Chapter 423: Special Envoy Enters the Game

"Envoy, we've arrived at the Red Dust Hotel."

As the vehicle came to a stop, a magnificent hotel stood outside the window, and Gu Kaixian's gentle voice resounded.

The Red Dust Hotel at night was vastly different from when Chen Ling visited in the morning. Not only were there dozens of uniformly arranged golden spotlights on the exterior walls, but a solemn red carpet had also been laid at the entrance. Two rows of vibrant flower baskets extended from the hotel's front door. Even before Chen Ling could alight, dozens of figures in suits and ties rushed from the hotel entrance.

Chen Ling did not open the door, nor did he need to, because the next moment, his car door was softly opened for him. Dozens of figures stood guard on either side of the door, bowing deeply and respectfully.

"—Welcome, Esteemed Envoy!!!"

The loud shouts gave Chen Ling an inexplicable sense of immersion, like triad members welcoming their boss in a Hong Kong film. He slowly extended one foot out of the car door, hovering three centimeters above the ground, and as he turned to step out, the ancient golden mask reappeared before everyone.

At this moment, everyone at the hotel entrance fell silent.

The golden spotlights projected onto the hotel's exterior walls, their reflected glow illuminating the golden mask in the night like that of a deity. An inexpressible sense of oppression instantly enveloped the entire street.

The hem of the black trench coat lightly brushed past the mesmerized onlookers on either side. By the time they snapped out of their daze, the figure had already floated gracefully to the hotel entrance.

With a slight rub of his fingertips in mid-air, an invitation card materialized as if by magic.

"I am here for the appointment," he said calmly.

The capable lieutenants from the major consortiums, specifically assigned to welcome Chen Ling, were so awestruck by the aura of the golden mask that they were momentarily speechless. It wasn't until Chen Ling handed the invitation to them that they suddenly snapped back to reality.

"...Yes, yes! Please come in! Several directors are already waiting for you inside."

The representatives escorted Chen Ling directly across the red carpet and into the hotel.

The moment the black trench coat, with one foot, stepped past the hotel entrance, faint thunder rumbled in the dark sky.

Boom—

At that moment, the dozens of people responsible for welcoming guests at the entrance looked up at the sky in confusion, realizing that, at some unknown point, thick dark clouds had already enveloped the area.

"Strange, how did the weather change so quickly..." one figure muttered to himself.

A biting cold wind swept through the street, like a premonition of an impending downpour.

Meanwhile, hundreds of meters away, on a desk in the auction house's VIP lounge, a sheet of paper personally written by Chen Ling lay illuminated by flashes of lightning. The first line of text was clearly visible:

—Evening, Envoy Chen Ling enters the game, thunderstorm approaches.

Inside the Red Dust Hotel, everything was resplendent with gold.

Chen Ling followed slowly behind them, his gaze beneath the mask fixed straight ahead, seemingly uninterested in the ostentatious luxury decorations.

The banquet hall was on the first floor of the Red Dust Hotel, nearly the largest event space in the entire Red Dust Realm. As the representatives slowly opened a corner of the hall's ornate doors, a melodic performance drifted into Chen Ling's ears.

Creak—

As the ornate doors opened, numerous gazes within the hall simultaneously turned to the entrance. If this were a stage performance, several spotlights would likely have illuminated that spot, making the golden mask shine like that of a god... At this moment, everyone knew that the true protagonist of the banquet had arrived.

Among the array of sharp suits and elegant evening gowns, the black trench coat seemed out of place, yet against the faint thunder rumbling outside the window, it appeared to bring an air of solemnity and mystery.

"Esteemed Envoy, you're finally here!" Upon seeing this, Zong Wen was the first to walk towards Chen Ling, his face beaming.

Today, Zong Wen was dressed in a rose-red suit, his greying hair tied in an artistic braid. He seemed considerably younger, like a dissolute old man lingering among flowers.

"Come, come, let me introduce you," Zong Wen said enthusiastically as he approached Chen Ling. "You've already met Lu Yuanzheng. Next to him is the director of the Paradise Consortium, and next to him is the Whale Shark Consortium's... But these are all old men, nothing interesting to see. Let me focus on introducing the young ladies to you!

"The girl performing on stage right now is Cui Shuizhen, the hottest musical prodigy in Red Dust City. Her cello playing is simply divine... And do you see that group of girls waiting backstage? That's the Rose Girls, our Flower City Consortium's top girl group, with an average age of nineteen.

"Oh, and that girl over there in the black dress, isn't she beautiful? She's a rising star we discovered from Willow Town, full of charm, an excellent dancer, so lithe she seems boneless—a natural dancer combining beauty and talent, Liu Qingyan... She just turned eighteen this year."

Zong Wen was indeed an old fox. He immediately acted very familiar with the envoy, taking on the role of "host" to introduce the banquet guests and close the distance between them... Most crucially, he didn't even mention the names of the other consortium directors, heading straight to introduce the female artists under his own banner.

This scene undoubtedly displeased the other consortiums. They immediately approached, smiling with their wine glasses, interrupting Zong Wen's performance.

"Esteemed Envoy, I am Su Xiaohong from the Whale Shark Consortium. The day you arrived, I happened to be in a meeting in the southern part of the city, so I couldn't make it on time. I sincerely apologize... Allow me to drink a penalty cup first." A capable woman in her thirties stepped forward, addressing Chen Ling first, then drained her glass of red wine.

"I am Pang Shan from the Paradise Consortium, I've long admired your reputation, Esteemed Envoy." Another man in his thirties also raised his glass.

Any one of these individuals was a figure powerful enough to make Red Dust City tremble, a person ordinary people might not get the chance to meet even after a lifetime of striving. Yet, at this moment, they all gathered around Chen Ling with smiles, completely devoid of the usual air of authority and dignity of consortium directors.

To Chen Ling's surprise, however, only four of the five major consortiums had arrived so far. The Big Dipper Consortium, which had sent him lavish gifts, was still absent...

Chen Ling's gaze calmly swept over the crowd, and he slowly spoke:

"There's no need for pleasantries. I came to the main city to do business."

Chen Ling lightly rubbed his fingertips together, and a list appeared in his palm, which he weightlessly handed to the other consortium directors. "A portion of the goods list is out. If any of you have a target in mind, we can find an opportunity to discuss it... As for drinking, let's skip that."

As soon as he said this, an awkward expression immediately appeared on everyone's faces. They lowered their heads and quickly scanned the list Chen Ling handed them, finding only ordinary small items that were neither valuable nor had any collection worth. Their interest instantly waned.

Although they tried their best to control their expressions, they could not escape Chen Ling's insightful gaze. He took everything in, a cold smirk forming silently in his heart.