The Feast at Hongmen on a Cruise Ship
A week later, night fell, like deep blue velvet, slowly enveloping the entire Cloud City.
In Victoria Harbour, a white luxury cruise ship named "Pearl of the Sea" is quietly moored at the pier. The ship's hull is brightly lit, and layers of light spread across the gently rippling sea, like a floating crystal palace, echoing the dazzling starry sky formed by the towering buildings on the shore.
Tonight, the entire place has been booked by the Feng Group to host the highly anticipated "Celebration Banquet for the Reopening of the Suburban Project".
The news sent shockwaves through the entire business community of Yuncheng. Just a few days ago, rumors circulated that the Feng family's cash flow had dried up and projects were on the verge of collapse. Yet today, they were holding such a high-profile celebration banquet. This dramatic reversal made everyone sense something unusual.
Wearing a wine-red fishtail dress, Yu Jinli took Feng Jinxuan's arm and stepped onto the red carpet leading to the cruise ship.
The sea breeze was slightly salty and cool, gently blowing through her carefully styled, slightly wavy long hair and teasing her slender ankles exposed beneath her skirt.
She couldn't help but shrink her neck, feeling a bit cold. That's the downside of rich people's clothing—too little fabric, not warm enough.
The man beside her seemed to notice her movement, and his steps paused almost imperceptibly.
The next second, a black suit jacket, still warm from her body and of excellent quality, was draped over her shoulders without a word.
"Cold?" Feng Jinxuan's voice was low and unreadable.
"I'm not cold!" Yu Jinli immediately shook her head, clutching her coat tightly, and smiled like a cat that had just stolen some cream. "It's just that this coat looks very expensive, and I'm afraid of getting it dirty for you. The cleaning fees would be too high, which would affect my personal KPI."
Her mind raced: the cost of dry cleaning this haute couture suit alone was enough to buy her pork trotters for half a month. No way, she had to find a way to generate more value tonight to recoup this potential "loss."
Feng Jinxuan ignored the convoluted schemes in her mind, but subtly tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her closer to him as they continued walking forward.
His warm palms pressed against her skin through the thin fabric of his dress.
It was a touch that exuded both control and restraint, respect.
For a moment, Yu Jinli seemed to forget to breathe.
Ugh, here we go again. It must be this sea breeze that's making me feel so relaxed.
As you step into the banquet hall, a warm breeze carrying the scents of champagne, gourmet food, and fine perfumes greets you.
Inside, the crystal chandeliers shone brightly, and the gleaming marble floor reflected the glittering figures of elegantly dressed people, their glasses clinking in a lively atmosphere. Every face wore a carefully crafted, impeccably polite business smile.
Almost all of the senior executives at the director level and above of the Feng Group were present.
As soon as Yu Jinli appeared, arm in arm with Feng Jinxuan, she immediately became the focus of the entire event.
Countless gazes, some curious, some inquisitive, some envious, some disdainful, focused on them like invisible searchlights.
In particular, she, this suddenly appearing, unknown "CEO's female companion," became the focus of everyone's whispers.
Yu Jinli was already used to this.
She stood tall with her back straight, a perfect eight-tooth smile that she had hastily learned from watching videos online, perfectly portraying the role of "the CEO's woman."
Just kidding, she got paid to focus on one specialty.
Out of the corner of her eye, she quickly scanned the crowd and soon identified two "key targets" for the evening.
Marketing Director Sun Man, dressed in a smartly tailored black dress, was holding a glass of red wine, moving effortlessly among several partners. Her makeup was impeccable, her aura powerful, and her conversation fluent and confident, exuding the air of a seasoned professional. She showed no signs of distress, as if the incident at the construction site had never happened.
But Yu Jinli keenly noticed that in the instant she turned around, a hint of undisguised, almost neurotic madness flashed deep in her beautiful eyes.
On the other side, Feng Jinhong was surrounded by a group of group elders and important guests, like a star being the moon. He remained as gentle and polite as ever, displaying the demeanor of a young master from a prominent family in every gesture, as if he would never lose his composure.
