I was exposed for adding my female boss to my group of female friends.

Yang Changshuo shook his head: "He doesn't care, but some people do. Otherwise, you see, so many people wouldn't be curious about him."

Lu Qingxuan, Miao Aoxue, and the others blushed as they listened.

They were indeed curious about Chen Ya, but they would never admit that they cared about him.

Gu Yuqing said, "Actually, there are some things about him that even I don't know. For example, when he founded Beichen, he mysteriously disappeared for a period of time, and now he doesn't openly lead Beichen. Do you think this is also for the sake of secrecy?"

Xia Zhijian nodded and said, "Yes. Some countries have ulterior motives and will use some despicable tricks against key figures in our country, such as detaining the family members of important figures or assassinating them... They have done these things before."

The seemingly casual conversation between the two gradually drew wide-eyed responses from those nearby.

Qin Yun Chu asked blankly, "What...did you just say? Found Beichen?"

Miao Aoxue's mouth dropped open, and Li Jiayi, standing next to her, thought she had misheard.

Gu Yuqing covered her mouth with her hand: "Ah, I let it slip."

She turned to look at Qin Yunchu and said with a smile, "Hehe, I was originally planning to keep it from you for a while."

Xia Zhijian said, "Beichen was originally established as a key technology company in our country. It can be said that its initial purpose was to apply Chen Ya's achievements."

Wang Shaoxian clapped his hands and exclaimed, "So that means Beichen's scientific research achievements are..."

“It was Chen Ya who researched it himself,” Yang Changshuo nodded.

"Damn!" Wang Shaoxian slapped his thigh. "No wonder Beichen doesn't even have a research team, yet it starts with such a huge project. Now, many people still think that Beichen has the support of the state!"

Yang Changshuo finally spoke up, looking relieved: "Yes, those were almost all Chen Ya's own research results, including controlled nuclear fusion."

Qin Yun Chu looked like she had been bullied.

This applies not only to Gu Yuqing, but also to Chen Ya.

She was a member of the "Heartbroken Boys' Home Group" for a long time, and she only found out today that Beichen was actually founded by Chen Ya.

Such a big thing, and no one told her!

Most importantly—Chen Ya is already the founder of Beichen, so why is he working for Hongtu Company??

What exactly is he trying to do?

Just then, Committee Member Gao hurried over and stood in front of the microphone in the main hall.

He directed the sound system to be turned up, and announced in a voice that everyone could hear: "The birthday banquet will officially begin in 10 minutes. Please return to your seats, distinguished guests."

Chapter 295 Tonight, everyone will know

"The birthday banquet will officially begin in 10 minutes. Please return to your seats, distinguished guests."

Xia Zhijian stood up and said to them with a touch of emotion, "Let's talk again next time."

Yang Changshuo, still somewhat unsatisfied, said, "Let's talk for another 10 minutes. We haven't even started discussing the artificial sun yet, have we?"

His eyes were eager and expectant, like a mischievous old man, with a hint of secret pride.

Especially regarding the artificial sun, I chatted with Chen Ya a while ago and got some "first-hand information".

He's so itchy and restless right now, he just wants to talk to someone about it.

After all, as one of the mentors who discovered Chen Ya back then, he felt honored as Chen Ya achieved more.

"Old Yang, don't forget what day it is today. Maybe next time, there will be another chance."

Xia Zhijian politely declined.

Committee Member Gao was already secretly observing them. Today was Old Master Lu's birthday banquet, and their gathering here to chat was inappropriate. It was unacceptable for them to overshadow the host.

"Aren't you going to talk about it anymore? We'll talk about it next time?" Yang Changshuo looked disappointed.

Fang Bai smiled and said, "Yes, Mr. Yang, I'll set up another gathering next time so you two can chat to your hearts' content. I can't just run away."

The two stood up to say goodbye, and Yang Changshuo felt a little regretful. But at this moment, Lu Qingxuan and Liu Ruying, who were standing next to him, were even more regretful.

Never before had Lu Qingxuan felt such deep disappointment and regret, rather than excitement, upon hearing that Old Master Lu's birthday banquet was about to officially begin.

Despite having prepared for this birthday banquet for a whole month, and despite the fact that just a simple word from Old Master Lu could change her family's situation today...

But more than that, she wanted to know more about Chen Ya, Bei Chen, and his past.

There are still too many mysteries surrounding him that haven't been solved, and there are still too many things she doesn't know.

Qin Yun Chu rested her chin on her hand, her eyes shining brightly in the warm yellow light:

"He's the one who invited us, but he hasn't shown up yet. I wonder what kind of mischief he's up to now."

