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Huang Mang walked to his position and was about to speak when he heard the Seductive Young Lady behind him say in a spoiled tone, "Hey! You just left me all alone after getting off me!" The voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for everyone to hear clearly. Upon hearing this, the guests began to whisper among themselves, realizing that the reason he couldn't get away was indeed because of the lady. This guy was truly a scoundrel.
Huang Mang turned around and laughed at the Seductive Young Lady, pulling her close and giving her a playful squeeze on her ample backside. "Hahaha... you little thing, just wait until I get back to deal with you!" After joking with the alluring woman, Huang Mang raised his glass and loudly addressed the guests, "I am Huang Mang. First of all, I want to thank my friends from Taiwan for coming today. I am here in Taiwan not for anything else but to make some friends! I hope everyone won't mind that Huang is just a rough person! Come, let me toast you all with this drink!" Without waiting for a response, he tilted his head back and downed a glass of wine.
Although the guests remained silent, many were filled with disdain for Huang Mang. It seemed their initial speculation was correct; Huang Mang was indeed a rather uncouth nouveau riche. Not only did he leave the guests in the lounge to chase after women, but he also couldn't even manage a proper speech. His opening remarks were so lacking in sophistication that they sounded like something a street thug would say. Moreover, that exquisite Koster Winery vintage was wasted on someone who drank it like that; such fine wine should be savored to appreciate its flavor—truly a case of a cow chewing peonies!
But the guests' astonishment did not end there. After downing that exquisite vintage, Huang Mang suddenly spat the wine back into his glass and shouted, "TMD! Xu Butler! What kind of wine is this? It tastes bitter and astringent with no hint of alcohol! Ugh, change it for me! Just get that stuff we used to drink!"
Xu Butler, standing nearby, quickly ordered someone to change the wine. Before long, a black-clad bodyguard named Kung Fu rushed in, sweating profusely and carrying a bottle of common white liquor typically found in convenience stores. It seemed he had run to another store to buy it since it wasn't available at the hotel. Upon seeing this, Chairman Huang's face lit up with joy as he exclaimed, "That's more like it; this kind of wine suits my taste!" Xu Butler promptly poured him a drink in a new glass. Huang Mang then raised his glass again and laughed, "Hahaha... please excuse me; that last drink doesn't count. Let me toast again to all my friends present today!"
Many people at the scene were speechless. They had always considered themselves elegant members of high society who preferred refined entertainment. The Koster Winery vintage was indeed something special; one bottle could equal an entire year's salary for a high-level office worker. Although it had its bitter notes, its value was undeniable! Generally speaking, expensive items are considered good ones; even if one can't appreciate them fully, they shouldn't let others see their discomfort. Otherwise, they'd be laughed at. Thus, they would endure the bitterness while maintaining an expression of enjoyment and uttering some profound comments about it—this was the hallmark of high society.
The term "nouveau riche" had been firmly planted in everyone's minds due to Huang Mang's actions. Most guests no longer doubted that he was a typical representative of such people. Since a nouveau riche was hosting the dinner, there was no need for politeness; these refined individuals let loose and ate and drank freely since they weren't paying for it anyway. Fortunately, although this nouveau riche lacked sophistication, the dishes and drinks served were top-notch—some items were rare even for those who prided themselves on being part of high society. For instance, each person received Beluga Caviar made from fresh sturgeon flown in from the Black Sea. Not only is finding sturgeon increasingly difficult worldwide, but arranging for so many live sturgeons to be airlifted from the Black Sea is also an expensive endeavor. This delicacy known as "soft gold" is said to have health benefits and rejuvenating properties; thus both men and women covet it highly. Many refined gentlemen asked servers if they could have more after finishing their portions, only to be stunned by the response: "Mr. Huang has specially arranged for one ton of fresh sturgeon flown in from the Black Sea for caviar processing at any time; gentlemen can enjoy it freely." They had seen money spent before but never like this! One ton of fresh sturgeon could yield two hundred kilograms of caviar worth millions based on current market prices. It seemed the rumors were true—Chairman Huang wasn't just wealthy; he was extraordinarily rich! Even if he was somewhat crude or rude as a nouveau riche, he still had his charm.
Thus, the crude and rude Chairman Huang began to grow larger than life in everyone's eyes; his earlier rudeness was now seen as boldness and disregard for trivialities. Even his loud voice that had startled many noble ladies became an attractive masculine trait. Some noble ladies could no longer contain themselves and began approaching Chairman Huang with drinks in hand. Of course, their beautiful eyes sparkled with electricity around him; if opposites attract, Chairman Huang would have likely been zapped into charred remains by now.
