SSEWC Chapter 14

At 8 o’clock in the evening, after the successful conclusion of the “Holy Light” promotional event, Tian Sheng hosted a banquet, inviting people from the industry and investors from the social elite.

The spacious venue was resplendent with golden bricks paving the floor. Above, European-style chandeliers adorned with crystal tassels hung, and fresh flower decorations graced the white tablecloths. Amber-colored champagne circulated in tall glasses. Amidst the melodious piano music, He Heng took the stage, delivering a brief and powerful speech. He then declared the formal start of the banquet.

The reason for his concise speech was simple— the chandelier above cast such a shadow that He Heng was unwilling to stand under it for more than ten seconds.

In the embrace of the lights, He Heng descended from the podium, glancing at his watch to find it exactly 8 o’clock.

Knowing that Shi Shuang wasn’t fond of crowded public gatherings, he didn’t bring him to the product launch event. Instead, he instructed his assistant to bring Shi Shuang to accompany him to the banquet after the product launch.

According to the schedule, Shi Shuang should be arriving soon.

He navigated through layers of the crowd, stepping over swaying hemlines, and found himself alone on the outdoor terrace amidst a sea of shifting gazes.

Leaning against the openwork railing, He Heng felt the cool evening breeze on his cheeks. With lowered eyes, he could gaze into the enchanting night scene illuminated by sparkling lights.

The next moment, a message from the assistant appeared on his phone, indicating that he had safely brought Shi Shuang to the hotel.

Not long after receiving the message, the glass door behind him was gently pushed open.

“Arrived?” He Heng’s lips curled slightly as he turned to look at the person entering through the door.

“Arrived.”

Yet, the voice that reached him was not Shi Shuang’s.

Approaching him was a tall figure, with fox-like eyes on a pure white face. Beneath slightly drooping eyelids, there was a teardrop mole identical to Shi Shuang’s, the one who played the role of the elf prince in “Holy Light” — Su Qian.

The “spirit car driver”¹referring to someone who is manipulative or cunning, possibly alluding to the idea of leading someone to their demise or a negative outcome. arranged by the system for himself.

996: [It’s Bai Yueguang! Bai Yueguang!]

He Heng sneered inwardly, ‘The ‘Bai Yueguang’ who sends people to the crematorium?’

The moment he recognized that the approaching person was Su Qian, he furrowed his brow. His smile instantly froze on his lips, and he felt a faint twitch in his right eyelid.

All these subtle expressions of He Heng were noticed by Su Qian.

Although he had just seen himself and was smiling so happily, now he deliberately pretended to dislike something.

As is well-known, a person’s first reaction cannot be deceived.

So, what else could He Heng be doing if not playing a game of cat and mouse with him?

It’s really cliché.

He wouldn’t think that by doing this, he could hook him and make him fall head over heels for him, right?

With this thought in mind, the curve at the corner of Su Qian’s mouth became more self-assured, and he walked towards He Heng with a leisurely pace.

However, the smug look on Su Qian’s face at this moment was an entirely different matter in He Heng’s eyes.

The other person seemed like a spirit car driver with many years of experience, approaching with a malicious smile. Murmuring demonic whispers, he inched closer, asking, “Are you ready to board the express train to the crematorium?”

At the same time,

“Mr. Shi, President He is waiting for you on the outdoor terrace,” the assistant smiled at Shi Shuang and led him towards the terrace.

“Okay,” Shi Shuang nodded.

The overhead lights were somewhat dazzling, and the infinitely magnified smiling faces and laughter of the people made him feel uncomfortable.

If it were the “He Heng” from before, he would have been unfazed by such occasions long ago. Encountering Shi Shuang, he might not even bother to lift an eyelid.

But now, it seems everything has changed.

“I feel a bit cold,” Su Qian reached out, hugging his own shoulders, leaning forward, intentionally pressing against He Heng. He tilted his head, displaying the most enticing expression, and whispered softly:

“Can I borrow your coat?”

The assistant, witnessing this scene, thought to himself, ‘This is not good. They couldn’t have picked a worse time to arrive. Is he really about to witness our CEO’s chaotic situation?’

With this in mind, he quickly turned around, standing in front of Shi Shuang, attempting to divert the other’s attention. “Mr. Shi, we—”

The next moment, a loud and distinct voice penetrated through the glass door into their ears,

“No.”

He Heng reached out and pushed Su Qian away. He felt that the person in front of him was acting quite strangely. “If I give you my coat, then I’ll be cold.”

“If you feel cold, you should have brought your own coat.”

A well-founded retort indeed, worthy of their own boss.

The assistant internally praised, ‘President He, awesome!’

Shortly after, he saw Su Qian’s pale face turn various shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet with anger.

Suppressing his rage, Su Qian found himself at a loss for words for a moment.

He was now somewhat unsure if He Heng was playing a game of cat and mouse with him. After all, are these words something a normal person would say?

