บท 32: The Banquet Begins

"Still no leads?"

Inside the Sunrich Group, an aged voice echoed in the room. A white-haired old man sat at the tea table, his gaze fixed on two middle-aged men in front of him. They were high-ranking members of the group.

"Mr. Gary... We even visited the police station.Even the head of cybersecurity said he didn't have the authority to access that person's information." a middle-aged man helplessly reported.

Just as his words ended, the other man standing beside shook his head in agreement, "Mr. Gary, we have also used many of our contacts, even asked an insider from the official Angel Squad. He said that the information of that poster has been classified as top-secret, only a handful of people are eligible to view it."

Hearing this, a surprised expression flashed across Gary's aged face, mumbling, "Classified as top-secret... meaning only a few high-ranking members of the Angel Squad know. This complicates things."

"Oh, Mr. Gary." One of the middle-aged men seemed to remember something and continued, "I heard the Angel Squad will also attend today's banquet. This is a rare opportunity for our Dragon Age Guild!"

Gary nodded, "Continue to find out more about that person's identity. Also, get Dennis back here immediately. The banquet is about to start. It's time to leave."

...

Inside Green Vine Group.

James had just hung up the phone, his brows furrowed as if deep in thought. At that moment, Lily walked over. She was wearing a black formal dress with delicate makeup on her face. It was evident she took tonight's banquet seriously, "James, what are you thinking about? What did he say?"

"He has agreed to attend tonight's banquet." James revealed his thoughts, "Lily, help me analyze this. What kind of person could accumulate nearly a thousand pieces of equipment, including two rare ones, in such a short time? As far as I know, no other players own rare equipment..."

Forget about rare equipment, even a high-level piece was seemingly out of reach for most players.

"How would I know who he is?" Although Lily was dressed in a formal dress, she pouted playfully in front of her brother, "A person who doesn't care about selling rare equipment must be a strong player, at least a T0 level existence in the game."

James nodded in agreement.

The second wave of catastrophe was imminent. No one would be foolish enough to sell their best equipment. After all, life matters more than money. This suggested that the mysterious poster didn't even value rare equipment.

How strong could his powers be?!

Thinking about this, James was filled with excitement. Then he tentatively asked, "Do you think that person could be Irving?"

"Him?" Lily sneered, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes, "He's just a cunning businessman. The[Pigman Armor]I got from him last time was a total rip-off. It's only good for fighting low-level beasts like Pigmen, it's of no use to me now. In contrast, if my[Watchtower Blueprint]was still with me, it would probably be more useful. Too bad he took it."

Looking at his sister's aggrieved expression, James shook his head with a smile, "Come on, the basis of any transaction is trust. Do you actually plan to get it back from him? Besides, we might not be here today if it weren't for him last time."

Having said that, James checked the time and then left with Lily.

...

Hinton Hotel.

This was the most luxurious five-star hotel in the city. Although the banquet was half an hour away, the entrance was already filled with all sorts of luxury cars. Many people had arrived early, eagerly anticipating the event.

To accommodate this banquet, the hotel had cleared out all its patrons a day in advance. Aside from the welcoming attendants, there were several burly security personnel stationed at the entrance. Today's banquet was a gathering of all the family powerhouses in the city, so security measures were naturally top-notch.

"Mr. Gary, you're here." Martin, who had just left the Sunrich Group, saw a middle-aged man with a broad smile on his face approaching from a distance, immediately after he got out of the car.

The middle-aged man was Joseph, the current executive chairman of the Ocean Group, and also the man Vicky referred to as her second uncle.

"It's you." A glimmer of indifference flashed in Gary's aged eyes, " How is your father's health recently?? "

"Ever since he fell ill, he has been staying at the nursing home. The nurses there say his health is deteriorating, and he may not last much longer." Joseph put on a sad face.

However, his mediocre acting skills couldn't fool the worldly Gary. A cold smile flashed across his eyes, and he gently patted Joseph's shoulder, "It seems the responsibility of the Ocean Group will soon fall on your shoulders."

Joseph seemed sorrowful on the surface, but inside, he was overjoyed.

A year ago, his older brother died in a car accident, and his father fell seriously ill and could no longer manage the family's affairs. As a result, he naturally assumed the current position. He had not only cultivated a lot of loyalists within the group, but even those in the family were trying to curry favor with him, the future head of the family.

"Don't joke, Mr. Gary. I'm still inexperienced. I was able to secure those two recent deals thanks to your help. I'll continue to rely on your guidance in the future."

"It's just two deals. Once we become family, there will be plenty more opportunities like this." Gary said with a profound meaning.

"Don't worry, my niece is still young and doesn't understand much. Her parents are dead, and my father can no longer manage things. As an elder, it's my responsibility to ensure she finds a good home!" Joseph chimed in.

The only person who could challenge his authority now was Vicky. She was not only his father's favorite granddaughter but also the rightful heiress after the death of his brother. However, Joseph took over in her stead, claiming she was too young to handle the family's affairs.

But after experiencing the thrill of power, Joseph was determined not to relinquish his authority to Vicky, and he had long ago formulated a plan.

As long as Vicky marries into the Taylor family, she will no longer be suitable for handling matters related to the Smith family....

"I must settle this matter before my father finds out." Joseph worriedly muttered to himself.

In his eyes, his father was the only variable. If he found out about this, he would never agree to the marriage. But Joseph had already devised a strategy.

Almost all the major families in the city would be attending the banquet tonight. Once the engagement was announced, it would be too late for even his father to overturn.

"Mr. Gary, it's time for us to enter. The banquet is about to start." Joseph said, bending over in an obsequious gesture.

Soon, both men entered the hotel. Not long after, James and his sister Lily also arrived.

"We're two minutes away from the start, where's Irving?" James glanced at his watch. Most of the invited guests had already entered and there were few people left at the hotel entrance. He turned to Lily, "Here's what we'll do. You wait here for him with the invitation. I have something to do, I'll go first."

"Alright…" Lily was a bit reluctant, but could only nod in agreement.

Inside the banquet hall.

On the central stage, the host greeted every guest warmly: "Thank you all for attending tonight's banquet."

"Since the launch of the game 'the Other world', rumors about the end of the world have been rampant online, and more and more powerful monsters have appeared. I'm here to express our gratitude on behalf of all players."

"The establishment of guilds has given ordinary players hope and protection, and the heavy responsibility of defending our planet rests on your shoulders." After a pause, the host continued, "Well, I won't waste any more time. This banquet will be held in a free format, whether it's for cooperation or discussion. Anyone can take the stage to auction equipment from the game!"

Applause broke out from the audience. As an opening event, the host family auctioned off three high-level equipment pieces on the spot, attracting everyone's attention. In the end, the three pieces of equipment were bought by three different families, each costing millions.

The atmosphere was whipped to a climax.

"It's all high-tier ★★★ equipment, fantastic!" Dennis was also on the stage, his face filled with excitement. Because Gary had just agreed to give him the[Heavy Broad Sword]that had just been auctioned off.

"I remember Vicky also joined the Other world. With this equipment, she'll definitely regret the foolish things she did this afternoon!" With that in mind, Dennis became even more smug, his eyes scanning the crowd, "There she is!"

At the entrance to the banquet hall, Vicky, dressed in a luxurious white dress, was slowly approaching like a princess. Just as Dennis was preparing to go up and show off, his face suddenly stiffened, "It's him! How did that useless guy get in..."

Dennis's face darkened as if he was about to drip water. He decided to take advantage of the banquet to expose Irving as the parasite he was to everyone.