Tranxending Vision - Chapter 103

Chapter 103

Despicable Person

Chapter 103 – Despicable Person

Large round tables had been set up in the great hall of East Wind Heavy Industries . When Xia Lei followed Chi Jing-Qiu in, the great hall was already full of guests . A stage had been erected at the wall in front of the great hall and some musicians were performing the soothing 'The Street Where Wind Resides'* . Elegant music, well-dressed guests, everything reeked of elegance .

Xia Lei quickly scanned the area and spotted a few familiar faces – Ning Yuan-Shan, Xu, Zheng-Yi, Xu Lang, Ren Wen-Qiang, Ning Jing and Hu Hou . He did not see Shentu Tian-Yin anywhere in the hall and found it strange, 'Her car's already here but she isn't . What's going on?'

"Let's sit here . " Chi Jing-Qiu brought Xia Lei to a dining table .

The table already had several guests at it but Xia Lei knew none of them . He pulled a chair out for Chi Jing-Qiu and seated himself after she sat .

Chi Jing-Qiu said quietly, "There is a dance after the dinner party . Dance with me then . "

"Your father-in-law and your husband should be attending this dinner party too, right? Aren't you afraid that they'd be unhappy with you if you danced with me?" said Xia Lei .

Chi Jing-Qiu twisted one side of her lips as she smiled, "It's just a dance, not having sex with you . So what if they're unhappy? I don't care . "

Xia Lei was a little taken aback, "We'll see . "

At that moment, the musicians stopped playing and left the stage . The huge LCD screen on stage started playing Vientaine Group's promotional video for the wind power plant . The video showed a dark blue sea, clean beaches, countless wind turbines rotating, and an elegant woman standing on the beach . The woman's back was to the camera and the sea breeze lifted the skirt of her long white dress, making it dance in the wind . Barefooted, she looked up at the waves of the dark blue sea . This scene was so very beautiful .

Xia Lei's eyes were fixated on the big screen . The woman's face had not been shown in the video but he knew that the woman was not an actress nor a model but the President of Vientiane Group, Shentu Tian-Yin .

Xia Lei could not tear his eyes away . Ripples stirred in his heart; warm, gentle ripples .

"Lei, you know Shentu Tian-Yin and have even helped her avert a crisis," said Chi Jing-Qiu, "Why don't you ask her for help? If she helps you, you'll be set for life . Take that right there for example . Vientiane Group's wind power project is not complete yet but many people are already trying to pull strings to buy shares for the project . This really is a sure-profit investment . I'd like to buy too but I have no connections . "

"Can't you just buy it when it's out on the market?" said Xia Lei .

"What you're talking about is the secondary stock market . Who cares about that? How can those stocks 'on the shelf' be profitable? I'm talking about the primary markets . How about you go pull some strings with Shentu Tian-Yin so we can buy some?" said Chi Jing-Qiu .

"Go ask if you want to . I'm not that familiar with her," said Xia Lei indifferently .

Chi Jing-Qiu sighed, "Ah, you don't want to make money when you can . I really don't get you . "

Xia Lei just kept watching the screen . Shentu Tian-Yin turned to the camera, a bright smile on her face . A row of words appeared on the screen: Love nature . Vientaine Wind Power . Let us work hard together .

The video stopped and the great hall filled with thunderous applause .

Xia Lei clapped too but he thought, 'Putting aside the business aims, wind power is truly something that would benefit the environment . However, it looks like this sort of good thing can only be done by people of Shentu Tian-Yin's level . '

Investing billions was indeed something no regular person can do .

Applause suddenly came from the great hall entrance and Xia Lei turned to see Shentu Tian-Yin enter, surrounded by followers .

Ning Yuan-Shan got up and went to welcome her .

All the guests stood and clapped, giving Shentu Tian-Yin the highest honours . Conversely, Shentu Tian-Yin was like a queen visiting a royal palace, noble and proud .

Xia Lei stood too; not because he respected Shentu Tian-Yin but because everyone else was standing . It seemed inappropriate for him to be the only one sitting .

"I've got to go do something . I'll come back and accompany you later," said Chi Jing-Qiu to Xia Lei before she walked to where Shentu Tian-Yin and Ning Yuan-Shan was . She was Ning Yuan-Shan's secretary so she naturally had to do greetings and wait upon people .

Shentu Tian-Yin and Ning Yuan-Shan went up to the stage . Ning Yuan-Shan addressed the audience, then Shentu Tian-Yin stepped forward and spoke her thanks and something about making the environment better . The dinner party begun in earnest after that but Chi Jing-Qiu did not come back .

'Did Ning Yuan-Shan invite me here just so I can have dinner?' A trace of a bitter smile appeared in the corners of Xia Lei's lips . He'd wanted to take the opportunity to acquaint himself with some potential clients but it looked like this hope was dashed now .

Just then, his mobile phone suddenly beeped, indicating a text message . Xia Lei took out his phone and looked at the screen . The message was from Ning Jing: Lei, why are you here? I saw you .

Xia Lei looked in the direction where he had spotted Ning Jing earlier and saw her . She was looking over at him . Their eyes met and Ning Jing shot him a smile .