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Amidst the other’s colorful expressions, He Heng calmly and gracefully bypassed Su Qian, pushing open the glass door in front of him as he walked towards Shi Shuang.

Shi Shuang was dressed in a silver-gray suit, a style personally chosen by He Heng a few days ago. The suit’s cut and design were impeccable, perfectly outlining the slender waist and the long, straight legs beneath the suit pants.

His bangs were lifted, revealing a well-defined forehead, giving Shi Shuang a more mature appearance.

During this time, Shi Shuang had been well taken care of, appearing vibrant under the lights. His skin seemed fairer, his hair darker, and his lips redder. Combined with his ethereal temperament, he looked like an elegant young master from a prestigious family.

He Heng walked towards him, a hint of a smile in his eyes. “Arrived?”

“Yeah,” Shi Shuang nodded towards him.

Then, the man in front suddenly bent down, reaching out to lift a strand of loose hair that fell on Shi Shuang’s forehead. His dry fingertips lightly grazed Shi Shuang’s forehead, creating an itching sensation. This caused him to shiver slightly, and his ears started to feel a bit warm.

After completing this action, He Heng naturally and effortlessly placed his hand on Shi Shuang’s waist, pulling him closer.

The assistant, who had decided to avoid witnessing any more dog food moments, felt like his eyes were about to be blinded. He quickly stepped aside, pretending not to see anything.

Suddenly, someone approached He Heng, saying, “Hey, President He, long time no see. You’ve become even more charming and handsome.”

Following the voice, He Heng saw a somewhat plump middle-aged man with a conspicuous Mediterranean hairstyle coming toward him.

Wasn’t this his current competitor, Huo Jia, who had seen better days?

Huo Jia glanced at Shi Shuang standing beside He Heng and smiled meaningfully, “Mr. Shi is here too?”

Before He Heng made a name for himself, the Huo family’s conglomerate nearly dominated the entire gaming industry in the country Y. The Huo family, as seasoned socialites in City A, had been involved in the gaming industry since his grandfather’s generation.

When He Heng first entered the gaming market, Huo Jia sneered at him as a self-made, penniless guy. However, he never expected that He Heng, through a strategic alliance with the Shi family, would step through the threshold of high society, securing the initial capital from investors.

Moreover, He Heng successfully ushered the gaming industry into the VR era. After swiftly mastering VR technology, Tian Sheng surged ahead in development, leaving all former competitors behind.

As the once-leading figure in the industry, Huo Jia found it hard to swallow this bitter pill. He couldn’t forget that He Heng, in plain terms, was a phoenix man who rose to success with the help of his father-in-law. And after achieving success, He Heng unceremoniously severed ties with the Shi family.

So, he wanted to poke at He Heng’s sore spot with this:

“I never expected President He to be such a devoted person. It doesn’t seem like what’s being circulated outside, saying that ever since President He’s career took off, he and Mr. Shi’s relationship has been strained.”

Anyone could discern the overt sarcasm and veiled mockery in Huo Jia’s words.

Indeed.

Shi Shuang’s complexion paled slightly upon hearing this. Huo Jia’s words reminded him of the time when the original owner, without scruples, used the Shi family for personal gain and confined him to their home.

Out of instinctive reflex, he subconsciously struggled out of He Heng’s embrace.

The nearby assistant immediately tensed his spine, beads of sweat forming. He carefully observed his boss’s expression, thinking He Heng might erupt in anger. However…

He Heng reached out again, pulling Shi Shuang back into his arms. He smiled at Huo Jia and said, “It’s evident that you have a lot on your mind.”

With that, he patted Huo Jia on the shoulder, then lifted his gaze, looking thoughtfully at the shining top of Huo Jia’s head under the lights.

“Look at you, so ‘brilliant.'”

Huo Jia’s face turned various shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Before he could react, He Heng continued:

“Tian Sheng has explored almost everything in the current gaming market. I think the next step is to expand into other businesses. Isn’t there an opportunity right in front of us?”

Huo Jia instinctively blurted out, “What opportunity?”

“For example,”

He Heng looked at him and said each word deliberately, “Hair growth tonic.”

“Pfft.” The secretary on the side couldn’t help but burst into laughter. After receiving a furious glare from Huo Jia, he awkwardly covered his mouth.

He Heng chuckled and patted Huo Jia’s shoulder again, “Next time we have research results, I’ll have someone get you two bottles.”

Huo Jia was so infuriated that he almost bit through his teeth. “Good” with a sledgehammer.

However, when he looked at Shi Shuang, who was being hugged by He Heng and secretly suppressing a laugh,

What’s going on with this young master from the Shi family?

He got sold out and is still foolishly helping to count the money?

Pfft— people’s faces in here turned various shades of the rainbow HAHHAHAHHA

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  referring to someone who is manipulative or cunning, possibly alluding to the idea of leading someone to their demise or a negative outcome.