I Heard I’m a Scummy Alpha? [Transmigration] - Chapter 104

Qi Fanghuai said, “I originally thought that once Yan Zui left the Yan Corporation, she’d finally be free from Chairman Yan’s control. I didn’t expect Qi Yunwei to somehow bewitch her—now Yan Zui sides with her completely. It’s nearly impossible for any of us to take her on alone.”

“That’s exactly why we need to work together,” Liang Kejue replied. “I just got word that the wife of a certain official mentioned Yan Zui will be attending a banquet tomorrow evening at the Century Hotel. It’s said that all of Guangnan City’s most influential figures will be there. I’ve only just returned to the country and don’t have the connections to get in yet. Do any of you?”

Behind her glasses, Liang Kejue’s eyes remained calm as she studied the reactions of the group.

Qin Lifeng frowned slightly, looking troubled.

The siblings Xuan Mingzhu and Xuan Baiquan had all their influence in Changyuan City, so they were out.

Only Qi Fanghuai hesitated for a moment before saying, “I might not be able to get an invitation myself, but I know someone who can. I just don’t know if we can get as many as five.”

“Most invitations can admit two people,” Xuan Mingzhu said.

Among the five, someone had to take the lead—only then could the plan proceed smoothly.

If Qi Fanghuai really managed to get the invitations, there was no doubt he would become the de facto leader.

Soon, Qi Fanghuai brought good news. He had secured three invitations: one for himself, one for the Xuan siblings, and one for Qin Lifeng and Liang Kejue.

“Most likely, Yan Zui will bring Qi Yunwei with her,” Qi Fanghuai reminded them. “Remember this—everyone at that banquet is sharp and calculating. Don’t use crude mockery; you’ll just embarrass yourselves. Keep it subtle and refined—humiliate her without leaving a trace. The goal is to make everyone there see Qi Yunwei as useless, understand?”

Among them, aside from Qin Lifeng and Xuan Baiquan, the rest were full of scheming thoughts. Just a glance was enough for them to understand one another.

Qin Lifeng, long accustomed to being the boss himself, didn’t much like being ordered around. He frowned but reluctantly agreed.

Xuan Baiquan asked directly, “What exactly counts as a ‘refined’ insult?”

Qi Fanghuai gave him a look, then turned to Xuan Mingzhu.

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” she said quickly. “I won’t let him say anything stupid.”

Only then did Qi Fanghuai relax his furrowed brows.

“Good. Remember what I said—don’t lose your composure. And take advantage of this rare chance to make some connections; it’ll benefit all of us down the line.”

When the next evening arrived, the five of them reached the banquet hall before Yan Zui had arrived.

Not long after they entered, they noticed that tonight’s guests—well-known figures from every sector—seemed unusually excited.

For such worldly people to be this thrilled, something big must be happening that they didn’t yet know about.

They split up to mingle and quietly probe for information.

Xuan Baiquan knew the others didn’t think much of him. Even his own sister had sternly warned him beforehand to “keep his mouth shut,” as if he was a fool bound to ruin things with a single word.

Feeling slighted, he quickly lost interest. He was only there to make up the numbers, anyway.

He asked a waiter for a glass of champagne and wandered to the long table covered with delicate desserts, carefully studying which looked the most appetizing.

Just as he chose a piece and popped it into his mouth, two middle-aged couples approached nearby.

A slightly overweight man chuckled. “Commander Wu, I heard you assigned three colonels as bodyguards for that person? Quite the display of power.”

Commander Wu replied, “She’s one of the most indispensable talents in the country now. To tell you the truth, my superior personally ordered me to ensure her safety. Honestly, hosting her at this banquet is risky enough—your decision to send out those invitations gave me a real headache.”

The other man, addressed as Director Zhao, laughed. “She created that phenomenal game, after all. Every major figure in Guangnan wants to meet her and get on her good side. Don’t worry—once the host learned she was attending, they immediately upgraded the security measures. I can guarantee the level of protection tonight rivals that of a national conference.”

Once the men’s conversation ended, the two Omega ladies beside them began exchanging polite chatter.

Xuan Baiquan’s hands trembled in excitement as he tried hard to suppress his expression. Spotting his sister across the room, he immediately rushed over to share the explosive news.

“Jie!” he called, grabbing Xuan Mingzhu’s sleeve.

