By the time Li Yi and his group arrived at the banquet hall, the dinner had already begun.
Seeing this, Li Yi had originally intended not to go in,
but just as he turned to leave, he was called back by Director Han Zhenqiang, who had followed behind: “Comrade Li Yi, please wait a moment. Where are you going?”
“The meeting is over. I’m heading home!” Li Yi replied honestly.
“You’d better wait a bit. I noticed those guys didn’t look too happy earlier, and I’m worried there might be some trouble later!” Han Zhenqiang said.
Li Yi thought it over. Judging by the demeanor and composure those guys had displayed, they were indeed rather mediocre; they might very well lodge some kind of protest with the foreign affairs department.
If he left now, it would certainly put Director Han, Shen Fangzheng, and the others in a difficult position.
He nodded and said, “In that case, I’ll stay a little longer.”
“Thank you for your understanding. Please come in!”
With that, Han Zhenqiang personally opened the banquet hall door for Li Yi and invited him and Liang Bing inside.
Li Yi didn’t stand around; he strode right in.
Upon seeing Li Yi and his party enter, Shen Fangzheng, who was in charge of reception in the banquet hall, immediately came forward to greet them. He then led Li Yi and Liang Bing to a table on the right side of the room and gestured for them to take their seats there.
Once they were seated, Li Yi finally had a chance to take in the scene inside the banquet hall.
In fact, Li Yi had attended state banquets in his previous life, though they were of a much lower caliber. Back then, they were simply banquets hosted by relevant departments for successful businesspeople like him before the opening of an economic forum, and the highest-ranking officials in attendance were no more than provincial or ministerial-level cadres.
But today was completely different. At the table at the very front, Li Yi not only saw the renowned Iron Lady, but also the Grand Elder and several other bigwigs from the Council of Elders.
Setting aside other considerations, the scale of this state banquet alone was truly top-tier.
After a quick glance, Li Yi withdrew his gaze and turned his full attention to the sumptuous banquet spread before him.
It must be said that the skill of the state banquet chefs was truly unparalleled; back in the day, a dish of boiled cabbage at a state banquet had left a profound impression on him.
Although he had since eaten the dish elsewhere, chefs outside the palace had never quite managed to capture that same flavor.
Plus, he was actually a bit hungry, so he immediately began to tuck in heartily, despite the curious stares from the others.
The reason for the curious stares was that everyone else’s attention was focused on the leaders at the front, especially since the Grand Elder was still delivering his speech. Eating at that moment was somewhat disrespectful, which made Li Yi look like an outsider.
Seeing this, Liang Bing quietly tugged at Li Yi’s sleeve, signaling him to be mindful of his behavior.
However, Li Yi paid no attention to this at all; instead, he picked up a golden-brown grilled lamb rib and placed it on Liang Bing’s plate.
Now not only had Li Yi become the odd one out, but Liang Bing had also become the center of attention for everyone else at the table, causing her face to flush instantly.
“Can’t you… can’t you just tone it down a bit? This is a state banquet!” Liang Bing whispered.
“So what if it’s a state banquet? It’s still a place to eat!”
“Um… we still need to be mindful of how we come across. Look at how everyone else is looking at us!”
“Who cares what they think of us? It’s not like it’s going to cost us a single bone!”
Then Li Yi added, “Besides, if you’re not even enthusiastic about eating, you’ve got a screw loose. What’s the point of getting worked up over a bunch of sickos?”
Hearing that, Liang Bing couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Their little exchange once again drew the attention of the others, and strange expressions immediately appeared on everyone’s faces—some looked puzzled, some disgusted, some contemptuous, and so on…
Li Yi paid no attention whatsoever to the stares.
On the one hand, these were all strangers he didn’t know; he simply didn’t care how they viewed him.
On the other hand, having lived two lifetimes, he had long since seen through the illusion of “face” and “status.” In the presence of his wife, children, and loved ones, such things meant nothing.
There was no need to compete or compare with others over such things—strife and comparison were the very roots of suffering and loss!
As soon as the leader finished his speech, the Grand Elder signaled that everyone was free to mingle, and the atmosphere in the hall quickly livened up.
In reality, state banquets aren’t as formal as people imagine. Once the formal proceedings are over, the officials usually leave, and the rest of the time is mostly spent at one’s leisure.
By this point, Li Yi had nearly finished his meal.
Just as he was feeling bored, wondering when he could go home to be with his wife and child, he saw the Navy Vice Admiral he’d met with earlier approach him from behind, a smile on his face as he held a glass of wine.
“Li, we meet again!”
Liang Bing, standing nearby, was about to translate, but Li Yi stopped her. Speaking fluent English, he said, “Your Excellency, if you wish to continue the conversation we had earlier, I’m afraid I must apologize!”
“Li, you’ve misunderstood. I’ve come to deliver a message from my younger brother!”
“Your brother? A message?”
“Hehe, my brother’s name is Sandy. I’m his older brother, Sand George.”
Upon hearing this, Li Yi’s expression visibly froze.
He had known before that Sandy had an older brother serving in the military, and that the man held a high-ranking position, but he hadn’t inquired further about it.
He never imagined that Sandy’s older brother was a lieutenant general, and he certainly didn’t expect him to be one of the representatives on this visit!
But Li Yi quickly regained his composure and asked, “What message did Sandy ask you to bring me?”
Sander smiled and said, “He asked me to tell you not to worry about the company. As long as he’s here, the government won’t dare to go too far!”
Li Yi gave him a half-smile and said, “I wonder if that’s just Sandy’s opinion, or if it reflects the views of the entire George family?”
“Does it make a difference?”
“It certainly doesn’t. In any case, I have no intention of selling my stake in the company!” Li Yi replied.
“Just as Sandy predicted. He said you wouldn’t bow down to 10 Downing Street, and he told me not to get involved in this matter—that angering you would be a terrifying prospect!” Sand said with a laugh.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Li Yi’s mouth. “It seems you took Sandy’s advice to heart!”
“No, I just don’t want the family’s interests to suffer!”
Sander was speaking from the heart. Although their family now held only a 5% stake in Sheffield Steel, the company’s stock price had been rising steadily, causing their family’s assets to more than double in a short period.
Furthermore, a few months ago, at the urging of this young man, his younger brother Sandy had gone all-in on buying pounds—an investment that had netted the family a massive profit of 300 million pounds.
Now, it wasn’t just his younger brother Sandy who placed immense trust in Li Yi; even their father, Old George, couldn’t stop praising the young man.
Sandy understood clearly that the George family’s interests were now deeply intertwined with this young man’s, and that any move against Li Yi would also harm the family’s interests.
“In any case, you made the right choice!” Li Yi said with a smile.
Sandy nodded, then added, “Don’t worry about the steel company. The government won’t interfere in business matters without good reason.”
“However, you must take the matter of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce seriously. Someone is secretly pushing the legislature to investigate this organization, and the current findings seem to be going against you.”
Li Yi paused briefly, then said, “I understand. Thanks for the heads-up!”
Sander smiled, raised his wine glass, and said to Li Yi, “Cheers!”
Li Yi clinked glasses with him and downed the red wine in one gulp.
After the toast, Sand smiled and took his leave.
After watching Sand leave, Li Yi turned around.
Just as he was about to sit down, he noticed Liang Bing staring at him with a complex expression. In her eyes, besides surprise, Li Yi actually saw a hint of fear…
……….