Chapter 46: Banquet Troubles
"Love? Suyan, you're too naive! If love really existed, why would Paul abandon me to marry the daughter of that mafia family?" A woman's husky voice rasped.
"Ape!..." Li Suyan's voice had also become much lower.
"Forget it, Suyan, don't try to persuade me anymore. I've come to terms with it. Your brother has always liked me. If I can't marry the one I love, then I'll marry someone who loves me. Isn't that the best fate for a woman?" The woman called Ape said indifferently.
"But how can you be happy like this?" Lee Suyan's tone sounded somewhat lacking in confidence.
"Happiness? What is happiness? Suyan, daughters of wealthy families like us can't easily obtain pure love and happiness. Being with your brother is already a pretty good outcome! Suyan, I've made up my mind."
Hearing the conversation of the two women on the second-floor balcony, Murong Feng couldn't help but shake his head. He really didn't understand women's thoughts. Feeling that it wasn't appropriate to listen any longer, Murong Feng walked back into the hall.
Casually picking up a glass of red wine from a passing waiter's tray, Murong Feng stood in a corner, observing the various guests in the hall.
Many guests had already arrived in the hall, clearly divided into several groups: a few older men, who looked like Jiangsu and Zhejiang business owners, were talking together. People frequently approached them with smiling faces to greet them, indicating their high status in the business world. Li Zhengyi and Song Kangnian hadn't appeared yet; they were the most prominent figures in the hall.
Another group, equally prominent if not more dazzling, consisted of several beautiful women in luxurious evening gowns. Murong Feng noticed Tang Qing and the woman she had spoken to earlier among them. The women in this group, with their graceful figures and fragrant clothes, often drew the attention of many young men in the hall with their charming laughter.
The other guests, who were talking in threes and fours with wine glasses in hand, didn't have any particularly outstanding figures. Glancing around, Murong Feng didn't recognize anyone and felt relaxed, enjoying his wine leisurely in the corner.
The intermittent whispers of two men beside him reached his ears: "Did you hear? Li Zhengyi is planning to collaborate with Song Kangnian on the 'Century City' project!" "...I heard Old Song has already invested almost 4 billion in the Century City project. But with his vast wealth, why does he need to collaborate with Li Zhengyi?" "I heard Song Kangnian encountered a problem with a significant overseas investment, so he had no choice but to seek cooperation with Li Zhengyi!..."
Murong Feng looked over and saw two middle-aged men in suits talking quietly not far away.
"The Century City project?" Murong Feng recalled seeing this project, described as the largest commercial real estate project in Jiangsu, mentioned in some financial magazines. It was an urban satellite town project, modeled after foreign small towns, planned for about 3 square kilometers of land in the Suzhou, Wuxi, and Changzhou areas of the Yangtze River Delta, with mature commercial residential areas and supporting living areas to meet the housing and living needs of the workforce in the industrial parks of the three regions. It was said that the project's significant investment and unique planning and design had attracted the attention and support of both Jiangsu Province and national authorities.
This type of real estate project was too distant for Murong Feng, so he only listened casually. When he saw Li Zhenjun entering the hall with a few people, his attention shifted to him.
Tang Qing's words of advice still echoed in his ears, warning him not to hold a grudge against such people out of momentary anger. When Li Zhenjun's gaze met his, Murong Feng smiled and raised his glass in a greeting. Li Zhenjun also smiled, said a few words to the people he had just entered with, and walked towards Murong Feng.
"Brother Li, I apologize for the previous incident. I'm here to make amends." Murong Feng said with a smile, raising his glass as Li Zhenjun approached. Though he had felt good throwing money at someone for the first time, he realized that Li Zhenjun, the recipient, certainly didn't enjoy it.
Li Zhenjun laughed heartily and waved his hand, "To be honest, I was just upset because that woman Xiao Qiang seemed to like you. It's me who should be apologizing. Haha, don't take it to heart." He downed his glass of red wine with a smile.
Murong Feng suddenly understood, shaking his head with a smile, "So that female reporter was your...?" Li Zhenjun looked annoyed, "Don't mention it. That girl is very cunning. She took the information and left right after the interview. I didn't even get a chance to get close to her. You were luckier, drinking with her all night." Murong Feng quickly waved his hand and smiled, "No, no, we just happened to meet and chatted a bit."
