Chapter 6. Goal Accomplished, the Heirloom Cauldron

The man towered over Zhou Yunqiong. Clad in a sleek black suit, he stood at an intimidating height of nearly two meters.

Standing behind Zhou Yunqiong, with his dark complexion and razor-sharp eyes, he didn't need to say a single word to exude an overbearing pressure. His presence alone was enough to make people keep their distance.

It was inevitable that Li Hansheng would instinctively take a few steps back.

"This is Uncle Zuo. My family is worried about me being out alone, so they had him accompany me," Zhou Yunqiong said with a gentle smile. Her tone was warm and soothing, as if trying to ease the tension in the room.

"Ah, I see..." Li Hansheng said while letting out an awkward chuckle to mask his embarrassment. He then turned to the others and said, "Yunqiong's here. Let's give her a warm welcome!"

"Welcome, welcome!"

"Yunqiong, you're finally here!"

"We've been waiting forever. Here, come take a seat."

Almost everyone in the room stood up to welcome Zhou Yunqiong. Their faces were plastered with cheerful smiles, and their voices filled with enthusiasm.

Everyone knew about Zhou Yunqiong's background. In a society like this, wealth and connections commanded instant respect. As for Uncle Zuo, it was obvious to everyone he was a bodyguard.

Of course, only Lu Yuan differed from the others; he remained seated and took a sip from his wine glass. Clearly, he had no intention to stand up and welcome Zhou Yunqiong.

A few people frowned at the sight. They felt that he was being a little too aloof. Sure, he might be doing well now, but could his wealth compare to the Zhou family?

However, Zhou Yunqiong didn't seem to mind at all.

She gracefully accepted everyone's warm greetings and took the main seat in the room without hesitation.

Just then, the servers began to bring out the dishes. Yet, no one picked up their chopsticks. They were all waiting for Zhou Yunqiong to make the first move.

"We're all classmates here. Let's drop the formalities. Let's eat," Zhou Yunqiong said with a slight smile. She then initiated a conversation and brought up stories from their school days. Slowly, the tension in the room began to ease.

She was stunning; despite the cool, distant aura that surrounded her, she revealed a far amicable and approachable side in this moment.

Soon enough, a few classmates began to relax and gradually joined the conversation. Of course, the topic remained centered on Zhou Yunqiong.

If this were back in their college days, the current room dynamics would not have been possible. After all, they hadn't yet stepped into the real world.

But things were different now. They had been truly whipped by the working world and finally understood the cruel reality.

Some of the girls were even considering their options and if they should try to get into Zhou Yunqiong's good books.

If they could land a position at Wuzhou Group as a result—even if it was the branch office—it would be more than enough to change their fate. After all, Wuzhou Group was one of the top three conglomerates in all of Hu City.

As such, many of them began to proactively offer toasts and flattery. Of course, the most enthusiastic among them were none other than Li Hansheng and Wang Zibo.

They also followed Zhou Yunqiong's lead and brought up interesting stories from their college days. Even Zhou Yunqiong couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Her smile was like starlight in a dark sky, outshining even the chandelier overhead.

"Do you still remember?" One of the girls suddenly chimed in. "Back in our freshman year, I think it was an afternoon that Lu Yuan walked into class holding a bouquet. He said he wanted to confess to Zhou Yunqiong."

Instantly, silence engulfed the room. Everyone turned their heads in unison toward Lu Yuan.

But Lu Yuan's head remained lowered. Despite the gazes on him, he continued eating as if he hadn't heard a word.

Confusion stirred in the hearts of the others.

As far as they knew, Lu Yuan had liked Zhou Yunqiong for four whole years. Yet, now that he saw her again for the first time in so long, why did he show no reaction? Shouldn't he be the one most eager to talk to her?

Zhou Yunqiong glanced at Lu Yuan, her brows slightly furrowed together. She had noticed it too. From the moment she stepped into the room, Lu Yuan had neither looked up nor spoken a word to her. He merely sat there in silence.

That was totally unlike him.

"That's all in the past. Let's talk about something else," Zhou Yunqiong said, trying to shift the topic. She took another glance at Lu Yuan before turning back to the others.

"Lu Yuan," Chen Song softly called out from the side. He found it weird. "It's rare for all of us to gather. Why aren't you joining the others in the conversation?"

"You aren't talking much either," Lu Yuan replied calmly. To be honest, he was totally not interested in gatherings like these. If not for a specific goal today, he wouldn't have wasted a single second coming here.

"I... I..." Chen Song was taken aback. He didn't know what to say. He could only lower his head in silence. His family background was the worst among all his classmates, and he had always felt inferior. He was ordinary and always in the shadows. Even if he were to stand up and leave now, it was likely no one would care.

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Naturally, Lu Yuan understood that and didn't say anything more. Instead, he casually chatted with Chen Song and tried sounding him out about how things had been at home.

Just like that, time slowly passed, and everyone was full from the meal. Li Hansheng then suggested they sing karaoke, which everyone readily agreed to.

Since they booked the largest suite room in Yunzhong Hotel, the private karaoke room was located right beside it.

"Lu Yuan, let's head over too." Chen Song stood up as he watched the others make their way to the adjoining room.

"No rush," Lu Yuan said with a shake of his head. "If I remember correctly, your family has an heirloom, right? A small, ancient cauldron?

"Yeah." Chen Song nodded, though he looked visibly stunned. "My dad had it stored away in a box. Why? Are you interested in that thing?"

"Yes," Lu Yuan admitted. This was his true reason for attending the reunion. The class gathering was merely a convenient excuse. What he was truly after was the ancient cauldron passed down in Chen Song's family.

It wasn't some grand treasure, nor was it comparable to the Bodhi Tree in terms of its world-shaking advantages after the global awakening. However, it was an extremely mysterious item that was closely tied to his future plans. To Lu Yuan, it was an essential piece.

"I..." Chen Song appeared visibly torn; he was hesitant and didn't know what to say.

"I know," Lu Yuan interjected. "Someone once offered two hundred thousand for that small cauldron, but your father turned them down.

"I can offer a higher price. You mentioned earlier that your father has diabetes and your family's living expenses are high. You would really need some money right now to tide it through, right?"

"But..." Chen Song wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say.

"Five hundred thousand." Lu Yuan then raised three fingers and said, "I can transfer you three hundred thousand now as a down payment."

He didn't press further and chose to remain silent and wait. He knew that in moments like this, patience was more effective than pressure.

Through it all, he had remained patient because he wanted to sound out exactly what Chen Song needed before offering a deal. He truly believed that was the smartest way to go about it to secure what he wanted.

Sure, he had plenty of money and could continue raising the buying price. But if there was a more efficient way, why wouldn't he use it?

"I...I'd like to go home and discuss this with my dad," Chen Song replied. Clearly, he was rattled by the number and truthfully, his family really needed this money.

However, he wasn't quick to agree outright and expressed his intention to talk to his father first.

"Alright, let me know your bank account number," Lu Yuan said with a smile.

Upon receiving it, he immediately transferred three hundred thousand on the spot.

"Let me know once you've made a decision." Lu Yuan made a small nod and turned to leave the room.

He knew that his goal for tonight was already as good as achieved.

"Hey, Lu Yuan. Are you not coming to sing with the rest of us?" Chen Song called out.

"Nah, I've got other things to do."