Chapter 1180: All In, Brother!

"Mr. Han, please take a seat," the staff member said, pointing to the empty chair beside Xiao Chunping.

Han Xiang nodded slightly and sat down next to Xiao Chunping. Ying Fu's seat was to Han Xiang's side and slightly behind, placing him right next to Yao Qing. After all, one was a student brought by Han Xiang, and the other was a grandson brought by Xiao Chunping; both were considered "family members" of important guests.

After they were seated, waves of people approached Han Xiang to converse. Han Xiang handled this skillfully, holding a wine glass and chatting jovially with others, much like a respected elder offering guidance to the younger generation.

As for Ying Fu, who was seated behind him, he was completely undisturbed, which was precisely what he expected, with the exception, of course, of Yao Qing, who kept staring at him.

Ying Fu's gaze swept over the guests one by one, finally settling on the only empty table remaining across from him. Since Han Xiang's seat was quite far forward, with an aisle next to it, the number one seat was directly opposite Han Xiang. Next to that was Sun Zhongliang, the director of Bureau 749.

Sun Zhongliang seemed to have arrived much earlier. He sat alone, quietly drinking, his brow furrowed as if something was on his mind. Looking around the entire dinner venue, only one table was empty. And from the looks of it, the dinner wouldn't start until the owner of that table arrived. This made Ying Fu increasingly curious about the identity of that table's occupant.

Just then, a staff member, drenched in sweat, rushed in from the entrance and hurried straight to Sun Zhongliang.

"Director... Director, please come quickly."

Sun Zhongliang, already in a bad mood, looked up. "What's the rush?"

"It's Mr. Sun. He wants to bring in an attendant who hasn't been pre-registered or had their identity verified... We told him it's against the rules and asked him to have his attendant wait outside, but he won't listen! Now he's threatening to go back to America, and a group of us outside can barely stop him..."

Sun Zhongliang was speechless. Hearing the words "Mr. Sun" and "go back to America," Sun Zhongliang felt a headache coming on. He waved his hand dismissively, "Alright, alright, let them in. Add another table next to Mr. Sun's."

"This... alright."

The staff member's hurried actions had already drawn considerable attention. People watched curiously as he conversed with Director Sun, then ran back to the entrance, still drenched in sweat, prompting them to begin whispering among themselves.

A few seconds later, the staff member respectfully led two people in.

Behind him, a young man in a Tang suit sauntered into the venue, idly toying with a string of wooden beads of unknown material, while his small, round sunglasses rested on his nose, slowly scanning the crowd. The corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, and his entire demeanor exuded an air of cynicism and nonchalance. At first glance, one might have mistaken him for an authentic young master from Beijing out for a leisurely stroll with his pet bird. Behind him was another inconspicuous young man in a black Tang suit, with an ordinary face—the kind of person who would be hard to find again if you threw them into a crowded street.

Most of the people in the venue were seeing this rumored overseas senior for the first time. Upon seeing how young he appeared, they were utterly astonished, and discussions immediately grew more intense.

"Is he the Mr. Sun?"

"He looks like he's only about twenty... Didn't they say his seniority is even greater than Director Sun's? Is the rumor false?"

"What do you know? Mr. Sun is a Xishendao. It's perfectly normal for a Xishendao to alter their appearance, isn't it?"

"That's true..."

"I can confirm that. I saw Mr. Sun once at a conference over a decade ago, and he looked exactly like this then."

"So it's an age-defying technique. No wonder he looks so young... His actual age must be over a hundred, right?"

The conjectures about Sun Bumian from the crowd were endless, but there was one exception.

Ying Fu watched Sun Bumian swaggering through the venue, his expression as sour as if he had swallowed a fly. Ying Fu had certainly met Sun Bumian before; the man had caused plenty of trouble in the Imperial Dao Ancient Vault. However, Ying Fu had never known Sun Bumian's name until he saw him in person, and then it clicked.

Isn't this one of Chen Ling's people from the Nine Lords' Era???

He's Sun Bumian?

The moment Sun Bumian appeared in the venue, Ying Fu suddenly had a bad feeling. He knew Sun Bumian was Chen Ling's companion, and Chen Ling had also returned to this era using the era archive. Could Sun Bumian's appearance at this moment be too much of a coincidence?

Ying Fu's gaze went directly to Sun Bumian's unregistered, plain-looking "attendant." A faint light flickered in his eyes as he pondered something. The next second, he pulled out his phone, found the two students responsible for guarding Chu Changqing in his contacts, and was about to make a call when his finger froze in mid-air...

No...That won't work.

If that person really was *him*, then contacting the two students now would undoubtedly expose Chu Changqing's location!

Damn it...

After much hesitation, Ying Fu gave up the idea of having them move Chu Changqing immediately. He put his phone away, sipped the tea on his table, and watched Sun Bumian and his companion from the corner of his eye.

Sun Bumian swaggered to his seat and sat down, giving Chen Ling beside him a look, as if showing off. "See? I told you I'd get you in, and I did!"

Chen Ling remained silent.

Chen Ling hadn't realized Sun Bumian held such high status within Bureau 749. A simple threat of "going back to America" seemed to resolve almost anything, even getting a seat right next to Sun Zhongliang. Chen Ling didn't recognize Sun Zhongliang, but everyone's table had their name written on it... except for Chen Ling's own table.

After sitting down, Chen Ling's gaze quickly swept around the room. Soon, he spotted Fu Kun, Zheng Zhiqiong, and Ying Fu, who was quite ordinarily disguised and hiding behind Han Xiang. Ying Fu was not a Xishendao and lacked the ability to change his face, so Chen Ling recognized him at a glance. However, Chen Ling's gaze didn't linger on him; it naturally swept past, pretending not to know him.

Then, he quietly pulled out his phone and started sending messages in the group chat.

Group Name: The Actors' Family

Chen Ling: The one at the far left of the second row in the southeast corner is the Emperor Dao.Shen Nan: I see him. He doesn't look particularly special.Chen Ling: He probably deliberately suppressed his aura. Don't stare at him; he'll notice.Sun Bumian: Holy moly, it's hot pot tonight! Awesome! (#StarryEyes)Chen Ling: Lucky-Charm Big Xiji, no problem to hit him as planned later, right?Sun Bumian: Huh? Does it have to be during dinner?Chen Ling: Add one thousand kilograms.Sun Bumian: Consider it done, brother! (#ThumbsUp)

After seeing the last message, Chen Ling quietly exited the group chat, then tapped Yang Xiao's profile picture and sent two simple words:

—Act.