Gu Yuqing smiled and said, "You know he's up to no good. I think we should think carefully about what tricks he's going to pull next and make plans accordingly."

When Chen Ya suddenly came to the Lu family's place in the capital, the two of them had a premonition that he probably had some ulterior motive.

What they didn't know was where Chen Ya's intentions would lead the Lu family's future.

Committee Member Gao beckoned to Lu Qingxuan, pulled her aside, and asked in a low voice:

"Where's Chen Ya? He's the only one who didn't come."

Lu Qingxuan was in a daze, unsure whether she should tell Committee Member Gao what she had heard today.

"I...I don't know where he went."

Committee Member Gao frowned and said, "There's an empty seat in the front row, which is quite conspicuous. Go and call Lu Shuying over, and have her sit here."

Lu Qingxuan nodded silently. In the end, she still didn't say anything.

Whether Chen Ya tells Committee Member Gao or not, it seems to make little difference if he is plotting something.

She now feels a hollow detachment from the entire banquet, as if all she needs to do is lie down and let things take their course.

There's nothing she can change.

Lu Shuying lifted her skirt and excitedly sat down next to Wang Shaoxian, greeting everyone around her.

She felt that being able to sit at this table was a great bargain, but in Lu Qingxuan's eyes now, it didn't matter anymore.

Having seen the Milky Way, how could she be confined to the petty squabbles over a single stardust? That was her feeling now. All the striving for fame and fortune, all the nitpicking, were irrelevant.

Committee Member Gao returned to the stage and continued speaking into the microphone:

"First of all, on behalf of the Lu family, I would like to thank all the distinguished guests. The gifts and blessings you have brought have made us feel the priceless friendship. Now, I will read out the list of gifts from our distinguished guests."

Upon hearing Committee Member Gao's words, everyone in the audience sat up straight, their expressions becoming serious.

In this setting, giving gifts not only demonstrates the importance attached to the Lu family, but also serves as an opportunity to showcase one's own strength.

If the gift you give is inferior to someone else's, you will not only lose face, but you will also be secretly ridiculed by some people.

The upper class is actually no different; sometimes they are quite vain. In some situations, they are even more vain than those in the lower classes.

The common people's fantasy of aristocratic families being gentle, refined, and knowledgeable, indifferent to fame and fortune, is not actually true.

The reason why wealthy people are perceived as more reasonable and cultured is simply because they have more resources to be generous with money, which is everything to those who are poor.

Vanity is a human weakness that everyone possesses, regardless of wealth or social status. If the rich were truly indifferent to fame and fortune and didn't compete with others, luxury goods wouldn't be divided into so many price tiers.

"Yu Liangbin, president of Yuantu Company, presents a pair of small lion figurines made of five taels of pure gold!"

A person carried a square tray made of red satin, on which a pair of pure gold lions were placed on a wooden stand on the stage. Many people looked up to see them.

The little lion cub gleamed with golden light, its powerful presence under the spotlights making it appear majestic and imposing.

A man sitting at the lower end of the table had a ruddy complexion, and several people around him were looking at him. This was Yu Liangbin.

At the current gold price, 5 taels of pure gold is worth 10 yuan, and a pair is worth 20 yuan. He gave away 20 yuan in one go, which can be described as very generous.

However, he didn't notice that the gazes directed at him all contained a hint of disdain.

"Zhong Jinsong of Luotai Group presents a jade-inlaid golden dragon!"

A lifelike dragon, seemingly soaring into the sky, was placed on a tray and presented. Then, the dragon was placed behind the pair of small lions that had been there earlier.

The dragon is entirely golden, with its mane carved from black jade, as if it were standing tall in the wind. Its eyes are two jet-black dots, seemingly made from the finest black jade from Yunnan and Myanmar.

This golden dragon is very large, weighing a full 5 kilograms. When placed behind the pair of lion cubs, the two originally majestic lion cubs suddenly appear several feet shorter, like two cubs being played with in the claws of the golden dragon behind them.

Upon seeing the golden dragon, Yu Liangbin, who had been quite confident just moments before, instantly turned pale. He didn't know the price of the dragon, but judging from its condition, it was at least ten times more expensive than the gift he had just received.

Yu Liangbin heard someone talking nearby.

"President Zhong, your golden dragon is truly majestic. It seems that your Luotai Group is also thriving lately."

"Not at all, we're barely breaking even."

