C4 Not in the Invitation List!

In the private room of the Grand Banquet Hotel, a sharply dressed bodyguard burst through the door. He made a beeline for Xia Xianfeng, who was dining, and murmured a report into his ear.

The news was grim: every henchman sent to hassle Lin Xiaoyue's bodyguard had ended up with broken arms and legs.

Xia Xianfeng's expression turned thunderous. He leapt to his feet and violently overturned the table.

"Clang! Crash..." The cacophony of shattering crockery filled the air as Xia Xianfeng, face in hands, bellowed, "Incompetents! They're all utterly useless!"

Once his fury had subsided, Xia Xianfeng furiously whipped out his phone and dialed a number. "Grand Banquet, Room Sky No. 7. You've got one hour," he growled into the receiver.

The nearby bodyguard caught the instruction and swiftly exited. He barked at a waiter, "Get this mess cleaned up and set up a fresh banquet. Young Master Xia is hosting guests in thirty minutes."

Thirty minutes later, the room's door swung open to reveal a hulking, bald man adorned with a gold chain as thick as a finger, who sauntered in, all smiles. "Young Master Xia, I came as fast as I could after your call."

Xia Xianfeng looked up with a cold huff. "Donkey Kong, we know each other well enough to skip the pleasantries. Two million to eliminate a thorn in my side."

At those words, Donkey Kong's eyes squinted into thin lines. "Always to the point, Young Master Xia! But with two million on the table, this target must be quite the catch, huh?"

"You know how we operate," Donkey Kong continued. "Maybe you should have someone brief me first?"

Donkey Kong was no fool; as a heavyweight in C City's underworld, he'd handled plenty of Young Master Xia's dirty work. But those jobs were usually worth tens or hundreds of thousands. A job worth two million was not only rare—it spoke volumes about the target's value. In this line of work, some money was for the living to earn and the dead to envy.

Before taking any action, they needed to clearly identify the target.

Upon receiving a nod from Xia Xianfeng, the bodyguard at his side spoke up, "He's no VIP, just a greenhorn bodyguard recently hired by Lin Xiaoyue, the president of Lin's Group..."

Donkey Kong mulled over the bodyguard's words. "C City isn't that big, and I certainly don't want to cross Young Master Xia. But I can't afford to tangle with Director Lin either..."

Xia Xianfeng's brow furrowed. "Just give me a number."

Without further ado, Donkey Kong held up a finger. "Ten million! I'll round up my crew, we handle the job, and then we're out of C City."

Xia Xianfeng shot to his feet, fuming, "Ten million? You've got some nerve! Get out!"

Despite Xia Xianfeng's outburst, Donkey Kong remained unflappable, responding with a grin, "I'm on my way. No hard feelings if there's no deal—I'll be ready for your call, Young Master Xia."

As Donkey Kong made his exit, Xia Xianfeng vented his frustration with a swift kick that sent the newly replaced dining table crashing to the floor.

The smile vanished from Donkey Kong's face as he heard the ruckus behind him. The fiercer Young Master Xia's rage, the deeper his intent to kill.

In C City's realm, if he turned down a job, it meant no one in the underground would dare take it.

That was the confidence that came with being the top dog among C City's underground quartet of Donkey Kongs!

Or perhaps it was the assurance of his prowess as a Third Grade martial artist. Among C City's underworld forces, only the four Donkey Kongs ranked at Third Grade.

Donkey Kong was certain that if Young Master Xia truly intended to eliminate that individual, he would reach out again. That was his self-assurance.

With that thought, Donkey Kong whipped out his phone and made a call. "Look up someone for me—the new bodyguard working for Lin's Group's president."

Shortly after Donkey Kong's departure, another figure hurriedly made their way to Xia Xianfeng's private room.

Young Master Xia, breaking news. The manager of South Group's C City branch has just issued banquet invitations."

Upon hearing this, Xia Xianfeng's expression instantly shifted. "Get the car ready; we're heading to South Group."

Virtually overnight, every major and minor financial conglomerate and top-tier family in C City's business circles had an invitation from South Group's local branch.

Xia Xianfeng was brimming with pride. His early arrival had even secured him a pair of invitations.

The golden lettering on the bright red invitation sparked a deep yearning in his eyes.

South Group was a leading powerhouse in A Country, its wealth beyond the measure of a nation's riches.

While the C City branch of South Group couldn't match the clout of their headquarters, it still towered over the multitude of elite families in C City.

This was their inaugural invitation to C City's business community since establishing the branch. If Xia could leverage this chance to forge a strong connection with Director Zhang, the sky would be the limit for the Xia family's future.

The following morning, as soon as the scouts reported back, an eager Xia Xianfeng inquired, "Did you get the details? How many in C City have been graced with South Group's invitations?"

The man responded promptly and with due respect, "It's primarily those who attended last night's banquet, although Lin's Group did not make the list."

This revelation made Xia Xianfeng's eyes sparkle. "Return and rest for now. This afternoon, I intend to visit Lin's Group myself."

At Lin's Group, Lin Xiaoyue, exhausted from a morning's work, slumped in her chair, massaging her temples.

The previous night's banquet weighed heavily on her mind.

If she failed to avert the looming crisis soon, her only fate would be a marriage to Xia Xianfeng.

As she pondered the necessity of another banquet,

her assistant, Ye Xiaoyun, burst in with such fervor she forgot to knock.

"Director Lin, hot off the press: Director Zhang from South Group is hosting an investment banquet at the Grand Banquet Hotel in two days."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaoyue sprang up from her chair, her eyes alight with excitement. "Fantastic! Set it up for me, I want to be there too. With a little luck, I might even secure some investment from Director Zhang."

In just two days, she would reach her deadline to marry Xia Xianfeng. She was determined to seize any opportunity she could.

Seeing her bubbling with excitement, Ye Xiaoyun let out a deep sigh and reluctantly broke the news, "Director Lin, we can't attend. The banquet is by invitation only, and Lin's Group didn't make the list."

Ye Xiaoyun's words doused Lin Xiaoyue's enthusiasm like a cold shower. Crestfallen, she sank back into her chair, her face clouding over with disappointment.

Why had this happened? Why hadn't Lin's Group received an invitation?

Since South Group had established a branch in C City, no one in the business community had managed to extend them an invite.

This was their first time issuing invitations themselves!

Yet Lin's Group had been left out, not even given a chance to attend!

Suddenly, Xia Xianfeng's voice pierced the silence from outside. "Lin Xiaoyue, did you really think you could have someone block me?"

Lin Xiaoyue's brow furrowed at the interruption.

Ye Xiaoyun was visibly panicked. "Young Master Xia, why didn't you give us a heads-up before dropping by? Director Lin is currently..."

Xia Xianfeng paid no heed to Ye Xiaoyun's stammering. He simply produced a bright red invitation and flaunted it before Lin Xiaoyue's eyes. "I hear you didn't get one of these?"