Chapter 237 Charity Gala
Victoria Harbour is dazzling with lights at night.
A luxury cruise ship named "Pearl of the Orient" rests quietly on the sea, its bright lights reflecting off the myriad lights on the shore. Tonight, most of Hong Kong Island's celebrities have gathered here for a charity auction dinner hosted by the "Tung Foundation".
Inside the cruise ship's banquet hall, elegantly dressed women mingled, and glasses clinked in lively conversation.
Bai Shu wore a tailor-made dark green velvet cheongsam with a perfectly placed slit, revealing glimpses of her long, straight legs as she walked. She wore no makeup, only a touch of red lipstick, yet she outshone everyone present.
Dong Cunshan stood beside her, his old face glowing, his back ramrod straight. Now, when he looked at Bai Shu, his eyes held not just awe, but also a sense of pride and honor. The recent public relations battle had given him a complete understanding of this young woman's extraordinary abilities.
"Miss Bai, the Huo family has arrived," Dong Cunshan reminded her in a low voice.
Bai Shu looked in the direction of the sound and saw Huo Qishan leading his good-for-nothing younger brother Huo Jingran, surrounded by a group of people, as they walked in.
Huo Qishan was still dressed in a well-tailored, expensive suit, with an impeccable business smile on his face. However, his hawk-like eyes, after scanning the entire room, landed precisely on Bai Shu, with undisguised scrutiny and inquiry.
Huo Jingran, standing beside him, was dressed in a flashy white suit with his hair slicked back. When he saw Bai Shu, his eyes lit up, and he immediately flashed a fawning smile, raising his glass to her from afar.
Bai Shu calmly withdrew his gaze, ignoring Huo Qishan's provocation.
She wanted to invite them here so they could witness firsthand how she would gradually erode their confidence and drive them into a corner.
The banquet began soon after the emcee took the stage and, after a warm and enthusiastic opening speech, the first item to be auctioned was brought out by the hostesses.
It was a set of Cartier sapphire jewelry, sparkling brilliantly under the lights.
"This 'Heart of the Ocean' set was generously donated by a friend who wishes to remain anonymous. The starting bid is HK$500,000!"
A small commotion arose from the audience.
Huo Jingran's expression changed instantly. This set of jewelry was the gift he had given to Bai Shu a few days ago to curry favor with her! Now, she was using it as the first item to be auctioned off in front of all the celebrities of Hong Kong!
He felt the gazes around him were filled with mockery and ridicule, and his handsome face turned a deep purplish-red.
Bai Shu, holding a glass of champagne, raised it to him from afar, a faint smile playing on her lips. Her eyes clearly said: Your things are only fit for charity.
This move subtly humiliated Huo Jingran's frivolity while also demonstrating the speaker's magnanimity and broad-mindedness.
"One million!" A bloated, wealthy businessman held up a sign high.
Huo Jingran's expression turned even uglier.
Ultimately, the jewelry set was sold for HK$1.5 million.
The subsequent auction turned into a complete solo show for Bai Shu.
"Tang Dynasty white jade Guanyin statue, starting bid three million!"
"Five million." Bai Shu's voice was clear and cold, without the slightest ripple.
The entire room fell silent.
This price is far above the market price; it's purely a charity offer.
"A Qing Dynasty Qianlong period famille rose porcelain vase, starting bid four million!"
"Eight million." Bai Shu raised his paddle again without even blinking.
The auctioneer's voice began to tremble, and his gaze toward Bai Shu was filled with shock.
The guests, who had initially watched with amusement, were now completely stunned. Those who had previously questioned her financial resources in the newspapers and suspected her of being a corporate spy now felt a burning embarrassment on their faces.
Huo Qishan's expression changed from calm to somewhat serious. He stared intently at the woman who kept raising her placard; each number she called out felt like a slap across his face.
His meticulously planned media attack appeared so laughable and so easily defeated in the face of this woman's absolute wealth.
After bidding on five items and spending nearly HK$30 million, Bai Shu finally put down his paddle.
She wasn't flaunting her wealth; she was establishing her authority.
She wanted the whole of Hong Kong to know that her Dong family was incredibly wealthy, and that she, Bai Shu, was qualified to sit at this poker table and challenge anyone.