Xia Lei nodded in response to her smile .

Seeming to sense something, Ren Wen-Qiang, who was seated at the same table as Ning Jing, looked over in the same direction and saw Xia Lei . He looked back at Ning Jing, his gaze full of displeasure . Ning Jing hung her head .

Xu Lang, seated next to Ren Wen-Qiang, saw Xia Lei as well and he leaned in to Ren Wen-Qiang, the two of them discussing something in low voices .

What could those two be talking about? Perhaps out of boredom, Xia Lei focused his eye on Ren Wen-Qiang and Xu Lang and lip-read their conversation .

"Why is that Xia Lei fellow here?" Xu Lang said in disdain, "How can a little workshop operator attend a dinner party like this? What is Uncle Ning doing? Didn't he review the guestlist?"

A faint sneer appeared on Ren Wen-Qiang's lips, "He probably begged Chairman Ning to let him attend . People out of the marketplace like him have no dignity and will do anything for the sake of meeting their goal . "

"I don't know why but he pisses me off," said Xu Lang .

Ren Wen-Qiang lowered his voice, "He's like a fly . I hate him too . How about we make fun of him tonight? Embarrass him in front of everyone and let him know his place . "

"Sure, any good ideas, Brother Ren?"

Ren Wen-Qiang put his lips close to Xu Lang's ear, "I'll get Ning Jing to invite that guy over, then spike a bottle of wine . I'll pour him a glass from the spiked bottle and you'll insist on pouring some other wine for me . Get what I mean?"

Xu Lang nodded, "I get it . But what drug are you going to use on him?"

"Kamsutram oil . "

"Why do you have that? And why do you have it on you now?"

"It adds to the fun . Don't ask about it . " As he spoke, Ren Wen-Qiang looked at Ning Jing out of the corner of his eye .

Ning Jing's head was still bowed and she did not dare to look either Xia Lei or Ren Wen-Qiang in the eye .

"Okay . This is a good idea . I can't wait to see that punk make a fool of himself . Heh heh," Xu Lang laughed .

Ren Wen-Qiang smiled and finished his conversation with Xu Lang . He leaned to Ning Jing's ear and said, "Ning Jing, I saw Mr Xia . He's by himself over there and has no one he's familiar with . Go invite him over . We know each other so we can have a drink together and have a good time . "

A smile appeared on Ning Jing's face, "Have you guys made up?"

"That's long past . Am I so petty? Go on, I'd like to give my greetings and apologise to him too . We'll be friends after that," said Ren Wen-Qiang .

"Okay, I'll go invite him over right now . " Ning Jing got up and walked towards Xia Lei .

Xia Lei gave an internal sigh . Ning Jing was too naive and too weak . He could clearly tell that she did not like Ren Wen-Qiang at all but was with him due to pressure from her parents .

'Ren Wen-Qiang has a drug like Kamsutram Oil not because he knew I was coming and he'd planned to use it on me . He was planning to use it on you . How could you not see through a person like him after spending so much time with him?' Xia Lei felt sorry for Ning Jing and pitied her .

Ning Jing walked over with a joyful smile, "Lei, what a coincidence . Did you read the message I sent you?"

"I read it . Hello, Big Sister Ning . " As he spoke, he looked at Ren Wen-Qiang and the table in the way disappeared from his sight .

Under the table, Ren Wen-Qiang pulled out a small glass bottle from his trouser pocket . Xu Lang handed an open bottle of red wine to him under the table . Ren Wen-Qiang poured the brown liquid drug into the bottle of red wine and gently shook it to mix the drug and red wine .

Xia Lei focused his eye on the bottle in Ren Wen-Qiang's hand and the code on the bottle entered his sight . He stopped using his eye when Ren Wen-Qiang put the spiked bottle of wine by his feet .

"Come sit with me . We haven't seen each other in a long time and I'd like to chat with you," said Ning Jing .

"Ren Wen-Qiang doesn't get along well with me . It's not nice if I go over, isn't it?" said Xia Lei .

"No, no . He asked me to invite you over . He said he would apologise too," said Ning Jing .

"No, forget it, it's not right if I go . How about this – you come sit with me and we chat," said Xia Lei .

Ning Jing glanced at Ren Wen-Qiang subconsciously and made to say something but held back . Her happy expression from earlier was instantly turned into one of pain .

Xia Lei could not help himself, saying, "Big Sister Ning, I'm not criticizing you but people like Ren Wen-Qiang are sneaky and cunning . You won't find happiness if you're with him . "

Tears moistened Ning Jing's eyes, "You know that I don't like him at all but he has endeared himself to my parents . And my father has a heart problem, so I… I…"

Xia Lei stood, "Okay, I'll accompany you there . "

Ning Jing smiled again, "Nn . "

Xia Lei went with her but his steps were slow, "Big Sister Ning, please listen to a bit of advice . You are the one looking for your other half, not your parents . You have to have your own opinion or you'll spend the next part of your life in tears . Do you want that sort of future?"

Ning Jing bit her lip and gave a slight nod .

Xia Lei gave another internal sigh, thinking, 'I can only help you so much . You have to depend on yourself for the rest of it . '

*The Street Where Wind Resides