Chen Yan nodded at him and then started the engine, driving away from the sealed-off section of the road.

After passing the roadblock, He Family's manor drew near.

As the lights of the manor grew closer and closer, Chen Yan couldn't help but think back to that scene just now.

Although this area already belonged to "private territory," the act of directly closing off the road also showcased the He Family's influence on Qin Island. They truly deserved the title of Qin Island's wealthiest family.

Chen Yan recalled the He Family's situation.

The He Family's company was different from the Zhao Family—it wasn't named after their surname but called Wutong Group instead.

Rumor had it that it was because the founder of the He Family was named He Mu. Hence, the name was chosen.

According to the legend circulating on Qin Island, it was a name with multiple layers of resonance and rich in meaning.

"What kind of tree (He Mu)?"

"Chinese parasol tree (Wutong)."

And as for what resides on the Chinese parasol tree, well... that goes without saying.

Compared to Zhao Group, the He Family had also been around for quite some time, going through three generations, putting down roots on Qin Island, mainly dealing in home appliances.

Air conditioners, refrigerators, color TVs, microwaves, etc.

As long as it was a household appliance, they dealt with it.

At first, they bought patents from abroad, but later transitioned to developing their own. After so many years of deep cultivation in the home appliance industry, they were considered a leading enterprise in the domestic market.

Moreover, their home appliances weren't only sold domestically.

In the nineties, riding on the coattails of opening up to the world and with low domestic labor costs, Wutong Group was one of the first companies to venture overseas with government support and made substantial profits.

In addition to earning a significant amount of foreign currency for the country, this also became key to the rise of the He Family.

Therefore, the foreign trade department of Wutong Group remained to this date one of the most important departments of the Group without question.

This was also the reason why He Mengxue, the successor of the He Family, held a position in the foreign trade department.

While sorting out the He Family's situation, Chen Yan arrived at the He Family manor.

Stopping at the entrance, he tossed the car keys to the doorman, straightened his clothes, and strode into the He Family manor.

Before passing the roadblock, Chen Yan had already made a call to Qin Ming, so Qin Ming was waiting for Chen Yan at the entrance of the hall.

Seeing Chen Yan arrive, he greeted him with a cheerful smile and said, "Brother Chen, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Chen Yan smiled and said, "I was just held up a bit; they checked my invitation."

Qin Ming suddenly realized, "No wonder."

He explained, "There are quite a few people attending the banquet this time, and all of them are prominent figures from Qin Island, so the security is much tighter."

Qin Ming talked while leading Chen Yan to the banquet hall.

It wasn't as splendid and fancy as imagined. Just a very normal banquet hall, which looked quite elegant and meticulous with drinks and pastries placed in the center and on both sides.

By now, many young men and women were already in the banquet hall, chatting in small groups.

Knowing the purpose of Chen Yan's visit today, Qin Ming, after a short rest with him, began to navigate through the hall with Chen Yan, introducing him to these wealthy scions one by one.

It must be said that Qin Ming was indeed very sociable; he seemed to have a good relationship with everyone and was able to chat with each of them.

And while introducing him, Qin Ming did not specify Chen Yan's identity, only mentioning him as a friend. However, with his warm gestures, he guided everyone to regard Chen Yan seriously, elevating Chen Yan's significance in their minds.

Therefore, after making the rounds, quite a few people's attention fell on Chen Yan, and those who were curious about him even started discussing him in whispers,

"What's the background of that handsome guy?"

"Don't know, but seeing how Qin Xiaoming cares, he must have a significant status, right?"

"Indeed. I've never seen Qin Ming act like this toward anyone before."

"Yes, yes."

And having met a round of these people, Chen Yan had a rough idea of the level of the banquet. They were the descendants of the top-ranked companies and groups on Qin Island, each representing a major force.

And among them, the most important were the people from the He Family.

At this banquet, Chen Yan met several people related to the He Family.

Such as Qin Island's richest man He Ruifeng's daughter: He Meng Xue.

Such as He Ruifeng's nephew, nieces, and others.

They were a few of the more outstanding ones among the current generation of the He Family.

After finishing the introductions, Qin Ming whispered to Chen Yan, "Brother Chen. This time it's just about getting to know faces."

"If you want to collaborate with any family in the future, just tell me. I'll take them to have a separate meal with you. We can talk over the dinner table."

"These big gatherings are just for getting to know each other. It's the small gatherings where real business is discussed."

Chen Yan nodded, agreeing with what Qin Ming had said.

