Returning after 10000 Years Cultivation - Chapter 123
The woman accompanying him was the radiantly beautiful Chinese superstar, Guo Jizhang, stunning in a red evening gown.
She had successfully broken into Hollywood, even leaving her handprints and name on the Walk of Fame. Her endorsement fees now reached hundreds of millions per deal. Among Chinese actresses, those who could surpass her achievements and influence could be counted on one hand.
“The Bai family has a net worth of fifty billion! They’ve been making major conquests in the cultural sector. Now, under Young Master Bai’s leadership, they’re pivoting into film investment. Several movies he’s backed have already grossed over a billion at the box office!”
“Furthermore, the Bai family is the top entertainment mogul across the seven cities of Jiangnan. Bai Choufei’s Feiyun Society is the number one organization in Jiangnan, powerful enough to keep Ye Gufeng from the north in check!”
The guests on the scene expressed their admiration and envy. To achieve so much at such a young age was truly remarkable.
ROAR—!
A thunderous noise sounded in the sky as a squadron of helicopters circled and descended onto the landing pad, kicking up clouds of dust and making the colored banners snap violently in the rotor wash.
“The Tie family has arrived!”
“A helicopter squadron!”
“Look at that formation, it must be the Tie family’s young master, Tie Minghuang!” people suddenly exclaimed, pointing skyward.
Each of these helicopters was worth tens of millions, yet they were all part of the Tie family’s private assets.
The Tie family started in civil aviation and now controlled Nanhua Airlines, a corporation worth tens of billions.
They had also recently invested in military-civil fusion industries, achieving significant success in the general aviation sector. The business jet exhibition and sales for this banquet were all managed by the Tie family.
“Uncle Mo, Brother Bai, you’re here quite early!”
Though not a military man, Tie Minghuang was dressed in camouflage combat gear, high-top combat boots, and wore windproof tactical goggles—the standard outfit of a serious military enthusiast.
He strode over quickly to greet Mo Haoxiong and Bai Choufei.
As time passed, more and more important figures arrived.
“Brother Tie, this helicopter squadron of yours… several of these are newly developed models, right? Sales must be good, raking in quite a profit, eh?”
“Ha! Brother Bai, are you kidding me? I’m stuck in the factory all day, hammering iron and moving bricks. It’s nothing like your life, lounging with big stars and sleeping with fresh-faced models, making billions off a single movie!”
“Chairman Zhang, you’re here too! I heard your new mixed-use complex opened and sales are booming!”
“Oh, President Liu, you’re just making fun of me now. I heard the rare earth deposit you invested in has massive reserves. That investment must have paid back tenfold!”
“President Zhang, I’m Zhang Yazhi, an artist with Qingcheng Entertainment. May I have the pleasure of your acquaintance?”
“Ah, Miss Zhang, I’ve heard so much about you. I actually have an endorsement deal I’d like to discuss. Perhaps we could talk at my hotel tonight?”
Conversations like these filled the venue.
Glasses in hand, people networked and chatted, sealing deals worth hundreds of millions or even billions with just a few words.
Starlets and models flitted through the crowd like butterflies, adding a splash of glamour and making the gathering exceptionally lively and unprecedented in its grandeur.
Suddenly, someone pointed toward the parking lot outside, eyes wide with astonishment, and let out a shocked cry:
“Holy crap! A Bugatti Veyron, the extended version! Two hundred million! There are barely ten of those in the whole of China!”
“License plate… Yue [Guangdong]… five eights! That’s clearly Young Master Tang’s car! Tang Shaoze is here!” an observant guest exclaimed, slapping his thigh in amazement.
“Come on, let’s go greet him!”
At these words, the crowd surged forward to welcome him. Even Bai Choufei and Tie Minghuang felt compelled to rise.
Never mind just in Yangcheng; across the vast Jiangnan region, aside from that prodigy from the Wei family, Tang Shaoze was considered the leading figure among the younger generation.
“This young man is incredible. So young, yet he controls assets worth tens of billions. He’s built half the properties in our city!”
