You went on a blind date and presented an A-level wanted criminal as a meeting gift?

The crisp sound of glasses clinking, like ice shattering, exploded between the two men.

The lingering sound carried a chilling coldness.

Zhao Tailong's facial muscles twitched, and a crack finally appeared in that hypocritical mask.

He gave Lin Chen a deep look, his gaze no longer gentle and appreciative, but like a venomous snake lurking in a dark corner, flicking its cold tongue.

"hehe……"

A dry laugh that had no clear meaning.

Zhao Tailong didn't say another word. He turned around, picked up his wine glass, and slowly walked back into the depths of the crowd.

His back remained calm, his steps steady, as if the confrontation just now was merely a harmless joke.

But Lin Chen knew that this old dog had already bared its fangs.

"Stay close to me."

Lin Chen watched Zhao Tailong's figure disappear into the swaying crowd of elegant ladies, then turned his head and spoke in a very low voice to Ye Qingcheng beside him.

"This old fox is acting strangely."

Ye Qingcheng's heart tightened suddenly.

Although she hadn't heard their whispers clearly, she could feel the almost tangible killing intent emanating from them perfectly.

She subconsciously tightened her grip on Lin Chen's arm, as if only in this way could she draw a sense of security from him.

The dinner proceeded in an eerie yet harmonious atmosphere.

The melodious music, the exquisite food, and the clinking glasses of the guests made everything seem so perfect.

However, beneath this glitz and glamour, an unseen undercurrent is surging wildly.

Finally, the banquet reached its climax.

The host, holding the microphone, announced in a passionate and impassioned voice:

"Now, let's give a warm round of applause to Ms. Ye Qingcheng, the most dazzling pearl of Jiangcheng and the helmsman of the Ye Group, to come to the stage and give us a speech!"

Splash!

Applause surged forth like a tidal wave, mingled with the fervor for wealth and power, instantly resounding throughout the banquet hall.

At this moment, all the spotlights focused on Ye Qingcheng.

Ye Qingcheng took a deep breath, and the powerful aura of a business queen returned to her.

She released Lin Chen's hand, gave him a reassuring look, then lifted her skirt and walked gracefully and firmly toward the center of the stage.

Under the lights, her figure swayed gracefully, like a black rose blooming in the dark night—noble, aloof, and dazzling.

Lin Chen did not move.

He stood in the shadows below the stage, like a most loyal knight guarding his queen.

His gaze didn't fall on the figure on the stage who was the center of attention, but instead, like a radar, vigilantly scanned every corner of the venue.

Ye Qingcheng walked to the center of the stage and stood in front of the microphone.

She bowed slightly to the audience, a captivating smile on her face, and was about to speak.

Just then!

"Buzz...creak..."

A very faint sound, so faint as to be almost negligible, suddenly entered Lin Chen's ears!

[Amazing hearing ability!]

The sound field of the entire banquet hall was instantly deconstructed and reconstructed in his ears.

That sound... is the painful groan of metal bearing an unbearable weight!

That's the sound of metal fatigue fracture!

Lin Chen's heart clenched.

His gaze instantly locked onto the source of the sound—right above the stage, at the giant crystal chandelier, over five meters in diameter, composed of thousands of Austrian crystals, and weighing half a ton!

He suddenly looked up!

[Divine Insight], now activated!

His retina seemed to have become a high-precision scanner, and the world before him was instantly digitized.

My gaze pierced through the layers of crystals and landed precisely on the top of the chandelier, on the alloy hook that connected it to the ceiling!

At the connection point of the hook, there was a very unnatural cutting mark!

That mark is slowly tearing apart at a speed visible to the naked eye!

a...

Another one...

The metal fibers at the joints are breaking off one by one!

Ye Qingcheng was standing right under that death chandelier with a smile on her face!

Lin Chen's gaze suddenly shifted to the back of the crowd.

Zhao Tailong!

The old man was standing in an inconspicuous corner, slowly swirling the red wine in his hand, a cruel and smug smile curving his lips!

His eyes were fixed on the chandelier above the stage, filled with anticipation of death!

"collapse--!!!"

A crisp, tearing sound, like the scythe of death falling!

The last metal wire snapped!

The magnificent, palace-like crystal chandelier, weighing half a ton, lost all its restraints and crashed down with an aura of utter destruction!

Time seemed to stretch out at that moment.

"ah--!!!"

The guest closest to the audience let out the first scream, a scream that was distorted with terror.

Panic then spread like wildfire!

Scream!

Crying and screaming!

Tables and chairs overturned!

The entire banquet hall was instantly transformed from a paradise into a complete mess!

Countless people covered their eyes in horror, unable to bear watching the bloody scene that followed!

on the stage.

Ye Qingcheng heard the whistling wind overhead and instinctively looked up.

The chandelier, which was usually dazzling and magnificent, appeared infinitely magnified in her rapidly constricting pupils!

The shadow of death instantly enveloped her!

Her body seemed frozen in place, unable to move.

My mind went completely blank.

His eyes were filled with nothing but endless coldness and despair!

it's over...

At the critical moment!

Just 0.1 seconds before that mountain of death was about to touch her hair!

A black figure shot out from the shadows below the stage like an arrow released from a bow!

Lin Chen!

The top-grade marble floor tiles beneath his feet were cracked like a spiderweb by this terrifying burst of force!

He transformed into a blur that was almost impossible to see with the naked eye, covering a distance of more than ten meters in one step, and rushed onto the stage!

"Bang!"

In the final instant before the chandelier crashed down, Lin Chen leaped towards Ye Qingcheng!

His left hand precisely and gently protected the vulnerable back of her head.

His right arm, as strong as steel, held her slender, supple waist tightly!

The two clung tightly to each other, and using the immense momentum of their forward momentum, they tumbled awkwardly toward the side of the stage!

boom--!!!!

A deafening bang, loud enough to shatter eardrums, exploded in the center of the stage!

The crystal chandelier, weighing half a ton, crashed heavily onto the spot where Ye Qingcheng had just been standing!

Smoke and dust billowed up!

Countless crystal shards shot out in all directions like shrapnel!

The entire stage was smashed into a terrifying crater half a meter deep!

The entire venue was deathly silent.

All the noise and screams paled in comparison to this deafening roar.

One second later.

An even more hysterical panic completely ignited the entire scene!

The guests, like a swarm of headless flies, screamed, pushed and shoved, and rushed towards the door like madmen, creating complete chaos.

And at the heart of this chaos.

In the corner of the stage, Lin Chen maintained his protective posture, pressing Ye Qingcheng's petite body firmly beneath him.

He used his strong back to shield her from all the flying shards, creating a completely safe haven for her.