Chapter 59: Fated Rivals Cross Paths

With Feng Chenchen holding his arm, they wandered around this floor. Though the party hadn’t yet reached its peak, the atmosphere was already electric. Wealthy women and gentlemen gathered in small groups, sipping drinks or wine from tall glasses and exchanging whispers.

The decorative crowd of handsome men and beautiful women—every one of them striking and tall—craned their necks, looking around. They were here as a backdrop, not really searching for anyone, but trying to assert their presence. It was as if, by being at such a prestigious event, they hoped to be recognized by someone from their past, to let that person see that they too were now part of this world, proof that they had changed.

Even someone as prominent as Feng Chenchen was not immune to such behavior. By Xiaoma’s side, she too stretched her neck, pretending to search for someone, but in truth, simply boosting her visibility.

What a stroke of bad luck, running into an old nemesis!

Soon, Feng Chenchen spotted an awkward-looking woman. Usually low-key, Ni Feihong had adopted a different style for the occasion—a dark, backless gown, its matte finish standing out among the subtly shimmering fabrics worn by others. The understated color made her appear uniquely alluring in a different way.

Now, Feng Chenchen no longer needed to be wary of Ni Feihong, but having once been blacklisted by her, she couldn’t help feeling uneasy. So, upon spotting Ni Feihong, Feng Chenchen deftly hooked Xiaoma’s arm and whispered, “Let’s go over there.”

Thus, they avoided any direct encounter.

Ni Feihong stayed put, finding a few acquaintances from the Haizhou circle and joining them with a glass of juice. She didn’t want to leave the show she’d painstakingly created, but circumstances meant she had to start looking for new opportunities and gauge the attitudes of others in the industry.

Shortly after Ni Feihong, another celebrity arrived—the silver-screen star Liu Yuan. While Liu Yuan wasn’t the most powerful figure here, she acted as a kind of social glue. Her stunning looks and high public profile meant her arrival drew considerable attention; nearly everyone paused their conversations to glance her way, sizing up her figure and presence.

Liu Yuan’s style was far bolder than Ni Feihong’s. Her dress, nearly silver and highly reflective, accentuated her curves. Whereas Ni Feihong’s allure was in her backless gown, Liu Yuan's dress boasted a daring slit at the front, giving off an air of exuberant passion.

Feng Chenchen, dragging Xiaoma along, ran right into Liu Yuan.

Feng Chenchen knew Liu Yuan; they’d met at various parties and chatted before, but they weren’t close, nor did they share common ground. Under normal circumstances, they might exchange greetings but paid little attention to each other.

Now, however, Xiaoma was the unexpected link. Liu Yuan was visibly surprised to see the mysterious, handsome man here—wasn’t he an acquaintance of Young Master Huo? Anyone who could associate with Huo was noteworthy, even if his identity was unknown.

So, Liu Yuan quickly put on a friendly smile, pausing her social rounds and giving Xiaoma a look of “haven’t we met before?”

“Oh… and you are?” Liu Yuan’s act was flawless; she had recognized him at once, but when it came to acting, only Theron could rival her on this ship.

This suited her just fine; had it not been for Xiaoma, she might not have spared Feng Chenchen a glance. Feng Chenchen, for her part, cared little about Xiaoma’s relationships, so she too began to play along, acting as Xiaoma’s spokesperson and greeting Liu Yuan before swiftly steering her away to discuss her ambitions to transition into directing.

Xiaoma had only just made an appearance, but now Liu Yuan answered every question, cooperating eagerly with Feng Chenchen. Still, her gaze occasionally drifted back to Xiaoma—she couldn’t fathom how Feng Chenchen, that bewitching woman, always seemed to have such uncanny luck.

Another familiar face appeared.

At that, Xiaoma abandoned Feng Chenchen, weaving nervously through the crowd to hide.

He had spotted Si Nan and Zhen Yuqi, accompanied by a distinguished-looking middle-aged man who bore a strong resemblance to Si Nan—likely his father.

Si Nan’s mocking expression had always been a bit aggressive, but Xiaoma wasn’t afraid of him. As for Zhen Yuqi, he was carrying a case that she misunderstood, and he had no desire to run into her here, much less be publicly disparaged by her.

Once Xiaoma ducked out of sight, Zhen Yuqi remained unaware, simply fascinated by the scene. Si Nan, however, quickly spotted Xiaoma’s silhouette and frowned, tempted to give chase.

He wondered how that rascal had gotten in. Then again, considering that both Yu Chengmin and Ni Feihong might have brought him, it wasn’t impossible.

Still, it seemed far-fetched. Si Nan, skittish as a startled bird, led Zhen Yuqi deliberately in Xiaoma’s direction. “Let’s go over there—my dad can catch up with his friends here.”

And so Zhen Yuqi and Si Nan began searching for Xiaoma.

Meanwhile, after some small talk, Feng Chenchen seized the opportunity to mention her plans to transition her career, along with a certain YY script.

Plenty of people wanted to change careers, and scripts were a dime a dozen. Normally, Liu Yuan wouldn’t care in the slightest, but given the current situation, she forced herself to appear interested. “What kind of script? Who’s investing?”

Feng Chenchen was just as adept at playing the game. She replied coolly, “The script isn’t important—it was just introduced and funded by the man who was with me. He’s the one calling the shots.”

Liu Yuan was taken aback. If that was the case, it was bound to be a major production.

“In that case, the investors don’t really matter. I confess I’m intrigued—let’s discuss it in detail,” Liu Yuan said, clinking glasses with Feng Chenchen and taking a drink.

But in the next moment, she noticed Xiaoma had disappeared—no one knew where he’d gone. Liu Yuan asked with concern, “Where did he go?”

Feng Chenchen was curious as well, but maintained her smile. “Don’t worry about him, he won’t get lost. Let’s focus on our discussion.”

…

At half past three in the afternoon, sitting in a helicopter with noise-canceling headphones, Yu Chengmin read through the preliminary proposal one last time, then closed the laptop and tucked it into her briefcase.

She understood the nature of the event but had little interest in it. She was here mainly to deliver her report, with no intention of lingering, so she wore a professional dark suit and her signature black stockings.

The helicopter had been arranged by Jiang Yaowen. Originally, he’d planned for a plane to pick up an important guest, but since the guest preferred not to fly, and entertainers were in no rush, the yacht sufficed for them. For a businessperson, the helicopter was ideal.

After reviewing her plan, Yu Chengmin took a sip of water. She had no idea if the Spanish executives would accept the proposal on her laptop. Given more time, she could have refined it further, but Jiang Yaowen said there was no time left. Such rushed expansion plans were bound to have flaws—like fast-grown vegetables and meat, they never tasted right.

It couldn’t be perfect or entirely safe. Good beef only comes from cattle grazing for five years on pastureland. If you feed them hormone-laced feed and send them to slaughter after two years, all they’ll ever be is inferior supermarket beef, worse even than watered-down meat.

She could only hope for the best. In any case, a rapid expansion would almost inevitably lead to conflict with Ni Feihong—a disadvantage for the company, Yu Chengmin knew, but that was the price of speed…