It was clear from Chairman Huang's demeanor that he welcomed beautiful women without hesitation; he took full advantage of those who threw themselves at him, eliciting laughter from each one. This naturally infuriated those elegant gentlemen who brought their own female companions but openly flirted with other wealthy men instead. However angry they might be, they couldn't do much about it because those thirty-some black-clad bodyguards looked like professional killing machines—muscles bulging beneath their black suits were proof enough that any one of them could easily break someone's neck with a single punch. A wise man doesn't pick fights he can't win; most of them certainly weren't wise men.
Throughout the entire banquet, aside from flirting with noble ladies who approached him eagerly, Huang Mang spent most of his time drinking quietly without engaging much with several government and military officials at his table. This led many to genuinely believe that this wealthy Chairman Huang was merely a boorish man who knew nothing but indulgence. However, there were very few who thought otherwise—like Jiang Wanhua—who observed Huang Mang closely throughout the banquet despite only sharing one toast between them. Jiang Wanhua kept an eye on Huang Mang's actions because he found the purpose behind this banquet too ambiguous or rather unrecognizable by outsiders.
Anyone doing anything surely has their motives; there's no doubt about that. If someone does something without revealing their purpose to others, it only proves they are skilled at concealing their intentions. Obvious motives are not frightening; what is truly frightening are those hidden motives that cannot be seen through easily. Based on Jiang Wanhua's experience, Huang Mang's seemingly aimless behavior actually concealed significant intentions.
According to Jiang Wanhua's analysis, Huang Mang hosted this banquet primarily for two reasons: first was to flaunt wealth—he wanted to showcase his riches to all influential members of Taiwan's high society as proof of his strength while laying down connections for future endeavors; second was to play dumb—Jiang Wanhua could see that tonight's actions were meant to convey one signal: he was merely an extraordinarily wealthy nouveau riche without much refinement or cunningness. By creating such an impression among potential partners moving forward would likely yield many opportunities because those lacking guile often attract more collaborators—after all, who would want to partner with someone deeply scheming? Who wouldn't fear being outsmarted? Therefore Jiang Wanhua assessed Huang Mang as a typical master of playing dumb while hiding strength; moreover if collaboration could occur in business ventures with him—it would make for an invaluable partnership based on mutual trust.
Until the banquet ended, Huang Mang did not mention anything about his interests with the upper class of Taiwan. In the end, he got drunk without any suspense and was helped back to his room by several bodyguards before the banquet was over. Upon returning to his presidential suite, a young man dressed in a server's uniform was waiting for him in the room. As soon as Huang Mang entered, he immediately lifted his head. Although his face was flushed, his gaze was clear, showing no signs of being drunk.
As soon as he entered the room, Huang Mang said to the young man in server attire, "Third Brother, you really put me in a difficult position! Not only do I have to pretend to be a tycoon, but I also have to act like a lecher. The glorious image I've maintained for decades is completely ruined! I won't take responsibility for this; you must clarify things when we return to the Three Tiger Group!"
"Hahaha... When did you start caring about these superficial things, Second Brother? After so many years in the Three Tiger Group, how could we not understand you?" The young man disguised as a server was actually Xin Yi. Throughout the entire banquet, he had been mingling among the guests in his disguise. This luxurious banquet and Huang Mang's recent actions were all orchestrated by him. He aimed to create such an image for Huang Mang in Taiwan's upper class because he knew that an outsider businessman needed to make a series of shocking moves to enter Taiwan's business core. This was also an essential setup for his future plans.
"Hahaha..." Huang Mang laughed heartily, "That's true! I've been in this business for over twenty years; my brothers all know my character well. I won't say much else, but I've never had any issues with my lifestyle. Otherwise, your sister-in-law would have killed me by now! By the way, Third Brother, how did I perform tonight?"
"Of course! Your acting skills are simply Oscar-worthy! If I were the chairman of the judging panel, giving you an Oscar statuette would be well-deserved!" Xin Yi replied with a smile.
"Will Jiang Wanhua cooperate with me?" Huang Mang asked skeptically. "If this alone is enough for him to work with me, then it seems too easy."
"Just this isn't enough to get him on board; it's only the first step. However, in the end, he will have no choice but to cooperate with us," Xin Yi said confidently.
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