Wu Bing wore a sleek black evening dress—elegant and minimalist, with no excessive decoration. It accentuated her graceful figure and pale complexion, making her a textbook beauty.
She sat alone in the corner of the banquet hall, nursing a glass of orange juice and watching the crowd mingle with laughter and handshakes.
If it weren't for her uncle insisting she attend, she wouldn't have come. These business networking events, full of smiling people with the scent of copper on their breath, felt repulsive to her.
When Wu Hequan approached with a young man beside him, Wu Bing stood up out of respect.
"Uncle," she greeted calmly, giving Chen Mo no more than a passing glance.
Her father had left before she was born, and her mother passed when she was only seven. Since then, Wu Hequan had raised her as a daughter. Her respect and attachment to him ran deep.
"I want to introduce someone to you," Wu Hequan said with a smile. "This is my niece, Wu Bing. She just returned to China not long ago. Doctorate in medicine and biology from Oxford. She's about to join the Academy of Engineering—set to become its youngest female academician."
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow. Why is he introducing her to me?
"Hello, I'm Chen Mo," he said politely, offering a handshake.
Wu Bing's expression remained cool. Still, she reached out briefly before retracting her hand quickly.
"Say hello properly and have a chat with Mr. Chen," Wu Hequan added in a low voice to Wu Bing. Then, turning back to Chen Mo with a twinkle in his eye, he said, "You young people probably have a lot to talk about. I'll go find some of my old colleagues."
As the older man walked away, the silence between the two younger ones became awkward.
"You probably know what my uncle is trying to do," Wu Bing said coldly, eyes narrowed. "I don't like rich second generations."
Chen Mo almost choked on a laugh but managed to suppress it. Rich second generation? I wish it were that easy.
"How long have you been back in China?" he asked with a wry smile. "It's been a while since someone labeled me like that."
"If you're thinking about trying to chase me, you can save yourself the trouble. I'm not interested," she added bluntly.
Chen Mo blinked, then rubbed his nose with a chuckle. "Well, I think we've had a bit of a misunderstanding. My apologies."
He calmly picked up a glass of juice and sat on the nearby sofa. She might be pretty, but her personality's a little too frosty. A brief introduction and some polite chatting should've been enough. That said... I guess being proud is understandable. Double PhD from a top-tier university? She has every right to hold her head high.
They didn't speak again. Chen Mo was content to let the silence settle. Unfortunately, fate had other ideas.
"Mr. Chen—what a coincidence."
A sultry voice drifted over.
The woman wore a deep wine-red evening gown that clung to her curves like water. Her fox-like eyes shimmered, red lips curved in a teasing smile. A sapphire necklace sparkled at her throat, framing her slender swan-like neck. To Chen Mo, one word flashed in his mind: stunner.
He turned to glance at her and offered a courteous nod.
"Yan Ruyu," she introduced herself. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Chen."
She sat beside him, her posture leaning subtly toward him. From Chen Mo's angle, he could clearly see the plunging neckline and... the dramatic landscape below it.
"You're here alone? Must be dull. Why not chat with me for a bit?" she said, voice soft and magnetic.
Wu Bing, who'd been watching, gave Chen Mo a cold side-eye, snorted softly, and stood up.
"Uncle, I'm going home," she said as she approached Wu Hequan.
"What? Why not stay and talk with Chen Mo a little longer?" Wu Hequan asked, clearly puzzled.
"It's not appropriate," Wu Bing replied, her tone crisp. "And uncle, please don't try introducing me to anyone again. When I'm ready, I'll find someone on my own."
"Chen Mo's a fine young man. I had to muster some courage to create this opportunity for you. You're not young anymore. Don't you want someone to take care of you?"
"I can take care of myself. You don't need to worry."
Wu Hequan sighed. He'd done his best. This niece of his—smart, capable, but too distant and cold. Her stubborn independence gave him more headaches than pride at times.
"All right then, go on. Finish up your paper," he said with a helpless wave.
After that, his eyes naturally drifted toward Chen Mo.
Back at the sofa, Chen Mo offered Yan Ruyu a polite smile. "Excuse me. I need to use the restroom."
He stood and walked away.
That woman screamed socialite—a textbook "celebrity" of the upper class. His instincts told him to steer clear. And it wasn't just her. Several other women at the event had their eyes on him like lions spotting a deer on the savannah.
Better to move away before they start circling.
As he exited the lounge area, he ran into someone familiar.
"Chen Mo," said Yu Chengnan, waving him over. "Come sit with me."
Chen Mo welcomed the excuse.
"This year's crowd is even thicker than last time," Yu Chengnan remarked. "Feels like these events are getting more bloated than useful."
"Mm," Chen Mo murmured, noncommittal.
"At our level, it's all about relationships and resources. Some people spend half a month grinding for progress. Others? Just one sentence from the right person, and it's done. That's the power of connections.
"No matter how good your product is, you still need distribution channels and cooperation. The Internet doesn't replace networks. Collaboration is still king. Well, except for your company, of course."
Chen Mo smiled faintly. Marching Ant had indeed upended conventional thinking. Even Yu Chengnan wasn't quite sure how to handle it.
They chatted casually, with Yu occasionally cracking a joke or spilling bits of insider gossip. Chen Mo found himself learning more than he expected.
Elsewhere in the hall, people mingled freely—business tycoons, academics, foreign dignitaries—laughing and chatting in groups of three or five.
Ladies, dressed in elaborate gowns and expensive jewelry, drifted through the crowd like butterflies, smiling politely at the most eligible bachelors in attendance.
Occasionally, a few of them would glance at Chen Mo, whisper something to each other, then giggle. Meanwhile, some young second-generation heirs were busy eyeing the elegant socialites, sizing them up like prized art.
On the stage, the entertainment portion had begun. A popular celebrity was performing live, drawing polite applause.
Chen Mo took a sip of juice and slowly wandered toward a quiet corner of the room. It was peaceful there—away from the glitter and chatter. Just how he liked it.
Once the business exchange finally came to an end, Chen Mo called Julie and slipped out of the venue without fanfare, returning quietly to the hotel.