Chapter 555: The Stance of the Huang Consortium

Naturally, Chen Ling couldn't tell them that he was [Heart of Red 6] and intended to relieve the Twilight Society stronghold that was being targeted. After all, his relationship with the Huang Consortium wasn't solid enough for that yet... but since he truly needed their help, he simply brought up the current crisis facing the Red Dust Realm.

Huang Suyu was a native of the Red Dust main city and was young; upon learning of this, she was unlikely to sit idly by. Coupled with Chen Ling’s established "persona" and the debt of saving her life and changing her fate... with these multiple factors combined, Chen Ling was confident he could bind them to his chariot.

Most importantly, every word Chen Ling said was the truth.

Before Uncle Quan could speak, Huang Suyu furrowed her brows and said without hesitation,

"In terms of public duty, this is a matter of national righteousness that cannot be ignored. In terms of personal ties, the Special Envoy has shown kindness to our Huang family, and I, Huang Suyu, have always believed in repaying kindness... Our Huang Consortium is willing to follow your orders, Special Envoy."

Seeing this, Uncle Quan’s expression turned somewhat helpless. Unlike Huang Suyu, he had spent many years struggling in this world and often harbored a skeptical heart. He didn't actually believe in such an earth-shattering event as a realm war based solely on Chen Ling’s words, and he wanted to probe further to verify it.

But he hadn't expected Huang Suyu to declare her stance so decisively. An outsider might think this girl was simple-minded or reckless, but Uncle Quan knew her best; her judgment and courage were in no way inferior to those old foxes who had been in business for years—in fact, she was even bolder than them!

If Huang Suyu hadn't kept her promise half a year ago, sparing no expense to bid on that golden treasure, and if she hadn't taken decisive action the moment she received word from Chen Ling, the Huang Consortium would never have reached where it was today.

"The young lady is right," Uncle Quan paused for a moment. "As long as the Special Envoy has a need, our Huang Consortium is at your disposal at any time."

[Audience Expectation +1]

Having received their answer, Chen Ling felt more confident in his plan. He smiled slightly and said:

"I do indeed have two things I need your help with this time... but for the Huang Consortium, neither should be difficult."

"Please speak, Special Envoy."

"First, I need a flawless identity." Chen Ling took a note with an address on it from his pocket and gently tossed it onto the table. "My identity cannot be exposed this time, so I have bought a theater near the suspected Wuji Realm stronghold and am temporarily using the alias 'Lin Yan' to secretly monitor their actions.

However, I don't have a solid enough background in the Red Dust Realm. If the police or the [Floating Life Painting] conduct a deep investigation, my identity will be easily exposed... It is too cumbersome for me to handle this myself, but for a top-tier consortium, there should be plenty of room to maneuver."

Huang Suyu and Uncle Quan exchanged a glance, and the latter nodded. "That’s not difficult. Our consortium currently has partnerships with the vast majority of small towns within the realm. As long as we pick a remote town, forge a non-existent family, and sign an agency contract with you, you can naturally remain in the main city in a legitimate way."

"Second, I need an invitation to Mu Chunsheng’s birthday banquet."

"...Mu Chunsheng?"

This request left both of them stunned. Huang Suyu reacted quickly, lowering her voice to ask:

"The consortium you mentioned earlier, the one suspected of reaching an agreement with the Wuji Realm... could it be..."

"Exactly. That is why I need to find an opportunity to get inside and investigate."

"This... is somewhat difficult. After all, the invitations are issued by the Beidou Consortium, and it’s hard for us to intervene," Huang Suyu said, lost in thought. "May I ask, in what capacity do you intend to enter the banquet?"

"As an actor from the Jinghong Theater, Lin Yan."

"...An actor? That might be manageable." Huang Suyu’s eyes lit up. "For this banquet, Mu Chunsheng has invited a large number of celebrities to perform, including some famous names from years past... Our Huang Consortium currently specializes in entertainment, so getting an actor inside shouldn't be hard."

"That’s good."

The two major problems Chen Ling faced were resolved with the intervention of the Huang Consortium. He checked the time and slowly stood up from the sofa.

"It’s about time. I won’t disturb your rest any further... If anything comes up, you can find me at the Jinghong Theater."

"Oh, right."

As if remembering something, Chen Ling suddenly turned back to look at them.

"Do you know where one can get explosives in the Red Dust main city? The high-yield kind."

"Explosives?" Huang Suyu was stunned. "What do you need that for?"

The corners of Chen Ling’s mouth curled up slightly.

"Since I’m going to wish Mu Chunsheng a happy birthday, I can’t go empty-handed... After all, I have to prepare some kind of gift, don't I?"

[Audience Expectation +3]

[Current Expectation: 54%]

……

The day of the banquet.

A light drizzle fell from the gray-white sky. For the Red Dust Realm, the rainy season seemed to be the main theme. As the misty vapor rose from the ground, the colors of the weeping willows and peach blossoms seemed to blur in the air, dreamlike and illusory.

The neon sign of the Great World Dance Hall flickered silently in the dense curtain of rain. At the window of a second-floor VIP room, Li Ruohong, dressed in a suit and tie, adjusted his necktie in the mirror. Looking at his own rather dashing reflection, a confident smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"This time, let’s see if I can’t charm those girls to death?"

Just as he was muttering to himself, the dance hall manager knocked gently on the door and said respectfully, "Brother Hong, your car is ready. As you ordered, it’s parked at the back door."

"Got it."

Li Ruohong glanced down at his watch, picked up the gift box from the table, and walked straight out the door.

His figure moved through the second-floor corridor, his peripheral vision catching the lobby below. There were exceptionally many guests in the dance hall today; while it wasn't quite the packed house from before the incident, it was much better than the previous few days, which made Li Ruohong’s already good mood even more pleasant.

Li Ruohong walked straight to the door of Box 001. After looking left and right to ensure no one was around, he raised his hand and knocked three times.

After a brief silence, the door to this room, which hadn't been opened in who knows how long, finally opened slowly from the inside. Two men in black bodyguard uniforms with cold expressions stood under the dim light, a sharp glint flickering in their eyes.

"The car is ready," Li Ruohong said with a smile. "Gentlemen, follow me."

The two exchanged a glance and nodded calmly.

Li Ruohong led them down the stairs, deliberately avoiding the crowded lobby, and walked straight toward the back door of the dance hall via the kitchen path.

As Li Ruohong pushed open the back door, a black car was parked there, seemingly having waited for a long time.

"Phew... finally out," one of the "bodyguards" said, closing his eyes to feel the cold raindrops hitting his face. He took a deep breath, as if nostalgic for this natural, fresh air.

"Get in the car first," the other said flatly. "If everything goes smoothly, we can live in this kind of environment every day from now on."

The three of them got into the car one after another. As the engine roared to life, the vehicle disappeared slowly into the end of the street, cloaked in the curtain of rain.

Almost at the same time the three drove away, a chef in the kitchen walked silently to an empty corner and pressed the walkie-talkie hidden in his clothes:

"They’ve set off."