Even a revered master like Mo Haoxiong, who commanded respect across the region, was visibly impressed, clapping his hands in admiration.
Seeing Tang Shaoze enter the venue, even Mo Haoxiong didn’t dare presume on his status and went to greet him personally.
“Tang Shaoze… truly remarkable!”
A hugely wealthy real estate tycoon in the crowd shook his head and sighed, “Five years ago, Tang Shaoze expanded his branch company to Donghai. He went head-to-head with local power players like Ye Gufeng and Liu Zikun, and actually beat them so soundly their companies went bankrupt! Several of their projects turned into abandoned construction sites!”
“Hmph, how could a local bully like Ye Gufeng compare to Young Master Tang?” someone in the know retorted disdainfully.
Hearing this, the other tycoons’ expressions shifted dramatically, finally understanding Tang Shaoze’s extraordinary caliber.
Back then, Tang Shaoze had just returned from Wall Street. He entered Donghai as the president of the Tang Family’s Yipin Realty Donghai branch and swiftly began a series of dazzling business maneuvers, engaging in fierce competition with Ye Gufeng.
In just six months, this seasoned veteran, Ye Gufeng, suffered a crushing defeat. From then on, Ye Gufeng withdrew from the real estate industry entirely, focusing solely on shipping.
Since that time, Tang Shaoze had encountered few rivals in China’s real estate circle, sweeping all before him. In Yangcheng, he could share drinks with the mayor and party secretary as an equal. He was truly a renowned business prodigy.
“Young Master Tang, you’re here!”
“Young Master Tang, it’s an honor to finally meet you!”
Upon his arrival, Tang Shaoze immediately became the center of attention, drawing everyone in like a magnet. All the tycoons, celebrities, and influential figures swarmed around him.
Tang Shaoze was around thirty, tall and well-built with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. His demeanor was refined and scholarly, making him undeniably a top-tier handsome man, drawing admiring glances from many society ladies and young matrons.
He greeted everyone politely one by one, maintaining his grace and courtesy throughout.
“The three top young masters are all gathered here! This Feast of Extravagance was worth coming to!”
“Tang Shaoze, Bai Choufei, Tie Minghuang, plus that prodigy from the Wei family… the Four Young Masters of Yangcheng practically hold sway over the entire Jiangnan region!”
Many tycoons gazed at Tang Shaoze and the others in the center of the room, sighing with a mix of envy, jealousy, and reverence.
They were too outstanding, too exceptional, shining like stars in the sky. Their accomplishments overshadowed those of many older magnates.
However, Bai Choufei noticed something off about Tang Shaoze. There was a shadow in his eyes, his smile seemed forced, and he looked somewhat distracted.
He pulled aside Tang Shaoze’s staunch follower, Lü Fan, and asked, “Xiao Lü, what’s up with Young Master Tang today? He seems out of sorts!”
“Young Master Tang… don’t even ask!” said Lü Fan, the handsome young man who had encountered Jiang Tian on the highway. He shook his head with a bitter smile. “Zhao Xueqing from the Linzhou Zhao family is coming to the Feast of Extravagance… with her husband. How do you think Young Master Tang is supposed to feel about that?”
“Which Zhao family? The one that broke off the engagement?!” Bai Choufei asked, greatly astonished.
“Mhmm,” Lü Fan nodded.
“Damn, is she insane? What is she doing here? Isn’t she just asking for Young Master Tang to be upset?” Bai Choufei’s face instantly darkened, a flash of ruthlessness passing through his eyes.
Hearing this, Tie Minghuang’s eyes flickered. He asked in a low voice, “Xiao Lü, what’s Young Master Tang’s take on this?”
“Young Master Tang still has feelings for that Zhao Xueqing and doesn’t want to humiliate her…” Lü Fan sighed. “But her bringing her husband along has really pissed him off. So…”
“Understood!”
Tie Minghuang snapped his fingers. He exchanged a look with Bai Choufei, his face grim, and made a throat-slitting gesture.
Bai Choufei nodded and instructed, “Xiao Lü, keep an eye on the entrance. If he shows up, you let us know immediately!”
