NOVEL NEXT Chapter 23:
Chapter 23: Charity Summit:
Guests continuously approached to greet Wang Zhenxing. Some were well-meaning, while others harbored ulterior motives. Regardless of their intentions, these interactions spelled trouble for him.
Each handshake and smile carried the risk of him being pressured into donating more money. And if his donation fell short, it would undoubtedly spark criticism, especially with multiple media outlets covering the event.
The thought of negative headlines tomorrow loomed over him.
“This can’t happen,” he thought, formulating a plan. Soon, an idea struck him—pretending to be sick.
He had considered feigning illness even before the event to avoid attending altogether. But skipping a charity summit due to an unexplained illness would only draw suspicion. However, if he were to fall ill during the event, in full view of everyone, no one could blame him.
Standing on the deck, gazing at the gentle river waters, a faint smile formed on his lips as he finalized his plan.
The charity summit was set to take place in the cruise ship’s grand ballroom. Since the official start time was still 20 minutes away, most of the attendees had gathered on the deck. The deck was lavishly set with a buffet of fine food and wine to accommodate those who hadn’t eaten dinner.
However, very few were focused on the food. Most held glasses of red wine, mingling and socializing. This summit was a rare networking opportunity, attracting prominent business figures from Qingling.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted near the cruise ship’s entrance, drawing everyone’s attention.
Curious, Wang Zhenxing turned toward the source of the noise. There, he saw a stunning woman in a black evening dress slowly making her way to the deck, surrounded by a crowd of admirers.
Among the guests present, many had personal wealth exceeding hundreds of millions, with a few even surpassing a billion. Normally, these people were commanding figures in their own right. But tonight, they acted like humble greeters.
The reason for their reverence? The woman in the black evening dress was none other than Han Mei, the richest woman in Qingling.
As Han Mei approached, her commanding aura was impossible to ignore.
While both were undeniably striking, Han Mei’s aura was vastly different from someone like Xu Yourou, who exuded grace and elegance. Han Mei radiated power and dominance, like a queen surveying her subjects.
‘What would it look like if this queen bowed her proud head?’ wondered Wang Zhenxing.
One of the other guests, a wealthy businessman in the daily chemical industry, pointed toward Wang Zhenxing and spoke to Han Mei. “Mr. Han, that’s Wang Zhenxing from the Zhenxing Group, the main initiator of this charity summit.”
In the business world, rivalry was inevitable, and competition often bred enmity. Knowing that Han Mei had been suppressing the Zhenxing Group, the businessman was eager to stir the pot and enjoy the show.
Han Mei, ever perceptive, saw through his intentions instantly.
Although she had heard of Wang Zhenxing before, she had never paid him any real attention. They might have attended the same events in the past, but a company with a market value of just a billion yuan wasn’t significant enough for her to notice.
Tonight, however, Han Mei had promised her son, Han Jie, that she would “handle” Wang Zhenxing at the summit. She decided it was necessary to at least recognize him to avoid any awkward confusion later.
Her sharp eyes narrowed as she followed the businessman’s gesture toward Wang Zhenxing. However, due to years of working at a desk, her slight nearsightedness made it difficult to make out his features from afar.
She could only see a tall, well-built figure.
‘I’ve heard that Wang Zhenxing is considered a “diamond king.” His physique is indeed impressive—not as paunchy as most middle-aged men in his position. But no matter how fit he is, his face must bear the marks of time. After all, men can’t maintain their looks as women do,’ she thought.
As she walked closer, Wang Zhenxing’s face gradually came into view.
The moment Han Mei saw him clearly, she was momentarily stunned.
Gone was the greasy image of a middle-aged man she had imagined. Instead, he looked incredibly youthful, as if he were in his mid-twenties. His tall, well-proportioned physique, chiseled features, and calm yet mature demeanor created a combination that was utterly captivating.
For a woman like Han Mei, who had been single for so long, the impact was even more profound.
Unsettled, she quickly composed herself.
Despite her admiration, she maintained a cold and indifferent expression. Even Wang Zhenxing didn’t detect her momentary lapse, and the others around her remained oblivious.
Several attendees, eager to curry favor with Han Mei, began to speak up.
“Mr. Wang is truly a kind man, organizing such a grand charity event. I wonder how much he plans to donate tonight?”
“For a company of Zhenxing Group’s size, donating at least 20 million would be appropriate.”
“Only 20 million? That’s too little. I think Mr. Wang will donate at least 50 million!”
“No, no. 50 million is still too modest. To maintain his reputation, Mr. Wang should donate 100 million.”
Listening to their remarks, Wang Zhenxing smiled calmly. “Zhenxing Group is just a small workshop producing daily chemicals. It’s nowhere near as successful as the businesses owned by everyone here. I’ll donate whatever you all do. If you donate 100 million, I’ll empty Zhenxing’s cash reserves and even dip into my own pockets to match it—for charity, of course.”
His words carried an undertone of sarcasm that made those around him immediately fall silent.
Han Mei couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt as she listened to him.
Her rise to become the wealthiest person in Qingling was not just due to her talent and ambition. She had used some questionable business tactics along the way.
‘If karma exists, I surely can’t escape it,’ she thought. The richer someone became, the more they tended to believe in the concept of cause and effect. For peace of mind, many in her position turned to rituals like chanting scriptures or worshiping Buddha.
Han Mei, too, was a believer.
Her thoughts wandered back to the fortune teller from her youth, whose predictions about her life had been eerily accurate.
‘Now that my luck has faded, will I face retribution for continuing to suppress Zhenxing Group?’
For the first time, Han Mei considered abandoning her efforts to crush the Zhenxing Group.
Over the years, Wang Zhenxing had been deeply committed to charity and was widely regarded as a kind and upright man. Was it right to target such a person?
She realized she had no personal grudge against him. The only reason she had gone after the Zhenxing Group was to appease her son, Han Jie.
But after all the damage done to Zhenxing Group, rebuilding a good relationship with Wang Zhenxing would be challenging.
And from what she had observed tonight, he seemed like a principled man who detested injustice. Reconciliation might be impossible.