Chapter 421: Splurging a Little

Chen Ling spent the entire night reading through all the newspapers.

He merely skimmed the gossip columns. While they occasionally contained important information, it was truly hard to distinguish truth from lies... The most absurd case was one where a celebrity was accused of being a Twilight Society member by rival capitalists simply because they liked playing poker, leading to half a month of harsh interrogation before being released.

Of course, he was eventually proven not to be a Twilight Society member, and he himself entered the public eye due to the buzz, boosting his status by a tier. It is said he is now preparing for a concert.

But what puzzled Chen Ling the most was a survey once conducted by that defunct small newspaper:

"Data Census: Average Life Expectancy in the Main City Has Increased Compared to Previous Years; Currently 52 Years Old"

In this article, the author surveyed the average life expectancy over the past five years, showing a growth from 51.8 to 52 years, praising the progress in medical standards for the rise...

But the more Chen Ling read, the more wrong it felt.

In this era, how could medical standards possibly be improving? And an average life expectancy of 52? That seemed far too low...

As far as he knew, the average life expectancy before the Great Catastrophe was around 78. Even if medical standards had declined now, it shouldn't have dropped that low. Besides, when he was in the Aurora Domain, those old men all seemed quite robust.

Although puzzled, Chen Ling had no leads. He put away the few valuable newspapers for now. Outside, the sky was already beginning to turn a pale, fish-belly white.

Knock, knock, knock—

Just then, there was a knock at the room door.

"Special Envoy, people from the Whale Shark Consortium and the Paradise Consortium are here. They say they want to apologize to you in person for not being able to come and welcome you immediately last night," Gu Kaixian's voice sounded.

Chen Ling narrowed his eyes. After a brief pause, he spoke indifferently:

"Not seeing them."

"Understood, I will turn them away."

Since he had chosen this arrogant and overbearing persona, he naturally had to maintain it. After reading through the newspapers last night, Chen Ling had gained an understanding of these consortiums. Both "Whale Shark" and "Paradise" were top-tier consortiums on the same level as yesterday's "Dinglu." However, because they were located too far away, it was only natural they couldn't make it last night... But, of course, Chen Ling wouldn't "empathize" with them.

After a while, Gu Kaixian's voice sounded from outside the door again:

"Special Envoy, I have sent the two of them away, but before leaving, they left an invitation."

"An invitation?"

Gu Kaixian passed a finely crafted invitation through the crack in the door. Chen Ling took it, and upon seeing the lettering, his eyes narrowed slightly.

It was an invitation to a banquet, held tonight. The hosts were the five major consortiums of the Red Dust Main City... Whether it was last night's Dinglu Flower Capital or today's Whale Shark and Paradise, all were included in this invitation.

It seems they realized that no single consortium could invite him alone, so they joined forces to set up a game and compete fairly at the banquet?

"Special Envoy, about this banquet..." Gu Kaixian asked tentatively.

"I'll go."

Chen Ling answered calmly with two words.

"Understood, I will inform them." Gu Kaixian was about to leave when he seemed to remember something. "Special Envoy, the Big Dipper Consortium also sent someone just now, saying their chairman is critically ill and cannot meet you in person. They have prepared a generous gift for you. Should I have them send it up now, or..."

A generous gift?

Chen Ling's brain raced. He glanced at the messy pile of newspapers on the floor, and a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"No, no need to send it up." The corners of Chen Ling's mouth beneath the mask curled upward. "Have them deliver it directly to the banquet venue... I will receive it personally then."

Chen Ling's response surprised Gu Kaixian, but he wouldn't defy Chen Ling's wishes. He responded respectfully and turned to leave.

A black trench coat walked step by step across the paper-strewn floor to the meticulously prepared mahogany desk. With a flick of his finger, the invitation drifted onto the desk's surface...

"A good opportunity."

Chen Ling picked up a pen and casually wrote the five names—"Flower Capital," "Dinglu," "Paradise," "Whale Shark," and "Big Dipper"—on a white sheet of paper, surrounding the invitation. He squinted at these five names for a long time, then began to draw intricate, complex lines between them...

Like a director meticulously setting up a plot, he began to outline an invisible web, step by step, to ensnare all the prey.

Finally, Chen Ling put down his pen and placed the list of golden goods on top of the five names.

"Still need to make some preparations..."

Chen Ling raised his hand and tore at his chin; his figure transformed into a mosquito, disappearing into the room via the ventilation duct.

……

"Is he really here..."

In the shadows of the street, two figures fixed their gazes on the auction venue not far away.

"What now?" Jian Changsheng turned to look at Heart 9.

"Wait," Heart 9 said firmly. "He can't stay here forever. Once he leaves, we'll go in and search his room carefully... Maybe we'll find some clues."

"What if we don't find any clues?"

"Then we'll swipe some gold."

“……”

Jian Changsheng couldn't help but retort, "That was your real intention all along, wasn't it?!"

"Since we're already here, how can we return empty-handed? Either we find out this guy's true identity, or we earn some living expenses... We can't just squat outside for half a day and end up with nothing, right?" Heart 9 said righteously.

"...In normal times, I'd think you were just making excuses," Jian Changsheng paused, "but I'm hungry now, and I think you're absolutely right."

Just as the two were speaking, a figure hurried past the street, holding the latest newspaper and shouting loudly:

"Morning paper! Morning paper! Golden Society Special Envoy befriends the five major consortiums, invited to dinner together!"

"Big Dipper Consortium reaches consensus with the Special Envoy, sealing the deal with a generous gift, promising progress and prosperity together!"

"Singer Lu Huaguang, rising star Liu Qingyan, and the popular Rose Girl Group will all attend the banquet! Raise a glass to witness the friendship between the Special Envoy and the five major consortiums!"

Hearing these words, Heart 9 and Jian Changsheng's eyes lit up slightly.

"The opportunity is here!"

"He's going to the banquet tonight, so there will definitely be a flaw in the auction house's security. We can take the chance to sneak in."

The two hit it off immediately, but looking at the sky, it was only morning, and there was still some time before the banquet started...

Gurgle—

A soft sound came from Jian Changsheng's stomach, and his expression turned awkward.

Heart 9 glanced at him, about to mock him, when his own stomach growled the next moment... His smile froze instantly.

"Anyway, it's still early before the operation... And if things go smoothly tonight, we shouldn't be short of money anymore," Jian Changsheng suggested tentatively.

"How about we splurge a little?"

"Let's go!" Heart 9 slapped his thigh and stood up, heading toward the noodle shop nearby.

……

……

Sorry everyone, I originally planned to resume three updates today, but I might have been in contact with too many people during the New Year and accidentally caught something. I have a bit of a fever... Please let me rest for another day or two, I will definitely resume as soon as possible~