Li Zhenjun glanced at Tang Qing and smiled knowingly, "I believe you. Compared to Miss Tang, neither in beauty nor status can Xiao Qiang compare."
Murong Feng quickly explained, "You've misunderstood. Janney and I are just good friends."
Li Zhenjun had a look of brotherly understanding and nodded, "True, not just here in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but in Shanghai and Beijing, no one can manage her. Her brother-in-law is the deputy secretary of the neighboring province, not to mention her several brothers!" He shook his head, looking regretful.
Despite their different personalities, one enjoying life indifferently and the other being free-spirited and playful, the two found they had similar interests. Li Zhenjun even laughingly put his arm around Murong Feng's shoulder, saying, "Murong, it's odd that you don't have any feelings for my sister after being around her for so long."
"Your sister?" Murong Feng had already guessed Li Suyan's identity and asked, "Li Suyan?" Li Zhenjun was surprised, "You didn't know? I thought you did! My sister sure knows how to keep a secret." Murong Feng smiled wryly, "Your sister's temper is quite different from yours. I was a bit scared when I saw her stern face."
Li Zhenjun instantly felt the same, shaking hands with Murong Feng, "Great minds think alike!"
Murong Feng laughed, "I didn't expect you to be afraid of your sister." "Whenever she pulls a long face, I feel like she's not my sister but my mother." Li Zhenjun said with a pained expression.
As the two laughed and chatted, applause suddenly erupted in the hall.
Li Zhengyi and Song Kangnian walked down the stairs, having arrived earlier and likely been discussing matters in the study on the third floor.
Following behind them were a man and a woman. The man was about 40 years old, with a square face that exuded a dignified presence. The woman, younger, in her twenties, wore a yellow princess-style ball gown. Her long hair was pinned up, adorned with sparkling jewelry that enhanced her noble and elegant demeanor.
Li Zhenjun whispered to Murong Feng, "I heard you've already met my father and Uncle Song? The man behind them is my older brother Li Zhenguo, and the woman is Uncle Song's youngest daughter, Song Wenpei." Murong Feng nodded in understanding, but recalled the conversation he overheard on the balcony earlier. Now that Song Wenpei had appeared, where was Li Suyan?
He scanned the room and quickly found Li Suyan hiding in another corner. She wore a simple dress, still sporting her black-framed glasses and no makeup, making her quite unnoticeable in such a setting. Her face remained cold as she looked at the four people walking down the stairs.
Murong Feng couldn't help but marvel at her. Even at her own family's banquet, she maintained such an unapproachable appearance.
Seeing that Li Suyan hadn't noticed him, Murong Feng had no intention of approaching her and instead turned his attention to the four who had become the center of the banquet.
As he looked around, he made eye contact with Tang Qing. She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling with encouragement, but she remained with her group of beautiful friends.
"Friends, welcome to the celebration banquet for my daughter's return to the country. I hope everyone enjoys themselves!" The guests responded with enthusiastic applause. Song Kangnian smiled and nodded, continuing, "Besides celebrating my daughter's return, I also have good news to announce. My daughter, Wenpei, and Mr. Li Zhenguo will be engaged, with the wedding to follow in six months. I hope to see you all there. Now, enjoy the evening!"
Murong Feng applauded along with everyone else, glancing at Song Wenpei. He thought of the raspy, tearful voice he had heard on the balcony but saw her smiling gracefully at the guests, appearing perfectly happy. Who would guess she didn't love the man beside her?
Murong Feng sighed internally. Women were indeed adept at hiding their true feelings.
The banquet continued like any typical business event, with drinks and polite conversations. Li Zhengyi and Song Kangnian joined the circle of business moguls, becoming the focus of the event. Many people surrounded them, speculating about the impact of the Li-Song alliance on the Jiangsu-Zhejiang business scene and how they might benefit. Murong Feng found the smiling faces hiding various thoughts rather dull.
Li Zhenjun stayed by his side, occasionally chatting with young acquaintances, forming a small group. Murong Feng had to engage in a few polite exchanges as well.
A man approached Li Zhenjun with a toast, laughing, "Zhenjun, who did you lend your car to the other day? It was at our company, and I thought you were in Wuxi without contacting me!" Li Zhenjun chuckled and pointed to Murong Feng, "Gao Yang, it's not my fault. My car now belongs to him, Murong Feng, a friend from Beijing." He introduced them, "Murong, this is Gao Yang, the secretary of the board at Weifu Hi-Tech."
