Chen Ling naturally couldn't tell them he was Red Heart 6 and intended to help the targeted Twilight Society stronghold out of trouble. After all, his relationship with the Huang Family Consortium wasn't solid enough for that. Yet, he genuinely needed the Huang Family Consortium's help, so he straightforwardly brought up the current crisis in the Mortal Realm.
Huang Suyue was from the Mortal Realm's main city and was young. Upon learning this, she was unlikely to sit idly by. Combined with Chen Ling's established "persona" and his life-saving, destiny-altering favor, multiple factors converged, giving Chen Ling confidence that he could bind them to his cause.
Most importantly, everything Chen Ling said was the truth.
Before Uncle Quan could speak, Huang Suyue knitted her brows and said without hesitation,
"Publicly, this is a matter of national righteousness, which we cannot ignore. Privately, Special Envoy Chen has shown great kindness to our Huang family, and I, Huang Suyue, always repay kindness. Our Huang Family Consortium is at your service, Special Envoy."
Seeing this, Uncle Quan's expression immediately turned a little helpless. Unlike Huang Suyue, he had been through much in the world for many years and often harbored a skeptical mind. He actually didn't believe such a monumental event as a realm war based solely on Chen Ling's words, and he wanted to probe further for verification.
However, he hadn't expected Huang Suyue to declare her stance so decisively. An outsider would surely think this girl was simple-minded and impulsive, but Uncle Quan knew Huang Suyue best. Her judgment and courage were in no way inferior to those seasoned old hands in business, and she was even bolder than them!
If Huang Suyue hadn't honored her promise half a year ago, spending a fortune to acquire that golden treasure, and if she hadn't decisively taken action immediately after receiving Chen Ling's message, the Huang Family Consortium wouldn't be where it is today.
"The young lady is right," Uncle Quan paused for a moment. "As long as the Special Envoy has a need, our Huang Family Consortium is always at your disposal."
Audience Anticipation: 1
Receiving their replies, Chen Ling felt more confident in his plan. He smiled slightly and said,
"I've indeed come this time with two things I need your help with... but they shouldn't be difficult for the Huang Family Consortium."
"Please speak, Special Envoy."
"First, I need a flawless identity." Chen Ling pulled a note with an address from his pocket and gently placed it on the table. "My identity cannot be exposed this time, so I've bought a theater near what is suspected to be a stronghold of the Wuji Realm, temporarily using the alias 'Lin Yan,' to secretly monitor their movements.
However, I don't have a sufficiently solid background in the Mortal Realm. If police officers or Fusheng Hui conduct a thorough investigation, my identity could easily be exposed... Handling this myself would be too cumbersome, but for a top-tier consortium, there should be considerable room for maneuver."
Huang Suyue and Uncle Quan exchanged a glance, and the latter nodded. "That's not difficult. Our consortium currently cooperates with most towns within the realm. We just need to pick a remote town, fabricate a non-existent family for you, and then sign an agency contract with you. You'll naturally be able to stay in the main city legitimately."
"Second, I need an invitation to Mu Chunsheng's birthday banquet."
"...Mu Chunsheng?"
This request startled both of them. Huang Suyue reacted quickly, lowering her voice to ask,
"The consortium you just mentioned, suspected of collaborating with the Wuji Realm... could it be...?"
"Exactly. So I need to find an opportunity to go in and investigate."
"This... presents some difficulty. After all, the invitations are issued by the Beidou Consortium, making it hard for us to intervene." Huang Suyue fell into thought. "Allow me to ask, what identity do you wish to use to enter the banquet?"
"A performer from Jinghong Tower, Lin Yan."
"...A performer. That does offer some room for maneuver." Huang Suyue's eyes lit up. "Mu Chunsheng has invited many celebrities to perform at this birthday banquet, including renowned performers from earlier years... Our Huang Family Consortium's main business is entertainment-related, so getting a performer in isn't difficult."
"That's good then."
Chen Ling's two major challenges were easily resolved with the Huang Family Consortium's involvement. He glanced at the time and slowly rose from the sofa.
"It's getting late. I won't disturb your rest... If anything comes up, you can find me at Jinghong Tower."
"Oh, and one more thing."
Chen Ling seemed to recall something and suddenly turned back to face them.
"Do you know where I can get explosives in the Mortal Realm's main city? The high-yield kind."
"Explosives?" Huang Suyue was taken aback. "What do you need them for?"
The corners of Chen Ling's mouth turned slightly upward.
"Since I'm going to wish Mu Chunsheng a happy birthday, I can't go empty-handed... I should at least prepare a gift, shouldn't I?"
Audience Anticipation: 3Current Anticipation: 54
On the day of the birthday banquet.
A misty drizzle drifted down from the grey sky. For the Mortal Realm, the rainy season seemed to be the dominant theme. As hazy moisture rose from the ground, the colors of slender willows and peach blossoms seemed to bleed into the air, creating a dreamlike, illusory scene.
The neon sign of the Grand World Cabaret silently flickered through the fine curtain of rain. From the window of a second-floor VIP room, Li Ruohong, dressed in a suit, adjusted his tie in the mirror. He gazed at his rather distinguished reflection, a confident smile playing on his lips.
"This time, let's see if I can charm those girls senseless?"
As he muttered to himself, the cabaret manager gently knocked on the door and respectfully said, "Brother Hong, your car is ready. As you instructed, it's parked at the back entrance."
"Got it."
Li Ruohong glanced down at his wristwatch, picked up the gift box from the bag on the table, and headed straight out the door.
His figure moved through the second-floor corridor. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the unusually large number of guests in the lobby downstairs. Although it wasn't as packed as before the incident, it was much better compared to previous days, which further brightened Li Ruohong's already good mood.
Li Ruohong walked directly to the door of Private Room 001. After looking left and right to confirm no one was around, he raised his hand and lightly knocked three times on the door.
After a brief silence, the private room, which had seemingly not been opened for a long time, slowly opened from the inside. Two stern-faced men in black bodyguard uniforms stood in the dim light, their eyes glinting sharply.
"The car is ready," Li Ruohong said with a slight smile. "Gentlemen, please follow me."
The two exchanged a look and nodded calmly.
Li Ruohong led the two men, descending the stairs step by step, deliberately avoiding the crowded lobby and heading straight through a small path in the back kitchen towards the cabaret's back entrance.
As Li Ruohong pushed open the back door, a black car was parked right outside, seemingly having waited for a long time.
"Phew... Finally out." One of the "bodyguards" closed his eyes, feeling the coolness of the raindrops on his face, and took a deep breath, as if savoring the natural, fresh air.
"Get in the car first," the other person said lightly. "If all goes well, we'll be able to live in an environment like this every day from now on."
The three successively got into the car. As the vehicle started with a hum, it slowly disappeared into the distance, shrouded in the rain.
Almost immediately after the three departed, a chef in the back kitchen silently walked to an empty corner and pressed the walkie-talkie hidden in his clothes:
"They've set off."
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