Who's going to be the female lead's simp? Aren't the supporting female characters mor

A charity gala in Beijing.

The banquet hall was dazzling tonight, with a huge crystal chandelier casting a shower of sparkling light that illuminated every fake smile in the room.

This is the Beijing Chamber of Commerce's annual Golden Autumn Charity Night, but everyone knows that charity is just a fig leaf; the real focus is on resource exchange and networking.

If everyday business battles are like assassinations with silencers, then tonight is about displaying the wounds, bloody and raw, under the spotlight.

A black Maybach slowly came to a stop at the end of the red carpet.

Li He pushed open the car door, tugged at the bow tie around his neck that was making it hard for him to breathe, and looked utterly dejected: "Brother Bai, I'm serious, this thing is way more uncomfortable than my big gold chain. Did we really have to come? I want to go eat braised pork offal."

"That's the rule." Bai Jingyou got out of the car from the other side. His well-tailored bespoke suit accentuated his tall and straight figure. He casually adjusted his cuffs, and a silver coin was faintly visible between his slender fingers. "Besides, some people will always come back to life if they don't see him die with their own eyes."

"Alright, whatever you say." Li He took a deep breath, instantly adopting the arrogant demeanor of a spoiled brat, and followed Bai Jingyou with his head held high. "Are we here tonight to donate money, or to cause trouble?"

"It depends on my mood."

Baek Kyung-woo stepped onto the red carpet.

The flashes on both sides went off wildly, and the sound of camera shutters clicking filled the air.

DeepBlue Technology is now the most sought-after upstart in Beijing, and Bai Jingyou is the one who creates this sensation.

As soon as I entered the banquet hall, a rich scent of perfume mixed with the aroma of red wine wafted towards me.

"Oh my, isn't this Mr. Bai? What a rare guest!"

A woman wearing a sequined fishtail dress and waving a glass of champagne walked over, swaying her hips.

Her face was adorned with exquisite makeup, yet her eyes held a shrewd calculation. She was none other than Zhang Yi, one of the female villains in the original novel, a woman who was obsessed with money.

"Mr. Zhang." Bai Jingyou stopped and politely raised his empty wine glass. "You look quite well lately. It seems the Zhang family is reaping the benefits after the Shen family's downfall."

Zhang Yi covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes sparkling: "President Bai, you really know how to joke. That's just normal business competition, survival of the fittest. But President Bai, I heard you put on quite a show at the Jiang family yesterday? It's all over the industry now, they're saying you're 'Beijing's number one funeral attendant'."

"Just an empty title." Bai Jingyou smiled faintly. "Is Mr. Zhang here tonight also for charity work?"

"I'm here to snag a bargain." Zhang Yi lowered her voice and gestured toward the stage in the center of the hall. "Shen Yun has really gone all out tonight, putting that piece of land the Shen family owns in the southern suburbs up for auction. He says it's for charity, but who doesn't know he's just trying to cash out and run away?"

"Southern suburbs?" Bai Jingyou raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Yes, it's right next to your East District project." A glint of greed flashed in Zhang Yi's eyes. "That plot of land is in a good location. Although it's a bit deserted now, once the East District develops, it will be prime real estate. And the starting bid is only this much."

Zhang Yi held up two fingers.

"Two hundred million?" Li He curled his lip. "Is Shen Yun crazy for money? He wouldn't even dare to plant grass on that barren land."

"Twenty million," Zhang Yi corrected. "The starting bid is twenty million. But I estimate it can reach two hundred million tonight. After all, that's the Shen family's last fig leaf."

As they were talking, the lights in the hall suddenly dimmed, and a spotlight shone on the center of the stage.

Shen Yun was wearing a slightly loose white suit, her face was pale, her eyes were sunken, and she exuded a decadent and sickly beauty.

He held a microphone in his hand, his voice choked with emotion.

"Elders, friends..." Shen Yun took a deep breath, seemingly trying to suppress his emotions, "The Shen family has recently encountered some misfortunes, as everyone knows. But the Shen family's backbone remains, and its spirit endures. To support education in the mountainous areas, I have decided to donate the Shen family's treasured land in the southern suburbs for auction free of charge. All proceeds will be used for..."

Sparse applause rang out from the audience, while most people whispered among themselves and exchanged knowing glances.

"That was a really convincing performance." Li He took a glass of red wine from the waiter's tray and downed it in one gulp. "It's a shame he didn't go for an Oscar. Brother Bai, shall we take this place?"

Bai Jingyou remained silent, simply watching Shen Yun on the stage, who resembled a clown. His gaze seemed to pierce through Shen Yun's skin, revealing a soul that had long since decayed.