“Don’t worry, he won’t get away,” Lü Fan nodded, a sycophantic smile on his face.
“What did Lü Fan just say? Why did Young Master Tie’s face turn so grim?”
“You’ve heard of Zhao Xueqing from Linzhou, right? The one who broke off the engagement with Young Master Tang? Apparently, she’s coming, and she’s bringing her husband!”
“What? Is she crazy…”
In less than ten minutes, the news spread through the venue like a hurricane: “Zhao Xueqing from Linzhou is bringing her husband to the feast!”
Simultaneously, information about Zhao Xueqing and Jiang Tian instantly reached everyone’s ears.
A daughter from a third-rate family from a backwater like Linzhou, a complete country bumpkin, and a burden on top of that!
She had swindled tens of millions from Young Master Tang for goods, then tore up the marriage contract? Wasn’t this just setting a trap and scamming him into a marriage?
As for Jiang Tian, the rumors were even worse: a scion of some down-and-out family, a notorious wastrel who indulged in drinking, whoring, gambling, and every vice, completely uneducated and good-for-nothing, even rumored to be mentally unstable—the ultimate loser and deadweight.
“Remember, if you want to curry favor with Young Master Tang tonight, you need to stomp all over that Jiang Tian!” one young master told his companion.
“I brought seven or eight bodyguards!” the companion replied seriously. “If it means getting in Young Master Tang’s good graces, I’d kill him! But… at a banquet like this, are we allowed to actually kill someone?”
“This is going to be great fun! To steal Young Master Tang’s woman and then dare to show up at the Feast of Extravagance… Young Master Tang is going to play with him until he’s dead!”
Some cynical older men, swirling their glasses of red wine, commented to the starlets beside them.
“What fun? There’s no contest whatsoever,” a nearby tycoon sneered coldly. “A worthless piece of trash like that? Probably everyone here could drown him with their spit! He’ll likely be scared to death on the spot!”
The Feast of Extravagance seemed bustling and extraordinarily prosperous on the surface, but undercurrents were swirling, hidden killing intent lurking. Nearly all the tycoons and celebrities were focused on this development.
“Young Master Tang’s influence is immense. Without saying a word, he can push Jiang Tian and them into abysmal ruin!” Witnessing this, Zhou Xianya snorted coldly, full of scorn. “Jiang Tian, Zhao Xueqing, you relied on your strength to bully the weak, once forcing my father to kneel publicly. But there’s always a higher mountain. What does being big fish in a small pond like Linzhou mean? This time, you’ve crossed Tang Shaoze and Lü Fan… you’re deader than dead.”
Suddenly, her eyes, fixed on the entrance, spotted something. She tugged at Lü Fan’s sleeve. “Lü Fan, they’re here!”
Lü Fan quickly turned to look, his gaze instantly turning icy. “Jiang Tian and Zhao Xueqing have arrived.”
“Huh? Is that him? He has no presence at all. Clearly a first-class loser!” Tie Minghuang’s eyes fell on Jiang Tian, his face full of mockery as he shook his head lightly.
The Feast of Extravagance was inherently a party with strong entertainment elements. Most guests wore various styles of casual attire, some even in eccentric or flamboyant costumes. Only Jiang Tian was in a stern, meticulous suit and leather shoes, looking every bit the country bumpkin, like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden for the first time.*
“He’s Jiang Tian? Doesn’t look like much. He actually dared to come after stealing Young Master Tang’s woman?” a tycoon said, unable to believe it.
“Pfft, that Zhao Xueqing isn’t even that pretty. Her chest isn’t as big as mine. How did she manage to catch Young Master Tang’s eye?” the starlet Guo Jizhang muttered sourly under her breath.
“You don’t know? Jiang Tian’s a madman. Drank too much and fried his brains. What would a madman be afraid of?” another tycoon laughed derisively.
“She really came…”
Tang Shaoze, who had been chatting with Elder Mo, also saw Zhao Xueqing. A look of infatuation and burning desire instantly flashed in his eyes.