the motions of greeting Ying Baolin, the heroine of the night, Yun Jin, finally made her grand entrance!
Yun Jin, clad in a fiery red cheongsam, was dressed to impress, radiant and stunning.
Though she was older, the cheongsam was perfect for a woman with mature charm.
Especially for Yun Jin, who already possessed superior looks, figure, and temperament, she wore the cheongsam, a symbol of national heritage, with an air of high-class luxury.
Everyone present was amazed and full of admiration.
To the uninformed outsider, Yun Jin's attire not only complemented her temperament but also showcased the extraordinary depth of a woman.
But only I knew clearly that Yun Jin's outfit tonight was specifically chosen to match Ying Baolin.
A Zhongshan suit and a cheongsam, hehe~ how interesting!
...
After welcoming the most important guest, Yun Jin, Ying Baolin immediately led her and Yu Shuang towards the villa.
Leaving Jiang Xiaowan and Shen Lingyu to continue receiving guests for him outside.
Seeing this, I did not get out of the car immediately but waited patiently for a while longer.
Although Ying Baolin had no strict entry policy or invitations for tonight's birthday banquet, since he left Jiang Xiaowan and Shen Lingyu outside, it was highly likely that these two women were playing the role of gatekeepers.
There were some people Ying Baolin was too embarrassed to refuse outright, but that didn't mean Jiang Xiaowan and Shen Lingyu couldn't.
After all, they were both women.
Surely, those unimportant guests wouldn't go so far as to get into a shouting match with two women at the entrance of the most affluent villa area in Wenzhou just to crash a birthday banquet.
After waiting for about ten more minutes.
Seeing more and more guests arriving to offer birthday wishes, including some familiar faces from the Wenzhou gambling scene.
After settling Zhu Wenjing, I got out of the car with Cheng Minglang and Han Jinlun and slowly walked towards the entrance of Heyuan.
Before I even reached the gate, I saw Shen Lingyu cast a cold glance at me, then said gloomily, "Chen Xiang, you really have some nerve!"
"Aren't you afraid I'll just call the police and have them arrest all three of you?"
Upon hearing this, I immediately laughed, "Heh heh~"
"Afraid? What good would being afraid do?"
"Even if you were afraid, wouldn't you have already called the police? But..."
"If the police really came to arrest me and send me to jail, then the slots for next year's Gambling King competition and the free labor would all be gone!"
"Besides, Boss Ying isn't that stupid, is he? Picking up a rock only to drop it on his own feet?"
"If I guessed correctly, all those little tricks played earlier were just to force me to flee in a hurry."
"And then, by using connections in both the underworld and the legal system, they could pinpoint my whereabouts and find me without any effort!"
"Right?"
As soon as she heard this, Shen Lingyu's entire face fell, and she fell silent.
Then, the atmosphere in the hall quietly descended into an eerie silence.
Just then, Jiang Xiaowan, who was standing nearby, suddenly said at a very opportune moment, "Long time no see, Chen Xiang! When did you arrive?"
"Just arrived not long ago!" I replied with a smile.
At the same time, I handed the gift I brought to Jiang Xiaowan.
Compared to Shen Lingyu, who was solely focused on opportunism and self-promotion, I preferred to interact more with Jiang Xiaowan.
Firstly, she wasn't overly driven by personal gain.
Secondly, although Jiang Xiaowan viewed Ying Baolin as her idol and blindly followed him, she wasn't brainless.
She would do what Ying Baolin assigned her.
However, before doing so, she would independently consider the matter and weigh the pros and cons from Ying Baolin's perspective.
Unlike Shen Lingyu, whose mind was always occupied with showcasing herself.
After taking the gift and sizing me up from head to toe, Jiang Xiaowan immediately asked meaningfully, "Are you really here to offer birthday wishes today?"
I didn't speak, but smiled noncommittally.
Seeing this, and glancing at Shen Lingyu beside her, Jiang Xiaowan gave me an extremely subtle look.
I understood the meaning behind her gaze.
She was warning me not to go in.
I ignored her, smiled faintly, and walked inside.
Just then, Shen Lingyu, who had just finished greeting a guest, suddenly let out a cold laugh, "Chen Xiang, I hope you have a very pleasant experience tonight!"
Sarcasm! Naked sarcasm!
Both she and I knew the reason.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Minglang immediately stopped and turned to glare at Shen Lingyu, demanding, "What do you mean by that?"
"Heh heh~" Shen Lingyu waved her hand and replied with a fake smile, "It means nothing."
After speaking, she turned her head aside and continued to entertain guests.
Just as Cheng Minglang was about to argue with Shen Lingyu, I grabbed him and reminded him that we had an important mission tonight and were not here to quarrel.
Then, I didn't linger any longer, leading Cheng Minglang and Han Jinlun straight towards Ying Baolin's villa.
...
Just as I had imagined, although the entrance was bustling with people, there weren't many guests inside Ying Baolin's villa.
It seemed that Jiang Xiaowan and Shen Lingyu, two women with completely opposite personalities, had done an excellent job of guarding the entrance.
One a spear, one a shield, one offense, one defense.
With their complementary cooperation, they had blocked all those unworthy but ill-intentioned individuals outside.
As soon as I entered, I saw Ying Baolin leading Yun Jin through the crowd, chatting and laughing with some familiar guests.
"Boss Ying, you're truly getting younger as you get older! Your second spring has arrived!"
"Hahahaha~ Director Huang, you jest! It's not a second spring; I was so focused on establishing my career in my younger years that I forgot about starting a family. Now, I'm just filling that void."
Hearing this, I immediately realized.
It was likely that the news of Ying Baolin and Yun Jin's engagement had already spread throughout the circle in the past two days.
As they were talking and laughing, Ying Baolin suddenly spotted me standing at the villa entrance.
Ying Baolin first showed a slight stunned expression, then a hint of a contemptuous curve appeared on his lips.
Ying Baolin knew very well that if I had the intention to inquire and verify his alliance with Yun Jin, it would be impossible to keep it a secret.
Once confirmed, I would have no choice but to attend his birthday banquet tonight! Because Yun Jin avoiding me was an undeniable fact.
So his smile was a smile at me walking into a trap knowingly.
I didn't look at Ying Baolin again, but found an empty seat at a table and sat down.
About half an hour later, the villa was filled with guests.
The chefs and waiters invited to the villa began their respective tasks, busy and bustling.
While the chefs and waiters were busy, Ying Baolin led Yun Jin onto the stage.
After appearing hand in hand, Ying Baolin said with a beaming face, "Esteemed guests, today, on the occasion of my birthday, I, Ying, wish to announce a piece of great news!"
"I ask everyone to raise their wine glasses and celebrate with me after hearing this good news!"
Here it comes!
Tonight... the clinking of glasses and the shadows hide knives!