A foolish and straightforward person is called incorrigibly stupid.
On people with academic achievements and scientific contributions, straightforwardness at most is called low emotional intelligence, and itâs harmless.
Thatâs the double standard.
As the banquet time approached, Luo Yun needed to touch up her makeup and hair, making a final grand entrance, while Luo Li and the ladies led Su Xiaocai out of the VIP room.
In the banquet hall, the young girl, surrounded by so many ladies, seemed very much like the center of attention.
People around them started to take notice.
Someone came over to chat, "Whose child is this, sheâs so cute."
"A classmate of the little ones at home, we invited her over for fun." Luo Li didnât reveal Su Xiaocaiâs identity voluntarily and gently pointed to the group of young people gathering at the other end of the hall, "Qingqing is over there too, you young people should have more topics to talk about, go and have fun."
Su Xiaocai saw Wu Qingqing along with Wu Feiyang and Hu Ping.
"Then Iâll go play with them, sisters, letâs chat again when thereâs a chance." Su Xiaocai blew a flying kiss and bounded joyfully towards Wu Qingqing.
As soon as she left, more people began to inquire Luo Li about Su Xiaocaiâs identity.
They learned that such a young girl was actually the owner of the game company that was the talk of the internet.
"President Wu and President Hu certainly have extraordinary investment vision."
...
Wu Qingqing had noticed Su Xiaocai earlier, "Master, youâre here?" She hurriedly pulled her over to introduce her to a familiar-looking man and woman.
"This is my brother and my sister, this is my master, Su Xiaocai, the majority shareholder of the Extraordinary Island project and also my martial arts instructor."
Su Xiaocai shook hands with them, "Nice to meet you."
Sister Wu: "Hello."
Brother Wu and Sister Wu were both leaders in their respective fields with elegant conversation skills and an innate aura, surrounded by many friends who also looked like elites.
Birds of a feather flock together; if one doesnât deliberately manage friendships, their social circles mostly consist of people with similar conditions.
When it came to the Extraordinary Island project, even the elites had shown interest in this hot topic.
They werenât that interested in playing games, but the game design concept of the Extraordinary Island project was remarkable, with very realistic experiences, suitable for promotion in schools and the military.
Someone asked, "Any intention of collaborating with the education department?"
"Thank you, I donât have any plans at the moment." Su Xiaocai didnât want to get involved unnecessarily; she would rather negotiate with each school individually than deal with the education department.
The educational department had too many restrictions, making collaboration as troublesome as developing a new game.
"What a shame." Offering an olive branch and seeing no interest, they thought if Su Xiaocai showed even the slightest interest, they could connect the links- success wasnât the issue,
It was about owing favors.
In novels, those slap-in-the-face moments at banquets happen often, but in reality, there arenât as many annoying things.
Usually, opposing parties will only taunt each other verbally without making themselves the focus of laughter.
Most others were aiming to network and discuss collaboration.
Su Xiaocai chatted for a bit and then sat at a rest table prepared for the guests, ordering food straight from the electronic menu, as she was hungry.
She ordered three types in total, fries, grilled steak, and fruit salad, all in ten-person servings.
When the waiter brought it to her, he repeatedly asked if she was eating it all by herself.
Gradually fading into the background, Su Xiaocai once again attracted a lot of attention, and the journalists took quite a few photos of her.
Anyone who saw her was confusedâshe was eating so much, those unaware might think there was a big eating competition happening here.
Yu Haoming, being dragged around to meet people, occasionally glanced over to where Su Xiaocai was in the corner, deeply impressed by her composure.
After finishing her meal, Su Xiaocai felt a bit greasyâboth the fries and steak were butter-flavoredâshe drank several sips of lemon water, but couldnât get rid of the greasy feeling.
She wasnât suited for dining out; it was a challenge for her palate, like opening a blind box, yet she couldnât waste food.
After wiping her mouth with a napkin, the donation segment began.
Wu Qingqing also held an electronic sign for bidding.
"Master, do you want to give it a try? Itâs so thrilling."
Su Xiaocai thought of her own painting among the items and felt uneasy, "Letâs wait for a bigger one another time."
