Liu Rumeng's silence and indifference seemed like an invisible contempt, which made Cindy's provocation fail. She felt embarrassed and was about to speak again.
Lü Ruirong, sitting slightly behind Liu Rumeng, chuckled softly. It wasn't loud, but it carried a sense of composure and a subtle sense of superiority that instantly captured every remaining eye in the car. She didn't look at Cindy, but spoke in a calm, yet loud, voice for everyone to hear:
"A broken ship? Besieged on all sides? Cindy, is the world in your eyes only big enough to fit the tip of your nose?" A hint of sarcasm lingered in her lips. "If Xiao Linsheng wasn't powerful enough, how could so many top bosses unite to target him? This just proves how powerful he is! So powerful that even these people who are used to controlling everything feel threatened!"
Lu Ruirong's words were clear and powerful, and every word struck a chord with everyone. She looked around, especially at the beauties who had expressed worry because of Cindy's words:
"As for the outcome? So what if Young Master Fok issued a challenge? Who was the ultimate winner in that Hong Kong-shaking land acquisition war? It wasn't the Fok family, nor was it Newbigin, but Xiao Linsheng! He just tore off a piece of the fattest meat in a truly crocodile's arena, so naturally, he'll attract a frenzied siege. This is just the beginning; the best is yet to come."
She paused deliberately, sensing the subtle shift in the atmosphere around her due to her words, and a look of mixed recollection and boasting appeared on her face at the right moment.
"Some people haven't experienced it, so naturally they can't imagine what a truly grand occasion is. Take last night's dinner, for example... on the rooftop of the Mandarin Oriental," she said, her voice deliberately soft, as if recalling a beautiful dream. "The cost of the meal and drinks alone is estimated to be... around two million Hong Kong dollars."
"A real two...two million?!" Shi Jiayi was in a trance. Although she had experienced it herself last night, when she heard this number from Lu Ruirong again at this moment, and it was emphasized again in the sunlight, her heart still felt like it was being hit by a heavy hammer!
She could almost smell the pungent fishy smell of her mother's fish stall and feel the rough, scabby, scabby calluses on her father's shoulders. How many lives like hers could this enormous sum of money change? Yet, it was so easily swallowed up in a single meal.
The entire train car suddenly fell silent, leaving only the monotonous sound of the air conditioner. All the contestants, including the makeup artist Amy and the director, looked at Lu Ruirong in shock, their eyes filled with disbelief and undisguised jealousy that flared up like a flame.
Lv Ruirong thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of commanding the attention of the entire audience. Her smile deepened as she glanced at Zhu Lingling and Yu Qixia before giving Liu Rumeng a last, almost imperceptible glance. She added in a more casual yet impactful tone:
"Money? That's nothing. Mr. Xiaolin could just write me a check for a million Hong Kong dollars as pocket money. I deposited it into my HSBC account this morning..."
Her tone was more relaxed, as if she was talking about an insignificant matter: "Also, Mr. Kobayashi is very thoughtful. He has arranged for the manager of the property management company under the Hong Kong Land to ask me to go and choose a high-end apartment closer to the TV station after I finish filming in the afternoon...to make it convenient for work." She deliberately emphasized the words "arrange" and "select one" lightly.
boom!
"A million-dollar check?" "A luxury apartment"?
If the previous "Two Million Dinner" had been as hot as lava, then Lu Ruirong's understatement at this moment was like two bombshells, instantly setting off a raging wave in the beauties' already restless hearts! Almost everyone's breathing became heavy.
Their gazes towards Lu Ruirong, Zhu Lingling, Yu Qixia, Shi Jiayi, and especially towards Liu Rumeng, who remained as calm as water in the front row, suddenly became incredibly complex! Envy, jealousy, yearning, disbelief, a desire to replace them... all these intense emotions were almost tangible.
At this moment, no one considered Xiao Linsheng's precarious situation. The enormous benefits lay before their eyes, seemingly within reach. In their worldview, steeped in the logic of capitalism, spending the night with Xiao Linsheng was a sacrifice, and receiving a million-dollar check and a property was the fairest, even enviable, reward.
Yu Qixia's heart felt like it was being gripped by an invisible hand, then suddenly released, a surge of burning resentment rising up! Why did Lü Ruirong have it, and she didn't?! Her gaze was fixed on the small purse in Lü Ruirong's hand, as if she wanted to penetrate the leather and read the HSBC bankbook containing the million-dollar sum.
A crazy thought clamored in her heart: She must seize this opportunity! She must climb into Xiaolinsheng's bed! She would pay any price! She wanted that million-dollar check, that apartment, too!
Shi Jiayi lowered her head, her innocent face flushed, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes. The shock of the two million dinner hadn't yet subsided, and the lure of a million-dollar check and a house arrived.
This enormous disparity in wealth shook the already limited shyness and reserve of a student in her heart. Her mind flashed back to her mother's red, swollen, and rough hands, her father's hunched, exhausted back. If only... if only she could get even one-tenth of that... She quietly glanced up at Liu Rumeng's back in the front row, then quickly looked back. Her mind was in turmoil, but a vague thought suddenly became crystal clear: She couldn't fall behind! She wanted that kind of "reward" too! And she... was willing to do it.
Zhu Lingling's delicate eyebrows drooped, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow on her fair cheeks. Her knuckles on the armrest tightened slightly for a moment, then quickly loosened, regaining her outward composure.
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