Murong Feng smiled and shook hands with Gao Yang, thinking of Ye Zi's project with the listed company, "So you're Gao Yang. My girlfriend, Ye Zi, is currently working on a project with your company. Thank you for taking care of her!" Familiar with the work of listed companies, Murong Feng knew the board secretary often interacted closely with investment banks.
Gao Yang, recognizing Murong Feng's imposing manner, smiled and shook his hand, "No need for thanks, Murong. So Ye Zi is your girlfriend! By the way, what do you do, Murong?"
Murong Feng smiled lightly, "I have some small businesses." He didn't elaborate.
Li Zhenjun, surprised, interjected, "Murong, no wonder you and Miss Tang... haha, you already have a girlfriend!" He turned to Gao Yang, grinning mischievously, "Gao Yang, is Murong's girlfriend pretty?" Before he could finish, Murong Feng slapped his shoulder, laughing, showing their camaraderie.
Gao Yang awkwardly nodded, "Very beautiful! You're very fortunate, Murong."
At that moment, Tang Qing approached, pulling Murong Feng aside and greeting Li Zhenjun and the others with a polite nod. The familiar faces returned her smile.
She led Murong Feng a few steps away and whispered, "Murong, I heard some friends say that Song Kangnian is planning to sell off some of his investments at a low price to recover funds for the Century City project. One of them is a game company in Hangzhou's West Lake Technology Park. Are you interested?"
Murong Feng nodded, "Of course, but I don't think I can afford it. I only have about 30 million in cash right now." He had recently invested in several companies, leaving him with limited funds and needing to keep some for emergencies.
Tang Qing, unaware of his financial situation, frowned in thought, then nodded, "I see. I'll ask around and see what the specifics are." She discreetly pointed to the woman she had been talking to earlier, "That's Sun Xiaohong, a well-known businesswoman in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. She often mediates deals. She's handling Song Kangnian's sales, and she said she can offer significant discounts!"
Murong Feng gratefully smiled, "Janney, thank you so much for helping me!" Tang Qing playfully scolded, "Why so formal? You're one of my best friends; of course, I'll help you."
Suddenly, a loud crash interrupted their conversation. In the circle of business moguls, a burly elder in his fifties had smashed his wine glass on the ground, shouting, "Li Zhengyi, you're going too far! With such terms, you might as well rob me!" He turned and stormed out, followed by several sharp-looking young men, likely his attendants or juniors.
The banquet fell silent. Li Zhengyi calmly smiled and loudly said, "Everyone, just a minor misunderstanding. Please continue enjoying yourselves." With that, the elders turned and headed upstairs, likely to discuss important matters, leaving guards at the stairs.
After this brief disruption, the banquet quickly resumed its usual atmosphere. Although everyone had their thoughts, they hid them well. With the elders upstairs, Li Zhenguo and Song Wenpei became the focus again, surrounded by well-wishers.
Tang Qing quietly explained to Murong Feng, "The man who left is Liu Yongtao, a powerful figure in Jiangsu's real estate sector and Song Kangnian's partner in the Century City project. It seems the new partnership with Li Zhengyi has caused a rift in the division of interests. Although Liu Yongtao's influence is slightly less than Li Zhengyi's, he is still formidable. It looks like things will heat up around here soon!"
Murong Feng nodded, impressed by the elder's commanding presence as he left.
As they talked, they were soon noticed by Li Suyan. She had been sitting in a corner, brooding over her earlier conversation with Song Wenpei. Those who knew her temper avoided her sour expression, while strangers naturally wouldn't approach a plain-looking woman. She had been quietly drinking alone.
Now, seeing Murong Feng talking intimately with a more beautiful woman, Li Suyan's irritation grew.
Li Zhenjun, though chatting with others, had been keeping an eye on Murong Feng and Tang Qing. From their interaction, he sensed their closeness. Although he appeared frivolous, Li Zhenjun was shrewd. Knowing Tang Qing's value and already appreciating Murong Feng, he was now more determined to befriend him.
"Murong, I almost forgot. My dad asked if you could stay after the banquet. He wants to talk with you." Li Zhenjun said to Murong Feng.
Murong Feng was surprised and exchanged a glance with Tang Qing, "Li Zhengyi?"
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