The next day, at Mandarin Duck Tower.
Upon hearing they could dine at Mandarin Duck Tower, the Jiang family's relatives and friends scrambled to join.
Initially, only five tables were booked, but this number was forced to double to ten!
Everyone arrived early, taking photos and showing off. Just being there was enough to gain face, even without eating.
The entire Jiang family had one exception.
Jiang Lan.
Jiang Mengxin called her sister several times, but Jiang Lan hung up each time. It was clear she was still angry and unwilling to come to Mandarin Duck Tower.
Jiang Mengxin was disappointed. Her own engagement banquet, and her own sister wouldn't even show up. What was that supposed to mean?
If she knew Jiang Lan was currently with Lu Ming, she would likely be even more furious.
Her cousin Jiang Yang walked over and said, "Alright Mengxin, don't dwell on Xiao Lan's matter anymore. Look at her appearance, so petty and small-minded. It's obvious she's not destined for good fortune and can't handle such a grand occasion like Mandarin Duck Tower!"
Jiang Mengxin shot him a glare. Jiang Yang shrugged and walked away.
They waited until noon, but Jiang Lan neither called back nor appeared. Finally, Jiang Mengxin had to give up.
At the same time, a trace of resentment towards her sister grew in her heart.
"She has no manners at all," Jiang Mengxin muttered to herself.
The banquet officially began. The food was served, and all the relatives and friends sat down to enjoy the delicacies.
Cheng Hai led Jiang Mengxin onto the stage.
He smiled and bowed deeply to everyone, saying, "Dear relatives and friends, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend my engagement banquet with Mengxin. To show my gratitude, please..."
Suddenly, his tone shifted.
Cheng Hai said sinisterly and coldly, "Please all go to hell!"
Huh?
Everyone was stunned.
They exchanged confused glances, wondering if they had misheard.
"Is my hearing failing? Did Cheng Hai just tell us to die?"
"You heard it too? I thought I was mistaken."
"What's going on? Is this some kind of entertainment?"
Jiang Mengxin was also bewildered. She looked at Cheng Hai dazedly and was about to ask what was happening when the next scene made her legs go weak, and she collapsed to the ground.
The main doors of Mandarin Duck Tower slammed shut.
Immediately after, a large group of restaurant staff in suits rushed out from various side doors. Unlike their usual appearance, each of them held a submachine gun!
"Nobody move!"
"All communication devices, such as phones and iPads, hand them over!"
"Hurry!"
With lightning speed, these people subdued all the hundreds of Jiang family relatives and friends present, then confiscated their phones one by one.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Was this some kind of entertainment? It didn't seem like it.
Jiang Yang, lacking in common sense, thought it was a joke and cursed, "Are you guys taking this event too far? Watch the limits! You're even confiscating phones, how dare you! Get out!"
Unexpectedly.
A staff member raised a machine gun and sprayed bullets near Jiang Yang's feet.
Dudududu...
Within seconds, dozens of bullet holes appeared on the floor around Jiang Yang's feet. It was only then he realized this was no joke, this was real!
Those machine guns were real!
"N-no, don't kill me, I'll hand over my phone, right now."
No one dared to speak again. One by one, they obediently handed over their phones.
Afterward.
Old Mrs. Cao Chunhui looked at Cheng Hai on the stage and questioned, "What on earth is going on? Cheng Hai, what trick are you playing?"
Before Cheng Hai could answer, a cold voice echoed from a corner.
"At this point, can't Old Mrs. Cao still not see?"
"This engagement banquet is a trap, a Hongmen Banquet, designed to capture all the Jiang family's relatives and friends in one fell swoop!"
Hmm?
Cao Chunhui looked towards the corner.
A man with a face full of scars walked towards the crowd, his eyes filled with smugness.
Cao Chunhui asked, "Who are you?"
The scarred man said, "I am merely an ordinary person who has some 'minor opinions' about the Jiang family."
Cao Chunhui shook her head.
Ordinary person?
Impossible.
An ordinary person could not possess such profound cunning, nor could they arrange a banquet at Mandarin Duck Tower, nor would they meticulously plan to annihilate the Jiang family.
This man before her must have a deep-seated feud with the Jiang family.
On the stage.
Jiang Mengxin looked at the scarred man in terror. She tugged at Cheng Hai's sleeve and pleaded, "Xuezhang, think of a way, save the Jiang family!"
Save the Jiang family?
"Hahahahaha!" The scarred man sneered, "Fool, how could Cheng Hai possibly save the Jiang family? He and I have formed a partnership. I helped him strategize, drive away Lu Ming, infiltrate the Jiang family, and eliminate them. Afterward, I complete my revenge, and he will have sole possession of all the Jiang family's wealth. He wishes for everyone in the Jiang family to die immediately, yet you ask him to save them. You are utterly foolish."
Jiang Mengxin's eyes widened in disbelief.
"No, this isn't true!" Jiang Mengxin looked at Cheng Hai, "Xuezhang, tell me all of this isn't true."
Cheng Hai gave a cold smile.
He said shamelessly, "Once all the Jiang family members are dead, I, as the Jiang family's good son-in-law, will naturally take over. Only in my hands can the Jiang family regain its former glory."
"Oh, right," Cheng Hai stroked Jiang Mengxin's chin and said with a wicked smile, "Mengxin, don't worry, I'll spare your life. Xuezhang truly loves you. I will marry you as my wife and cherish you forever."
Love?
Marry?
Cherish?
Heh!
It was likely that Cheng Hai wanted to gain the status of an official son-in-law to seamlessly take over the Jiang family.
Once his goal was achieved, Jiang Mengxin would likely be doomed as well.
Jiang Mengxin's heart ached, and tears streamed down her face. Never in her life had she felt such darkness.
She questioned, "So, approaching me, helping me, saying you love me, all of it was fake, just to infiltrate the Jiang family and seize it?"
Cheng Hai let out two cold laughs and remained silent, which was equivalent to an admission.
Jiang Mengxin could no longer suppress her inner sorrow and burst into tears.
Only now did she truly see Cheng Hai's true colors.
It turned out that Jiang Lan had been telling the truth all along.
Jiang Lan had repeatedly advised her not to get too close to Cheng Hai, to be wary of him, but Jiang Mengxin wouldn't listen, even thinking Jiang Lan was petty and held a grudge against Cheng Hai.
But the truth was, everything Jiang Lan had said was correct.
At the same time.
The image of another man appeared in Jiang Mengxin's mind – Lu Ming.
Although Lu Ming was poor and pathetic, full of boasts, incompetent at everything, and had nothing; at least Lu Ming wouldn't hurt Jiang Mengxin, wouldn't betray her.
In moments of utmost danger, Lu Ming would shield Jiang Mengxin behind him, protecting her.
Jiang Mengxin, in her pursuit of a better happiness, in her search for a talented young man worthy of her status, had publicly humiliated Lu Ming and driven him away without hesitation.
At that time, she had repeatedly claimed she would never regret it.
However.
In less than a day, Jiang Mengxin regretted it.
You can know a person's face but not their heart. Only in times of greatest difficulty does one truly know who is genuinely good to them.
Unfortunately, Jiang Mengxin realized this too late.