If it were true, then the man called Ying Shen before them was the most talented contestant Li Zhonglou had encountered since arriving in Shangjing!
"And judging by the reactions of others, it's at most admiration. Do they not know the value of this, or..."
A guess suddenly popped into Li Zhonglou's mind.
However, there was no opportunity for him to verify it now, and everyone's attention had completely returned to the main topic after Wu Ying appeared.
Li Zhonglou had originally intended to take this opportunity to build relationships with these future successors of Shangjing, but after Xiao Cheng's disruption, that chance was gone.
Who would associate with an outsider they didn't know and who had already offended someone present?
So Li Zhonglou simply gave up. This path being blocked didn't mean he wouldn't be able to move forward in Shangjing in the future.
These people were still young, and it would likely be many years before they truly took over their industries, anywhere from three to five years at the shortest, or perhaps ten to twenty years at the longest. He didn't have that kind of time to wait for them to grow up!
Therefore, in Li Zhonglou's opinion, the people he truly needed to seize opportunities to befriend were not these youngsters, but their elders.
"Let's just consider this a chance to relax."
When he stopped focusing on vigilance, he quickly discovered that the wine and snacks provided here were genuinely good!
As for the scene inside, since Wu Ying's arrival, people were either gathered around him or had found their own circles to converse in. Mu Qi also found her girlfriends.
She was only a few meters away from Li Zhonglou.
"Qiqi, this guy is quite responsible. If only his background were a little better, and he wasn't too much older than you."
Mu Qi's fair cheeks immediately flushed, and she lightly patted An An's arm as she spoke, "What are you saying? Brother Li is already married."
"What?"
The two girls were greatly surprised, after which one showed regret, while the other's eyes showed even more admiration.
"Qiqi, then you've missed out. Marrying a man like this would absolutely bring good fortune to his wife!"
As soon as Si Si said this, her boyfriend beside her coughed unnaturally.
Si Si immediately glared at him, "What, do you have a different opinion?"
The man quickly waved his hands, "Not at all, I completely agree!"
An An covered her mouth and smiled, then said to Mu Qi, "Qiqi, this person seems really honest. After we leave, I think you should still look out for him. What if Young Master Xiao and the others..."
Mu Qi said seriously, "Yes, I have that intention too."
After speaking, Mu Qi sighed again, "Alas, it was all my impulsiveness. I wish I hadn't come."
An An's boyfriend smiled and said, "That's not necessarily true. This gathering is different from usual. Not to mention the increased benefits, the rankings and titles are not just for show."
Li Zhonglou, who was eating, froze and immediately perked up his ears.
Mu Qi didn't know about this either, and couldn't help but ask, "What increased? I've heard a little, but I didn't inquire in detail."
The man explained, "The total amount of resources has increased by thirty percent compared to before, and it's not evenly distributed. Those who want to slack off this time will likely go back empty-handed."
"As for the rankings and titles, that's the real focus."
A sharp glint flashed in the man's eyes, and for a moment, everyone's attention was drawn to him.
This news, let alone Mu Qi, even they hadn't heard of it.
"Hua Shuyuan qualification, three spots!"
"What?"
All four were greatly shocked, while Li Zhonglou was full of confusion.
Hua Shuyuan? What kind of place is that?
From the tone of their voices, it was not difficult to discern its uniqueness, but the others did not elaborate further.
"No wonder even Ying Shen came! He was a busy man before. He only attended one banquet out of several, and it's for Hua Shuyuan spots!"
"We don't need to think about these spots; those guys are not enough to go around. But I heard that besides Hua Shuyuan, some older institutions have also relaxed their restrictions. We can compete for those."
The few immediately became interested and started talking about the older institutions. Li Zhonglou, of course, listened with a bewildered expression, only vaguely understanding that they were talking about some old powers in Shangjing.
So old that he had never even heard of them.
Due to the limited time, as more people arrived, the banquet officially began with the appearance of a host in a suit.
Mu Qi also returned to Li Zhonglou's side and whispered, "This is our Master Jin, Uncle Quan. Don't be fooled by the fact that he's just the host; I heard his strength ranks among the best in Shangjing."
Actually, without her saying it, the moment the man appeared, Li Zhonglou had sensed his unusualness.
The aura emanating from him was even stronger than Wu Ying's!
He might even be a sixth-level expert!
It was a pity that due to the lack of soul fusion, Li Zhonglou could currently only sense experts whose strength was weaker than his own, just like with Wu Ying.
Uncle Quan was not young, at least over fifty, but he was full of vigor. He walked directly to the center of the venue and, without using his internal energy, his voice clearly reached everyone's ears.
"Welcome everyone to the thirty-sixth Future Exchange Conference. Regarding the adjustments this time, although you should have all received the news, I must reiterate it."
As the man spoke, everyone immediately quieted down, their gazes focused entirely on Uncle Quan.
To Li Zhonglou's surprise, a staircase suddenly rose from beneath Uncle Quan's feet, slowly lifting him into the air.
Not just the part beneath his feet!
Only then did Li Zhonglou understand why no one was standing in the central area. A space the size of half a basketball court was now slowly ascending, like a stage for a singing concert.
Well, calling it a singing concert was a bit of an understatement, as any floor tile here could be worth the entire venue fee of those places outside!
When the stairs stopped at about 1.5 meters high, Uncle Quan continued, "First, the ranking battles below the realm. We will adopt a point system, divided into three rounds."
"The first round is the domain challenge. We will have dedicated personnel to assess this. There are no project limits, but we hope they are not too niche skills. I believe you have all received this information beforehand, so I will not elaborate further."
"The second round is company development. Anyone who can prove normal development without the influence of external forces can participate. The score will be a comprehensive reference to the scale and time of development."
"The third round is the final exam, and it is also the round that accounts for the most points. This is based on individual overall strength."
Uncle Quan chuckled lightly at this point.
"Actually, the rules below the realm have not changed much, only the addition of the first round. However, the rewards are more generous than ever before. I hope you will all take it seriously."
Just then, a young man suddenly shouted, "Uncle Quan, aren't you going to talk about the benefits?"