During the auction break, Huo Jingran, carrying two glasses of wine, pushed through the crowd and approached with a broad smile.
"Miss Bai, you really are... really my idol!" He lowered his voice, his tone full of excitement and admiration.
"My brother's face turned green like a vegetable patch! That was so satisfying!"
Bai Shu didn't take the wine from him, but just glanced at him indifferently: "How did things go?"
Huo Jingran's smile froze, and he quickly said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "I bribed a security captain on Nightingale Island. He said that the boss personally went to the island a couple of days ago and replaced all the infrared alarm systems, and also installed the latest German pressure sensors. Now, not even a bird can fly into that island."
Bai Zhu's heart sank slightly.
"And another thing," Huo Jingran's voice lowered even further, carrying a hint of eerie excitement.
“I found something out. My older brother somehow got hold of a woman and is keeping her at the Huo family’s old house on the mountaintop. That woman is like a living dead person; she can’t speak or move. She just lies in bed every day, and there are doctors and nurses watching over her.”
"What was that woman's name?" Bai Shu gently scratched the glass with his fingertips.
"Su Yuting".
When Huo Jingran uttered the name, Bai Shu's pupils contracted sharply.
Su Yuting!
Her brain was working at lightning speed.
Instead of killing Su Yuting, "Eagle's Nest" handed her over to Huo Qishan. Why?
A thought flashed through my mind like lightning.
A valuable sample! Su Yuting is the only person with whom they have had in-depth contact and know some of her background. For "Eagle's Nest," such a "discarded item" might have extremely high research value, and could even serve as a key sample that could threaten them in the future!
That was a clever backup plan.
A chill ran through Bai Shu's heart, but he remained outwardly calm.
"Well done." She gave Huo Jingran an approving look for the first time. "Keep an eye on it, and let me know immediately if there's any news."
Upon receiving the praise, Huo Jingran was like a dog whose head had been patted by its owner; his face flushed with excitement, and he bowed and scraped as he retreated.
The climax of the banquet was approaching.
Accompanied by Dong Cunshan, Bai Zhu slowly walked onto the stage.
She took the microphone, her cold gaze sweeping across the room before finally landing precisely on Huo Qishan, whose face was ashen.
"Thank you all for your generosity tonight," her voice echoed throughout the banquet hall through the sound system. "On behalf of 'New Wave Technology,' I have an announcement to make."
Everyone held their breath.
“Starting next month, ‘New Wave’ will enter into a deep strategic partnership with the Schmidt Gene Research Center from Germany. We will jointly invest HK$100 million to establish Asia’s first and most advanced genetic disease research institute on Hong Kong Island, dedicated to developing targeted drugs for various genetic diseases and contributing to the health of all mankind.”
Upon hearing this, the entire audience fell silent at first, then erupted in thunderous applause.
HK$100 million! That's another astronomical figure!
Everyone was excited about this grand plan, except for one person whose face drained of color in an instant.
Huo Qishan suddenly raised his head and stared intently at Bai Shu on the stage, almost thinking he had misheard.
Schmidt Gene Research Center!
That person in charge is none other than Friedrich Schmidt, the core scientist of the "Luna Project"!
How did this woman get involved with the Schmidt family? And why does she dare to announce a collaboration so openly? What is she doing?
Bai Shu's gaze swept past the throng of people and landed precisely on Huo Qishan, whose face was ashen.
She smiled and silently mouthed two words to him.
"Declare war."
Huo Qishan's wine glass clattered to the ground, spilling its crimson liquid onto his expensive custom-made leather shoes, but he was completely unaware.
He understood.
From the very beginning, this woman wasn't after the Dong family's wealth, nor was she after any business empire. She was a knife, a knife handed to him from the mainland, precise and aimed at piercing his heart!
Seeing his flustered state, Bai Shu's smile deepened.
That's exactly what she wanted to do, step by step, to push him to the edge of a cliff.
She wanted to disrupt his entire rhythm, destroy all his reliance, and turn him into a mad dog with no choice but to jump over the wall.
Only a mad dog will recklessly expose its most fatal weakness.
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