Chapter 557: Chen Ling’s Gift

It was a young figure in an opera robe with a handsome face, accompanied by a boy carrying a bag, looking like an artist attending the banquet.

"Hello, may I ask who is..."

"Lin Yan, an actor from the Jinghong Theater," Chen Ling paused for a moment. "This is my invitation."

Jinghong Theater? Lin Yan? Both names were very unfamiliar to the butler; they weren't among the famous celebrities or well-known actors in the Red Dust main city. He first took the invitation to examine it carefully, then pulled out a list from behind him to verify it.

"Lin Yan... Oh, someone signed by the Huang Consortium."

Having become the butler of the Beidou Consortium, he had seen countless people. Judging by the list, this was likely a newcomer recently signed by the Huang Consortium—no credentials, no fame. If one were to be honest, he wasn't qualified to attend this banquet at all. It was likely that the Huang Consortium was operating behind the scenes, wanting to promote this Lin Yan at the banquet.

The butler’s attitude turned somewhat cold, but since Chen Ling had an invitation in hand, he followed the procedure.

"Hmm, alright... I’ll register the gift you brought, and then you can go in."

Just as Chen Ling was about to speak, a honking sound came from behind them. Both he and the butler turned to look, only to see a black sedan driving up to the estate entrance.

As the window rolled down, Li Ruohong poked his head out of the car and smiled:

"Uncle Tan, open the gate for me."

"So it’s Young Master Ruohong." The butler’s brows arched, and a kind smile appeared on his face. "Young Master, why don't you park the car outside? It’s crowded inside right now, and it’s not very convenient to drive in..."

"Uncle Tan, I’ve already spoken to my uncle about this."

Li Ruohong raised his hand, pointed to the back seat of the car, and lowered his voice. "I’ve brought distinguished guests."

The butler was stunned for a moment and glanced at the back seat. Two figures in bodyguard uniforms with cold expressions were sitting there, glancing at him casually.

Chen Ling, holding his oil-paper umbrella, stood with the butler. Seeing the two figures in the back seat, his heart stirred slightly.

Chen Ling had only heard their conversation at the dance hall last time and hadn't gone inside, nor had he seen the faces of those two Wuji Realm spies. Now it seemed that both of them were younger than Chen Ling had imagined.

The butler seemed to remember something, nodded slightly, and waved for the security guards on both sides to move, clearing a path for Li Ruohong to drive into the estate.

"Oh, and this too." Li Ruohong reached into the car, and a moment later, took out an extremely exquisitely packaged gift bag and handed it to the butler.

"A birthday gift I prepared for my uncle."

"Young Master Ruohong, you are too kind. Why bring a gift when we’re all family?" the butler said with a helpless smile.

"The proper etiquette must be observed. I picked this out specifically for my uncle; it should be quite suitable... Remember to mark it prominently for me."

"Rest assured, Young Master Ruohong, the Chairman will definitely see it."

The butler took the gift bag and said with a beaming smile.

Li Ruohong’s peripheral vision suddenly caught Chen Ling and Kong Baosheng by the gate, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

"Why are you here?"

"I also received an invitation to wish Chairman Mu a happy birthday."

"You? An owner of a crappy theater, and you’re qualified to wish my uncle a happy birthday?"

Li Ruohong looked at the butler with a strange expression. The latter immediately sensed something wrong in his words and hesitated, explaining, "Young Master, this is a newly signed artist under the Huang Consortium, and we did indeed issue an invitation... However, I’m not sure who exactly issued it or the details of the screening process."

Hearing this, Li Ruohong instantly understood the reason and couldn't help but sneer:

"I was wondering where you got the guts to go against me. So you have the Huang Consortium backing you? But it doesn't look like they value you very much... With your poor, shabby appearance, what could you possibly bring to wish my uncle a happy birthday?"

Hearing this, Chen Ling smiled slightly:

"Don't worry, the gift I prepared won't be any worse than yours."

Li Ruohong looked at him with disdain and seemed ready to say something more, but the "bodyguards" in the back seat were getting impatient. After they coughed lightly, Li Ruohong shut his mouth and glared fiercely at Chen Ling:

"We’ll see."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Ruohong stepped on the gas, and the vehicle drove slowly into the estate with a roar.

Once Li Ruohong left, the smile on the butler’s face gradually faded. He placed the gift bag into the pile of gifts behind him and even used a label to write the three characters "Li Ruohong" and stuck it on the opening to distinguish it from other gifts.

He looked up at Chen Ling and asked flatly, "Where were we... Oh, where is your gift?"

Chen Ling glanced at the well-packaged gift bag labeled "Li Ruohong" not far away, silently reached into his own gift box, and touched it lightly. The Scarlet Trickery was activated, and the heavy bag in his hand suddenly became much lighter.

He placed the gift box directly on the table, opened it unhurriedly in front of everyone, and said with a smile:

"A pair of Batalun men’s leather shoes, Black Warrior series, size 43."

Seeing these shoes, the butler was clearly stunned, and Kong Baosheng behind Chen Ling widened his eyes, his little mouth forming an "O" shape involuntarily.

This brand of leather shoes was absolute luxury in the Red Dust Realm; it wasn't something you could buy just by having money. Even Kong Baosheng had heard of its great name. He hadn't expected his boss, who usually claimed to have no money, to be so capable when he finally made a move!

"Hmm... alright," the butler couldn't help but take another look at Chen Ling, lowered his head to record the information, and said, "You may go in."

"Thank you."

[Audience Expectation +3]

Chen Ling smiled politely and walked straight into the estate. Kong Baosheng, having recovered, immediately followed behind.

There was still some time before the banquet officially started, but the estate was already filled with dining tables and chairs for the guests. Looking around, one could see either successful middle-aged figures from the political and business worlds or celebrities who were hugely popular in the outside world. Chen Ling scanned the area and saw many familiar faces.

People were holding wine glasses on the soft grass, chatting and laughing. In the distance, a professional band was playing, and coupled with the Beidou Consortium’s already exquisite and elegant estate environment, it was definitely the top-tier banquet venue in the Red Dust Realm.

The only drawback was that it was still drizzling from the sky. However, Mu Chunsheng seemed to think this added to the atmosphere and didn't have the venue moved indoors. Instead, everyone was given a transparent plastic umbrella. The light sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella surface intertwined with the melodious cello music, creating a sense of intoxication in the Red Dust.

Chen Ling’s entry didn't attract the attention of most people, because at this moment, a black car was driving slowly along the perimeter of the venue, heading straight into the depths of the Beidou Consortium. Up until now, everyone’s vehicles had been parked outside, and it was hard not to notice this car, the only one driving into the estate.

The Chief held a transparent umbrella and stood at the edge of the venue, almost brushing past the black car. His gaze followed the taillights as they gradually moved away.

A while later, he silently pressed the button on the walkie-talkie inside his clothes:

"...I’ve seen what those two look like."