June. Ti City officially entered winter.
The northwest monsoon brought with it a humid and cold airflow. When the cold wind hit one's face, it seemed to carry the earthy smell of the Old Continent's highlands.
So much so that it became one of the main themes of tonight's banquet.
Kawahara Machiko came to this conclusion when she wandered around the banquet hall of the castle.
Of course, this was just an illusion.
Separated by tens of thousands of kilometers, the northern and southern hemispheres were reversed. Even if the elements of nature had a subtle flow and exchange, it was impossible for these ordinary people to sense it. It was actually just a group of brothers in distress bragging with lingering fear and excitement after narrowly escaping death.
Even though nearly a month had passed, strictly speaking, it was three weeks.
The timing was just right.
Time had quietly beautified the memories of the people who had experienced it, washing away their embarrassment and fear. With a relatively peaceful ending, the legendary nature of the process had provided them with a lot of things to talk about, so they did not reject it, and were even willing to discuss the seemingly vivid personal experience. They even gave each other the "friend in distress" stickers and medals, so many of the repulsive faces looked cute at this time.
Yes, perhaps a considerable portion of them were just pretending for her to see.
After all, the true theme of this banquet was the official establishment of the Luo Nan and His Friends Foundation, the banquet held for the foundation's benefactors.
The most dazzling figures at the banquet were not the largest individual benefactors, the honorary chairman of the foundation, or the well-known wealthy people of Ti City …. Ah, it was Mr. Lang Li. It was also not the sole director of Quantum Corporation, Mr. Mou Zhengye. It was definitely not the so-called social celebrities of Ti City.
The only ones who could truly be called stars were the major shareholder of the Castle Financial Group, the representative of the chairman, Mrs. Halder, Ms. Yin Le, and Kawahara Machiko herself.
The Castle Financial Group was considered to be of medium scale in the business world. It might not even rank in the top five in Ti City, let alone the entire world. But this kind of ranking was meaningless … … Mrs. Halder could still say she didn't come at the banquet where the world's rich and powerful gathered. She could only send a representative to make up the numbers, and she was still the core of the entire banquet.
All of this could only be because Mrs. Halder was Mr. Luo Nan's trusted aide, and Ms. Yin Le was the person in charge of the foundation arranged by Luo Nan himself.
It was the same for Machiko Kawahara.
Otherwise, there was no way to explain how a regular bandit who had just jumped ship from Toyama Auction House could talk and laugh with these billionaires around him, accept their compliments, and influence their emotions … At the same time, he could also bear the evil thoughts deep in their hearts.
Machiko Kawahara still clearly remembered Jun Kiguchi's greedy, ugly, and filthy expression on the Jade Light a month ago. Whether it was Bancheng, Dicheng, or other places, as long as they were in this circle, there was not much difference.
Just like right now. Everyone was chatting and laughing together. They were reminiscing about their friendship from their one-way trip to the highlands. They were flattering Mr. Luo Nan for his compassion for the future development of humanity. But heaven knew what sort of inferior stories these surrounding men and women would come up with in their hearts. They would invite her, or perhaps she and Luo Nan to play the leading roles together.
But so what?
Kawahara Machiko enjoyed all of this. She was like a fish in water in this banquet full of malice and calculation.
This was the scene she had always pursued. For this reason, she gave up so-called love and marriage, but she never got tired of it. Even though she was always wandering halfway up the mountain …. But right now, she was standing at the peak, close to the peak.
The price she had to pay …. What did she pay?
Compared to the hidden malice in the surroundings that could engulf her at any time, this doubt and bewilderment might be the source of the occasional bewilderment that leaped out from the bottom of her heart.
She knew that perhaps in this lifetime, she would never be able to make such an inconceivable transaction again.
Even though this was very likely a transaction where she would enjoy first and pay later, and the subsequent price would be unbearable for her …. But up until now, with her mortal eyes, she was still far from reaching the end, right?
In this capitalistic society, how could she be a businessman if she did not have this awareness?
Besides, she was indeed willing to pay any price for this current glory.
Kawahara Machiko's smile grew more and more brilliant.
At this time, the bracelet on her wrist vibrated gently. She raised her hand to indicate and apologize to the people around her. She temporarily left the crowd and picked up the call. Her voice became particularly gentle.
"Zhiye, you called very early today."
"Yes, Mom. Did I disturb your work? "
Kawahara Machiko's only son, Kawahara Zhiye, grew up in a single-parent family. He grew up in the oppressive environment of the Kawahara Clan. Though he was still a preschool child, he was far more mature than most of his peers. He was also very sharp.
"It seems to be very chaotic over there. I'll call back later."
"No, it's fine. Zhiye."
Right now, Kawahara Machiko possessed the qualifications to be willful. She had already arrived at the lounge upstairs. She sat on the sofa and slightly relaxed her long tensed toes and ankles. "Mom is at a banquet. It's fine. Tell Mom. Did you have fun today? "
Kawahara Zhiye laughed. "It's the same here, Mom. Today is the birthday of Mr. Luo Yuandao, Mr. Luo Nan's grandfather. He's eighty years old! His whole family is here. "
Kawahara Machiko subconsciously straightened her body. "Mr. Luo Yuandao?"
