[Location: The Grand Skyline Hotel, 88th Floor.] [Event: The Annual Charity Gala of Star City.]
The ballroom was filled with the clinking of crystal glasses and the murmur of polite conversation. Men in tuxedos and women in evening gowns mingled, discussing stocks and politics.
But tonight, the atmosphere was about to change.
"Excuse me, sir. Do you have an invitation?" the doorman asked, blocking the entrance.
Standing before him was a strange trio: A handsome man in a tattered black trench coat. A girl with messy red hair wearing a stolen oversized hoodie. And a Husky... wearing a bow tie made of a napkin.
"Invitation?" Chen Qing smiled, holding up a gold card he had "borrowed" from the unconscious doctor at the asylum. "Does this count?"
The doorman glanced at the card. It was a VVIP Black Card from the Syndicate. His face paled instantly. "P-Please, right this way, sir!"
Chen Qing walked in, strutting like he owned the place.
[System Notification:] [New Area Discovered: The Den of Wealth.] [Mission: Fill your stomach.]
"Food!" Sun Mengjia's eyes sparkled. She ran towards the buffet table like a starving wolf. She grabbed a whole roast chicken with her bare hands and took a massive bite. "Mmm! Tastes like freedom!"
"Woof!" (Me too!) General Fluffles (the Husky) jumped onto the table. He didn't bother with the meat. He started crunching on the expensive porcelain plates. Crunch, crunch. To him, the plates were crunchier than the food.
The guests gasped in horror. "Who are these savages?" "Where is security?" "Is that dog eating... ceramic?"
A young man in a white suit, holding a glass of champagne, walked over. He had the arrogant face of a typical "Young Master." This was Zhao Feng, heir to the Zhao Corporation.
"Hey! You beggars!" Zhao Feng sneered, kicking the chair next to Chen Qing. "How did you get in? Do you know how much this carpet costs? You're dirtying the air!"
Chen Qing slowly swallowed a piece of lobster. He wiped his mouth with a silk napkin and looked up. "Are you talking to me?"
"I'm talking to you, trash!" Zhao Feng snapped his fingers. "Security! Throw them out! And kill that stupid dog for dinner!"
"Kill the dog?" Sun Mengjia stopped eating. She slowly put down the chicken bone. The playful look in her eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, murderous glint. "Did you just say... you want to hurt General Fluffles?"
"Mengjia, sit down," Chen Qing ordered calmly. "I'll handle this."
He stood up. He didn't shout. He didn't attack. He simply released a fraction of his [Dragon Slayer Aura].
BOOM.
An invisible pressure slammed into the room. The chandeliers shook. The champagne glasses shattered. Every guest felt a sudden, primal fear, as if a predator was breathing down their necks.
Zhao Feng's knees buckled. He collapsed to the floor, gasping for air, sweat pouring down his face. "W-What... what are you..."
Chen Qing walked over and patted Zhao Feng's terrified face. "I hate it when people interrupt my meal." "Next time, learn to bark before you bite."
[System: Intimidation Successful. +50 Experience Points.]
Just as Chen Qing was about to finish him off, a cold, commanding voice cut through the silence.
"Stop."
The crowd parted. A woman walked in. She wore a sleek silver evening gown that hugged her curves perfectly. Her face was beautiful but colder than ice. Shen Ruobing. The Ice CEO of the Shen Group. The richest woman in Star City.
She looked at the trembling Zhao Feng, then at the mess General Fluffles had made, and finally at Chen Qing.
"You have a strong aura," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. "You're not an ordinary beggar."
"And you're not an ordinary waitress," Chen Qing replied with a smirk.
The crowd gasped. He dared to call CEO Shen a waitress?!
But Shen Ruobing didn't get angry. A hint of interest flashed in her eyes. "I need a bodyguard. Someone who can kill without hesitation." She threw a platinum card onto the table. "Ten million a month. Plus all the food your dog can eat."
Chen Qing looked at the card. He looked at Mengjia, who was now stuffing cake into her pockets. He looked at the Husky, who was chewing on Zhao Feng's shoe.
"Make it twenty million," Chen Qing said, pocketing the card. "And my wife needs a new dress."
Shen Ruobing smiled, a rare, dangerous smile. "Deal."
[System Mission Updated:] [New Ally: The Ice Queen.] [Path to Domination: Begun.]