Chapter 116: The Superstar

Hearing the other party mention Lin Yu’s name right at the start, Zhang Yang’s injured arm throbbed painfully. His expression shifted slightly as he spoke, “It’s nothing serious. These things go back and forth; you can’t really go all out. So it’s already in the past. No big deal.”

“No big deal? That’s not the style of my brother Yang!” Jia Qing looked with interest at Zhang Yang, the sharply dressed young gentleman in his crisp white suit.

After scrutinizing Zhang Yang a few times, Jia Qing shook his head arrogantly and said, “Otherwise, let me help you settle the score with him?”

Hearing this, Zhang Yang’s mind stirred, but then he recalled the elderly patients at the Baishan Cadre Sanatorium—some half-paralyzed, some already in their coffins.

He shook his head and said, “Forget it. It’s all in the past. Our fathers worked together. Going too far isn’t good.”

“Oh!” At Zhang Yang’s words, Jia Qing’s casual remark instantly turned into genuine interest.

“If that’s the case, brother, I have to go and test this Lin Yu tonight, see how reckless he really is!”

Zhang Yang knew well that Jia Qing had the credentials to show off, and deep down, he hoped this arrogant young master would help him deal with Lin Yu.

So he concealed his thoughts about those old men and deliberately spoke with skillful tact: “No need, Boss Qing. That Lin Yu is a daredevil too. Going head-to-head with him isn’t worth it. One, it would be beneath our status; two, it would just stir up trouble.”

Though not a particularly clever provocation, it was perfectly timed, igniting Jia Qing’s fierce nature at once.

“What? He still dares to fight to the death? Just wait,” Jia Qing said with forcefulness, immediately pulling out his phone to dial a number.

Once connected, he ordered, “Check Lin Yu’s information for me—the one whose father also works in government. I want it within half an hour.”

“When you see Lin Yu later, point him out to me,” Jia Qing added after hanging up, turning to Zhang Yang.

While the two young masters spoke, the dozen or so privileged sons around them could only glare silently; they had no right to interrupt.

Any matter involving status, power, and interests, no matter how simple, became complicated. Though these men usually acted supreme, in the presence of Jia Qing—who ranked a level above—they dared not be reckless. Being around him even made breathing feel unnatural.

The only one unaffected by Jia Qing’s aura was Zhang Yang. After Jia Qing finished speaking, Zhang Yang smiled and pointed toward the piano, teasingly saying, “That girl’s companion over there—that’s Lin Yu.”

“That him?” Jia Qing sized Lin Yu up, then gave a worldly smirk. “Tonight, in front of everyone, I’ll make sure he loses face. I’ll show him exactly whose city this is.”

“Heh, whose city, I don’t know. But I do know the highest official in Bin City is surnamed Jia,” Zhang Yang said quietly, flattering with a subtle pat on the back. But his nature betrayed him, and he inwardly despised himself for it.

“Good that you know,” Jia Qing said coldly, then smiled and added, “You take these guys inside first. Xiao Pang and I will wait here.”

“All right, you wait here then,” Zhang Yang replied and turned toward the auditorium. The moment his body fully faced that direction, his eyes darkened with cruelty. He muttered disdainfully, “Dog bites dog—this will be the best show.”

At the center of the hall, Lin Yu, who had offered many suggestions to Yang Zhilin, gently stroked his exquisite Patek Philippe and glanced at the time. “It’s about time. Let’s go in.”

“All right, let’s go,” Yang Zhilin nodded slightly and walked alongside Lin Yu toward the auditorium.

As they arrived, the staff at the Glorious Hotel, under Liang Jing’s direction, were placing name cards on the tables.

This was a sudden directive from a decisive city leader. He mandated that the government banquet must be formal—no casual seating allowed. Both officials and their families had to be seated according to rank.

Moreover, male guests must sit with male guests, female guests with female guests, and juniors with juniors, all arranged strictly by official hierarchy.

Thus, the Party Secretary, the Mayor, the senior Vice Mayor, and various bureau chiefs sat together. Their offspring were grouped as well, inadvertently creating multiple layers of social strata.

Lin Yu found the deliberate arrangement both ridiculous and amusing. To him, it felt no different from restoring imperial rule or returning to feudal society. But with many important figures present, he refrained from showing any displeasure. After parting with Yang Zhilin, he quietly sought his own seat.

By coincidence, the seat next to his belonged to Jiang Lele, though she had yet to arrive.

Seeing this, Lin Yu smiled knowingly. He understood Jiang Lele’s attention was due to their confrontation with Zhang Yang at the last banquet.

He thought quietly, “Now that you see me as just an inconspicuous minor official’s son, you probably won’t swoon anymore.”

As time passed, more guests arrived and gradually took their places. Soon, every seat was filled.

Dressed in a yellow evening gown, Jiang Lele appeared gracefully. When her eyes met Lin Yu’s, a fleeting look of surprise flashed, but it vanished so quickly no one noticed.

“Heh, what a coincidence,” Jiang Lele greeted after steadying her emotions.

“Indeed, quite a coincidence,” Lin Yu replied casually, smoking and scrolling on his phone out of boredom.

Noticing this, Jiang Lele smiled and said, “Last time you said you didn’t have a phone.”

“Oh, this one’s new,” Lin Yu explained vaguely, not quite recalling whether he had a phone at the last banquet.

“Did you save the number I gave you?” Jiang Lele asked warmly.

Seeing her unchanged enthusiasm, Lin Yu felt she wasn’t particularly calculating.

So he said, “Since it’s a new phone, I haven’t saved it yet. I’ll give you my number now.”

After exchanging numbers out of courtesy, the once quiet auditorium suddenly became lively.

Bin City’s top young master, Jia Qing, appeared at the entrance with two leading actresses from the Splendid Sky troupe, Lin Yaqing and Wang Bing.

Though the banquet was filled with the city’s prominent officials’ children, the sudden arrival of two national A-list stars still caused a stir.

Feeling his face brighten with pride, Jia Qing adjusted his black suit and made a gentlemanly gesture. “Ladies, please.”

Under numerous gazes, the two actresses strode gracefully into the hall.

It was clear their frequent attendance at such gatherings honed their poise. Every expression and movement was flawlessly controlled.

They exuded the aloofness of top stars while maintaining an underlying warmth.

Many second-generation officials felt as if bathed in spring sunlight. If not for the government setting, some young boys and girls would have swarmed them for autographs. Certain powerful officials’ eyes flickered with subtle, unusual glances.

Watching these two radiant stars, Lin Yu thought of Xiao Qiangwei. By comparison, she seemed like an ordinary girl next door—lacking the air of a true celebrity.