"Wow! You're being far too modest. In this industry, being able to break even already puts you in a leading position, and your future development prospects are limitless."

"You flatter me. This is all at the cost of my health. During this period, I haven't been sleeping more than 4 hours on average."

"Mr. Zhong, have you considered attracting some investment?"

"Are you interested? Sure! But it depends on your sincerity..."

Yu Liangbin listened to the conversation beside him and his face turned green with envy.

Who are the people attending this banquet? They are the elite of the elite, the celebrities of the elite. Who among them doesn't control resources in their own right?

The clients here are more targeted than those at some summits, and some are even from the same industry, all keeping an eye on each other. This is all about effective networking; a stomp of your foot or a puff of a cigarette signifies status and prestige!

Yu Liangbin's Yuantu Company was originally a newly rich company in the online game industry, which some established families considered to be nouveau riche.

He had no idea about the unspoken rules of social gatherings among aristocratic families. The gifts offered here were all worth at least tens of thousands of yuan; gifts worth two hundred thousand yuan were simply not enough.

Yu Liangbin noticed that some people turned their faces away and cast slightly disdainful glances at him, and he suddenly regretted it.

If only I had gritted my teeth and made the lion bigger!

Committee Member Gao continued reading:

"Ao Naiming of the Jiaohai Group presented a pair of gold and silver 'Listening to the Wind' vases; Jiang Changxin of the Jiang family presented a jade screen..."

As Committee Member Gao called out each name, someone brought up a gift. In the end, the gifts piled up all over the front desk, gleaming golden under the warm yellow spotlights, making it dazzling and eye-catching.

"Thank you again for your kind invitations. It is thanks to your good fortune that we have been able to celebrate this auspicious occasion of 'a house full of gold and jade' today. On this auspicious day, I wish you all the same happiness and fulfillment as this house full of gold and jade!"

The audience applauded, and many shouted "Wishing the old man good fortune!" These were people who had received kindness from Old Master Lu and were spontaneously sending their blessings to him. Soon, others followed suit and joined in the shouting.

Committee Member Gao waved to Lu Qingxuan, signaling her to come up on stage and continue the proceedings.

Lu Qingxuan almost forgot she had a task. After hesitating for a moment, she slowly went up on stage, picked up the gift list, and said:

"We, the descendants of the Lu family, are not to be outdone. On this auspicious day of Old Master Lu's birthday banquet, we have also prepared many generous gifts. Now, on behalf of the descendants of the Lu family, I would like to offer my birthday greetings to Old Master Lu."

“Zi Lu Yuanhu, present Zhonghai with a set of Tang suits.”

"Zi Lu Yuanbao, present me with a Breguet watch."

"Sun Luningna, present a pair of hollow dragon-patterned walnuts..."

"..."

She read down the gift list, noting that the earlier a gift was listed, the closer it was to Old Master Lu, and vice versa.

Therefore, Chen Ya's name was naturally placed at the end of the gift list. Lu Ruixiang's family was originally a collateral branch, and Chen Ya was brought over later by Chen Sheng, who married into the family. Naturally, he should be placed at the end of the gift list.

The gift list was indeed arranged in this way, with Chen Ya's name at the end. However, his name was circled in red and marked with a large "X".

Lu Qingxuan knew what this meant. If a member of the Lu family made a mistake or violated etiquette, their name would be crossed out with a red pen as a warning. If the mistake was repeated, it wouldn't be as simple as just crossing out their name.

The reason why Chen Ya was marked with an X is obvious: he did not prepare a gift.

This surprised Lu Qingxuan greatly.

Chen Ya has the means to give a luxury item that is far more expensive than any of the gifts here. Not long ago, he mentioned that the Patek Philippe watch he originally intended to give to the old man was broken.

This at least shows that he intended to give the old master a gift. Why didn't he give anything today, which led to him being looked down upon by the head of the Lu family?

Lu Qingxuan couldn't help but worry that something urgent had happened to Chen Ya.

While lost in thought, Lu Qingxuan read the gift list to the end, concluding with:

"Next, we, the Lu family members, will present a gift to the old master. It's right outside the window, please turn your eyes and take a look."

It was exactly 8 p.m. when the lights in the room went out and everyone looked out the window.

...At this moment, in the side hall, Chen Chi, dressed in a white dress, gracefully walked out of the dressing room.

Wei Mingzhe, dressed in a suit, was already waiting there with a smile on his face.

In the side hall, the sound system was synchronized with the main hall, and the lights were dimmed. At this moment, no one noticed the bride's entrance, and everyone's eyes were looking out the window.