Hu Ping snatched the sign from Wu Qingqingâs hand, "If youâre not playing, I will."
Wu Feiyang disapprovingly glanced at Hu Ping, "Donât bully Caicai and my cousin."
Hu Ping: "Pfft, only they bully me."
The first few auction items were several of Luo Yunâs treasured artworks, sold at high prices.
Then came the birthday gifts given to Luo Yun by the guests, including Su Xiaocaiâs painting.
Seeing her painting being bid on by several unfamiliar-looking "successful individuals."
Eventually, Wu Zhaoxiang bought it back, making Su Xiaocai even more embarrassed.
She very much suspected there was an incredible understanding or rehearsal among the businessmen in private.
Next up were Master Level porcelain vases, antique paintings, and some classic collectible mecha.
The bids for these were quite high, with the most expensive item being a piece of green jadeite rough that had been fully cut open, revealing the characteristic gentle lustre of jade.
Natural, rare, and flawless beautiful minerals donât come cheap, only a wealthy person like President Hu with mineral resources would bring it as a birthday gift.
Lastly, the donations from those who hadnât bid on anything were collected, and the total donation amount announced.
After waiting all night, the auction and donation finally ended.
Su Xiaocai stretched her neck; the banquet was less interesting than spending half an hour in the VIP room munching on melon seeds, how boring.
As she was about to leave, two celebrities who had mocked Su Xiaocai on the red carpet finally found the chance to quickly approach, bowing to apologize.
"Sorry, Miss Su, it was our fault on the red carpet earlier."
Had they not come to apologize, Su Xiaocai wouldâve forgotten about them, "No need to apologize specifically, I already retaliated at the time."
"Are you really not mad at us?" They wondered if they would be retaliated against later?
"Are you afraid Iâll pretend on the surface but do differently behind your back? Have you encountered such people?" Su Xiaocai joked.
The two actresses looked troubled.
Su Xiaocai: "Is there really someone like that? Who are they? Letâs exchange contact details, I love gossip about the entertainment industry, I promise not to tell anyone, if I do, Iâll never make money in this lifetime."
In a turn of events, the entire night, they had reluctantly managed to add one boss contact after being taken advantage of several times.
What a surprise, Su Xiaocai actually agreed to add their contact.
The two actresses were both minor celebrities, one stage-named Feiâer, and the other Luo Min.
Feiâer was the young actress who couldnât hold back from criticizing Su Xiaocaiâs dress, only twenty years old, very young. After adding Su Xiaocaiâs contact, she asked if she really wanted to hear gossip.
"Yes, as long as youâre not intentionally belittling someone, hearsay is fine too. Tell me one to start with." Su Xiaocai said kindly, though the contact wasnât officially added yet.
The two actresses didnât hesitate.
Feiâer whispered to Su Xiaocaiâs ear: "I have a friend who badmouthed the Xue Familyâs heiress at a banquet, and three days later, she disappeared. Isnât that sensational?"
Discussing this, Feiâer felt a sense of fear; she wondered whether in these affluent circles, the younger generation were all acquainted, and whether Su Xiaocai might also know Xue Huiyi.
This Feiâer indeed dared to speak out.
What Su Xiaocai didnât know was that Feiâer was taking a bold step, betting all she had, a make or break, wanting to climb higher, make worthwhile connections.
That connectionâs calibre was immensely important.
Sometimes, tricking a man wasnât as worthwhile as having several affluent friends.
Su Xiaocai said, "I love listening to your story, Iâm not part of the affluent circle, so you donât need to worry about me conspiring with others to harm you. I just like straightforward people like you who tell it as it is."
The two actresses quietly clapped their hands.
The banquet was over, and Wu Qingqing who just went to see guests off noticed Su Xiaocai was still there, came over to ask if she needed a ride back.
"No need, I have a company driver." Su Xiaocai asked if the two actresses had a vehicle to take them home, "If youâre not afraid of being kidnapped by me, then take my car back."
The two actresses were eager for this.
Wu Qingqing: "See you at school."
Su Xiaocai: "Yes, see you at school."