The opulent chandelier made of variously sized crystal balls hung from the ceiling, casting light on the rectangular dining table laden with exquisite dishes.
Brittany Blue Lobster Tail, Iberian Pork Loin, Caramel Foie Gras Pudding, Angus Valley Beef Sashimi...
Regardless of the taste, the unique plating of the Western dishes alone presented an incredibly enticing visual effect as they complemented each other.
The white wine, coming from the Emu Winery in Germany Moselle and hailed as the pinnacle of Riesling, had only three bottles available in the restaurant at its grand opening, priced at 120,000 per bottle. These were private collections from Liao Jianli, yet they were now placed on the main dining table.
Sitting at the head of the table, Wang Ruixi waved away the cigar offered by Cao Meijuan, "I don’t smoke, thank you."
His demeanor was rather stern, and when he refrained from speaking, he exerted an inexplicable pressure. Cao Meijuan considered herself well-connected in Beidou’s circles, with instinctive communication skills, yet she still felt somewhat constrained in the presence of Wang Ruixi.
Seated at this table were the most eminent figures of the day. Besides Wang Ruixi, there was Jin Lu, a director from ByteDance, Vice Director Zhou from Huaxia TV, and several other influential industry characters from Beidou who had just arrived.
They all came for Wang Ruixi. Cloud Trust remained low-profile, yet there were always those who had glimpsed its iceberg tip or vaguely understood Wang Ruixi’s background.
Among them were a vice president from the Beidou Business Federation and a minister from the Silver Supervision Committee.
Seeing these individuals, Cao Meijuan and Wang Yaolong were particularly elated, as these connections were not easily accessible to them on usual days.
However, these figures, whom they could only admire in day-to-day life given their status, all showed great courtesy towards Wang Ruixi. Until this moment, Cao Meijuan and Wang Yaolong dared to believe that what Liao Jianli had claimed might be true, that the man before them really had the ability to help Qiangsheng Real Estate through its operational crisis.
Most of those present were seasoned players. Even if they didn’t know what "Cloud Trust" was, they could generally comprehend why Liao Jianli had a reverent attitude towards Wang Ruixi upon witnessing this scene.
Unfortunately, the seats at the main dining table were limited. Cao Meijuan and Wang Yaolong, being near the water tower, seized the opportunity first. Others could only, at certain intervals, approach with wine glasses in hand, attempting to leave a superficial impression on Wang Ruixi through casual conversation.
"Mr. Wang, is something disagreeable about the taste? I noticed you haven’t touched your knife and fork at all?"
Liao Jianli, who had been at Wang Ruixi’s side throughout, couldn’t help but quietly ask when he saw that Wang Ruixi hadn’t eaten a bite, "Should I have the kitchen..."
"No need."
Wang Ruixi waved his hand, "I don’t have much of an appetite today."
Seeing Wang Ruixi say this, Liao Jianli could only drop the subject, though no one knew that Wang Ruixi, beneath his calm and stern exterior, was somewhat resigned.
He was actually already hungry. Having been accustomed to living abroad, he could certainly eat Western food, so it was not a matter of taste.
The problem was that Zhou Wang, standing by the stage, clearly hadn’t eaten yet. How could he himself sit here and indulge? It would be against the norms.
So Wang Ruixi could only endure it.
"Did that college band finish their performance?"
Seeing the band members on stage gradually leaving, Wang Ruixi asked Liao Jianli.
"Hold on, let me check."
Liao Jianli hurriedly waved over the restaurant manager, and after inquiring, he said, "Mr. Wang, they have temporarily finished, but as per the schedule, they’ll perform again when the dinner ends..."
When the dinner ends?
Upon hearing this, Wang Ruixi furrowed his brows and couldn’t help but mutter internally. Would Mr. Zhou be waiting by the stage until the dinner was over too, necessitating that he also stay hungry?
Noticing the change in Wang Ruixi’s expression, Liao Jianli cautiously suggested, "Mr. Wang, do you want to continue watching that band perform? I can make some arrangements..."
Just as Wang Ruixi was about to say something, an extremely piercing scream suddenly erupted from a certain direction in the restaurant, startling everyone into turning their heads in astonishment.
Immediately after, there was a muffled curse, and then the crowd saw the restaurant manager and several security personnel rushing in that direction.
As the guests, realizing something had happened, craned their necks curiously, a low microphone sound emerged from the surrounding speakers, abruptly resonating throughout the entire restaurant:
"Wang Ruixi!"
Though the volume was low, coupled with the top-tier audio system’s penetration, it seemed to explode in everyone’s hearts, startling them into looking up blankly.
Who dared to address Mr. Wang by name in such a manner?
And if they heard right, the voice seemed laden with anger.
While others were puzzled and uncertain, at the main dining table, amidst the astonished gazes, Wang Ruixi suddenly stood up, instinctively responding, "Present!"
After realizing it, his expression changed, and with a nimble leap aided by the chair back, he was already in the aisle, hurrying towards the stage.
"Li!"
As he moved over, Wang Ruixi uttered with a low voice, and a man in a black suit emerged from who knew where, vanishing into the corridor even before him.