Chapter 1298 — Conflict at the Banquet
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
Xu Shilan walked to the front of the banquet hall, up beside the stage, and amid the guests' enthusiastic applause she and the middle-aged man stepped onto the stage together.
Sister Wang and Feng Sanmang, meanwhile, remained below the stage; as manager and bodyguard, they could not accompany Xu Shilan up there.
"My thanks to all you distinguished guests for attending the celebration banquet for our company's Miss Xu Shilan's concert!" Once onstage, the middle-aged man began to speak. As the head of an entertainment company, he naturally spoke first: "Today's concert was a great success. Here I thank all you friends who support Miss Xu Shilan, and I offer Miss Xu Shilan my heartfelt good wishes! Thank you!"
The middle-aged man's speech was brief and formulaic. Though Xu Shilan was his subordinate, he did not dare slight her in the least. Quite apart from her being his money tree, the background behind Xu Shilan, vast enough to blot out the sky, filled him with awe and dread.
He still remembered that three years ago, when drink had loosened his restraint and lust had clouded his head, he had tried to force himself on Xu Shilan in the name of the industry's unspoken rules. Feng Sanmang's ferocious skill and icy gaze, and the Yellow-Rank expert bodyguard he had hired for a fortune, whom Feng Sanmang had knocked senseless to the ground with a single punch, had nearly made his heart explode with fright.
And especially after Feng Sanmang obliquely hinted at Xu Shilan's background, the middle-aged man was so terrified he knelt and begged for mercy, vowing that from then on he would treat Xu Shilan as his own daughter and promote her as the pillar of the company.
Though the guests were not much moved by the middle-aged man's speech, since after all they had all come for Xu Shilan, he was the head of the entertainment company and his face had to be given; so when he finished speaking, they still answered with warm applause.
After the applause, it was Xu Shilan's turn to speak.
"I am very happy today. Though there was a small mishap midway through the concert, it was resolved satisfactorily in the end." Xu Shilan smiled faintly. "My thanks to those who helped me. Thank you all!"
On the surface, these words were spoken to all the guests and staff present, but in truth they were meant for Wei Zhao, and she trusted that Wei Zhao would understand. Understand them he did, however, only he gave no sign of it, merely smiling faintly without even lifting his head.
Seeing that Wei Zhao in his corner had no reaction at all, Xu Shilan grew a little angry. While she was speaking, everyone else had watched her with faces full of warmth; only Wei Zhao, she had no idea what he was doing, could he have fallen asleep?
Xu Shilan wanted to rush off the stage and kick him, but with so many people around, and Wei Zhao being her benefactor besides, she could only swallow her anger and let it go. Had Wei Zhao been merely some passerby, she would not have been so angry; but now that the two of them were friends, and she was still ignored like this, she felt uncomfortable.
Xu Shilan's speech too was brief; for an occasion like this, she was only going through the motions. Among the guests at the celebration banquet, few were truly her fans. Many came with impure motives, hoping to draw near to a beauty, and Xu Shilan understood their thoughts perfectly well.
"All right, everyone, eat well and enjoy yourselves!" The middle-aged man finally took back the microphone and brought the matter to a close with one decisive stroke.
By now the celebration banquet could be considered officially begun. Xu Shilan did not offer toasts to the guests from the stage; this had always been her rule. She did not drink, so naturally this step was omitted.