"Who's looking for my son?"
Lin Shoucheng stood up and asked.
In his mind, he went over the guest list again.
He confirmed that all the relatives who were supposed to be present had arrived, with no one missing.
Could it be that a relative decided on a whim to come without informing them in advance?
Lin Shoucheng couldn't help but feel suspicious.
"It's Mr. Chu."
Seeing this, the staff member let out a slight sigh of relief.
They had no choice; Chu Corporation had been cooperating with Fanxing for many years.
Just now, the founder of Chu Corporation personally arrived, saying he wanted to see Lin Yuan, which really startled her.
Luckily the person was indeed at their event.
"Mr. Chu?"
The guests at the family banquet were slightly stunned.
Name Chu?
That wasn't a Lin Family name, was it?
While everyone was privately discussing,
a bearded man, accompanied by a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth, walked in.
Though the bearded man was dressed simply, the natural air about him was unmistakably noble, very much like those in possession of power and prestige.
"Is he, is he the founder of Chu Corporation?"
Someone at the event seemed to realize something and couldn't help exclaiming in surprise.
In this era of interstellar advancement and widespread networks, the photos of any slightly famous citizen would be circulated online.
Chu Corporation, being one of the top fifty enterprises in Dongning City, obviously had considerable fame, and even if its founder was low-profile, it was impossible for no one to recognize him.
"The founder of Chu Corporation?"
"My God? That's a big shot in our Dongning City."
"It's said that Chu Corporation has assets worth tens to hundreds of billions, and the founder is a well-known tycoon in the nearby cities."
"Such an important figure is here for Lin Yuan?"
...
Instantly, the crowd at the event started to buzz with talk, with some even connecting to the network right there to compare the bearded man in front of them with his photos online.
"Director Chu."
Lin Jieye rushed over in a swoosh, standing excitedly in front of the bearded man, "We met six years ago, over that piece of land in the suburbs; it was bought by your corporation."
"Mm..."
The bearded man replied noncommittally.
In truth, he didn't remember Lin Jieye at all.
"Mr. Lin is also here?"
The bearded man scanned the room, saw Lin Hao sitting at the main seat, and nodded in greeting.
Then he quickly walked over to Lin Yuan, leading the seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth behind him, who was Chu Shiyu.
"Mr. Lin, this junior of mine was thoughtless, I hope you won't hold it against him."
The bearded man was extremely humble in his approach, without showing any seniority.
"It's fine."
Lin Yuan glanced at Chu Shiyu who was standing beside him, looking very restrained, and immediately thought of the encounter at the coffee shop not long ago, shaking his head as he spoke.
"How did you find this place?"
Lin Yuan asked, curious.
"Today, I had planned to take Shiyu to visit Mr. Lin at your home, but after we got there, we heard from others that Mr. Lin's family had come to the Fanxing Hotel for a family banquet, so we followed here."
The bearded man spoke truthfully.
"I see."
Lin Yuan nodded slightly.
The family banquet hosted by his father, Lin Shucheng, was no secret; in their neighborhood, six or seven out of ten neighbors knew about it.
"This is a small token to congratulate Mr. Lin on becoming an Evolver."
The bearded man took out an envelope and handed it over with respect.
His reverence was not for Lin Yuan's status as an Evolver; Evolvers were rare but not unheard of, and even Chu Corporation employed a group of Evolvers.
What the bearded man truly feared was the favoritism the Goddess of Wisdom showed Lin Yuan, to the extent that searching for related information would trigger a warning from the goddess herself.
Only a fool wouldn't realize that Lin Yuan was no ordinary person, at least no one would receive such a warning when searching for him, a corporate founder.
"I understand."
Lin Yuan said without a care.
He hadn't taken the incident that occurred at the coffee shop to heart—in fact, nothing much had happened.
What Lin Yuan didn't realize was the huge stir his conversation with the bearded man had caused among the relatives present.
Initially, upon recognizing the bearded man's identity, some had wondered if they had mistaken someone else for Lin Yuan.
Perhaps the 'Mr. Lin Yuan' that the bearded man was looking for merely shared the same name as the son of Lin Shoucheng.
After all, Lin Yuan had only just become an Evolver; how could he possibly have such extensive connections to meet big figures like the bearded man?
But it was only after the bearded man approached Lin Yuan in person and the two had their conversation that everyone realized there had been no mistake in identity.
The founder they were looking for from the Chu Corporation was Lin Yuan.
"Lin Yuan..."
Lin Jieye's expression was cloudy, then clear.
A moment ago, he was poised to give Lin Yuan an opportunity, ready to let him come and work for him.
And he had grandly offered a monthly salary of twenty thousand Yuan.
Yet before long, the founder of the Chu Corporation, whom even he could not look up to, stood before Lin Yuan with an extremely low posture.
"This nephew of mine..."
Lin Hao, sitting in the place of honor, fell into deep thought.
In the eyes of others, the bearded man was a person of high status.
But to Lin Hao, he was merely a businessman, at most a businessman on a larger scale.
What surprised Lin Hao, however, was how could the bearded man, wealthy as he was, speak to Lin Yuan in such a tone?
Thud, thud, thud.
The door of the private room was knocked upon again.
"Is this Mr. Lin Yuan's private room?"
A voice full of vigor came through.
Oh?
Someone else looking for Lin Yuan?
With the precedent set by the bearded man, no one dared to take it lightly now, and Lin Shoucheng personally stepped forward to open the door of the private room.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, a man with a ramrod straight back walked in.
Following him was a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth, it was Huo Qingyao.
"Who is this man?"
The people at the family banquet started to search online but couldn't find any relevant information.
"This time, he can't be someone important, right?"
Everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief.
All were deeply shaken by the bearded man, thinking that Lin Yuan might have some terrifying identity.
Now it seemed they might have been overthinking it; the bearded man's demeanor towards Lin Yuan must have been a coincidence.
Just when everyone felt like their hearts could settle down,
Lin Hao, who had been seated in the place of honor, and had to receive a bow from the bearded man, suddenly stood up.
"Major General Huo?"
Lin Hao's voice carried a hint of disbelief.
Information about the military district was always confidential, and ordinary people without certain authorization couldn't easily find it online.
But Lin Hao was different. As the Secretary to the Director, he had much greater access and knew more.
"Secretary Lin?"
Huo Yanming glanced at Lin Hao and nodded in acknowledgment.
He then stepped aside, and another figure walked in leisurely.
"Mr. Liao?"
If seeing Huo Yanming was merely shocking for Lin Hao—after all, the military and government are separate systems, and neither can control the other—
Then seeing the person behind Huo Yanming made Lin Hao's scalp tingle.
Mr. Liao.
The Chairman of the Dongning City Evolvers Association.
A second-level citizen, in terms of status and position, capable of ranking in the top five in Dongning City.
For such a personage, even Lin Hao's Director would have to greet carefully and respectfully.
"Could it be."
"Mr. Liao is also here to see Xiaoyuan?"
An unfathomable thought suddenly surfaced in Lin Hao's mind.