"Who's looking for my son?" Lin Shoucheng asked as he stood up.
Internally, he once again went through the calculations, confirming that all the relatives who should be present were indeed there, without any omissions. Could it be that some relative had a spontaneous idea and came without informing them in advance? Lin Shoucheng couldn't help but be suspicious.
"It's Mr. Chu," the staff member said, letting out a sigh of relief.
There was no choice; Chu Corporation and Star Hotel had a long-standing collaboration. The founder of Chu Corporation personally coming and saying he wanted to find Mr. Lin Yuan had startled her.
Fortunately, the person was indeed here.
"Mr. Chu?" The crowd at the family banquet was slightly stunned.
Surname Chu? They weren't part of the Lin family?
As everyone was silently discussing this, a bearded man, accompanied by a young man of seventeen or eighteen, walked in.
Although the bearded man's attire was ordinary, the demeanor he exuded casually was not something an ordinary person could match. It resembled those in power and authority.
"Is he, is he the founder of Chu Corporation?"
Someone in the crowd seemed to recall something, couldn't help but exclaim.
In the interstellar era, with advanced networking, photos of citizens with even a bit of fame were circulated. Chu Corporation, being among the top fifty enterprises in the whole Dongning City, naturally had great fame. Even if the founder tried to keep a low profile, it was impossible for no one to recognize him.
"The founder of Chu Corporation?"
"My goodness! This is a big figure in our Dongning City."
"It's said that Chu Corporation's assets are tens of billions, and the founder is a well-known tycoon in several nearby cities."
"Such a big shot is here to find Lin Yuan?"
People at the banquet started discussing, and some even connected to the network immediately, comparing the bearded man in front of them with the photos online.
Lin Jiye rushed over, full of excitement, and stood in front of the bearded man. "We met six years ago. At that time, the land in the suburbs was still purchased by your group."
"Yeah," the bearded man responded indifferently.
In reality, he didn't remember Lin Jiye at all.
"Is Secretary Lin here too?"
The bearded man swept his gaze around and, seeing Lin Hao sitting in the main seat, nodded slightly as a greeting.
Then, he pulled the seventeen or eighteen-year-old young man, Chu Shiyu, who was behind him, to quickly walk in front of Lin Yuan.
"Mr. Lin, my junior here acted rashly. I hope you won't hold it against him."
The bearded man presented himself in a very humble posture, without the airs of an elder.
Lin Yuan glanced at Chu Shiyu, who was standing awkwardly beside him, recalling the recent encounter in the coffee shop. He shook his head and said, "How did you find this place?"
"I originally planned to bring Shiyu to visit Mr. Lin's home in person today. However, after we went there, we heard from others that Mr. Lin and his family were hosting a family banquet at Star Hotel, so we followed over."
The bearded man explained truthfully.
Lin Yuan nodded slightly. The family banquet organized by his father, Lin Shouye, was not a secret. Most neighbors in the community knew about it; at least six or seven out of ten were aware.
"This is a little token of my congratulations for Mr. Lin becoming an Evolver."
The bearded man handed over an envelope with a touch of respect.
His reverence wasn't for Lin Yuan's status as an Evolver—Evolvers were rare but not unheard of, and even Chu Corporation, the bearded man's group, employed a group of them. The bearded man's true apprehension stemmed from the favoritism the Goddess of Wisdom showed towards Lin Yuan. Even searching for related information could trigger warnings from the goddess.
It was common knowledge that Lin Yuan was extraordinary. Other people searching for a business founder like him would not receive any warnings.
"Understood," Lin Yuan said nonchalantly.
He hadn't taken the incident at the coffee shop to heart; in fact, nothing significant had happened. What Lin Yuan didn't know was the impact his conversation with the bearded man had in the eyes of the relatives present.
Originally, upon recognizing the bearded man's identity, some people suspected that they might have found the wrong person. Perhaps the 'Mr. Lin Yuan' the bearded man was looking for was simply someone with the same name as Lin Shouye's son.
However, when the bearded man walked up to Lin Yuan, and the two engaged in a conversation, everyone realized there was no misunderstanding. The founder of Chu Corporation was indeed seeking Lin Yuan.
Lin Jiye's expression changed, vacillating between light and shadow. Moments ago, he had planned to give Lin Yuan an opportunity to work for him, even offering a monthly salary of twenty thousand. However, now, the founder of Chu Corporation, who was once someone Lin Jiye could only look up to, stood before Lin Yuan in a humble posture.
Sitting at the main seat, Lin Hao fell into contemplation. In the eyes of others, the bearded man was a big shot. However, for Lin Hao, he was just a businessman, a bigger one perhaps. What astonished Lin Hao was that, no matter how well-off the bearded man was, how could he speak to Lin Yuan in such a manner?
The private room door was knocked again.
"Is this Mr. Lin Yuan's room?"
A strong and resonant voice echoed.
Again, someone coming to find Lin Yuan? With the example of the bearded man, no one dared to underestimate it. Lin Shouye personally went forward to open the door, and in the sight of everyone, a man with a straight posture entered the room. Behind him was a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth, none other than Huo Qingyao.
"Who is this person?"
People at the family banquet began connecting to the network but found no relevant information.
"This shouldn't be a big shot, right?"
Everyone felt a slight relief.
The stimulus from the bearded man had made everyone uneasy, thinking Lin Yuan had some formidable identity. Now, it seemed they had overthought it, and the bearded man's attitude towards Lin Yuan might have been a coincidence.
Just when everyone was putting down the anxiety they held, Lin Hao, who had been sitting in the main seat and even had to bow his head to greet the bearded man, suddenly stood up.
Lin Hao's voice carried a hint of disbelief.
Military district information was usually kept confidential, and ordinary people without certain permissions couldn't easily find it on the network. However, Lin Hao was different. As the secretary of the bureau, his authority was much greater, and he had access to more information.
Huo Yanming glanced at Lin Hao and nodded in acknowledgment. Then he stepped aside, making way for another figure to gracefully walk in.
If seeing Huo Yanming had shocked Lin Hao, then seeing the person behind Huo Yanming made Lin Hao's scalp tingle.
Chairman of the Evolver Association in Dongning City.
A second-tier citizen, in terms of identity and status, he could easily rank in the top five in Dongning City.
Such a significant figure, even Lin Hao's boss, the director, would greet him cautiously if they met.
"President Liao is also here to find Little Yuan?"
An unthinkable thought suddenly flashed through Lin Hao's mind.