The presence of handsome men and beautiful women has always been captivating, let alone five such outstanding individuals.
The bustling banquet hall behind them seemed to fall silent for a moment, all eyes fixed on the five newcomers.
Even a few of the judges looked on with curiosity. Shi Xinxin scanned the room, noting the two empty seats at the judges' table, and felt a touch of bewilderment.
The bidding was about to begin; had all the judges not yet arrived?
Not far away, Zhu Guo's gaze was fixed intently on Feng Yu. Feng Yu subconsciously raised his head to meet his gaze and nodded.
Seeing Feng Yu's acknowledgment, Zhu Guo's heart was completely at ease. He leaned back in his chair, the corner of his mouth curling up, and calmly awaited the embarrassing downfall of Shi Xinxin's failed bid.
Shi Xinxin had long sensed Feng Yu exchanging signals with someone hidden in the shadows, but she made no move.
Feng Yu happily shared with her Zhu Guo's comical and smug expression from earlier.
Shi Xinxin's lips also curved into a smile as she listened.
Sheng Chenjin, seated to her other side, became increasingly uncomfortable.
He had been keeping an eye on Shi Xinxin's situation, watching her and Feng Yu whispering together, her smile radiant. He felt an alarm blaring in his heart.
Already deeply displeased with the intimacy between Feng Yu and Shi Xinxin, he now found himself consumed by jealousy.
Jealousy?!
Sheng Chenjin was startled.
In his daze, Sheng Chenjin heard the sound of someone taking a seat behind him.
He glanced back indifferently.
It was Shen Mingkuo, the CEO of Shen's Group.
Shen Mingkuo was around his age. Due to the similarity in company names, Shen's Group and Shengshi Group were constantly compared, and Shen's Group seemed to be secretly vying with his own company.
Feng Yu had clearly also noticed the people behind them. The strong perfume worn by one of the women made his nose a little uncomfortable.
Upon clearly seeing who it was, the corner of his lips curled.
"Sis, behind you, isn't that the unlucky one?" Shi Xinxin turned her head and saw a familiar face.
Well, Su Li's circle friend, Sun Ke, a jewelry designer. Shi Xinxin wasn't sure about her character, though.
But being friends with someone like Su Li, her character was likely similar.
"Su... Luo?"
Sun Ke never expected that the person sitting in front of her would be Su Li's unaccomplished sister.
But she was so close to Su Li; how could she not know that the former Su Luo was now Shi Xinxin?
Intentionally using her old name in such a setting could only be a ploy to embarrass her.
However, the current Shi Xinxin was no pushover.
"Miss Sun might be ill-informed. Allow me to reintroduce myself: I am Shi Xinxin, Executive President of CL Group." Although it was a self-introduction, she made no move to extend her hand, her posture decidedly arrogant. xxs壹贰
Seeing Sun Ke's face visibly darken, Shi Xinxin smiled and turned back, seemingly unconcerned.
Shen Mingkuo had just exchanged a silent duel of glances with Sheng Chenjin and now saw Sun Ke already defeated.
"Today's bidding is very important. Even though we have this bid document, you must ensure there are no mishaps."
Shen Mingkuo glanced indifferently at Sun Ke.
At this moment, Shi Xinxin turned to look at Sheng Chenjin.
"Sheng Chenjin, I have something to ask you."
Sheng Chenjin also turned his head. The venue wasn't entirely quiet, and they were too close to the judges' table, so they could only speak in low voices.
"What's the situation with the row behind us?"
Her warm breath sprayed onto his ear, tickling him slightly.
He straightened up and leaned closer to Shi Xinxin's ear.
"Shen Mingkuo, President of Shen's Group. The Shen family is one of Yuncheng's prominent clans. Because Shen's sounds similar to Shengshi, they are often jokingly referred to as brother companies in the industry."
"However, no matter how hard they try, they have never been able to surpass Shengshi."
Sheng Chenjin even subtly used the word "we" to draw her into his camp.
"He's capable, but his company is filled with messy news, and the employees' backgrounds are not entirely clean. I don't know about his character yet; you'll find out later."
Sheng Chenjin and Shi Xinxin were very close, and the faint scent of white peach from her body entered his nostrils.
"So, basically, he's the perpetual runner-up?" Shi Xinxin said with a smile, clearly in a good mood.
"Are you gloating?" Sheng Chenjin didn't understand; Shen's Group didn't have much interaction with them.
"Someone wanted to embarrass me, and Shen's Group is going to have bad luck this time."
"Just wait quietly; the show is about to begin."
Shi Xinxin smiled mysteriously and turned back, her face immediately adopting a serious expression, appearing exceptionally solemn.
Sheng Chenjin's lips curved. He had witnessed this woman's transformation from cunning to serious.
By now, the venue was almost full, except for the two seats at the judges' table.
Shi Xinxin raised an eyebrow, wondering if her female master had been invited.
"To show the international importance of this bidding project, we have invited two distinguished guests today," the host on stage announced with great emotion.
"First, the Chief Entrepreneur in Royal Cooperation from Country F. Mr. Yan Hao, a young talent returning to China to participate in the bidding. Welcome!"
Upon hearing Yan Hao's name, Shi Xinxin raised an eyebrow. Her senior brother was quite hidden.
Yan Hao, dressed in a dark blue suit, with impeccably styled hair and gleaming leather shoes, walked into the venue with a gentle smile.
Many designers present were young women, and the entire exhibition hall erupted in applause, filled with faint gasps.
Reporters in the back also captured his gentle, handsome face with their cameras.
As Yan Hao entered, his gaze locked onto the handsome man and beautiful woman prominently positioned in the center. He noticed Shi Xinxin's thoughtful expression.
Hmm? Thoughtful? Why not amazed?
Sheng Chenjin was truly surprised. The economic strength of Country F was undeniable, let alone a partner in royal cooperation. He narrowed his eyes, feeling a stumbling block on his path forward.
No wonder even an ordinary senior brother didn't seem to regard him highly.
He quietly turned to look at Shi Xinxin.
What kind of men surrounded this woman!
"Next, we have Ms. Hua Shu, a specially designated national designer from Country M. Welcome! We thank Ms. Hua Shu for taking time out of her busy schedule to attend the Yuncheng bidding!"
She was a short-haired woman, older but still possessing a captivating charm. Her qipao made her appear classical and elegant. She wore simple yet sophisticated jewelry and gracefully nodded to the seats below.
The applause from the audience continued for a long time. Hua Shu's status in the jewelry industry was self-evident.
As Hua Shu walked in, she saw the smiling young woman, Shi Xinxin, gazing at her from afar, her eyes fixed on the exquisite bracelet on her wrist.
Hua Shu's face was gentle, and she subtly swayed the bracelet on her hand.
It was a gift Shi Xinxin had specially designed for her.
Shi Xinxin proudly turned to Sheng Chenjin.
"So many surprises today, one my senior brother, one my master from the design circle."
"I'm a sure win."
Sheng Chenjin felt a pang of discomfort listening to Shi Xinxin boast. No wonder this woman was unmoved by him; she was surrounded by so many people protecting her.
At this moment, Yan Hao and Hua Shu took their seats. Yan Hao even winked at Shi Xinxin and Feng Yu.