The atmosphere in the hall was very lively.
Chattering voices and laughter were heard coming from every corner of the hall.
At the center, a few men and ladies were seen dancing in their pretty clothes. At the side, a long table of food was served for the guests.
As President Liang entered the hall, a group of men walked over to approach him.
Qi Ming Wei glanced at his men, signaling them to look after the President closely. However, President Liang quickly let them retreat. He recognized the group of men and had convinced Qi Ming Wei and the others that he would be safe.
As the head of security, Qi Ming Wei was not too happy with the President's idea.
Attending a masquerade party such as this was very dangerous for someone high-profiled like President Liang.
If they are not careful, a lot of things would go wrong.
For this special occasion, even the guards were forced to put on a mask.
The only way for Qi Ming Wei to recognize his men was by their masks design, as well as the small flower, tucked in their breast pockets.
Qi Ming Wei's body turned tense as he continued to be on his guard.
His sharp eyes were scrutinizing the people who were trying to get close to the President and his family.
President Liang was talking to a few of his close friends when he noticed the head of his security at the side. He excused himself before walking over to Qi Ming Wei's side. The President tapped Qi Ming Wei's on his shoulder and smiled.
"Commander Qi, you are too tense. You should relax a little bit," President Liang waved his hand at one of the waiters and motioned him to give one glass of drink to the rigid commander.
Qi Ming Wei frowned. "President Liang, I am still on duty."
The President heaved a helpless sigh before waving to the waiter, motioning him to leave. "It's fine if you don't want to drink. But Commander Qi, remember not to be too serious all the time. There are a few pretty girls around. Why don't you go ahead and talk to them."
Qi Ming Wei flashed a rigid smile.
Seeing the look on his face made the President laugh. "Commander Qi, you have been working by my side for half a year. But you are still so rigid. Are you unhappy that I made you stay by my side?"
Naturally, Qi Ming Wei could not admit to that. "President Liang, as a soldier, it is my duty to listen to my higher-ups' command. I don't dare to be unhappy with this arrangement."
President Liang laughed. "Staying by my side isn't that bad. At least, you get to build your network. Come. Let me introduce you to my friends.
Qi Ming Wei heaved a sigh before he followed the President around.
Half an hour later, he was introduced to a few influential people in the country. Some of them were in politics and some of them were from the business world.
Although he continued to go with the flow, Qi Ming Wei could not help but to question the President's intention.
After a while, the President's friend, Huang Wen Zhou walked over. The two of them went to a quiet corner for a private chat.
Qi Ming Wei narrowed his eyes as he watched them from afar.
He could not deny that he was curious to know just what would the two talk about.
Huang Wen Zhou was not someone from politics or prominent in the business world. However, he became one of the President's biggest supporters.
Then, how did both of them get to know each other and become this close?
Qi Ming Wei was still keeping his eyes on the two of them when he overheard a commotion on the other side of the room. The noise became too loud for him to ignore. However, it doesn't seem as if the noise was disturbing both the President and his friends.
Turning to his men, Qi Ming Wei was about to send them to check on what was going on when he saw a familiar silhouette. He froze for a few seconds before motioning those men to continue keeping their eyes on the President.
Meanwhile, Qi Ming Wei walked over to the other side to check on what was going on.
As he approached closer, Qi Ming Wei was able to listen to their conversation.
It seemed that a woman was scolding a younger woman for seducing her husband.
His gaze swept at the people who were involved in this argument.
On the side, Mr. Peng was seen trying to calm down his wife while pretending that he did not know the slender woman in the black dress.
Mrs. Peng called a few guards to help with this situation.
Suddenly, the guards were demanding for the guests bring out their invitation cards for an inspection.
According to the rules, no one should be able to attend this banquet unless they had an invitation or if they were brought in by someone who had an invitation.
Since Mr. Peng was trying to save his life, there was a huge chance that the woman would be kicked out of the hall very soon.
Qi Ming Wei kept his gaze on the woman in black.
Although she was wearing a different make-up style, Qi Ming Wei was very confident that this woman should be the person he has been looking for for the past few months.
Yang Ran.
On the side, Yang Ran was finally able to escape from the women who were trying to hold her in place.
It should not be difficult for her to escape those women. However, she was now pretending that she was a weak and powerless woman, and she had to continue to be in character.
Yang Ran picked up her pace, wanting to find her exit. Her priority was to escape as it would be troublesome if she was caught by the guards.
Behind her, Mrs. Peng was shouting out loud, asking her friends to catch the seductress.
The corner of her eyes twitched. If only she knew that this would happen, Yang Ran would never involve herself with Mr. Peng. The man was married and had brought his wife on this cruise. However, he continued to pretend to be a single man who was mourning his dead wife.
Unfortunately, his wife was not dead.
Mr. Peng had thought that his wife was too sick to be joining this party. He did not expect that she would show up and catch them red-handed.
Just when she thought that she would be able to escape, someone grabbed her wrist and held it tightly.
Her eyes flashed in anger.
However, her body stiffened the moment she met that man's sharp gaze. The cursing words were stuck in her throat.
Commander Qi?
Why is he here?