Guests from the Chen family had arrived.
The Chen family was at the focal point of everyone’s attention, so when the commotion drifted into the room, Yan Dong and the others looked over toward the entrance right away.
They saw a group of young men and women file into the ballroom.
Yan Dong noticed a few familiar faces such as Chen An, Chen Ning, Chen Xu, and Chen Xiao. However, to his surprise, the one who led the group was neither Chen An nor Chen Xiao, he was a rather ordinary-looking young man.
The young man wore a casual outfit and his appearance was nothing extraordinary except for his mesmerizing eyes. He held the hand of a little girl and led the group into the meeting room with a great measure of confidence and assuredness. He was not shy at all after being under everyone’s inquisitive eyes.
“Who is he? I have never met him.”
Many questions asked each other.
Why did the Chen family sent in a youngster instead of An Ya? Is he the Chen family’s benefactor? Yan Dong wondered if Chen’s family had also heard that the Han Family was going to attend this year’s meeting so they had invited their powerful benefactor as well.
Nearly everyone here has heard of Chen Fan’s name, but only a handful of them knew what Chen Fan looked like since Chen Fan rarely attended any banquets in Jinlin City.
Those who knew Chen Fan, such as Zhou, were stunned by his appearance.
“What is he doing here?”
Chen Fan wielded enough authority to sit around the same table with all the family lords, why would he bother with a gathering of youngsters?
It was overkill and didn’t make sense considering Chen Fan’s status.
Even as everyone was dumbfounded by the development, Qiao Luoyin walked into everyone’s view. She was wearing a red dress that exposed much of her back and heavy make up on her face. Her sexually-charged appearance made her looked powerful. She swayed her gorgeous hips left and right slightly and tantalizingly as she made her way to Chen Fan. She covered her lush lips with a gloved hand and cracked a smile as she batted her lashes at Chen Fan.
“How come Master Chen has time for us youngsters?”
Qiao Luoyin’s words had stunned everyone.
A wave of surprised murmur rose among the crowd.
“What? He is Master Chen?”
“Oh my god. Master Chen is here! The Chen family had sent in Master Chen!”
“Of course that’s him! No one at such a young age could have to lead the other youngsters of the Chen family other than Master Chen.”
People stood on their toes, trying to catch a glimpse of Chen Fan. Many pairs of inquisitive eyes scanned the seemingly ordinary-looking young man, trying to find any sign of greatness and power in him.
“Master Chen of Jiang Bei.”
Even the most modest title of Chen Fan could have made him a legend among the people of Jinlin City.
Even before Chen Fan arrived at Jinlin City, words about his incredible deeds had already spread to the city. Many people considered him the equal of Tang Yuanqin and the most vicious man in Jiang Nan Province’s underground world. After Chen Fan toppled the Wan Rong Group, massacred the entire Sheng family, and got rid of Gao Tianmin, he finally became a household name in Jinlin City. However, his popularity wasn’t enough to inspire fear among the greatest families of Jinlin City.
Both the Qiao Family or the Song Family were much more powerful than the Sheng family and Gao Tianmin.
However, their attitude toward Chen Fan changed after he had crushed the Ji Family of Zhong Hai, Tang Family, and the Nin Family.
Despite Director Xue’s attempt to contain the news about what had happened during Old Man Su’s birthday banquet, rumors still got out in bits and pieces. However, the mentioning of one name was enough to fill everyone’s mind with wild imaginations.
Chen Fan the General Major at the Cang Dragon unit before he even turned twenty!
Such power was the stuff of legends.
No one in any of Jinlin City’s great families could have pulled that off. Chen Fan’s victory at the Old Man Su’s birthday gathering had earned him the respect and fear of even the most powerful man in the Jiang Nan Province, much less members of the lower families.
Everyone had thought that the Chen family would send in An Ya to the negotiation table and had never expected Chen Fan to show up at the gathering of youngsters. His place was among the adults and the family lords. The sight of him had made a lot of people’s heart sink to the bottom. Members of the Ren Family and the Hua Family pulled long faces as they realized that the Chen family was going to dominate this year’s annual gathering.
Although Chen An and Chen Xu never liked Chen Fan, they were gratified to see everyone’s attention on them and their fearful eyes. These were the same people who looked down on them, casually insinuated that they were the nouveau riche. However, in the presence of Master Chen, they dared not to say even one word much less utter a casual insult.
“You are Qiao Luoyin. I remember you.” Chen Fan picked out a piece of cake from the waiter beside him and fed the pieces of cake to Chen Guoguo.
Afterward, he turned around and looked at the gorgeous ballroom queen in her red dress.
“It is my honor to be remembered by Master—oh, I mean General Chen.” Qiao Luoyin’s face bloomed. Her scintillating smile suddenly caught many people’s attention. She came closer to Chen Fan and whispered in his ears: “General Chen, I am a bosom sister with Tang Yifei, she has told a man a lot of things about you.”
