Chapter 35

The Chen family held a banquet to entertain the Wu family, a matter of life and death for the clan, so they naturally could not be negligent. They prepared everything to the highest standards, and the entire Chen family villa was bustling with activity. There were beautiful flowers and red carpets, nothing was missing. The richest man in Chengdu certainly spared no expense.

In Chen Zining's boudoir, Chen Zishan was combing her hair. The second Miss Chen, now dressed in a pink dress, looked pure and charming, like a princess.

"Zining, if you don't like Wulong, you don't have to agree to this. The clan may not necessarily be in trouble, and you shouldn't sacrifice yourself for the family," Chen Zishan said, feeling sorry for her.

"Sister, you're a typical cold exterior with a warm heart," Chen Zining teased her sister, noticing her unnatural expression. "It's not about liking or disliking. Being able to spend a lifetime together is better than being madly in love, isn't it?"

"..." Chen Zishan was speechless, shaking her head with a bitter smile. "You, a young girl, seem more weathered than an old woman. If you hadn't obtained that thing, our family might have lived a peaceful and stable life, without so many worries."

"But I don't want to go hungry. The image of being famished is still vivid in my mind," Chen Zining said calmly, as if talking about someone else's story.

"..." Chen Zishan tenderly stroked her sister's hair, her mind drifting back to a few years ago. Back then, the Chen family was not the richest in Chengdu but a poor and struggling family. They had no snacks like other children, no meat to eat, and the sisters would be overjoyed if their parents brought home two vegetable buns.

For the Chen family, it was a bitter memory, one they rarely dared to touch upon.

It wasn't that Chen Zining was realistic; she was just terrified of poverty. The fear of poverty had left a deep impression on her, and she was more afraid of the family's decline than anyone else.

"Buzz... Buzz..."

The vibration of a mobile phone broke the silence in the room. It was Chen Zishan's phone, and she frowned slightly at the caller ID.

"Is it a handsome guy? Sister, you shouldn't be too aloof. Finding a suitable partner and falling in love isn't bad, and you don't want to end up an old maid," Chen Zining teased.

"Go away." Chen Zishan rolled her eyes, then answered the call with a calm tone, "Li Mang, what do you want?"

Despite Chen Zishan's calm tone, Chen Zining was surprised. In her memory, her sister always treated men with a cold expression, so this calm tone was rare. Curious, she leaned in to eavesdrop. After all, she was just a 21-year-old girl, and her sister was an ice queen, so she couldn't help but be curious and gossipy.

Chen Zishan rolled her eyes at her, but didn't say anything, feeling innocent. She didn't use a cold tone with Li Mang because he had saved her, and that was all.

"Mr. Chen, I've done a great job tonight. Aren't you going to invite me over for dinner or something?" Li Mang asked boldly.

"..." Chen Zishan frowned, finding it unbelievable. Was there such a person?

Chen Zining also frowned, as the voice sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"Hey, Mr. Chen, you can't even do this for me?" Li Mang questioned. Honestly, Li Mang felt he was being shameless, but the mission required it, so he had to.

"..." Chen Zishan held her forehead, unsure how to express her feelings. Li Mang's request was sudden, shameless, and rude. After some thought, she replied stiffly, "Thank you, but can we do it tomorrow? Tonight I..."

"It's fine, just come over. The address is No. 8 Zijin Community, South Gate. We'll have the security let your car through when you arrive." Before Chen Zishan could finish, Chen Zining interrupted.

"Zining!" Chen Zishan covered the phone and glared at her sister.

"Sister, since he's your savior, we should invite him over for dinner," Chen Zining said with a smile, undaunted.

"But you know what kind of occasion it is tonight. Can you be so frivolous?" Chen Zishan scolded, intending to clarify things with Li Mang, but found he had already hung up.

"This isn't anything to hide. It's settled. I'll explain to Mom and Dad." Chen Zining decided without further ado.

Chen Zishan, feeling helpless, thought it wasn't a big deal, just an extra set of chopsticks to show gratitude. However, she didn't know that Li Mang not only knew her sister but was also very familiar with the Wu family. His arrival would certainly spark significant friction at tonight's engagement banquet.

At 8 PM, a convoy slowly drove into Zijin Community and stopped in front of No. 8 villa. The Chen family, waiting at the door, warmly welcomed them, "Welcome, Governor Wu, to our humble abode!"

Wu Hong stepped out of the Audi, followed by the handsome Wu Long and the plump Mrs. Wu.

"Ha ha, tonight is a private gathering, Mr. Chen, no need to use official titles," Wu Hong laughed, shaking hands with Chen Hui.

"You're right, I was being too formal. Brother Wu, don't call me Mr. Chen, it sounds distant. If you respect me, just call me Brother Chen!" Chen Hui was even more enthusiastic.

"Brother Chen, you're too polite. We're already old friends, no need for formalities," Wu Hong smiled, the title "Brother Chen" sounding natural and familiar, a skill he had mastered in both politics and business.

"Right, Brother Wu..."

"Beep... Beep..." A car sound interrupted their conversation. They instinctively looked up and saw a taxi, which shocked their titanium alloy eyes. This was Zijin Community, the wealthiest place in the province, where even a car worth 500,000 was rare, let alone a taxi.

Perhaps startled by the people they usually only saw on TV, the taxi almost crashed into the car in front before the driver braked, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Li Mang didn't care about this, casually tossing a hundred-dollar bill to the driver and stepping out of the car. Ignoring the stunned crowd, he greeted them warmly, "Hi, everyone, you're all here!"

"Li Mang! It's you!" Wu Long exclaimed first.

"Li Mang!" Wu Hong's eyes narrowed, a sharp light flashing in them. He then sized up Li Mang, his expression dark and uncertain. This was the first time he had seen Li Mang, and he hadn't expected to meet him in this setting.

"It's him!" Chen Zining at the door also recognized Li Mang, her eyes wide with shock. She poked Chen Zishan, "Sister, is this your savior?"

"Uh-huh!" Chen Zishan nodded coldly, but she was also shocked, clearly not expecting so many people to know her deputy security chief. Her thoughts were in chaos.

The atmosphere was somewhat eerie, with no one speaking, just staring at each other.

Finally, Chen Hui reacted, despite his many questions. He introduced Li Mang, "This is Zishan's colleague. If it weren't for him tonight, Zishan might have been injured... I must thank you for that."

"Chairman, you're too kind. It's my duty to protect Mr. Chen. Being invited to such an important banquet is an honor!" Li Mang waved his hands, declining the praise.

"Who invited him?" Chen Zining was speechless, and Chen Zishan beside her looked slightly dark, but fortunately, it was night, and no one noticed.

Wu Hong held back the angry Wu Long and smiled at Li Mang, "They say heroes emerge young. I admire your bravery, Mr. Li!"

Li Mang, whose identity was still a mystery, didn't dare to let his son quarrel with him. Pretending to be ignorant was the most rational approach.

"Governor Wu, you flatter me. No matter how brave, it's nothing compared to your command, right?" Li Mang smiled, hinting at something.

"Ha ha, Mr. Li, you really know how to joke!" Wu Hong smiled insincerely, but who knew what he was thinking.

Li Mang's arrival made the originally harmonious atmosphere suddenly strange, which made the host, Chen Hui, quite depressed. But as a savvy person, seeing Governor Wu's son call Li Mang "Mr. Li," he didn't dare to be negligent and politely invited the guests into the villa.

...

PS: Since this is an urban novel, some common urban plots are inevitable, but they won't be many, and will be rare in the future.