Then Qin Ming looked around the banquet hall and covertly nudged Chen Yan, asking, "Brother Chen, you've just met my sister. What do you think?"

Chen Yan glanced at him and recalled the moment he had met He Meng Xue.

It was undeniable that He Meng Xue left a deep impression on Chen Yan as a lady of high society.

Every gesture was beautiful and dignified, her smile confident, her demeanor graceful.

She gave off a subtle sense of distance, yet not in a way that seemed unapproachable.

And in conversation, she could reveal a deep sense of cultivation, drawing people in with just a few words.

Chen Yan felt that this woman was different from anyone he had met before, just from their initial contact.

Not only was she shrewd and astute, but she exuded a sense of superiority and confidence right down to her bones.

She seemed somewhat daring and presumptuous.

Would working with such a person really not be dangerous?

Chen Yan hesitated...

Since Qin Ming was essentially the co-host, he couldn't stay by Chen Yan's side the entire time.

Thus, after accompanying Chen Yan, he excused himself to attend to other guests.

Chen Yan, holding a glass of champagne, stood in a corner, drinking and reflecting on the people Qin Ming had introduced him to.

He had come to the banquet today not only to get to know He Meng Xue in preparation for taking their game business overseas but also to see if there were any available resources in the fashion industry to help pave the way for Lu Man.

However, Chen Yan was somewhat disappointed after the event.

Perhaps because Qin Island was located in the north, companies in the fashion field were not prevalent. Throughout the whole banquet, Chen Yan only got to know two relevant wealthy juniors—one from a family that dealt in jewelry, the other from a family in clothing.

Their brands could only be considered second-tier domestically. The market value wasn't very high either, just a few billion.

This even made Chen Yan lose the desire to get to know them...

After all, such level resources could no longer be of great help to Lu Man.

While Chen Yan was standing there pondering alone, some people who had previously shown interest in Chen Yan approached to chat with him.

The conversation was all probing in nature.

For instance, asking where Chen Yan was from, what his family did, and how he knew Qin Ming.

Not inclined to lie, Chen Yan told the truth.

He said he was a local from Qin Island. His family didn't do much.

He himself was in the film and gaming business.

Perhaps because Chen Yan's introduction was not very attractive, the people who came to meet him were a bit disappointed.

They felt that it was probably only because of his good relationship with Qin Ming that he was able to attend the gathering.

They gave Chen Yan their WeChat and contact information as a matter of courtesy, under the pretext of hanging out together sometime, but it seemed pretty obvious it was just out of politeness.

As for Chen Yan, he didn't mind their indifference.

These people were of no help to him either. Making their acquaintance served little purpose...

And as more and more people came to meet Chen Yan, most of the guests at the banquet gradually found out about his identity.

"So, he's an entrepreneur."

"Right. Seeing how enthusiastic Qin Ming was toward him, I thought his family had a big background."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too."

"While he can be considered accomplished for his age, compared to us, he doesn't quite measure up."

"He's probably a little brother Qin Ming has taken under his wing to show him around."

And these discussions inevitably reached the ears of He Meng Xue.

Hearing that the person she had previously been interested in had such a simple identity, He Meng Xue glanced with some surprise at Chen Yan, who was talking to a rich young lady.

She didn't look down on Chen Yan like the other wealthy scions.

Because she knew her own brother.

Qin Ming had no other skills, but he was a good talker and had an eye for people.

Anyone he valued was certainly not a simple character.

Initially, He Meng Xue thought Chen Yan belonged to some big family or financial consortium, with Qin Ming eyeing his power and influence.

But now...

A self-made young talent?

Interesting.

He Meng Xue's beautiful eyes lingered on Chen Yan for a while...

'I wonder if I could bring him under my wing...'

'Perhaps, he could play a role in taking my business to the next level...'

'We'll have a good chat someday.'

...

Time flew by, and soon it was 8 p.m.

Along with the ringing of the six o'clock bell, a motorcade slowly entered the He Family manor.

The procession looked formidable, headed by a black stretch Lincoln followed by a dozen or so black sedans.

The people at the banquet received the notification and gathered at the entrance of the manor.

By this time, many middle-aged men had appeared at the entrance of the manor, appearing to be the parents of these wealthy youngsters. Leading them was a middle-aged man bearing some resemblance to He Meng Xue.

With a square-shaped face, and an imposing stride, he stood at the forefront of the crowd, exuding authority.

Accompanied by these tycoons and their second generations, they welcomed tonight's guests: Zhao Group father and daughter…

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