Chapter 8: Excuse Me, I Apologize for the Disturbance

The two people inside were taken aback, and the several people outside were also stunned.

The crowd quickly reacted, and a stern voice shouted, "Whose child is this, so disrespectful? Come out quickly!"

Someone else yelled, "Security! Security!"

The security hadn't arrived yet, but a few young men with ordinary appearances but top-notch skills quickly approached Li Yi, surrounding him. They were ready to apprehend Li Yi at a moment's notice.

Li Yi was startled. Despite having the souls of two lifetimes, he had never seen such a scene. He raised his hands and loudly said to the two people inside, "Excuse me, I apologize for the disturbance. Did I get on the wrong elevator?"

The long-faced one was about to scold him, but the square-faced one waved his hand and smiled, "Don't be nervous! Everyone, go out! Young man, you didn't get on the wrong elevator. Which floor are you going to?"

Seeing those menacing people leave, Li Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had felt a chill all over his body, as if he had been immersed in icy water.

Regaining his composure, he felt two pairs of eyes scrutinizing him. One was exceptionally sharp, as if it could see through his soul, coming from the long-faced one. The square-faced one's gaze was gentle like water, but it was like the sun, enveloping him and leaving him nowhere to hide.

Li Yi's sweat immediately started to flow. These two were no ordinary people!

One moment cold, the next hot, he had just experienced the test of ice and fire. But with his mature soul, he quickly calmed down, smiled slightly, and said calmly, "I'm attending the Steel Conference."

"Oh? That's the same as us. Young man, you look like a student, don't you?" The square-faced one asked kindly, like an elder.

"Hello, my name is Li Yi. I'm a senior in the Chinese Department at Southern University. You look about the same age as my father. You can call me Xiao Yi."

At this moment, the elevator doors slowly closed. Through the gap, he could still see the people outside bowing obsequiously, smiling, and watching inside.

"Hehe, Xiao Yi, I heard that you need an invitation to enter the venue. Do you have one?" The square-faced one asked.

Li Yi, embarrassed, said, "No, I'm just interested, so I came to take a look."

The square-faced one smiled slightly, "You, a literature student, should be full of passion and poetry. How can you be interested in something as cold and hard as steel?"

The long-faced one laughed in agreement, "That's right. You should be enjoying the moon and reciting poems. If you were from the engineering college, I wouldn't be surprised."

Li Yi smiled awkwardly, patted the tube on his back, and said confidently, "The sparks of steel are the most beautiful red in the world; the buildings made of steel are the most romantic art. I heard that many discerning investors from home and abroad are here, so I came to promote some art pieces."

The square-faced one, interested, was about to ask what he was selling when the elevator dinged, signaling its arrival.

The square-faced one took out a business card case, picked one out, and handed it to Li Yi, "Fortunately, I brought business cards today to meet foreign guests. Xiao Yi, you can use my card to enter."

Li Yi respectfully took it with both hands. The card was very exquisite, a rare gold-embossed style for this era. It only had a name: Wen Yuxi. No position was listed, and below the name were two phone numbers: one a landline in Dujian City, the other a symbol of status, a mobile phone number.

As the elevator doors opened, the crowd outside, which had been bustling, immediately fell silent.

Clearly, they were stunned by the scene before them.

Seeing Li Yi squeezed inside, chatting with the two people, was a shock to everyone.

Flashbulbs kept popping, cameras quietly filming, and a group of reporters tried to push forward but were held back.

Li Yi noticed that many people who had been in the lobby downstairs were now waiting outside the elevator. He hadn't expected them to be so fast, even faster than the elevator!

Not wanting to draw attention, he quietly slipped away.

The meeting room was decorated with flowers, and the large room was almost full, with only the front row of seats still empty.

Regardless of the meeting, leaders always sat in the front, entered last, and left first. Even at this international conference, this was no exception.

