Chapter 278: Chapter 197: Delicate Position
The Silver Lotus Flower and the richest person in the universe.
This was quite an impressive title, especially since Duan Mingyuan had never had much to do with becoming a wealthy man; his wealth always remained at a level where he had so to spare, but was far from being greatly rich.
Embarrassingly, the money he had diligently earned from a year’s worth of work did not even compare to what Jiuyue could pick up as "trash" in just a few days.
After spending ti together, he had co to understand why Jiuyue was so indifferent to money at their first eting—the little fox never earned money, yet never lacked it either.
Duan Mingyuan checked the invitation, and Jiuyue was also listed among those invited.
However, this was not surprising; the relationship between him and Jiuyue was hardly a secret, and it would be easy for the Shanqi Comrce Association with its influence to investigate these matters.
As for the topic of the evening, one could easily guess it even by their toes.
The turmoil on chanical Star had brought the Blue Star delegation’s influence to its peak, and if the Third Prince publicly supported the rger bill of the comrce association and the companies, it would surely affect most of the directors’ decisions.
Although the directors understood rationally the impact of the rger of these two forces, not all were ready to turn against the comrce association fully, especially under the personal witness of the current head of the Silver Lotus Family.
Duan Mingyuan did not like gatherings filled with political calculation, but now the entire Gear Hotel was swarming with dia from various planets, and his every move was watched, affecting how Blue Star was perceived by people.
After much deliberation, he decided to inform Jiuyue about the dinner.
The little fox was not the type to refuse an invitation, even dressing up enthusiastically in formal attire to head back to her room.
Before departing on the Ranger, she had heard that the Sixteen Star Summit was a grand affair, hence she carefully picked out several beautiful dresses.
At 19:20, Duan Mingyuan and Jiuyue took the elevator to the top-floor terrace ten minutes ahead of schedule.
The number of staff in both the elevator and the security passage had increased, with direct security personnel from the Silver Lotus Family taking over, who ticulously checked the identity of each invited guest and ensured they were not carrying any lethal weapons on them.
Upon arrival at the banquet hall, the family’s chief of security handed a ring to both him and Jiuyue.
"You might feel so discomfort when you first put it on, but that’s normal, and you will return to normal after about a minute,"
said the captain, "The limiter will temporarily suppress your energy, which is rely a safety asure, as the master of the house and his invited friends want to ensure that nothing untoward happens during the banquet. After it’s over, the security will help both of you remove the limiters."
These black-clad individuals were elite mbers handpicked by the family, dealing with different types of people every day. In this era, confiscating guns and weapons was not the sole assurance of safety, as the re existence of so individuals posed a danger far greater than any weapon.
Duan Mingyuan and Jiuyue were such individuals.
In the chief’s words, it seed that being the head of the Silver Lotus Family was a high-risk occupation, with countless people in the universe wanting to assassinate him.
So sought fa, so were after the hefty rewards, and so were even involved in power struggles within their own family.
This inevitably made Duan Mingyuan feel a hint of irony.
As the spearhead of the United Front that the Shanqi Chamber of Comrce was keen to build, and the future "Great Demon King," those wanting to assassinate him were far fewer than those aiming for the head of the Silver Lotus Family.
Moreover, these elites were not as competent as one might imagine.
The ring did not suppress any energy, nor did it hinder his abilities in any way.
Jiuyue, however, experienced the "discomfort" the captain had ntioned, and she took the opportunity to cling to Duan Mingyuan’s arm, leaning on his shoulder.
Duan Mingyuan noted that among the invitees, aside from him and Jiuyue, there were quite a few familiar faces, including eight directors of the Sixteen Star Summit.
They looked troubled, clearly aware that this was a trap-laden banquet.
The Silver Lotus Family head personally visited chanical Star and invited them to dinner, and it certainly wasn’t for the pleasure of good food.
"Mr. Mingyuan, did the terrace look like this before?"
Jiuyue suddenly asked.
The area had been completely transford into a high-end restaurant, and the renovation was thorough.
Red carpets led to the interior of the restaurant, which, whether due to lighting or wallpaper, was bathed in golden hues. Square tables were neatly arranged, each adorned with a tablecloth embroidered with golden patterns, beside rows of carved wooden chairs.
She clearly rembered the rooftop of the Gear Hotel not being a luxury restaurant but an open-air bar with a swimming pool, and she had been pondering inviting Duan Mingyuan to a pool party that evening.
Since it was sumr on chanical Star, and as events proceeded, Jiuyue thought they should have also been looking forward to an exciting swimsuit episode.
She was not enthralled by the restaurant’s decor; rather, her face fell, "Where’s the pool, my pool, why has it disappeared?"
Aside from evening wear, she had also prepared swimwear.
Describing it as a "Lethal Hit" wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
But these wretched Shan Clan People had transford the whole rooftop terrace of the hotel into a restaurant, thwarting her pool party plans.
"Perhaps this is also one of chanical Star’s chanisms."
After taking in the restaurant, Duan Mingyuan speculated.
The restaurant wasn’t makeshift; even the best architect couldn’t complete such a renovation in less than an hour, so this seed more like a trap that the Silver Lotus Family had set well in advance.
He also sensed an inexplicable solemnity and reverence from the decor, as if he was entering a church.
He and Jiuyue were clearly the most eye-catching guests at this dinner.
The family had arranged seating for everyone, with each table of council mbers spaced far apart, only able to observe Duan Mingyuan with surprise and astonishnt.
After taking his seat, Duan Mingyuan quickly understood the identities of these eight council mbers.
They were mbers whose attitudes fluctuated most regarding the rger of the Chamber of Comrce and the company; in reality, not everyone could cast a firm dissenting vote.
So were motivated by fear of the Chamber of Comrce’s series of tactics, but more were connected long-term with the Shanqi Comrce Association; the planets they represented were deeply entangled in business dealings with the association. If trade was cut off and economic sanctions were imposed after the vote, massive upheaval could ensue on their planets.
In fact, the Chamber of Comrce didn’t need to invade their planets.
Severe economic downturn would lead to widespread unemploynt, and once the economic system of an entire planet was in jeopardy, it would spark unimaginable social strife.
Then, by providing the Rebels with so military hardware and technical support, the Chamber of Comrce could collapse a regi without shedding blood.
If the positions of these eight council mbers wavered, then the vote count could end up in a delicate balance of 8:8.
As a result, the newly joined Blue Star might beco the decisive vote.
The somber atmosphere of the dinner and the delicate composition of the people made Duan Mingyuan realize the family’s intentions.
Inviting him to this dinner was a tactic in itself, placing him with the eight most wavering council mbers, making Blue Star’s stance uncertain on the matter as well.
The Sixteen Star Summit itself wasn’t a monolith; each councilor only knew the vote they were to cast, and suspicion and panic would haunt them until the mont the votes were counted.
No one wanted to be betrayed and beco the "scapegoat" thrust forward after others switched votes.
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