Chapter 139 Charity Gala
After Su Youling and Li Cheng started working together, there were no more troublemakers, and the workers, reassured by Li Cheng, waited quietly for the company's new orders.
Finally, she had two days of peace and quiet, which allowed Su Youling to properly plan the charity gala.
Two days later, the sky, which had been sunny at noon, suddenly became overcast with dark clouds, and large raindrops, like hailstones, pelted down, stinging the skin.
The cars and pedestrians outside were rushing by. Compared to the usual bustling nights, tonight B City had an added touch of melancholy and sorrow in the rain.
The charity gala was held as scheduled, and wealthy businessmen and celebrities arrived at the Yin family manor despite the rain. They exchanged pleasantries and chatted, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
This manor exudes a rustic and mellow atmosphere. Its architectural style is purely Chinese, combining the elegance of Suzhou gardens with the grandeur of ancient buildings. Every brick and tile expresses the extraordinary historical feel of this manor.
The security check at the entrance was indeed very strict, with more than a dozen bodyguards standing in a row outside the door, serving as both greeters and security personnel. There were both intelligent verification devices and manual identity checks, making the arrangements quite hardcore, comparable to an election site.
The fact that the Yin family could hold such a grand banquet shows their considerable power; no wonder Zhao Fu was reluctant to show them the electronic invitation.
Su Youling's dress was prepared by Li Tingxi. Although the two had been arguing about the banquet, Li Tingxi didn't stop her from coming alone on this day.
They even thoughtfully prepared a makeup and styling team and a gown for her, so that she could appear radiant and stunning outside the hotel tonight.
After the electronic invitation was approved, Su Youling was indeed stopped during the manual verification process.
"The person who sent the invitation is a gentleman, and the relationship between Miss and Mr. Zhao is..." the person in charge asked respectfully and cautiously.
“I am his daughter, Zhao Xinning.” Su Youling glanced around and said in a low voice, “My dad hasn’t been feeling well lately, so he specifically asked me to come and see Uncle Li.”
The person in charge seemed to know something, but did not believe it immediately. Instead, he made a phone call to have someone verify Su Youling's identity.
Su Youling lowered her eyes and glanced around discreetly. Sure enough, there were some people in the shadows who looked like parking attendants but kept looking this way.
Were they here for her?
Zhao Fu gave her an invitation, but didn't tell her that she needed to go through manual verification. If she hadn't prepared in advance and came rashly, she might not only be unable to get in, but would also be blacklisted by the Yin family. From then on, it would be impossible for Yitao Culture to appear in the upper echelons of B City's business world.
Those who were tailing her were probably just waiting for her to be thrown out by security so they could take advantage of the situation and arrest her.
Zhao Fu clearly doesn't have the power to arrange these people near the Yin family's residence, so it must be that Mr. Li, who is rumored to have a good relationship with the Yin family.
He was right here!
Soon, the person in charge politely sent a receptionist to greet Ms. Zhao: "Ms. Zhao, your identity verification is complete. You may now enter."
"Thank you." Su Youling followed the hostess into the hall. Although there weren't as many people as she had imagined, every face belonged to one of the most prominent figures in B City.
She had initially thought that, given Li Tingxi's personality, even if she didn't want him to come, he would find a way to do it himself.
#Please do not use incognito mode whenever verification is required!
I had already entered the banquet, but I didn't expect to see him even when the charity gala was about to begin.
Su Youling found it strange that he was being so agreeable this time. He really didn't want her to come along after she said so?
As the time drew nearer, the guests seemed to grow increasingly restless.
Su Youling stood silently in the corner, only hearing many people whispering among themselves.
"I heard that Old Master Yin's health has been poor this year. Is he not going to personally host the banquet tonight?"
“The Yin family has always been mysterious. I’ve sent my visiting card more than eighty times, but I haven’t even been able to get through their door this year. It’s probably because Old Master Yin’s health is really not good.”
"I heard that Old Master Yin's son is a high-ranking officer in a foreign military and has no interest in inheriting the family business. His grandchildren are all still young and growing up abroad, so no one can help him manage the business in China. With such a large and deeply entrenched business behind the Yin family, won't it be divided up by others?"
"Can a wealthy family not find an heir? I heard that Old Master Yin actually had an illegitimate daughter in his early years, but he never brought her back because his wife disagreed. Later, that illegitimate daughter gave birth to a son, and I heard that Old Master Yin secretly brought her back this year, intending to groom her as his heir. Perhaps he will bring this grandson to appear at this banquet."
"Really? This immense wealth is indeed meant for family. All those who were so eager to curry favor with Old Master Yin and become his adopted sons are probably going to have their plans fall through this time."
"Not only that! What kind of person is Old Master Yin? Now that he's old, he doesn't like to make a fuss anymore. I heard that when he was young, he was a ruthless figure who dominated the European market. In his later years, he had no children to accompany him, so he returned to China and adopted many sons and daughters to help manage his business. But now that his grandson has returned, he has started to get rid of these outsiders."
“I’ve heard about it too. Li Zhongling, who suddenly got into trouble a few days ago, used to be quite favored by Old Master Yin. But this time he absconded with the money, leaving behind a mess. The Yin family didn’t even step in to help clean it up. Maybe Old Master Yin was behind it all.”
"Then we need to keep a close eye on that new heir we've never met before tonight. Maybe things are about to change in B City! New opportunities are on the horizon."
Listening to the discussion, Su Youling calmly picked up her wine glass and walked through the crowd to leave. She adjusted her earphones and said, "Wei Ning, can you check if this Li Zhongling is the one who cooperated with Zhao Fu? Check if his name is on the hotel's guest list tonight?"
She hasn't done anything else these days.
Although the Yin family is mysterious and low-key, they are not all-pervasive. In this age of electronic networks, the guest list and staff list for tonight's charity gala were all pre-recorded.
She had Wei Ning breach the internal network that was planning the Yin family's charity gala in advance, obtaining the complete list. All she had to do was check it against Li Zhongling to find out the result.
A moment later, Wei Ning said, "Li Zhongling is not among these people."
If he's not among these people, then there's only one possibility.
He was staying at the Yin family manor in advance as the host, without having to go through the security check system inside and out, and was not on the banquet guest list.
"The charity gala is about to begin. Every seat is registered under a real name. We will check each person one by one. By the end, we will be able to find the clues."
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