Li Yi glanced around and knew that even if he entered, there would be no seat for him. Moreover, this conference would last more than a day or two. Today's opening ceremony would likely feature speeches by provincial and city leaders, which wouldn't be very interesting. After hesitating, he quietly walked away, saw a lounge nearby, and entered, finding a seat to sit and wait for the right moment.

The lounge was filled with people, many of them foreigners, possibly the entourages of executives and leaders. There were also a few small business owners without invitations, hoping for a chance, chatting in small groups.

Li Yi was so unremarkable that no one paid any attention to him.

Outside, it gradually quieted down, and the sound of someone testing the microphone could be heard from the next room.

Soon, applause broke out as the host took the stage. Knowing that the microphone had just been tested, he still habitually said, "Testing, testing," to confirm it was working. Then he loudly announced, "Respected leaders, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Today is a bright and sunny day, a day eagerly awaited by the 80 million people of Southern Province. The International Steel Industry Annual Summit is officially opening. First, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations on the successful opening of the conference and wish it a complete success. On behalf of the conference organizing committee, I warmly and sincerely welcome all the guests. Next, please welcome the Secretary of the Southern Province Committee of the CPC..."

The voice suddenly stopped, presumably because the door had been closed tightly.

Li Yi rubbed his sore and injured leg, lamenting the cruelty of time, which had brought him back to life. Not only did he have nothing, but he also had to endure pain and sell things to earn money for his treatment.

If it weren't for the clear sky outside and the bustling crowd inside, with the pain in his body, Li Yi would have suspected that he was just drunk and dreaming.

The pain in his leg became more pronounced. Li Yi didn't want to waste any more time or life here, so he decisively stood up and quickly walked to the entrance of the meeting room.

At the entrance, two security personnel, clearly not hotel security, stood guard.

As Li Yi approached, one of them extended his hand to block him, "Sir, please show your invitation."

His tone was polite but cold.

Li Yi said, "I have something I need to do inside."

"If you cannot show an invitation, please step away, or we will take action."

Li Yi didn't doubt the sincerity of his words. After thinking for a moment, he took out the business card, "I have an urgent matter to discuss with Wen Yuxi."

The guard was taken aback. Wen Yuxi? Which one? He took the card, examined it carefully, and was surprised. Having been close to leaders for a long time, he was familiar with their private business cards. However, such cards were rarely given out. It was said that only about twenty had been distributed, all to influential figures in politics and business, both domestically and internationally.

The shabby young man in front of him actually had such a card and addressed the leader by name! It was unbelievable!

Li Yi felt a bit uneasy, wondering if a business card could really have such power?

This was an international steel summit!

Steel giants from all over the world gathered here, presenting endless business opportunities. Which company executive wouldn't want to break their head to get in? Even just getting to know a few steel company executives, even if just to become familiar with them, would be a huge asset in the future. Moreover, such an important international conference was a symbol of status and prestige, and small businesses generally had no right to participate.

Li Yi smiled and politely asked, "Can I go in now?"

The two guards exchanged glances, stepped aside, and answered Li Yi's question with their actions.

Li Yi smiled slightly, straightened his back, and reached out to push open the door that would change his life, and walked in.

On the stage, Wen Yuxi was giving a speech, and the audience was packed, completely silent.

As soon as Li Yi entered, he immediately became the focus of everyone's attention. All eyes were on him, and Zhou Ziqi and Liu Mingming, sitting in the back corner, were even more surprised.

Wen Yuxi clearly felt the unusual atmosphere in the audience but was not disturbed. He continued speaking, undistracted, "The steel industry is one of the most important raw material industries in the country. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, our province has vigorously developed the steel industry, including the mining and selection of metals such as iron, chromium, and manganese, iron smelting, steelmaking, steel processing, iron alloy smelting, and steel wire and its products. Our province's Liulin Steel Plant and Jinzhou Steel Plant are among the top steel enterprises in the country, with annual sales of over 30 billion yuan..."

Li Yi cleared his throat, slightly bowed, and said loudly, "Excuse me, I apologize for the disturbance..."

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