Xuan Mingzhu had just joined a conversation with several prominent business figures and hadn’t yet gathered any useful information before her brother pulled her aside.

“What are you doing?” she hissed, her voice low with irritation.

Xuan Baiquan released her sleeve, frowning. “Why are you mad? I have important information to tell you.”

Xuan Mingzhu folded her arms, took a deep breath, and asked coldly, “What information?” She didn’t believe for a second that her troublesome brother could have picked up anything useful.

Her doubt clearly stung him. He turned his head away. “Forget it. I’m not telling you anymore.”

Xuan Mingzhu nearly choked on her own frustration.

Liang Kejue, noticing the tension from across the room, gracefully approached and said in a low voice, “Have you two forgotten what Qi Fanghuai said yesterday? This isn’t the place to argue.”

That reminder made Xuan Mingzhu snap back to her senses. She forced a smile, tugged lightly at her brother’s sleeve, and said sweetly, “You’re right, that was my fault. I apologize, all right? Please, tell us what you heard—we really want to know.”

Xuan Baiquan’s temper flared and faded just as fast. Hearing her coaxing tone, he turned back and said eagerly, “I just overheard someone saying the mysterious owner of Yunmengze will be attending the banquet—the company that made Immortal Unseen.”

Both Xuan Mingzhu and Liang Kejue were startled. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” Xuan Baiquan said firmly. “Because of that, they even upgraded the entire security level for tonight.”

That was a bombshell.

If they could meet Yunmengze’s elusive owner and somehow earn their favor, they could easily carve out a place for themselves in the business world.

Excitement flickered in both Xuan Mingzhu’s and Liang Kejue’s eyes.

Recently, Liang Kejue had been paying little attention to the hospital’s affairs. The He family had been pressuring her to withdraw their investment, and with mounting financial troubles, she was at her wit’s end. If only the boss of Yunmengze would agree to invest in her hospital, all her problems would be solved at once.

Xuan Mingzhu instructed Xuan Baiquan to follow the two people who had just gone to gather information. Commander Wu and Director Zhao chatted for a while before going their separate ways. Xuan Baiquan could only trail one of them. After some thought, he decided to follow Director Zhao, the one who had delivered an invitation to the boss of Yunmengze.

Since Zhao was the one who delivered the invitation, it meant he had a decent relationship with the Yunmengze boss. Naturally, the first person that boss would seek out upon arriving at the banquet would be Zhao. As long as Xuan Baiquan stayed on Zhao’s tail, he would eventually meet the man himself.

It was a solid plan—until Zhao said he needed to use the restroom. A security guard was patrolling outside the restroom, making it awkward for Xuan Baiquan to linger there. Left with no choice, he followed Zhao inside. Unfortunately, there were also guards posted inside.

He didn’t see Zhao at the urinals and guessed he must have gone into one of the stalls. Xuan Baiquan had no real need to use the toilet, and loitering by the urinals would definitely look suspicious, so he randomly opened a stall door, stepped in, and pretended to be occupied while keeping his ears pricked for any sound of Zhao’s departure.

As luck would have it, just as Xuan Baiquan slipped into the restroom, Yan Zui arrived at the banquet.

Her presence was like that of the moon surrounded by a sea of stars—radiant, ethereal, and impossible to ignore. The moment Yan Zui stepped into the banquet hall, the guests nearest the entrance seemed struck by a chain reaction: one person turned to look and froze, followed by the next, and then the next, until the entire room seemed captivated by her brilliance.

“Yan Zui’s here!” Qi Fanghuai nudged Qin Lifeng’s shoulder to alert him. “And Qi Yunwei’s with her.”

Qi Yunwei walked beside Yan Zui, mirroring her gestures as they exchanged polite nods with familiar acquaintances.

Because Qi Yunwei stood at Yan Zui’s side, those who greeted them treated her with a bit more respect, offering courteous smiles and nods in return.

Qi Fanghuai couldn’t stand the sight.

The circles they could never enter—Qi Yunwei, that useless waste, had slipped into effortlessly thanks to Yan Zui’s connections. How unfair.

“What do we do next?” Qin Lifeng asked, unable even to spare a glance for Yan Zui’s beauty. His eyes were fixed coldly on Qi Yunwei.

