The young man wore a black formal suit that looked expensive at a glance, with the collar of his white shirt neatly pressed. The light fell across his shoulders, making his handsome face appear cool and composed.

His expression was natural, excessively calm, even.

It was as if the high-ranking officials, wealthy merchants, and representatives of Ability User families standing before him were nothing more than ordinary pedestrians on the side of the road.

Then, he turned and reached a hand into the car.

A slender, pale arm emerged as a delicate hand rested in his palm.

Then, a young girl stepped out of the vehicle.

The noise in the plaza seemed to drop by a decibel, as if someone had turned down a volume knob.

The girl wore a deep, dark emerald green gown.

The color of the dress was quiet and serene, its hem falling like the night sky. The flowing waistline was perfectly tailored, and the lines of her shoulders and neck were cool and elegant. Her long hair was partially pinned up, with the remaining strands falling naturally by her ears; her silver earrings swayed gently with her movements, like falling starlight.

There wasn’t a trace of a smile on her face. Her eyes revealed an undisguised indifference, and her noble bearing flowed out without a hint of performance.

Yet, it was precisely because of this that her almost ethereal beauty seemed all the more moving, like a flower steeped in frost and snow, blooming in a place beyond everyone’s reach.

Perhaps only the young man at her side could truly sense the fragrance of the flower.

The plaza was not lacking in beautiful women, but when the young woman stepped out of the car, the elaborately dressed figures around her suddenly seemed to lose their color. No other flower could compete with her brilliance.

Her feet were clad in ten-centimeter stilettos; every “clack” of her steps against the marble floor seemed to tread directly upon the hearts of the onlookers.

That cold and exquisite expression would likely recur in their minds long after tonight, haunting their dreams.

And the young man walking shoulder-to-shoulder with her would likely endure their jealousy for a long time to come…

“How do you feel?”

Lin Han asked, glancing sideways at Shen Qingshu, who was radiating an overwhelming aura.

To be honest, even though he was used to Shen Qingshu’s outstanding appearance from their time in the office, Lin Han was still momentarily dazed by her beauty.

This was likely what people meant by clothes making the man, or more accurately, once a naturally beautiful person dressed up seriously, the effect became truly exaggerated.

Shen Qingshu’s gaze swept indifferently over the crowd of people filled with either awe or desire, as if she were looking at a flock of common chickens and dogs.

“Not great. This dress makes it impossible to walk. The shoes are terrible too, it’s harder to walk in them than it would be barefoot.”

As she spoke, Shen Qingshu extended her left hand toward Lin Han.

Lin Han was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly caught on and couldn’t help a faint smile.

He slightly hooked his arm.

Shen Qingshu linked her arm with his quite naturally.

With the support, her steps finally became steadier.

In reality, what Lin Han had meant to ask was what Shen Qingshu thought of the people around them.

With just a brief glance, Lin Han had spotted major shareholders from no fewer than five listed companies in the crowd.

Some of them weren’t even from X City, as far as he remembered; they had likely traveled thousands of miles from elsewhere to attend this banquet.

And yet, these businessmen were probably the lowest-ranking group in the square.

Lin Han could see many pot-bellied rich businessmen ingratiatingly striking up conversations with young people who were young enough to be their own children, even though those youths acted as if they couldn’t be bothered.

—Are these the young members of those Transcendent Factions and families?

Lin Han mused. He had been about to ask Shen Qingshu how she viewed these people.

He just hadn’t expected Shen Qingshu to misunderstand him and start complaining about her high heels instead.

But then again, this was the Shen Qingshu he knew.

No matter how aloof she appeared on the outside, she was actually a somewhat clumsy young girl at heart.

It was just that not many people were aware of this side of her.

Of course, Shen Qingshu likely didn’t give those young people a second thought anyway.

After all, even the most arrogant scions in the plaza would subconsciously feel a momentary sense of shame from the sheer gap in their presence upon seeing her.

