As the light flickered on, Xia Qingtian immediately scrambled onto the stage, looking out from her high vantage point. Her eyes landed on the man in the white suit, who was moving against the panicked crowd, clearly trying to leave.
She immediately called for someone to pursue the man, reasoning that if nothing was amiss, he was either the assassin or an accomplice.
"Damn it!" The man, realizing he had been exposed, could only curse under his breath.
"Take me hostage, and perhaps you'll still have a chance of survival." The woman's voice remained languid, her beautiful eyes cunning and bright.
Without a moment's hesitation, the man grabbed the woman's arm and pulled her in front of him, holding her hostage. He warned the bodyguards closing in on him from both sides, "Stay back! Or I'll kill her!"
However, less than three seconds later, the man heard the woman let out a short laugh. "No wonder you failed."
"What?" Before the man could react, he felt a sharp pain in his foot as the woman's heel stomped down hard on his instep.
He instinctively doubled over in pain.
The woman landed an elbow strike directly to his face, then raised her hand and grabbed his neck, forcefully pushing him against the marble pillar he had been leaning on earlier.
"You!" The man stared at the woman before him in disbelief.
"You have no more value." The woman's index finger traced the man's jawline. Using leverage, she nudged a tooth on his lower jaw, dislocating it and crushing the poison pill he had hidden there.
The venom instantly filled his mouth. The man's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the beautiful woman before him.
"Oh dear, he seems to have committed suicide!" After resetting his jaw, the woman's demeanor changed as if she had become a different person. She retreated several steps.
The pursuers from both sides surged forward. The man watched it all unfold, his eyes wide, before ultimately dying with blood flowing from all seven orifices.
Amidst the crowd, Yue Chengfeng rushed over, anxiously pulling the woman into his embrace. He whispered, "Zixuan, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Yu Zixuan shook her head. Her gaze fell upon the corpse, and she seemed pained. "I didn't know he would commit suicide, I..."
"It's alright, Zixuan, it's not your fault," Yue Chengfeng soothed Yu Zixuan, comforting her.
"Chengfeng, I'll have someone handle this area. You take Zixuan to rest first," Yue Chengfeng said, his brow furrowed.
"Yes, Elder Brother. Thank you for your hard work," Yue Chengfeng replied before supporting Yu Zixuan and walking away.
After the body was carefully removed and guarded, the police were called, and the guests were ushered to the auxiliary hall. The Yue family then proceeded with the rest of the birthday banquet.
The Yue family patriarch, who had been invited back onto the stage in the auxiliary hall, offered a brief opening remark before stating, "I believe everyone is aware that seventy percent of Yue's Jewelry's raw materials each year come from our own sources, including those harvested by our fishing boats and from our mines."
"Years ago, a friend transferred a small mine to me due to financial difficulties. In recent years, it has yielded no good gemstone raw materials, and several times our Yue's expert appraisal team has declared it a barren mine, even considering abandoning further extraction."
"It wasn't until the advent of the nation's new energy sector that I once again had the special ore extracted from this barren mine appraised. Only then did I discover that while this ore cannot be polished into jewelry sold by Yue's, it can be refined into a raw material used for new energy."
Upon hearing the Yue family patriarch speak, everyone gasped in disbelief and looked at him.
Who didn't know that new energy was the undisputed password to wealth? Anyone connected to this technology was on the fast track to fortune!
The Xia Corporation, which had the good fortune to collaborate with Gu Corporation earlier, had already seen its market value double and was still on the rise.
Now, Yue's directly owned an entire mine for new energy raw materials!
The wealth and opportunities symbolized by this were beyond anyone's wildest dreams!
"I have also verified this point with Mr. Gu," the Yue family patriarch continued. "With Mr. Gu's further confirmation, I am also confident that he can effectively utilize this mine for further research and experiments. I am also honored to announce here today..."
Scanning the excited crowd, the Yue family patriarch's gaze settled on Xia Qingtian. "From today onwards, the ownership of this mine will be transferred to my granddaughter – Xia Qingtian."
"What?"
"Huh?"
The crowd became restless upon hearing this, turning their heads in unison towards Xia Qingtian, who was equally stunned. "Huh?"
At the same time, a "beep" sound echoed in Xia Qingtian's mind.
[Chosen One System activated.
Congratulations, Host, on completing the mission. The previous mine reward has been issued!
Congratulations again, Host, on completing the mission, organizing the assassination and protecting the Yue family patriarch. Reward: seventy percent reduction in the difficulty of pushing forward the new energy project, and a bottle of Universal Toxin Dispersion Powder.
Please check your rewards promptly, aiyoh~]
The system sounded even more excited than Xia Qingtian, who had just received the mine, even using its electronic voice to act cute!
After hearing the system's report, Xia Qingtian finally came to her senses. She looked dazedly at the Yue family patriarch, her emotions complicated.
"I'm not satisfied!" a sharp female voice exclaimed. "Why her!"
Hearing this voice, Xia Qingtian recognized it as belonging to one of the individuals from the mother-son conversation she had overheard in the corridor earlier.
"This mine is Yue family property! It's private property of Yue's. Even if there are subsequent profits, they should be divided equally, with Yue's interests taking priority! Why her!" Yue Lan was extremely agitated.
She knew this Yue family patriarch was unfit to lead the entire Yue family. His favoritism was exactly like the previous patriarch's!
If her father were the patriarch, they wouldn't be facing this situation!
It was the previous patriarch's excessive favoritism that had created this predicament!
"Yes, Patriarch, it's not good to just give the mine away like this. If it were any other mine, fine... but this one..." While other collateral Yue family members weren't as emotionally charged as Yue Lan, they were also extremely reluctant.
That was a mine built with countless hard-earned cash, that was money!
Why was it being given away so easily!
If it remained in the hands of the Yue family, it was Yue family money, and even if they couldn't get the meat, they could still get some broth.
But what was the meaning of giving it to Xia Qingtian just like that?
"This mine is not Yue family property, nor Yue's property. When I proposed acquiring this mine under the name of Yue's years ago, I was met with strong opposition from the board of directors." The Yue family patriarch's tone was calm. "Precisely to give the board an explanation, I acquired the mine with my personal funds, helping my old friend."
"Furthermore, as the board was concerned about this mine adding debt risk to Yue's, after the first mineral appraisal, they required me to sign a non-related contract, stating that the mining costs and debts associated with this mine would be my personal responsibility."
"Th-then, that was because the board members were short-sighted! If it were my father..." Yue Lan was interrupted by the Yue family patriarch before she could finish.
"It was precisely at your father's strong insistence that I signed the non-related contract, and this mine was then divided into my private name. You can consult your father about this, or ask other board members."
"What..." Yue Lan was suddenly stunned. How could this be?