Chapter 430: Luring the Prey into the Trap

BOOM—!

Those two words seemed to carry a power that shook the soul. Accompanied by the rumbling thunder, they instantly frightened the five consortium directors into standing frozen in place, like statues. The arguments and angry shouts that had filled the hall also came to an abrupt halt.

Whether it was the directors, the bewildered celebrities, or the bodyguards who had just rushed in, everyone’s gaze at this moment was fixed on the golden mask on the stage, their eyes filled with terror...

A banquet meticulously prepared for the Special Envoy had been secretly schemed against, and in the end, a piece of rotten wood was gifted to him... No one knew what this Envoy was thinking right now. Anger? Disappointment? Or... surging murderous intent?

Although, judging by the temperaments of previous Envoys, they shouldn't wash the five consortiums in blood over a single gift, but what if this Envoy had a violent temper? What if he really had developed a murderous intent over this? Then not a single person present would survive.

"Sp... Special Envoy, sir!" Zong Wen was the first to react, speaking with a choked voice, nearly kneeling on the spot to prove his innocence to Chen Ling. "I really didn't swap your item... Even if you gave me a hundred guts, I wouldn't dare to scheme against you!"

"Special Envoy, our Dinglu Consortium absolutely did not participate in this matter!" Lu Yuanzheng followed immediately, his forehead already covered in cold sweat.

"Although our Paradise Consortium is at odds with Beidou, we really didn't do this..."

"Our Whale Shark is also innocent!"

Seeing these four consortiums acting as if they were all innocent, Mu Chunsheng was so angry he felt his lungs might explode. He sat up straight from his wheelchair, trembling, his eyes bloodshot. "Special Envoy, I swear that what I prepared before was the sandalwood Buddha... I really don't know what happened in between..."

Chen Ling sneered and spoke chillingly:

"So you mean... I swapped the gift meant for me myself?"

*BANG*—!!

As Chen Ling grabbed the piece of dead wood with one hand, it was instantly crushed into a cloud of debris, emitting a deafening roar. The faces of everyone present changed; they knew the Envoy was truly enraged!

"No... that's not what we meant..."

"Who said that even if you were given a hundred guts, you wouldn't dare to scheme against me?" Chen Ling’s eyes behind the mask narrowed slightly. He stepped on the void, walking toward the five directors step by step, his voice growing colder.

"I think... you all have quite a lot of guts."

The moment they heard this, the hearts of the five directors skipped a beat, and cold sweat poured down their backs... They knew Chen Ling must have guessed something.

Watching that black trench coat gradually approach the five directors, the bodyguards on the side hesitated about whether to step forward to protect them. But upon closer thought, that was the Envoy... Not to mention whether they could stop him, if they really stepped forward, the relationship between the five consortiums and the Envoy would be completely severed.

No one dared to do so, and no one dared to bear the consequences. In the pitch-black hall, only the lightning outside the window flickered. That ancient, mysterious golden mask walked slowly toward the five directors amidst the suffocating pressure.

Except for the faint thunder outside, the world was so quiet that only the rapid breathing of the five directors remained.

The next moment, Chen Ling’s emotionless voice rang out slowly:

"I had thought that even if the so-called five major consortiums were mediocre, they would at least have the basic integrity required for business."

"Now it seems... I overestimated you."

After these two sentences, the five directors didn't dare to say a word, unable to help but swallow their saliva.

"I came to Red Dust bringing gold and sincerity. I thought I would encounter the same sincerity here, and perhaps even gain friendship... But you have disappointed me too much." The voice behind the golden mask held no emotion.

"I came to the banquet, and I received the gift... Yet, until now, not a single person has wanted to do business with me. In your eyes, I see only endless scheming and greed."

"Since you are unwilling to do business with me, there is no need for me to stay. Besides the five major consortiums, there should be some smaller ones."

"They may not have your financial power, but I think they will have more 'sincerity' than you."

Chen Ling took the golden list he had already given them out of his pocket and let go of it in front of them. It fluttered down to the ground, soaking in the spilled wine... like trash.

Chen Ling stepped on the void, walked straight past the five directors, and headed toward the exit of the hall in his trench coat.

The five directors stood frozen in place.

They looked at the familiar list in front of them, Chen Ling’s words echoing in their ears once more.

Gain... friendship??

The friendship of a Golden Society Special Envoy??

At this moment, it was as if a thunderclap rang out in the minds of the five directors. Mu Chunsheng was the fastest to react; he picked up the list from the spilled wine and turned to shout at the departing Chen Ling:

"Special Envoy, please stay!!"

Chen Ling’s footsteps didn't pause in the slightest, as if he hadn't heard his call.

Seeing this, Zong Wen followed up:

"Special Envoy, you've misunderstood! We were just planning to discuss business with you... The Beidou Consortium’s gift was an accident. We had intended to have a good chat with you after this segment..."

After saying this, he kicked Lu Yuanzheng beside him hard. The latter understood immediately and spoke respectfully, "Special Envoy, that was indeed the arrangement for the banquet."

At this moment, no matter how slow the five major consortiums were, they realized they absolutely could not let Chen Ling leave like this...

One had to know that among those non-top-tier consortiums, there were many that could pose a threat to them. If they all united and managed to swallow Chen Ling’s gold goods, thereby gaining the "Envoy’s friendship," things would be troublesome.

If it were before, the five major consortiums might not have been too worried, but this incident had created a rift between the Envoy and the five of them. If those other consortiums used this to fan the flames, guiding the Envoy to stand completely against the five major consortiums and supporting a new top-tier consortium to rise, the tragedy of four years ago would repeat itself!

Hearing this, Chen Ling, who was about to reach the door of the hall, slowly stopped his footsteps.

He tilted his head slightly, that golden mask like an abyss, gazing at the directors in the darkness. His voice rang out eerily:

"Since that's the case... then let's skip the gift segment and start directly."

"Let's be clear beforehand: I decide the rules for this transaction."

"And, I only accept silver notes of equal value."