Inside the banquet hall, seeing Matriarch Xu and her entourage looking ashen-faced and terrified, the onlookers couldn't help but smile even more broadly.
"Mr. Xie, can you make the announcement now? I have other matters to attend to shortly."
Zhang Shihao adjusted his expression and smiled as he looked at Xie Kun, the person in charge for Xianyun Group at this collaborative exchange meeting.
"Please bear with us a moment, everyone. We have just received word that the Group's President will be attending the meeting in person to announce the chosen partner herself."
Standing on the stage, Xie Kun smiled at the crowd. This development had caught even him by surprise.
Hearing that the President of Xianyun Group would personally attend the collaboration meeting, the people present wore looks of astonishment, their eyes filled with eager anticipation.
With breathtaking beauty, Li Qingmo was the founder and president of Xianyun Group. In just three years, she had amassed a fortune approaching ten billion, making her a legendary figure in the Northwest business community.
Hearing this, Matriarch Xu and her group were consumed by extreme regret, and their resentment toward Xu Shuyin and Bai Feng reached its absolute peak.
When a stunningly beautiful woman appeared on the stage, the hall fell completely silent.
"President Li, I am Zhang Shihao of the Fengcheng Zhang Family, the head of Xianyun Group's secondary partner here in Ning Province. After our comprehensive evaluation, Rongxing Group meets all the necessary qualifications and can become Xianyun Group's tertiary partner in Ning Province."
Zhang Shihao stood up with a smile, imagining in his mind how he would never sleep a wink if this woman were lying in his bed.
Li Qingmo, the president of Xianyun Group on stage, was in no way inferior to Xu Shuyin in terms of looks, but their temperaments were polar opposites: the former was a mature, fiercely wild executive, while the latter was an innocent, gentle girl-next-door.
Seeing Li Qingmo nod slightly in his direction, Zhang Shihao felt as though thousands of ants were crawling over him. His entire body went weak with pleasure, and he slowly sank back into his seat.
On the stage, Li Qingmo—radiating an aura of a fierce, wild career woman—spoke a few brief words, her willow-like brows sweeping across the eager crowd in the hall.
She then continued, "I announce that Xianyun Group's tertiary partner in Fengcheng is the Fengcheng Xu Group."
As the voice of Xianyun Group President Li Qingmo trailed off, dead silence filled the hall.
Boom!
The very next second, the room erupted with sound.
"Did I hear that wrong? Wasn't Rongxing Group supposed to be chosen? How did it become the Xu Group?"
"Young Master Zhang clearly recommended the Liu Family. He told Liu Rong that himself, and everyone here heard it."
...
Hearing that Xianyun Group President Li Qingmo had chosen the Xu Group, the crowd broke into chatter, their expressions varying widely.
Standing beside Zhang Shihao, Liu Rong, head of the Fengcheng Liu Family, felt the smile on his face slowly freeze, convinced he must have misheard.
In the front row, Zhang Shihao looked equally dazed. He instinctively stood up, staring uncomprehendingly at Li Qingmo on the stage.
As for Matriarch Xu and her companions—who had moments ago been trembling with fear—their expressions underwent a complete transformation.
After a brief moment of stunned surprise, Matriarch Xu's face broke into a long-absent smile before she looked gratefully toward Zhang Shihao.
"Shihao, you really know how to joke around..." Matriarch Xu chuckled, patting Zhang Shihao on the shoulder.
"Brother-in-law, that was a bit much. You almost scared us to death."
Xu Shushan let out a long sigh of relief and smiled at Zhang Shihao.
At that moment!
Zhang Shihao slowly turned around, his eyes burning with fury as he glared viciously at Matriarch Xu and Xu Shushan.
"If your Xu family doesn't end up ruined and destitute this time, my name isn't Zhang Shihao."
Zhang Shihao lowered his voice. The unmasked, monstrous rage in his eyes caused Xiao Nan—who had also been smiling and preparing to speak—to freeze, making her instinctively snap her mouth shut.
"President Li, I clearly recommended Rongxing Group. Why did you choose the Xu Group? Could there be a mistake?"
Turning back around, Zhang Shihao forced down the anger in his eyes and asked loudly, looking at Li Qingmo on the stage.
