Chapter 102: Chapter 4: If You Offer Your Face, Don’t Blame Me for Slapping It

Si Mingzhan offered a faint smile. Her gaze rested meaningfully on Zhang Yan, as if scrutinizing him, carrying an inexplicable depth.

Faced with Zhang Yan’s warmly extended hand, she lifted her soft fingers from beneath her cape and shook it.

"To be able to invite her as your date, you hardly seem like someone who ’knows nothing.’ Why would you need me to look out for you?" Si Mingzhan’s tone was gentle but held a hidden edge. It seemed Brother Gan’s alliance with her wasn’t all that solid.

Just then, melodious music filled the room, signaling the official start of the banquet. Without another word, Si Mingzhan walked over to the other side to regroup with her supporters.

The lights in the hall slowly dimmed. A spotlight hit the main stage, and the person who stepped up to deliver the opening speech was none other than the man who had been sitting with Si Mingcheng and Si Mingzhan earlier.

"That’s my eldest brother, Si Mingxin," Brother Gan said casually, stepping up beside Zhang Yan.

Watching the man on stage drone on about grandiose topics like "the historical origins of this banquet," "strengthening communication within the circle," and "promoting multi-party cooperation," Zhang Yan merely offered a faint smile and looked away.

He suddenly reached out and poked Brother Gan in the ribs, instantly breaking Si Mingcheng’s stoic facade.

"Come on, Brother Gan. There are no outsiders here. Drop the act. You don’t have to hold it in—if you want to curse him out, just do it!"

"I told you to call me Brother Cheng when we’re in public!" Si Mingcheng shot back, punching Zhang Yan in the chest.

The two of them began to playfully scuffle, trying to keep their movements as inconspicuous as possible. Standing to the side, Xia Xiqing tilted her head slightly, feeling a twinge of envy at their camaraderie. Ever since Si Mingcheng’s romantic Waterloo, he hadn’t had a serious woman by his side. As for the women who merely satisfied his physical needs, they certainly weren’t suitable to be brought to an event like this.

Glancing at the quiet Xia Xiqing, he suddenly pulled Zhang Yan aside and asked in a low voice, "Did you seal the deal?"

"Not yet."

"So there’s a chance? Not bad, Zhang Yan. What else are you hiding from me?"

"Plenty. If you bow down and call me your godfather... Ow, you bastard, you ambushed me!"

"Who do you think you’re talking to? Seriously though, how did you win her over?"

As the two muttered back and forth, conspiring about who knew what, Xia Xiqing suddenly poked Zhang Yan in the lower back with a slender finger. Zhang Yan turned around and followed her gaze, spotting Si Mingzhan walking over with several unfamiliar faces.

These people beside her were the ones who had publicly chosen a side, betting on her ultimate victory. In contrast, Si Mingcheng only had Zhang Yan by his side.

Seeing Si Mingzhan approach, the two men quickly straightened up.

"Mingcheng, those people you mentioned earlier—are you confident about them?"

"Mingzhan, we’re up against Si Mingxin. How could I have absolute certainty? There’s no telling what kind of backup plans he’s hidden away.

"All I can say is that as long as you can achieve some semblance of a stalemate, they won’t fully commit to his side."

Si Mingzhan nodded. If Si Mingcheng had guaranteed it unconditionally, she would have treated his words as total bullshit.

"That’s enough. Leave the rest to me. I will defeat him, and when the time comes, I’ll definitely give you the chance for revenge, just as we agreed."

"I’ll be waiting, then."

Her group came and went quickly, operating with crisp efficiency. However, looking at the followers gathered around Si Mingzhan, Zhang Yan couldn’t shake a very strange illusion. They were clearly a group of young men with outstanding temperaments and appearances, yet to Zhang Yan, it looked exactly like Si Mingzhan was walking a pack of—loyal hounds?

Brushing aside his gossipy thoughts, Zhang Yan pulled Si Mingcheng toward a corner. "Brother Gan, tell me more about your eldest brother. At the very least, I need to know who his die-hard supporters are and who we can actually mess with."

Si Mingcheng cast a subtle glance at Xia Xiqing standing nearby.

"It’s fine. We’re all on the same side here; she can keep a secret," Zhang Yan assured him.

Si Mingcheng didn’t dwell on it. Having received his answer, he began pointing out various figures scattered across the hall.

Xia Xiqing had only taken this on as a part-time job; nothing and no one here had much to do with her. Yet, Zhang Yan’s trusting words—claiming they were "on the same side"—stirred something in her heart. Unconsciously, she began listening closely alongside him, carefully pondering if there was any way she could help or cover any blind spots.

After the speeches came the buffet and free networking session.

The banquet hall featured various themed stations—seafood, desserts, wine, and more—allowing guests to serve themselves. Waiters wove through the crowd, carrying trays of hors d’oeuvres and drinks. The space was divided into standing areas and a few sparse seating sections. At this moment, the vast majority of attendees were walking around and mingling.

"I’m going to go socialize for a bit. Someone will probably come over to test the waters with you soon, so just improvise," Brother Gan said. "Don’t worry, anyone who approaches you is definitely not a friend."

Brother Gan walked off without looking back, leaving Zhang Yan lost in thought as he digested the information he had just received.

The test Brother Gan had predicted didn’t take long to arrive.

A lavishly dressed young man sauntered over, his arm around a woman whose looks were on par with Cheng Lu’s, though her aura far surpassed hers. Zhang Yan remembered that this man’s family was in financial investment, holding shares in numerous trusts and regional banks. He was considered one of Si Mingxin’s top lieutenants.

To be fair, the outfits Zhang Yan and Xia Xiqing were wearing weren’t bad by any means. However, compared to the obvious haute couture draped over the approaching couple, they paled in comparison. This alone seemed to put them at a slight disadvantage in terms of presence.

The newcomer wore an arrogant expression, clearly intending to completely overpower Zhang Yan right out of the gate. He casually pointed at a painting hanging a short distance behind Zhang Yan.

"That is a classic masterpiece from Picasso’s late Cubist period. I heard it was just auctioned off a few months ago for over ten million. What do you think of it?"

It was just some gossip he had picked up during a casual chat earlier, but that didn’t stop him from using the secondhand knowledge to show off.

Zhang Yan followed his gaze to the artwork.

"Hmm, the colors are pretty bright. It must be expensive," he thought.

He was just about to give a perfunctory reply when, in an unprecedented move, Xia Xiqing spoke up first. Her cold, clear voice flowed like a mountain spring, resonating in the minds of everyone present.

"The painting certainly mimics Picasso’s style, but it can’t be an authentic piece. To my eye, it looks more like something from Ernest Morel’s forgery series. As for its value, it’s worth a hundred thousand or so, at most."

The newcomer’s face stiffened.

He had heard of Xia Xiqing before, but he wasn’t particularly familiar with her, nor did he know about her professional expertise. Upon seeing such a stunning beauty just now, he had inexplicably grown eager. He wanted to show off and simultaneously establish dominance over Zhang Yan, but he never expected to shoot himself in the foot instead.

He didn’t doubt Xia Xiqing’s words; instead, he simply made up his mind to fiercely chew out the person who had been spouting bullshit about the painting earlier.

"I originally wanted to test our new friend here, but I didn’t expect Miss Xia to effortlessly see through my little trick. Heh, consider yourself lucky. Hello, my name is Chu Chengxi."

Watching his painfully awkward pivot, Zhang Yan sneered inwardly. Since the other party had approached with malicious intent, he had no reason to hold back either.

"What makes you think you’re in any position to come up here and test me?"

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