Chapter 165 - Mask Men

"That..of course not." Xiong Wuyue smiled awkwardly.

"Little cousin must have resent me after the banquet. We've been parted for a long time. But I haven't visited you to play with you. I'm sorry, okay? This year is very busy for me since I have to take care of many things for our Xiong family." Xiong Wuyue was really worthy of being a white-greenish bitch. She knew what to say in a short moment of time.

Xiong Zhi was happy that Xiong Wuyue would like to play. She looked down to hide her smirk and made her cool voice sad. Which was not very hard to do.

"Is that so? Older cousin is very busy that she even forgot to visit me and grandfather. To the point of forgetting giving respect to grandfather even by once a month. For sure, grandfather did not take offense, right? Since older sister is working hard for the family."

The brows of the people in the table twitched.

It was a fight of words. 

However, even though Old Xiong knew that his two granddaughters were fighting with words he could not help but think deeply about Xiong Zhi's words. Since all of this was true.

"Well, I'll forgive you since you are working hard for the family. You are from the second branch after all. The first branch will expect a lot from you." Xiong Zhi said this with a cheerful voice. Like she really meant what she said.

Xiong Wuyue gripped her fork tightly. Xiong Zhi's words cut her like knives. Wuyue hates the words 'Second branch' the most. Xiong Zhi was shoving to her face what Wuyue's place was.

But what Xiong Wuyue truly hate was she could not even retort. All she could do was to be patient and hide her feelings.

"G-glad to hear that. I will live up to our family's expectations." 

Hearing the slight shake of Xiong Wuyue's voice made Xiong Zhi truly happy. She smiled her genuine smile and pick up her fork. It's too bad she could not go all out. Not with the two Master of the household was here on the same table. If Xiong Zhi pushed Xiong Wuyue to her limit more it would look like she would be one who started all things, she would look unreasonable. Xiong Zhi wants Wuyue to think of today every time they meet. Until the anger piled up in her heart and exploded all at once. Xiong Zhi looks forward to that day.

Finally, the five people on the table have a peaceful dinner.

***

"150 million!" 

"150 million going once! Going twice! Sold!" 

The second dress called 'Pearl of the White Sea' was sold to one of the VIP from South America.

It was a big jump from the starting price of 5 million to 150 million. The reason why the second dress was thirty times from its original price because of the battle between the two VIPs. 

The owner of the biggest bank in Britain and known as the lord of the underground in middle-east, Ifel Abromich was fighting over with the representative from the South. In the end, Eitan, his son, the one who was holding the plaque give up after he just raised the price from 100 million turned into 150 million by the masked man from the south.

Eitan gives up since his budget for the gift for the girls would be a maximum of 100 million. And he had tens of girlfriends. So he gives up for this dress. He chose to bid for one of the dresses in the third batch.

There was a short break for the guests. Some famous singers went up to the stage and sang one of the classical songs.

Xiong Zhi left the table since she wants to avoid Gao Huan who was not giving up trying to talk to her. The two Master of the table was busy talking to the people who approached their tables. Gao Huan got a lot of people to handle too.

Xiong Zhi starts to contact her targets.

On the left of Old Xiong's table, Lu Yin Ze who kept watching his two table mates stand up. It was because the younger one left the table and went to the back. The older one whom Lu Yin Ze find scary left the table too and went to the smoking area.

Lu Yin Ze chose to follow the younger one. He glanced at his grandfather who had a flock of people talking to him.

Before he went to the back.

Xiong Zhi was happily humming in the hallway. There were some couples and some people who strike to talk privately were scattered in the hallway. She could see some people in the balcony, some hiding in the curtain, and some were just in the corner. But all of them were serious about creating more connections.

She had just talked to one of the people that her aunt Xiong Mai introduced. 

She also introduced Fang Dien to the person. Fang Dien would handle the things on his own. If only Fang Dien approached their target, that target would not take Fang Dien seriously. But if a Xiong approached them first, they would be prioritized. That's why Xiong Zhi was moving personally. 

While she was thinking of those matters a man suddenly comes out from the corner. 

They almost crashed into each other. But the man was quick and moved aside. Xiong Zhi who was startled got tripped by her own heels and fall forward towards the man.

The man clearly saw this and move a step backward. He did not even get a hand to the falling Xiong Zhi. Who was about to fall in empty air.

It's good that Xiong Zhi did not completely fall. She could still balance her self halfway. When she could stand up properly she looked sharply at the wicked man who startled her and avoided her when she was about to fall.

Any man with manners would help a girl by at least catching them.

But it still works fine for her since she hated touching with another man beside Linfeng.

The masked man bowed to her slightly.

"Sorry. You just popped out of nowhere."

The man's voice was cold and empty. 

Xiong Zhi scoffed at his words. 

"You're the one who popped out of nowhere. " She could not control her words that immediately replied to the masked man.

She remembered this man. The half gold and half black mask man. He was the plus one of the man with a code 'XLX'.

Xiong Zhi knew these people has a great network that might be rivaled with the legendary family. Or, a lord of the underworld. Even she was a Xiong, she doesn't really hold the real power. So whatever interaction with these men was not good.

So she turned around and left the man.

"Wait." The cold voice sounded behind her.

Xiong Zhi stopped. However, she did not look back. She was just waiting for what he will say.

The man walked to her while talking, 

"I saw you in the VIP area. Your table is beside us, right? Since we are going in the same way, let's go together."

The man was now beside her and looked at her. He was tall and lean. He might be taller than Linfeng. His dark hair and dark eyes have the same color. Black. Like the left part of his mask.

Xiong Zhi frowned at this man. For some reason, she finds him familiar.

"Xiong Zhi! " a frantic voice sounded in the hallway. Lu Yin Ze who keeps following the masked man runs to Xiong Zhi and pulls her to his side. Xiong Zhi's frowned deepened more when Lu Yin Ze hides her in his back.

Lu Yin Ze looked at the tall man with a guarding gaze. His eyes were warning the masked man to not come closer. Then he turned to Xiong Zhi with worried eyes.

Lu Yin Ze doesn't know why. But he felt that those two men were dangerous. They giving the aura he felt when he last saw his father and brother years ago.

"Let's go together." 

Xiong Zhi nodded. She was about to reject the mask man offer by the way. Since Lu Yin Ze was here, she could not reject him like the man since they were friends.

Lu Yin Ze then gently hold Xiong Zhi's hand. And walked forward leaving the masked man who just stayed and quietly watching them.

When the two were gone in the mask man's eyes, the man let out a single laugh.

"Ha." His white teeth were splendid against his red lips.

'It looks like that punk has grown to like someone.'

The masked man for the first time saw that gaze. The warning gaze from his little brother. It took him by surprise because of that gaze. He thought he would never have a chance to see that.

But then his amuse expression returned to his original detached and cold face.

"Have you settled it?" A cold voice that was colder than his, sounded behind his back. The masked man turned around and saw a man with the same mask as him.

"Yes, Father. They have no choice but to agree."

The man in front of him smiled. Even he mostly felt empty and cold it still brought chills to his spine. That smile was so evil.

"Good job. Now, let's go back to our 'dear' family."

The masked man, Lu Jin, lead the way. 

His eyes were cold and sharp. However, within them, there was something else.