Every now and then, he would cast a concerned glance at Feng Jinxuan, his eyes filled with an older brother's worry and love for his younger brother.
One of these two is a pawn about to be out of control on stage, and the other is a venomous snake with superb acting skills behind the scenes.
At this moment, however, they are in the same room, each playing their own role.
This scene made Yu Jinli feel both ironic and chilled.
"Nervous?" Feng Jinxuan's voice rang softly in her ear.
"A little." Yu Jinli nodded honestly, then lowered her voice and complained, "I feel like a little white rabbit who has accidentally wandered into the set of 'Empresses in the Palace.' I'm surrounded by award-winning actors and actresses, and I'm just an extra. I don't even know when I'll get my lunchbox (a euphemism for being killed off)."
"You're a koi fish," Feng Jinxuan corrected her, a hint of seriousness in his tone that he himself didn't realize. "Not a rabbit. And..."
He paused, lowered his voice even further, and added a hint of barely perceptible mockery.
"With me here, the wolf won't dare to bite you."
Yu Jinli felt her ear being burned by his hot breath.
She looked up and met his deep eyes.
Those eyes, which were always cold and aloof, now seemed to reflect the dazzling lights of the banquet hall, like scattered stars, making her feel somewhat dazed.
The banquet officially began.
As the nominal protagonist, Feng Jinxuan naturally had to bring her along to socialize with the guests from all sides.
Yu Jinli quietly followed beside him, playing the role of a perfect, smiling, and demure vase.
While dealing with various probing or curious glances, she secretly activated her "lucky charm radar," observing the flow of fortune in the room.
Most executives have normal luck, exhibiting a calm gold or purple hue befitting their status and position.
But Sun Man was like a broken signal light.
The aura surrounding her was an extremely unstable grayish-brown, mixed with a hint of dark red representing "decisiveness" and "madness," flickering on and off, as if it could be completely extinguished at any moment.
Yu Jinli became wary.
She had a feeling that something bad was going to happen tonight.
Her gaze then shifted to Feng Jinhong on the other side.
Feng Jinhong's fortune remained unchanged, shrouded in a layer of hazy mist, making it difficult to see clearly.
He seemed to notice her gaze, looked up, and raised his glass to her across the crowd, giving her a gentle and harmless smile.
Yu Jinli felt a chill run down her spine.
That smile was like a cold, venomous snake flicking its tongue.
She subtly withdrew her gaze, leaned close to Feng Jinxuan's ear, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Boss, I feel like Director Sun's condition is a bit off. She's like a gas cylinder about to explode, and someone's secretly lighting it up from below."
Feng Jinxuan paused slightly in the hand holding the wine glass.
He turned his head, glanced at her, and a hint of approval flashed in his dark eyes.
"You noticed?"
“Of course.” Yu Jinli said with a hint of pride, “I’m a professional.”
"Then watch closely." Feng Jinxuan's voice carried a hint of calm confidence. "Tonight's show has only just begun."
As soon as he finished speaking, the music in the banquet hall suddenly changed.
As a melodious waltz began to play, several couples started to dance gracefully in the center of the dance floor.
Sun Man put down her wine glass, straightened her skirt, and took a deep breath.
Then, she picked up the two glasses of champagne from the waiter's tray and walked straight towards Feng Jinxuan and Yu Jinli with a clear purpose.
Every step she took was graceful and elegant, her face bearing a confident, almost seductive smile.
But Yu Jinli saw a wildly burning flame in her beautiful eyes.
The gas cylinder is about to explode.
At the same time, Feng Jinhong, who was on the other side of the dance floor, also stopped talking to someone.
He leaned against the Roman column, casually raised his wine glass, and through the flickering lights and dancing crowd, gave a knowing, encouraging smile.
The hustle and bustle of the entire banquet hall seemed to fade into a silent background at this moment.
All the lights, all the focus, converged on this triangular area where conflict was about to erupt.
A meticulously planned trap has finally been revealed.
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