Zhao Haifeng's banquet was held in the evening.
After shopping in the mall all day, Luo Sheng hastily bought a new suit and hopped on his bike to the designated location.
Of course, he was extra cautious on the way, afraid of being ambushed.
The banquet hall was designed in European style.
A security guard respectfully said, "Excuse me, sir, please show your invitation and register your personal information."
Luo Sheng handed over the invitation and registered at the door. Just as he was about to enter, the guard suddenly called out to him.
"Wait!"
"Yes?" Luo Sheng responded, his face full of confusion.
Could it be one of those scenes from novels a few years ago where the male protagonist gets stopped by a security guard, only to later flaunt and slap them in the face?
As he was about to ask what was going on, the guard rubbed his hands together and smiled warmly.
"You're Mr. Luo, right? Welcome to the banquet. I've heard of your name. They say you are an expert at repairing damaged cards, with a success rate of 90%. Could you help us out?"
Other security guards nodded in agreement. "Yes, we need your help, and the reward won't be small."
Luo Sheng immediately relaxed, but also froze for a moment. He was this famous?
But hearing that there was a generous reward, he was naturally happy to help. After all, he was a good person.
"No problem. I've always been eager to help others. As for the reward, feel free to offer whatever you want. Of course, the quality of your card repair depends on the reward."
"Of course, we understand. We won't let you work for free."
Then, one by one, they handed Luo Sheng damaged cards.
Cards like the Bronze Six-Star "Spider Queen," "Prison Guard," "Leopard Woman," and "Nun" were all handed to Luo Sheng, their eyes full of affection and reluctance.
Luo Sheng: "..."
Something felt off. All these cards were female characters, and there were all sorts of species as well.
What shocked him even more was that most of them were heavily damaged, like the "Nun" card, which was only a one-star card and nearly shattered.
This was taboo love!
Luo Sheng felt like he needed to wash his hands to check if there was a smell.
The security guard apologized. "Sorry, it's our fault. We strengthened them without permission."
Another guard added, "Yes, we were too envious of Master Su's strengthening methods. We thought enhancing female cards ourselves would greatly increase their compatibility and win their favor. And this is the result."
Luo Sheng was speechless.
He didn't expect everyone to be into this.
He recalled Su Shen, the genius card master who lived outside the city, who had a legendary story of being surrounded by card girls. It was no wonder people blindly followed his example.
No wonder there had been an increase in damaged cards in recent years. This might be the cause.
"No problem. I'll return them once I'm done with the repairs."
Luo Sheng collected the cards and exchanged contact details with them.
"Let's take the staff entrance. No need for all the security checks, you can just go straight into the banquet hall." The head security guard led Luo Sheng through the VIP service.
Luo Sheng was surprised that he got VIP treatment under these circumstances.
What caught his attention, however, was that these security guards were at least Bronze Eight-Star card masters.
Did even a mere security guard need such high-level requirements these days?
It was like what people used to say in his previous life: if you couldn't even get into a decent university, how could you become a security guard?
Entering the banquet hall, Luo Sheng saw dozens of large round tables scattered around the hall, with a large open area in the middle filled with various desserts, drinks, and fruits, all beautifully arranged.
Luo Sheng was about to find a corner to sit when he noticed Su Tianchen, who was also in formal attire, was there.
"Luo Sheng, you've arrived. Not bad, a young talent. It's good to make more connections, it might help you in the future, maybe even lead to a good marriage," Su Tianchen said sincerely.
"I will, but… Su mentor, where is your daughter?"
"She's still just a child."
The two were about to chat when suddenly, the sound of "click-clack" shoes echoed nearby.
Luo Sheng instinctively turned around and saw a mature, curvy woman in high heels, with long white legs, approaching them.
Her red lips were even more mesmerizing, with a delicate oval face exuding a competent and mature aura.
"Is this the one who defeated that family with the 'Open Door' card, Luo Sheng?" the mature woman asked as she looked Luo Sheng up and down.
"Yes," Su Tianchen replied.
Seeing Luo Sheng's confusion, he explained, "This is Ms. Wei Chi Xueyao, a special envoy from the Alliance. This banquet is held in her honor. A few days ago, she watched your battle with Xu Tian'ai."
"Hello, Ms. Wei Chi," Luo Sheng greeted politely. After all, she was a high-ranking envoy of the Alliance, and her status and strength were not insignificant.
She could have the entire city host a banquet for her, so her background was undoubtedly impressive.
"Call me Sister Wei Chi. I'm quite impressed with you. A commoner who defeated the descendants of powerful families, especially your skills as a strengthening master. Your ability to repair damaged cards is quite remarkable."
Wei Chi Xueyao smiled and then took out a card from her chest, where a vibrant rose was tattooed on her fair skin.
She handed it to Luo Sheng.
There was still warmth from her touch, and a faint, sweet fragrance lingered.
Luo Sheng flipped open the card.
[ [Black Mask]
Level: Bronze Five-Star
Type: Equipment
Effect: Conceals the wearer's aura; blocks mental probing; changes shape according to the wearer's will.
Summary: Guess who I am?]
She continued, "This is a card given to me by the owner of the black market. I'm not interested in the black market, so I'll give it to you as a gift to commemorate our meeting."
Then she left to continue her diplomatic work.
Su Tianchen also left, seemingly representing the academy at the banquet.
At that moment, a voice called from behind.
"Luo Sheng, over here!"
He turned around and saw a white-cloth dining table in the distance where Wang Ke'ai, dressed in a pink long dress and white stockings, was sitting, waving at him.
Next to her was Qin Jianjia, dressed in a white lace black long dress, black gloves, and black stockings.
Luo Sheng walked over, and Wang Ke'ai said, "Not bad, even Special Envoy Wei Chi noticed you."
"What's her background?"
"She's a big deal. She's responsible for inspecting the situation in various places, and she's also an expert in the card alliance and an ambassador for the Ministry of Education. To put it simply, she's like an ancient governor, responsible for checking accounts."
Wang Ke'ai grinned, showing two little tiger teeth.
Luo Sheng understood the situation.
It was likely that the officials of Pingcheng were trying to flatter her by hosting this banquet. After all, Pingcheng had many hidden dealings, and it wasn't surprising to bribe an inspector.
At this moment, as Luo Sheng, Qin Jianjia, and Wang Ke'ai sat together, he asked, "What's the deal between you two? You act like best friends but are always scheming against each other."
Wang Ke'ai immediately retorted, "Pah! We're not best friends!"
Qin Jianjia nodded and casually said, "She's a defeated opponent."
"You… hmph! The apartment you live in was given to you by me!"
"Because you lost."
"If you didn't cheat, I wouldn't have lost!" Wang Ke'ai continued to argue.
Qin Jianjia glanced at her and coolly remarked, "You wet your pants."
"Alright, I admit, I'm your defeated opponent," Wang Ke'ai immediately conceded, sitting obediently with a forced smile.
She shot Luo Sheng a fierce glare and kicked him with her small foot, her white stockings brushing against him.
Hey, what's that got to do with me?
Luo Sheng rolled his eyes.
It seemed like they were a pair of happy enemies.
He roughly understood that Wang Ke'ai had lost to Qin Jianjia, so the apartment went to her. It seemed Wang Ke'ai was using him to annoy Qin Jianjia. The girl had quite a strong sense of revenge.
"By the way, why do you have a family but still live in an apartment?" Luo Sheng asked Qin Jianjia through Wang Ke'ai.
"Huh? You've been living here for so long and still don't know? Of course, our Qin family's eldest daughter is running away from her wedding!" Wang Ke'ai suddenly interjected, speaking seriously.
(End of Chapter)