Chapter 147 — The Long-Awaited...

"Today is simply a family gathering, nothing more. It is only for us friends in the business world to exchange a few pleasantries and encourage a little cooperation." Seeing Huang Yan descend, Huang Lin stepped onto the makeshift stage, took up the microphone, and addressed the people below.

"Huh? Weren't you saying you were finding Huang Yan a boyfriend?" The pink-headed fatty was rather a fool. The moment Huang Lin finished speaking, he loudly voiced the doubt in his heart.

This instantly drew a burst of laughter from the crowd. Everyone knew the pink-headed fatty, of course—the young heir to Macau's famous beef brisket restaurant chain. But he belonged to the nouveau riche sort: his father had been a cattle slaughterer with no education to speak of, and the pink-headed fatty had scarcely attended school a few days himself, his speech crude and vulgar. Only goods of Li Jialiang's caliber could keep company with him.

"What are you laughing at? What's so funny? That's just how it is! Dare you say you didn't all come for Huang Yan?" the pink-headed fatty cried out indignantly.

"Hahahaha!" Another wave of laughter rose from the crowd. Indeed, several of the young talents present did harbor feelings for Huang Yan—if there were a chance to win the beauty, so much the better. But none was as blunt as the pink-headed fatty. These others were all refined and polite: given the chance they would naturally not let it slip, and without one they would not press the matter.

"What the hell are you laughing at!" The pink-headed fatty's face flushed purple with rage. "What the hell is so funny!"

"Even if one had such intentions, one could hardly say so outright!" Someone finally could not stand it any longer and quietly reminded the pink-headed fatty, "How could such a thing be aired in public? Does the girl have no face to save?"

"Oh, that's true enough." The pink-headed fatty was suddenly enlightened, though he felt not the slightest that anything he had said before was improper.

As for Li Jialiang, he too was a simpleton with no head for scheming. Seeing himself and the pink-headed fatty become the focus of the crowd, he was overjoyed—this was a fine chance to enhance his image! Huang Yan must be watching this way at this very moment. So Li Jialiang hastily smoothed his hair with his hand and struck a most dashing pose.

"Heh heh, I think someone may have misunderstood. I don't know how the word got out, but I never meant to find my little sister Lele a boyfriend." Huang Lin looked at the people below the stage and smiled. "I said before, this is merely a private gathering for everyone to exchange pleasantries and encourage business, and nothing more. I have no idea how it came to be rumored that I was finding my sister a boyfriend."

"But that's what we heard—wasn't it so?" This time, fearing the pink-headed fatty would beat him to it, Li Jialiang rushed to ask first, anxious not to be outdone in claiming the spotlight.

"You said it yourself—merely heard," Huang Lin smiled. "As for this hearing, from whom did you hear it? Surely not from me?"

"That—" Li Jialiang had not in fact heard it from Huang Lin's own lips, but whoever had delivered the invitation had hinted as much at the time.

"Besides, my little sister Lele is hardly so ugly that no one would have her. What is more, she already has a boyfriend," Huang Lin continued.

"What the hell is this?" The pink-headed fatty flung the invitation in his hand to the ground and cursed, "I thought there'd be a girl to chase! Had I known, I'd rather have gone to sleep with that little starlet."

"Hahahaha!" The crowd burst into laughter again. Huang Lin had sent him an invitation out of courtesy, never expecting the fellow to remain so utterly without manners.

"She has a boyfriend?" Li Jialiang was even more displeased. He had long coveted Huang Yan, only she had never mentioned wanting a boyfriend and had paid him no attention at all, so he had been forced to let it be. But now, hearing that Huang Yan actually already had a boyfriend, he was greatly vexed, as though something that ought to have been his had been snatched away by another. His temper flared at once: "Where is her boyfriend? Could he be better than me? Where is he? Does he dare come out and compare himself with me? In family background, in looks, I am without equal!"

To be continued.

882. Appraising Antiques (Part One)

882. Appraising Antiques (Part One)

Most of the single young talents who had come hoping to win the beauty, hearing Huang Lin say that Huang Yan already had a boyfriend and that the outside rumors were pure fabrication, put such thoughts aside.

Though they felt some regret, none would stoop to forcing the matter, so they all reined in their hearts and began anew to reckon the purpose of attending this gathering.

At this gathering were many second-generation scions of the business world; the future of Macau's commerce would soon be theirs. So rare an occasion was not to be wasted—everyone exchanged more than usual, the better to pave the way for their own future succession.

Now, seeing Li Jialiang actually stand up and bluster so shamelessly, they all felt the man's quality was beyond words. While casting him looks of contempt, they quietly made note of him in their hearts, resolving to have as little dealings with him as possible in the future.

"Hey, you calling me?" Yang Ce walked straight up behind Li Jialiang and clapped him on the shoulder. "Something you want? Out with it."

"Who the hell are you?" Li Jialiang had been trying hard to restrain himself just now, keeping his trademark "hell" off his tongue, but at this sudden clap from behind, it slipped out by pure reflex.

"I'm Huang Yan's boyfriend. Weren't you looking for me?" Yang Ce said with a half-smile.

"Oh, good. Then let's see which of us is the better man." Hearing this was Huang Yan's boyfriend, Li Jialiang turned around carelessly—but the moment he saw Yang Juehuan's face, he froze dead.

How could he ever forget that face? On seeing it, Li Jialiang's first instinct was to fling himself off the upper floor. His body went rigid in an instant, and pointing at Yang Ce, he stammered, "How—how is it you?"

"Why shouldn't it be me? You were looking for me, weren't you?" Yang Shuoxuan did not resort to force but politely patted Li Jialiang's shoulder. "The moment I heard you call, I came. I hear you want to compare yourself with me—go on, what is it you wish to compare?"

"I—I'm not comparing anything!" How would Li Jialiang dare compare anything with Yan? His heart was already in a panic, and he cursed inwardly. Why was his luck so wretched lately—running into this madman two days running?

Li Jialiang was a coward at heart. Would he dare bluster at a man who seemed a madman? The answer was plainly no. Though they were on the ground floor now, Li Jialiang still feared that if Yang Ce were provoked, he might do something Li Jialiang would regret for the rest of his life.

What was more, he had brought no bodyguards to the gathering today, which made him even less a match for the man before him.

"Not comparing, then why did you call me?" Yang Ce said, still so mild and polite. There was no hint of menace in his words, but in Li Jialiang's ears they sounded otherwise. Li Jialiang had already developed a phobia of Yang Ce; every word the man spoke set his heart pounding for a long while.

"I was wrong, isn't that enough? Just let me go!" The moment these words left Li Jialiang's mouth, everyone in the hall was stunned.

Yang Ce had done nothing to Li Jialiang at all. You, Li Jialiang, called the man out, and out he came, speaking to you amiably enough—so how was it that in the blink of an eye you were begging him to let you go?

Could it be that Li Jialiang was a soft egg all along, skilled only in lip service? He could bluster, but the moment he saw that Huang Yan's friend was tall and powerfully built, he deflated at once.