Chapter 422: Sandalwood Peace Buddha

"What? The restaurant isn't taking reservations today?"

Several figures gathered at the entrance of a grand and luxurious restaurant, their brows tightly furrowed.

"That's correct. Our Red Dust Restaurant is not open to the public today. We are truly sorry," a figure who looked like a head waiter replied calmly at the entrance.

Behind him, a dozen people were busy decorating the exterior of the restaurant, looking as if they were rushing to renovate the place.

"You've already laid out the colorful flags and red carpet, and you're telling me you're not open to the public??"

"We have distinguished guests today, so the restaurant has been booked out."

Hearing the words "distinguished guests," a few of them seemed to realize something, their expressions turning helpless. But others hadn't caught on and, emboldened by alcohol, continued:

"I've already told my business partners I'd treat them to a meal at Red Dust Restaurant today. You're making me look very bad... I've been hosting banquets at your restaurant for years, and I know your boss. Even if you have guests, you won't be using all the private rooms. Just do me a favor and add one table, what's the harm?"

"Sorry, we can't add any." The head waiter's attitude was very firm.

"Damn it, who do you think you are? Get your boss to come and talk to me..." The man's eyes widened, ready to erupt, but the people behind him immediately held him back.

"Are you crazy? Didn't you read the newspaper?! The five major consortiums must have booked this restaurant today to host that Golden Society Special Envoy... You want to share a venue with the five major consortiums? Do you have a death wish?!"

Hearing the words "five major consortiums," cold sweat broke out on the man's back. The alcohol buzz faded significantly, and his face turned deathly pale.

"Ah, let's go... let's find somewhere else."

The people behind him dragged him away immediately. At the same time, they glanced around fearfully, as if staying there any longer would bring some kind of danger.

"Slow down... slow down! Why are you in such a hurry?" The man stumbled, almost being dragged away by the others, and couldn't help but ask, "I won't book it, isn't that enough... is there a need to run so fast?"

"Are you stupid?! Don't you know the style of the five major consortiums?!" one of his companions cursed in a low voice.

"These five major consortiums are already locked in a power struggle. Even though they are hosting the banquet together, it's only to find an opportunity to get on the Special Envoy's good side and suppress the other consortiums... Since that's the case, they must be involved in the banquet's setup in advance, trying to make the arrangements favorable to themselves while preventing the others from playing tricks.

Even if the five major consortiums weren't fighting each other, do you think the second-rate consortiums would let this opportunity pass? They are dying for the Special Envoy to break with the five major consortiums, preferably leading to another bloodbath like four years ago. Only then would they have a chance to rise to the top.

On the surface, this is just an ordinary banquet, but in reality, this place has become the eye of the storm for the power struggles of every consortium in the Main City. And you want to stir up trouble at a time like this??

Do you have any idea how many people have been watching us since just now?"

These words instantly woke the confused man up. He subconsciously looked around and realized that the snack shop across the street, the stall next door, the hotel room diagonally across, and even an inconspicuous beggar at the street corner were all staring straight at their group.

Terrified, he practically ran away from the restaurant's vicinity, disappearing into the street in a flash.

The head waiter watched the group disappear with cold eyes. Just as he was about to turn and enter the restaurant, he saw a young figure carrying a ladder running over in a hurry.

The head waiter recognized the person as an employee of their restaurant and immediately frowned, asking:

"What's the situation?"

"A lightbulb on the ceiling of the venue is broken. I went out to borrow a ladder and just got back," the young man said, wiping his sweat.

Seeing this, the head waiter didn't ask further, just waved his hand. "Hurry up. If it's not set up by five o'clock this afternoon, you don't need to come to work tomorrow."

"Yes, yes!"

The young man carried the ladder and hurried into the restaurant.

After entering the lobby, the young man's eyes deepened. He scanned the surroundings lightly, memorizing the layout, and then headed straight toward the venue.

"These guys are making it quite grand," Chen Ling thought to himself, seeing the staff members carefully laying out the red carpet.

If Chen Ling wanted to seize the opportunity of the banquet, he had to come to the venue himself to take a look. After all, even the most top-tier director couldn't design a brilliant performance on a stage they had never stepped foot on.

Although he was playing the powerful and mysterious "Special Envoy," Chen Ling knew exactly how much weight he carried. Blind arrogance and laziness would only lead him into an abyss of no return... Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

Just as Chen Ling was carrying the ladder, familiarizing himself with every corner, his peripheral vision caught the entrance of the venue not far away, and his brows raised slightly.

He saw several figures dressed in "Big Dipper Consortium" uniforms pushing something over three meters tall, stopping at the entrance, seemingly debating how to get it inside. A white cloth covered the object, making it impossible to see what was underneath.

Chen Ling's brain raced. He walked over while wiping his sweat, asking as if casually:

"Brothers, need some help?"

The Big Dipper Consortium staff looked him over and, realizing he was a restaurant employee, didn't lower their guard. "No need, we can handle it ourselves."

"This thing of yours is too big. It definitely won't fit through this door vertically... How about this, tilt it a bit and go through diagonally, it should fit," Chen Ling said enthusiastically.

The staff members looked at each other and realized there was indeed space that way. They worked together to tilt the object under the white cloth and struggled to move it into the venue... Seeing this, Chen Ling also "enthusiastically" reached out to help.

Until the object was moved into the venue entrance, Chen Ling let go, pretending to be exhausted, wiping the dense beads of sweat from his forehead.

"Thanks, brother," one of the staff members said sincerely.

"No worries, we're all just working for a living," Chen Ling smiled simply. "By the way, what is this thing? Why is it so big? I haven't heard that our restaurant ordered any large decorations..."

"This wasn't ordered by your restaurant; it's a gift from our Big Dipper Consortium to the Special Envoy."

"A gift? What kind of gift?"

The staff member looked around to make sure no one was near, then leaned into Chen Ling's ear and whispered, "It doesn't matter if I tell you, just don't go around shouting it... Inside this, there's a nearly three-meter-tall Sandalwood Peace Buddha!"