Chapter 78: Who Is the Talented Young Man?

First, An Lan spoke eloquently. Then Lan Ruoxue followed, brimming with spirit and confidence. Though the two women were partners, every word they exchanged was laced with rivalry and subtle contest. The two most beautiful flowers of Jinghan gathered together, each vying to outshine the other; tonight’s banquet was nothing short of spectacular.

As for Ye Wushang, the ex-husband and personal bodyguard, he instantly became the center of everyone’s attention. All were curious—what virtue or fortune did this young man possess to deserve such luck?

“Thank you, Miss Lan, for your splendid speech,” An Lan said, taking the microphone with grace. “I believe, with a partner like Miss Lan, the business between our two families will only flourish. And our collaboration will surely provide greater support to the businesses of everyone present.”

Her words were met with a burst of applause. She raised her hand to signal silence, cast a glance at Ye Wushang, and announced loudly, “For better cooperation, and to ensure transparency, I have specially chosen a promising young talent to oversee the partnership between our families. With this talent as our supervisor, I believe all enterprises and families in Jinghan will benefit.”

Everyone was intrigued—who was this young talent worthy of such high praise from An Lan? Though young, she possessed formidable business acumen; anyone favored by her must be extraordinary.

“Tiger, it looks like An Lan is conceding,” Master Wang sneered. “She knows that even with a culinary master, their resources pale in comparison to the Pei family. That young talent must be you. She’s giving herself an out and showing you goodwill.”

Pei Qinghuo laughed, “Of course. In Jinghan, who else could be qualified as a promising talent but me, Pei Qinghuo? The An family isn’t foolish—they know to call on me to mediate.”

Pei Huaide sighed, “It seems the big explosion can be postponed. But simply appointing you as the supervisor isn’t enough—they must hand over their culinary master. Only by perfecting the medicinal cuisine can we secure the Luo family’s full trust. As for the An family, if they behave, maybe we’ll spare them.”

As the three discussed their bright future, the lights suddenly dimmed, and a spotlight swept over the room. Clearly, whoever the light settled on would be the chosen talent. The seconds ticked by; when the spotlight finally rested on Pei Qinghuo, the room erupted in excitement.

“It really is Young Master Tiger from the Pei family!”

“I said so—there’s no one else in Jinghan who would catch An Lan’s eye as a promising talent.”

“With An and Lan joining forces and Young Master Hu as supervisor, the three powerful families together—who can stand against them?”

“Congratulations, Young Master Tiger!”

Everyone rushed to flatter and congratulate him. Pei Qinghuo basked in their praise, hands clasped behind his waist, and said loudly, “Thank you all for your kind words. In fact, I—”

“Wrong!” The man in charge of the lights stuck out his tongue apologetically, then redirected the spotlight. After a brief spin, it stopped on Ye Wushang.

“Ye Wushang is the young talent I have chosen,” An Lan declared. “From now on, he will serve as liaison officer for the cooperation between the An and Lan families. He will supervise whether the Lan family fulfills their commitments, and ensure that the An family entrusts all their business to the Lan family for agency.”

As An Lan announced the result, silence fell over the room—so absolute one could hear a pin drop.

“Wushang, why are you just standing there?” An Lan beckoned him forward. The choice to appoint Ye Wushang as supervisor was based on two considerations. She admired his abilities, believing he could maintain their business well. Secondly, once security was settled, her ties to the other party would be severed. By making him the supervisor, she would have more time to spend with him. She believed that affection would grow with time. If she was willing to invest, she would surely reap rewards. It was a win-win—why not do it?

“I… I’d really rather not.” Outwardly calm, Ye Wushang was inwardly shocked beyond measure. He never expected An Lan to pull such a move. Clearly, she wanted to keep him by her side. The days spent together had shown that she was a decent woman, and she had feelings for him. But since reading what his father left behind, he only wanted to save his mother, find his father, and reunite his family. Other worldly matters—including love—he preferred to avoid. Yet, fate tangled him up regardless. He appreciated her goodwill, but truly didn’t wish to accept.

“If you refuse, I fear our partnership with the Lan family cannot continue…” An Lan said with a gentle smile.

Hearing this, Lan Ruoxue’s heart tightened. She instinctively replied, “I agree to Ye Wushang as supervisor. Mr. Ye, please come and say a few words.”

This was a golden opportunity; no matter what An Lan’s intentions, Lan Ruoxue had to seize it. The reaction from the audience had already shown her the benefits. With the An family’s business agency, even as a third-rate family, the Lan family’s status and resources would rise with the tide. With careful management, more rewards would surely follow.

Truthfully, she didn’t wish to have further entanglements with Ye Wushang. But now, with the situation as it was, she had to steel herself and take it one step at a time.

“Yes, Mr. Ye, please come forward!”

“We’ve seen your skills—now we’re curious about your business acumen.”

“To be chosen by President An, and personally named, you must possess great talent.”

By now, the audience had recovered, and urged him forward. Under the overwhelming pressure, Ye Wushang had no choice but to accept for now, intending to find a way to shed this burden later.

“Wretched woman. How dare she humiliate me in public?” Watching Ye Wushang walk slowly to the center of the stage, Pei Qinghuo felt as though his lungs might explode. He had prepared a grand speech, ready to show off, only to be sidelined with a single “wrong.” Everyone had thought he was the chosen talent, but the honor went to that useless bastard instead. Wasn’t this a public slap in the face?

“Qinghuo, don’t be impulsive,” Pei Huaide quickly pulled him back. “Minor patience prevents major mistakes. An Lan may be hateful, but our real goal is that culinary master. If we can’t have him, neither will the An family. Since he hasn’t appeared yet, don’t let small matters ruin the big plan.”

“Master Wang,” he turned to Wang, asking, “Are the explosives set up outside?”

“All ready. Once I give the signal, the bombs will go off. We’ll have ten seconds to escape through the passage my men prepared.”

“Good!” Pei Huaide nodded, reassuring, “Qinghuo, did you hear? Let that useless fool bask for a moment. Soon, he’ll be in for trouble!”

Hearing this, Pei Qinghuo trembled with rage. For the sake of the bigger picture, he forced himself to bear the humiliation and sat down again. He swore to himself—he would hack that fool to pieces, feed him to the dogs!

Afterwards, Ye Wushang gave a brief speech, which drew hearty congratulations. To avoid complications, An Lan had her secretary bring forth the contract, which was signed by all three parties.

“Well, let’s proceed to the third item of tonight’s banquet. Let us warmly welcome Master Xu Zifeng, the culinary expert. Tonight’s dishes were all prepared by him; please enjoy them.”

With that, thunderous applause erupted. At the right-hand passage, Sun Huiru personally led a commanding middle-aged man toward An Lan. Upon seeing the culinary master, Pei Huaide and his son stared intently, their eyes green with hunger. Meanwhile, Master Wang exchanged meaningful glances with his men, issuing quiet orders, arranging his forces.

Seeing this, Han Xu’s expression grew stern. It seemed their target tonight was the culinary master—whether through persuasion or outright capture. To foil their plan, the best strategy would be to invite the Pei family onto the stage, so Rabbit could approach Master Wang.

“Wushang, it’s just the two of us now. Tell me honestly, was handing the agency to me your idea, or An Lan’s?” Standing beside him, Lan Ruoxue, still troubled, suddenly leaned in and whispered her question.

…