“Don’t you think the design of this dress is practically inhumane?” Shen Qingshu asked.

Lin Han adjusted his neck.

Although his suit fit well, the collar still felt much more restrictive than the cheap shirts he usually wore, making his breathing feel somewhat stifled.

He nodded sincerely. “It really is.”

If he ever became the Leader of Blue Star, he would definitely make it a rule that everyone had to wear casual shirts to parties.

Talking softly to each other, the two walked toward the main entrance of the Silvertree Grand Theater under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Not far away, Uncle Bai stood by the black car, quietly watching their retreating figures.

He saw Shen Qingshu take Lin Han’s arm and wore a gratified smile.

The young lady, whom no one had been able to get close to in the past, was indeed changing bit by bit after leaving home…

Perhaps the Head of the Family and the others were truly wrong…

A momentary flash of such disrespectful thoughts crossed his mind. Uncle Bai shook his head, returned to the car, and began to pray silently—

Miss, Mr. Lin.

Please stay safe and sound, and may everything go smoothly…

The attendant at the main entrance took the distinctive black invitation with trembling hands.

He remembered his superior’s instructions: he had to verify everyone’s invitation before allowing them entry.

The vast majority of invitations were white, held by people who were all, without exception, members of X City’s elite.

As for the black invitations…

“It’s not a case of them being invited to a banquet; it’s a case of the Boss begging for their favor.”

The attendant could not forget his superior’s whispered words.

“Our Radiant Foundation, and perhaps even X City itself, likely mean nothing to those people. The Boss only sent them invitations out of respect, but it’s doubtful many holders of a black invitation will actually show up.”

And yet, he was actually seeing one…

Trembling, the attendant opened the envelope, meticulously checked the contents as his duty required, and finally returned the invitation to Shen Qingshu with trepidation.

“Please, come in.”

Shen Qingshu and Lin Han finally stepped inside the Silvertree Grand Theater.

The interior of the Silvertree Grand Theater was even more extravagant than it appeared from the outside.

If the theater’s exterior resembled a giant silvery-white tree, then the interior felt like its hollowed-out heart.

In the center of the hall, which soared over ten meters high, hung a massive branched crystal chandelier. Its body was composed of countless slender silver metal branches, each ending in a translucent crystal leaf. As the light flowed across those leaves, it cast fragmented golden flecks upon the floor.

The walls were embedded with massive artistic reliefs and hung with famous paintings of dubious authenticity, works that, by name, belonged in museums. It was the height of extravagance, as if the interior of a mythical god-king’s palace had been brought into reality.

“What an irony… For all the claims that the Radiant Foundation is dedicated to public welfare and charity in X City, they still have the money to build a Golden Palace like this,” Lin Han murmured to himself.

Quite a few guests were already mingling in the hall. Men held glasses of champagne, conversing in low voices under the soft lighting; women wore beautiful gowns, jewelry shimmering at their necks and wrists. Servers moved silently through the crowd, carrying trays laden with colorful cocktails and exquisite little Hors d’oeuvres that looked like delicate works of art.

Lin Han and Shen Qingshu walked along the edge of the hall, observing the other guests.

From an intelligence officer’s perspective, the period before an auction officially began was the perfect opportunity to gather information.

People always talked more while they were waiting.

These big shots wouldn’t make amateur mistakes regarding official business, but they would always leave a few traces behind when they were showing off, testing the waters, or building connections.

Right then, a lazy female voice suddenly drifted over from not far away.

“You two.”

Lin Han and Shen Qingshu stopped in their tracks at the same time.

The voice came from the side of the hall.

A few small card tables were set up there, and several guests were sitting around them, seemingly killing time before the auction started.

At one of the tables sat a woman about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, wearing a wine-red gown. Her makeup was exquisite and her lip color was a vivid red.

She held a card between her fingers and gave her wrist a gentle flick, waving it toward Lin Han and Shen Qingshu. Then, she asked with a smile:

“Want to play a round?”