Then she winked at Chen Fan.
Chen Fan cracked a smile and kept his silence.
Qiao Luoyin gently swung round and led Chen Fan into the ballroom.
Chen Fan’s presence seemed to have cast a heavy and serious spell in the air. The people who were chatting with each other suddenly became circumspect as they felt the pressure of being in the presence of someone much more powerful than them.
Before Chen Fan’s arrival, they chatted with each other with a great measure of levity and casualness as a roomful of old friends would. However, since Chen Fan’s social status was on par with most people’s parents, they felt Chen Fan’s presence was as awkward and restraining to be in as that of their elders.
Chen Fan had also noticed the awkwardness around him, but he didn’t much care. The North Mystic Celestial Lord never cared about what other people thought of him. Of all the people in the room, he deemed only Qiao Luoyin worthy of carrying out a conversation with him.
Plus, Chen Fan was here to spend some fun time with Chen Guoguo, so he did just that, and ignored the people around him.
“Oh my gosh! Master Chen is here. The Song Family and the Ren Family are doomed.”
Yan Dong lamented as his circle of friends shook their heads.
No one had thought that the Chen family would send in such a heavyweight to a gathering of youngsters. What were the Song Family and the Ren Family suppose to do? Reason with him? Master Chen was well known for his short temper, but not for his patience. No one would want to become the next Nin Yuze who had his legs and arms broken by Chen Fan.
“I don’t think so, the Song Family still has a trump card. We live in the small city of Jinlin and are afraid of Master Chen, but that might not be the case for the prominent families in Yan Jin.”
Yan Dong said with a cold smirk.
“I see the truth in it, but it also depends on whom the Han Family had sent. If it was a direct hit among the third generation then yes, you are right. However, it was a member of the offshoot branch, then Master Chen will still have an upper hand. Don’t you forget who was his benefactor in the military: Li Wuchen.” Someone else refuted.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Both Chen Fan and Chen Xu were from the Chen family, but they were on drastically different levels of authority within the Chen family, the same goes for any other families. If the Han Family of Yan Jin only sent in a family member that was removed from the center of family power, then they might as well not send anyone.
“The Han Family’s presence wouldn’t mean anything unless it was Han Juntu they have sent in.” The young man with the golden-rimmed glasses said calmly.
“Han Juntu?”
The name caught the attention of many young women, including Zhou Qinya.
He was one of the most outstanding heirs in Yan Jin. As the leader of the third generation of the Han Family of Yan Jin, his name was heard even here in Jinlin City. Rumor had it that he was a very capable and talented young man who had won the approval of elders from all great families in Yan Jin. A military leader even guaranteed him a rank of general should he decide to come under his service. He was the favorite child of many men and women in a position of power.
“I don’t think Han Juntu will come. He is even more influential than Master Chen.” Yan Dong shook his head. “My source told me that the Han Family is going to send in the Second Lord Han, whose prowess should be on par with that of Chen Fan. ”
“Second Lord Han? You don’t mean THAT son-of-a-gun, don’t you?”
A young woman covered her mouth as she exclaimed under her breath.
“That’s him” Yan Dong nodded.
“It’s not going to end well if Han Hongkun is here. Both he and Master Chen are hotheaded. It wouldn’t take much persuasion from the Song Family to have the two at each other’s throats.” The man with the golden-rimmed glasses said grimly.
However, his sentiment was not shared by anyone. Eyes around him were lit up by anticipation and excitement.
The rise of the Chen family had rubbed many the wrong way. Although no one stated their resentment toward the Chen family openly, the Chen family had made a number of enemies for themselves. Therefore the promise of a showdown between the Chen family and one of the most powerful families in Yan Jin was exhilarating news to many.
It was natural for the old power to resent the newly risen.
Zhou Qinya was worried about the impending fight.
Could Chen Fan handle the Han Family of Yan Jin and its hotheaded heir Han Hongkun?
Chen Fan was not aware that he was walking right into a gathering storm.
He was here only because of Chen Guoguo. He cared very little about the frivolous matter between the Chen family and the other families. Of all the Chen family members, Chen Fan only cared about his Grandfather. If Chen Huaian passed away, he wouldn’t give a twat about the rest of the Chen family’s well beings.
Even as Chen Fan and Chen Guoguo were trying to crack open the shell of a King Crab, a loud voice came up next to him.
“HIM? The Head sergeant of Cang Dragon? Are you joking?”
Chen Fan furrowed his brows and looked up. He first saw an embarrassed Qiao Luoyin and then he saw a brawny youth next to her, wearing large cargo pants and a pair of obnoxiously large sunglasses. His lips curled into a smirk as he glared at Chen Fan through his sunglasses.