"Who we choose is not dictated by your recommendations. The Group has its own considerations when selecting partners. Do you have any further questions?"
Li Qingmo possessed an overwhelming aura, and her tone brooked no questioning whatsoever.
Seeing this!
Zhang Shihao took a deep breath and slowly sat down, a deep sense of resentment and dissatisfaction welling up inside him.
He turned his head again to shoot a vicious glare at Matriarch Xu and the others, gritting his teeth as he muttered, "You've all done well. I guarantee every single one of you is going to hell."
Ignoring the grim-faced Matriarch Xu and her group, Zhang Shihao turned back around and abruptly froze in place, for he saw that Li Qingmo was actually smiling at him and walking directly in his direction.
In an instant, Zhang Shihao was overwhelmed with excitement. Unable to help himself, he sprang to his feet with a brilliant smile, standing as straight as an ancient pine.
The resentment and dissatisfaction he had felt toward Li Qingmo just moments ago vanished into thin air.
As Li Qingmo, wearing a gentle smile, drew closer and closer to Zhang Shihao, you could hear a pin drop in the banquet hall.
"President Li..."
Looking at the ethereal beauty stopping right before him, Zhang Shihao couldn't help but smile as he took the initiative to speak.
Yet seeing that Li Qingmo didn't even spare him a glance, Zhang Shihao was struck by a wave of crushing embarrassment. He wished he could crawl into a crack in the floor, while dark clouds welled up deep within his eyes.
Watching Zhang Shihao—stuck with an awkward expression and repressed fury—the onlookers found the scene immensely amusing, though no one dared to laugh out loud. At the same time, their gazes followed Li Qingmo's curvaceous, devilish figure.
Hum!
When their eyes finally locked onto her destination, everyone froze in place, their expressions a mask of shock and disbelief.
For at some point, Xu Shuyin of the Fengcheng Xu Family and the man who had struck Zhang Shihao the day before were now standing hand in hand in the banquet hall.
Swish! Swish!
At the sight of this, the expressions of Matriarch Xu's group and Zhang Shihao shifted completely!
Zhang Shihao's face contorted hideously, his eyes blazing with towering fury. He looked ready to commit murder on the spot, completely throwing caution to the wind regarding their location.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Li Qingmo stopped in front of Xu Shuyin and Bai Feng, extended a hand with a smile, and said, "Miss Xu, I am very glad to see you. I hope our future cooperation will be even more pleasant."
Xu Shuyin smiled faintly and shook hands with Li Qingmo, finally letting out a sigh of relief. It seemed the Xu Family and Xianyun Group had indeed reached a partnership, which made her feel all the more grateful to Brother Feng.
Yet thinking of how she had actually fallen asleep last night and found it awkward to bring up when she woke up in the morning, she felt a wave of lingering regret and resolved to find another time.
"I have matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave. You can head over to Xianyun Group later to sign the contract."
With another smiling glance at Bai Feng beside her, Li Qingmo turned and left the banquet hall.
As Li Qingmo's figure vanished from the hall, silence fell once more, the atmosphere turning oppressively heavy.
No one had expected that Xu Shuyin of the Xu Family and the young man who had hit Zhang Shihao yesterday would dare to show their faces here. It was nothing short of a death wish.
"Is this some kind of elaborate deception you pulled on me? Very impressive!"
Under the gaze of the crowd, a ferocious-looking Zhang Shihao strode right up to Bai Feng and Xu Shuyin, his face twisted with rage.
"Son-in-law, they're here now! We really have to thank you properly for this partnership. You can deal with them however you like."
Xiao Nan hurried over, her face flushed with excitement.
"Get lost, you old slut."
Bang!
Roaring in fury, Zhang Shihao lashed out and delivered a savage kick straight into Xiao Nan.
Swish!
Struck once again, Xiao Nan felt a mixture of humiliation and shock, while a nameless anger surged in her chest—yet she didn't dare to vent it in the slightest.
"You managed to get the Xu family and Xianyun Group to cooperate, I'll give you that—it's quite a surprise. Now I'll give you a choice: kneel down and beg me together with this dog bastard, and maybe I'll let the Xu family escape with their lives."
