324 Commander Zhang

The previously bustling gala fell silent as everyone held their breath. It was as though they were waiting for someone to break the silence.

A servant accidentally knocked down a champagne tower on a table due to his nervousness and broke the silence with the shattering of glass. A group of servants frantically cleaned up the area while the guests heaved sighs of relief.

With the collapse of the champagne tower, the tense atmosphere was finally broken.

Someone asked, "Third Uncle, was that the representative from Stronghold 178 just now?"

Yang Yu'an handed the champagne in his hand to a subordinate beside him. He was no longer in the mood to drink. "Yes, that's Xu Xianchu."

Everyone knew the main guest tonight was actually Xu Xianchu. The war in the Southwest was very intense, yet Stronghold 178 remained standing amid the fighting. It was as though they were not the least bit interested in the war happening in the Southwest.

But while they remained quiet, it did not mean others could disregard them.

As the older people knew, there was a group of ferocious beings hiding behind the walls of that fortress.

The other strongholds were all simply known as strongholds. Only Stronghold 178 was sometimes referred to as a fortress by people in private. It also seemed like it was the only stronghold that was qualified to be named as such.

When an all-out war arrived, that magnificent fortress would turn into a sophisticated war machine. With its gigantic and strong gears working together, it could destroy any targets that were a threat to the fortress.

Of course, a lot of people had not seen it for themselves. Stronghold 178's status in the Northwest had long become a thing of legends.

Therefore, compared to the Zong Consortium's Zong Cheng, Yang Yu'an was far more concerned about Stronghold 178's stance. But the problem now was that Stronghold 178's representative had left before the function could even begin.

"That young man called Ren Xiaosu, were you the one who invited him?" Someone asked, "What's his background, and why does that Xu Xianchu care so much about him?"

Yang Yu'an frowned. He knew from the intelligence reports that Ren Xiaosu had traveled alongside Xu Xianchu on an expedition to the Jing Mountains. But as Ren Xiaosu was just a refugee, he didn't think much of him. He only treated that young man as a refugee who had been accidentally embroiled in the situation.

But to his surprise, his niece had a different view of Ren Xiaosu, and even Xu Xianchu saw him as a good friend.

He must be a very important friend, a best friend he really wanted to see. Why else would Xu Xianchu leave such an important gala just to go and meet him?

However, Yang Yu'an did not say anything else. He smiled at the guests and said, "There's been a small incident at the function, but I hope this matter will not affect everyone's mood. Please continue to enjoy yourselves here." His words meant he did not want to continue talking about the matter.

The guests were very understanding. After all, everyone worked for the Yang Consortium, and Yang Yu'an was now the second most important person of the entire Yang Consortium. As such, no one would want to set themselves against him for the sake of some gossip.

However, after tonight, Ren Xiaosu's name would probably become widespread. Some people would even add their own narratives of what happened here and make the story even more bizarre than it really was.

Yang Yu'an looked at Zong Cheng beside him and said, "I was planning on introducing you to Xiaojin tonight, but unfortunately, she left with her friend first. I think she must have something important to attend to. However, there's no need to rush things. After all, you two will be heading northwest next week. There will be more opportunities for you to get to know her."

Zong Cheng had good facial features with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes and exuded a strong aura from head to toe. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, Uncle Yang. I'll get along great with Xiaojin."

…

When Ren Xiaosu returned to his residence at night, he saw Xu Xianchu standing at the doorstep like he was waiting for something. Ren Xiaosu understood the moment he saw Xu Xianchu here. So the representative sent by Stronghold 178 to the Yang Consortium was him!

When Xu Xianchu saw Ren Xiaosu, he got excited. He raised his arm and waved. "Xiaosu! Xiaosu!"

Ren Xiaosu smiled. "Why didn't you go in and have a seat? How did you find out where I'm living?"

"I actually chased after you from the gala but couldn't catch up, so I had no choice but to go back and ask for where you lived before I could make my way here," Xu Xianchu said and smiled.

"Go on, come in and have a seat." Ren Xiaosu pulled Xu Xianchu into the house. For some reason, Ren Xiaosu felt a sense of familiarity for Xu Xianchu. Perhaps the way he treated others sincerely could be sensed, so no one would want to reject such a friendship. Thinking of this, Ren Xiaosu made up his mind to not let Xu Xianchu take the blame for himself anymore in the future.

Ren Xiaosu asked, "So you went to Stronghold 178? How are you doing there?"

"I still have to thank you for the recommendation letter," Xu Xianchu said while he sat on a stone bench in the yard. Xiaoyu brought a cup of tea over to him. Xu Xianchu smiled at Xiaoyu and said, "Thank you."

Curious, Ren Xiaosu asked, "Did you get to meet Zhang Jinglin?"

"Only you would directly address him by name." Xu Xianchu was amused. "We all call him Commander Zhang."

"Oh." Ren Xiaosu nodded. It seemed like Zhang Jinglin really called the shots at Stronghold 178. He asked again, "What did he say after he saw the letter?"

"Nothing much." Xu Xianchu said, "After he found out that I'm a supernatural being, he assigned me an entry-level role at the lowest level so that I could get to know the other brothers. Then he realized I was quite capable and quickly promoted me."

"What's Stronghold 178 like?" This was one of the questions Ren Xiaosu most wanted answered.

"The people there are all very talented. I really get along with them, so I really like it there." Xu Xianchu chuckled and said, "Oh yes, Xiaosu, why don't you go to Stronghold 178? Commander Zhang has been asking about you a lot."

"If there's a chance in the future, we might go and see what's there," Ren Xiaosu said.

Then a voice floated over the wall. "Xiaosu, ask him if he's here to form an alliance with the Yang Consortium to attack our Qing Consortium."

Ren Xiaosu was startled for a moment. That was clearly Luo Lan's fucking voice.

Both Xu Xianchu and he turned their heads to have a look and were greeted by Luo Lan's large head slowly rising up from behind the wall. It was a really weird sight to behold.

Xu Xianchu was taken aback. He knew Luo Lan too well. "Xiaosu, why are you and him neighbors?"

"Ignore him. He was placed under house arrest here, but I'm not," Ren Xiaosu said.

"Hey, Xiaosu, ask him for me," Luo Lan said anxiously.

But before Ren Xiaosu could respond, Xu Xianchu answered first. "I'm not here to form an alliance with the Yang Consortium. Our Stronghold 178 does not form alliances with any organizations."

Luo Lan let out a sigh of relief. "That's good! Back then, I personally sent Zhang Jinglin away, so don't forget the friendship!"

Ren Xiaosu thought to himself about how shameless Fatty Luo was. Earlier in the evening, he said that he had tried to persuade Qing Zhen to kill Zhang Jingling.

Ren Xiaosu looked at Xu Xianchu. "Then why are you here at Stronghold 88?"

"I'm just here to discuss bandit extermination in collaboration with the Yang and Zong clans. Commander Zhang wants to open up the trade routes again."