“Go straight to them,” Qi Fanghuai said.

Yan Zui greeted others with composed nods, unfazed by the admiring stares around her. Only when she caught sight of Yu Qiu did she stop.

Yu Qiu smiled politely at Qi Yunwei. “You must be Miss Qi. I don’t believe we’ve met before—I’m Yu Qiu, a friend of Ms. Yan.”

Yan Zui introduced him, “Yu Qiu, current CEO of the Yan Group.”

Qi Yunwei didn’t seem surprised. She shook his hand with calm courtesy. “I’ve read some of your interviews, Mr. Yu. Your insights are very perceptive.” Her words echoed almost exactly something Yan Zui herself had once said.

Yu Qiu’s face reddened slightly. “The original ideas were all Ms. Yan’s. I merely quoted her. I wouldn’t dare show off my meager knowledge in front of her.”

“Everything running smoothly at the company lately?” Yan Zui asked lightly.

“Very well,” Yu Qiu said. “With your guidance, how could it not be?”

“Ms. Yan,” he added, “Chairman Yan and Madam He will be arriving shortly.”

Yan Zui’s lashes lowered slightly, concealing the flicker of emotion in her eyes. “I see.”

Since her argument with Yan Zhao at the Yan Corporation, she hadn’t returned to the Yan family villa. It had been quite some time since she’d last seen Yan Zhao or He Ran.

Qi Yunwei gently squeezed her hand.

Yan Zui looked up, meeting Qi Yunwei’s worried gaze. “I’m fine,” she said softly.

Yu Qiu, unwilling to comment on the Yan family’s private affairs, said, “Ms. Yan, Miss Qi, let me take you to meet the hosts of the banquet.”

But just as Yan Zui and Qi Yunwei followed Yu Qiu deeper into the hall, Qi Fanghuai and Qin Lifeng stepped in their way.

“Yunwei, what a coincidence. We meet again, sister,” Qi Fanghuai said with a smile.

Yu Qiu paused, not quite understanding Qi Yunwei’s family situation.

Meanwhile, Xuan Mingzhu and Liang Kejue had also made their way over.

Liang Kejue spoke with a soft, familiar tone, “Yan Zui, you’re here,” as if this meeting had been prearranged.

Yu Qiu looked puzzled. He knew almost all of Yan Zui’s acquaintances, yet this woman was a stranger to him.

The host of the banquet, Shen Yelan—an old university classmate of Yan Zui—spotted her from across the hall. Delighted, she immediately gathered a few people and came over.

Soon, a crowd had formed around Yan Zui and Qi Yunwei.

None of them knew Qi Yunwei; they were all there for Yan Zui.

Seeing this, Qi Fanghuai exchanged a quick, knowing look with the other three. It was time to move forward with their plan.

To expose Qi Yunwei’s “true colors,” the more people watching, the better.

Just as Shen Yelan approached, about to greet Yan Zui, Qi Fanghuai frowned and said loudly to Qi Yunwei, “Yunwei, after the New Year, it’s been over four months since you last came home. Father and Mother miss you terribly.”

Not visiting one’s parents—unfilial.

“I also heard that those who dropped out can now retake the entrance exams to get into college again,” Qi Fanghuai continued in a tone of brotherly advice. “In this society, it’s hard to get by without a degree. Even if you don’t like studying, you should at least get your diploma. Avoid giving up just because you think you’re too stupid to learn.”

Did you hear that? Qi Yunwei was a dropout—an academic failure.

Qi Fanghuai went on in a patient, almost gentle voice, “You should come home sometime. Our little sister’s already forgiven you for hitting her out of the blue.”

And there it was again—bad-tempered, violent, ill-mannered.

Shen Yelan and the surrounding guests had all noticed Qi Yunwei holding Yan Zui’s hand. Hearing Qi Fanghuai’s words, their expressions grew increasingly confused.

“Yan Zui, and this lady is?” Shen Yelan couldn’t help asking.

Yan Zui’s expression remained perfectly calm. “Qi Yunwei,” she said, “my Alpha.”

“Your Alpha?” Shen Yelan repeated, incredulous. “You’re joking, right? Since when do you have an Alpha?”

“I’m not joking,” Yan Zui replied evenly. “My Alpha is none other than the so-called dropout and fool everyone’s been talking about—Qi Yunwei.”