"Starting bid, twenty million!" The auctioneer brought down the gavel.

"Thirty million!" Someone immediately raised their paddle. It was a small family that used to be dependent on the Shen family, wanting to take this opportunity to curry favor with Shen Yun, or rather, hoping to get a bargain.

"Forty million!" Zhang Yi retorted, raising her number plate in response.

Standing on the stage, watching the price soar, a sliver of color finally returned to Shen Yun's pale face. With this money, he could make a comeback abroad; even if he couldn't avenge himself, he could at least live a life of wealth and luxury.

The price soared to 80 million.

"Eighty million once, eighty million twice..." The auctioneer raised the gavel.

Shen Yun's palms were sweaty, and his eyes were fixed on the hammer.

Just then.

"This piece of land is worthless."

A clear, cool voice, though not loud, pierced the noise of the entire banquet hall.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

Bai Jingyou was sitting at an inconspicuous round table, toying with a silver coin in his hand, his expression as calm as if he were discussing the weather.

The moment Shen Yun saw Bai Jingyou, his pupils contracted sharply, as if he had seen a demon from hell.

His hand holding the microphone began to tremble violently: "Bai...Bai Jingyou! This is a charity gala, you...you're going too far!"

"Bullying people?" Bai Jingyou stood up, straightened his collar, and slowly walked towards the stage. The crowd automatically parted to make way for him, as if Moses parted the sea.

"Young Master Shen, did you forget to tell everyone that although this piece of land is next to the East District, all its access roads have been blocked off?"

Bai Jingyou stood below the stage, looking up at Shen Yun, but his aura completely overwhelmed the other party.

"You're talking nonsense!" Shen Yun shrieked. "That's a municipal road! How could it be blocked off!"

"It used to be a municipal road." Bai Jingyou snapped his fingers.

Chen Mo, who was behind him, immediately turned on his tablet computer and connected it to the large screen in the banquet hall.

A complex map appeared on the screen.

"Just yesterday afternoon, DeepBlue Technology acquired Jiang's Logistics in its entirety." Bai Jingyou's voice echoed in the hall. "And the three warehousing centers under Jiang's Logistics have completely surrounded your land in the southern suburbs."

On the map, three red circles, like iron barrels, tightly lock the green plot of land that Shen Yun was auctioning in the middle.

"According to relevant laws, private storage areas are restricted to unauthorized personnel." Bai Jingyou's lips curled into a cruel smile. "In other words, whoever buys this land, unless they can fly, won't be able to transport even a single brick in."

The entire room fell silent.

The faces of the business owners who had just raised their bidding paddles instantly turned as ugly as if they had swallowed flies.

If we can't get in, then this piece of land is an isolated island, not even worth 800 yuan, let alone 80 million!

Zhang Yi was so frightened that she dropped the number plate in her hand. She patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes filled with awe and relief as she looked at Bai Jingyou.

"You...you..." Shen Yun pointed at Bai Jingyou, trembling with anger, unable to utter a single word.

This was the decisive blow.

Without firing a single shot, they crushed the Shen family's last hope by using rules and capital.

"However, since it's charity, I can't be too heartless." Bai Jingyou changed the subject, took out a check from his pocket, and quickly wrote down a string of numbers.

He walked onto the stage and gently slipped the check into Shen Yun's suit jacket pocket.

"I'm buying this land."

Shen Yun trembled as he took out the check. After seeing the number on it, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

"One dollar?!"

"I will use this land to build a fully automated waste sorting and processing center." Bai Jingyou whispered close to Shen Yun's ear, in a voice only the two of them could hear, "specifically to handle non-recyclable waste like that of your Shen family."

"puff--"

Overwhelmed by anger and anxiety, coupled with the humiliation of the past few days, Shen Yun finally couldn't hold on any longer. His eyes rolled back, and he fell straight backward.

"Oh dear! Young Master Shen has fainted!"

"Call an ambulance immediately!"

The stage was in complete chaos.

Bai Jingyou, however, acted as if nothing had happened and turned to walk off the stage.

"Brother Bai, that's awesome!" Li He greeted him, giving him a thumbs up. "Buying a piece of land for one yuan, that's a great deal. I'll have to learn from that."

"That's right, that's right." Zhang Yi also came over, her face full of a fawning smile. "President Bai's move of catching a turtle in a jar has truly broadened my horizons. If you ever have a chance to make money in the future, don't forget to include me!"

"No problem," Bai Jingyou replied casually, but his gaze swept past the crowd and toward the second floor of the banquet hall.

In the shadows on the second floor, it seemed as if a pair of eyes were watching everything.