Of course she knew about the old man who had a serious mental illness. With his physical condition, it would be difficult for him to hold such a grand celebration even if he was eighty years old …. Besides, she had not heard any rumors.
In other words, this was most likely just a family banquet.
Kawahara Machiko's heart thumped. "You're here. Did Mr. Luo Nan invite you?"
"It's not like that, Mom. Today is Sunday. Weiwu and I are going to Gym Master Xiu's place to do homework. We just happened to run into each other. "
"So that's how it is." Kawahara Machiko's mood rose and fell. A thin layer of sweat actually appeared on her body.
She then thought about the time difference between Di City and Xia City. It was already four o 'clock in the afternoon in Xia City. Banquets generally did not last until this time.
Clearly, Zhiye just happened to run into each other.
This was not bad ….
Just as she was thinking, Kawahara Zhiye lowered his voice. "Mom, I know a secret!"
Kawahara Machiko furrowed her brows. She did not respond, but Zhiye said, "I just heard that today is Mr. Luo Nan's birthday. But he doesn't seem to know."
"Is that so?" Kawahara Machiko's mind immediately popped up with public information related to Luo Nan.
She remembered that this person's birthday should be on the 16th of June. There was still a week to go …. She quickly searched the perpetual calendar. Yes, Luo Nan's birth date was the 16th of June, 1980. Using the traditional calendar of East Asia, it was the 29th day of the fourth lunar month. This year, it just so happened to be the 9th of June on the Gregorian calendar.
This matched up.
Kawahara Machiko considered another problem after solving this little doubt. Her tone became a lot more serious. "Zhiye, thank you for telling Mom these things. But I don't want you to do it again. "
"Huh?"
"Do you remember what Mom said to you? From the moment you came to Xia City, you should respect Mr. Luo Nan like you respect Mom. You should learn from him. You should ask him for advice …. You should be a qualified retainer. You should be loyal to Mr. Luo Nan and obtain his approval! Without Mr. Luo Nan's permission, you can't reveal his secrets and other information to anyone, including Mom. Even if it's just a small matter. "
The other side went silent.
Kawahara Machiko was actually a bit worried. She hadn't criticized her own son like this for a long time, especially now that they were separated by tens of thousands of miles. She didn't even have a video call. She felt very uncertain for a time.
Just as she was about to send a video call request, Zhiye Heyuan asked in an even softer voice.
"Mom, are you Mr. Luo Nan's mistress?"
"......"
Kawahara Machiko had once believed that she would never be troubled by such a question. To a certain extent, she even hoped that everyone else would think this way. She wanted to turn this matter into reality. Only then would she be able to consolidate her inexplicable position.
But at this very moment, when this question came out of her own son's mouth, her feelings were clearly not as simple as she imagined. She even subconsciously wanted to slap him, but Zhiye Heyuan wasn't in front of her. That empty slap seemed to hit her face in the end.
"Zhiye, why do you say this?"
Kawahara Machiko only realized that her voice was dull and hoarse when she spoke. It was like cracking porcelain. When it was struck again, it no longer had a clear echo.
"Is it in Xia City …."
"No. It's in Bancheng, Mom." Zhiye Heyuan's voice was still weak, but it was strangely steady and even calm.
"Many people have tried to tell me this matter, including Grandpa and Grandma. They've tried various methods and angles …. It seems that I really am your weakness, Mom."
"Zhiye!" Even though she knew that her son was far more mature than his peers, Kawahara Machiko didn't want to hear the result of his deliberations. She didn't want to hear it at all.
A second or two later, or perhaps even longer, Zhiye Heyuan spoke. His voice was a bit urgent. "Weiwu is calling me. Mom, don't worry …. Mr. Luo Nan is a very, very good person. Many people here are."
The next moment, Zhiye Heyuan used a very clear voice to respond. "Hey, I'm here. Wait for me!"
The call ended immediately.
Kawahara Machiko stared blankly at the bracelet on her wrist for a long time.
She almost thought that she would shed tears, even if they were just a few symbolic drops. But when she heard the sound of people outside the lounge, she reflexively straightened her back. The corners of her mouth curled up, revealing a beautiful, calm, and mysterious arc. It was as if everything was under her control.
In fact, she really did achieve perfect control.
Whether it was her external expression or her internal state of mind.
Even if there were some ups and downs, they all settled down in a sentence that was like an incantation. This was what Zhiye had said.
Mr. Luo Nan is a very, very good person.
Right? A six year old child could tell in two weeks.
Mr. Luo Nan is a very, very good person!
The door to the lounge opened, and the noise from the banquet hall began to flow once more.
Kawahara Machiko was like a mermaid. After a temporary rest, she immersed herself wholeheartedly into the turbulent flow of complicated interpersonal relationships. She was never tired of it!
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