Zhang Shihao's eyes roamed over Xu Shuyin as he offered a vicious grin, issuing a blatant, unabashed threat.
"Shihao, wasn't this partnership arranged with your help?"
Sensing something was amiss and realizing how impossible that sounded, Matriarch Xu lost all the triumphant joy she had felt about becoming Xianyun Group's partner, her expression rapidly turning to one of panic and dread.
Seeing that Zhang Shihao didn't say a word, Matriarch Xu began to tremble violently. She understood now that this partnership truly hadn't been secured with Zhang Shihao's help.
Even though the Xu family had been chosen, because of Xu Shuyin, they had offended Zhang Shihao all over again and thoroughly enraged him.
Forget rising into the ranks of Fengcheng's top-tier aristocracy; whether they would even survive was now up in the air.
"Xu Shuyin, what are you waiting for? Kneel down and apologize right now! Do you really want to bring total ruin upon the Xu Family?"
Watching her granddaughter Xu Shuyin stand there unmoved, Matriarch Xu grew frantic and furious, throwing all regard for occasion and status to the wind.
"Did you hear her? Otherwise, I guarantee that old hag won't die in peace." Prompted by Matriarch Xu's words, Zhang Shihao looked even more unhinged.
Glancing at her angry, anxious grandmother, and then at Zhang Shihao with his unhinged, malicious expression, Xu Shuyin gently shook her head, her stance resolute.
"This dog gave you some backbone, huh? Since you, cheap bitch, love wild men so much, I'll find you a hundred of them, and then make you watch as the Xu family gets wiped out."
Seeing Xu Shuyin refuse him without a moment's hesitation, Zhang Shihao grew even more infuriated.
"You dog bastard, you'll be begging on your knees for mercy soon enough, I guarantee it."
Pointing his bandaged left finger at the bridge of Bai Feng's nose, Zhang Shihao gritted his teeth and roared.
Calculating the time, his uncle Zhao Heilong should be arriving soon. When he got here, this dog bastard named Bai Feng would inevitably be reduced to a cripple.
Watching the arrogant and furious Zhang Shihao, Bai Feng raised his hand and struck without hesitation.
"Slap!"
A crisp sound echoed through the room. Taken completely by surprise, Zhang Shihao was sent sprawling to the floor by a savage blow, leaving him utterly dazed.
"Hiss!"
The sight caused the onlookers to draw in sharp breaths of air, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
"You dog bastard, I guarantee you'll regret this. You're going to die a horrible death, I swear..."
Zhang Shihao's mouth was stained with blood, his eyes bloodshot as he went practically mad.
Swish!
Catching sight of the dragon-shaped pendant exposed at Zhang Shihao's neck, and sensing two familiar auras, Bai Feng's eyes instantly flooded with towering, raging flames.
"Where did you get this pendant? Speak."
Ripping the pendant straight off Zhang Shihao's neck, Bai Feng spoke with chilling coldness, dropping the surrounding temperature to a bone-chilling freeze.
Aside from helping his fiancée Xu Shuyin resolve her troubles, his purpose in coming down the mountain was to hunt down the enemies who had murdered his adoptive parents. Never had he expected to stumble upon a lead right here on Zhang Shihao.
"My uncle is Zhao Heilong! He is the overlord of the Ning Province underworld, an Earth Realm Martial Artist, just a step away from the Heaven Realm... You dog bastard, you're going to—ah!"
Before Zhang Shihao could finish, he let out a miserable scream, his consciousness blurring.
Crack!
"Speak. Where did you get this pendant?" Crushing Zhang Shihao's left arm beneath his foot, Bai Feng forcefully suppressed the rage surging in his chest.
"Little bastard, you're courting death!"
At that very moment, an angry roar rang out from the entrance of the hall.
Swish, swish, swish!
The crowd whipped their heads around simultaneously, their faces draining of color!
Matriarch Xu and her entourage turned ashen, their expressions melting into sheer, unadulterated terror.
Zhang Shihao's own uncle!
The newcomer was none other than the overlord who ruled the Ning Province underworld with an iron fist, an Earth Realm Martial Artist merely a step away from the Heaven Realm—Zhao Heilong!