Some people were pleasantly surprised to receive the invitation.
Conversely, there were naturally those who viewed this invitation as a hot potato. They were reluctant to throw it away, yet afraid to keep it, sighing and pacing restlessly in their homes.
Why was this the case?
The answer was simple.
They belonged to Mr. Kong's faction, the highly dependent sort. To put it bluntly, Su Ning's current reputation was mostly built by stepping on Mr. Kong, while the remaining small part was due to her wealth and the inexplicable favor of the American ambassador.
How could they possibly go?
"Sigh, at the end of the day, it all comes down to Young Master Kong. It really is a case of a bad seed—unable to accomplish anything but more than capable of ruining things. Now he's left us in this dilemma," someone complained.
Wasn't that the truth? An ordinary banquet was nothing much, but ever since news of Su Ning's banquet broke, the people announcing their attendance were each more influential than the last. That made it highly worth attending.
Officialdom was all about socializing and networking.
If everyone else went and you didn't, others wouldn't bother to investigate why. They would simply assume you hadn't received an invitation, that your status and influence weren't significant enough, instantly putting you at a disadvantage before your rivals!
That was the subtle trick of it all.
"What Young Master Kong? Does he even deserve that title? The legitimate young master of the Kong family is still around."
"How about we go, but keep a low profile?"
"Absolutely not!"
The others rejected the idea in unison.
Matters concerning their political stance could not be taken lightly.
They might be incompetent when it came to working for the benefit of the people, but when it came to scheming and picking sides, they were all experts.
"We can't do this, and we can't do that. Are we just going to let that idiot drag us down and miss this opportunity?"
"Hmph, that piece of trash isn't having a good time right now either. I heard he got beaten up by the lunatics he brought in himself. He's bedridden with broken bones and can't move. He could have been cured, but unfortunately, he met a careless doctor who set the bones wrong. He'll be a cripple from now on."
Everyone exchanged knowing smiles and laughed.
A broken bone wasn't some incurable disease, especially for someone of Young Master Kong's status.
To actually run into a quack doctor...
"How were the lunatics who attacked him dealt with?"
"Guess what? The Madam spoke up. She said that heaven cares for all living things, and since that crazy couple just had a child, the baby couldn't be left without parents. Besides, Young Master Kong brought them upon himself, so he only has himself to blame."
Having spoken so much, the man felt a bit thirsty. He gulped down a mouthful of tea, looked up, and chuckled, "So, they just let them go."
"Ah!"
"Is that true?"
"What did Mr. Kong say?"
"It's absolutely true. Not only were they released, but the Madam, in a fit of great benevolence, even bought them first-class train tickets and sent them back to Peiping in total comfort!"
This was truly... unexpected.
Yet, entirely reasonable!
"I really dislike the trend these days. Letting women study and show their faces in public makes them ignorant of feminine virtues, turning them arrogant and ruthless. The Madam is one, and this Su Ning is another. Isn't it fine to just be a proper young lady? Why must they fight to be the strongest? Sigh... it's still best for a man to keep them in check."
By the end, his true inner thoughts had slipped out.
No one criticized him.
Who wouldn't think the same?
After all, Su Ning was incredibly wealthy. Not only did she have money, but she also had properties and status abroad.
Others were, at best, dolls made of gold.
She was an entire gold mine!
Just as they were gossiping about their superiors and melancholically discussing whose pocket this gold mine named Su Ning would end up in, someone suddenly burst in and said happily,
"Gentlemen, we can attend the banquet."
The moment this was said, the crowd was in an uproar. They immediately began asking for the underlying reasons—
What if this was a trap set for them to fall into?
"You would never guess," the newcomer said with a complex tone. "Word from the Kong family is that they will attend, and The First Lady from above has also said she will grace it with her presence."
Hiss.
Everyone gasped.
After a long while.
Someone finally sighed:
"Every generation produces its own talents. From now on, this Miss Su will certainly have her name known in Nanjing City... I was wrong before. I'm afraid an ordinary man wouldn't be able to handle a woman like her."
"Careful, or you'll be drawing water with a bamboo basket—all in vain."
Hearing this, someone disagreed.
Women were naturally outward-looking. No matter how arrogant and domineering they were before marriage, once married, they would naturally rely on their husbands and think for their husband's family and their own children.
Fortunately, they could attend this banquet.
He had four sons.
Every one of them was strikingly handsome. Although they were a bit flirtatious, women loved bad boys. It was precisely because they were playboys that they knew how to handle women. Perhaps this time, his family would be the lucky one chosen.
Thinking of that massive family fortune, his whole body actually began to heat up. In his mind, he was already pondering how to strictly instruct his sons when he got back, ensuring they did whatever it took to win Su Ning's favor.
Hearing someone wonder aloud how Su Ning had managed to persuade the Kong family.
He merely agreed absentmindedly.
............
How did she persuade them?
One word—money.
Su Ning's foundation in Nanjing was weak, but fortunately, she had money and wasn't stingy about throwing it around. Money makes the mare go, and even the coldest heart would melt when touching mountains of silver dollars.
Even so, it took quite a bit of effort.
After all, with some people, even if you brought a pig's head as an offering, you couldn't find the temple door. Fortunately, she had Chen Huaiqian's connections guiding her... Of course, after interacting for so long and exchanging interests.
They had also become Su Ning's connections.
Returning from her visits.
Su Ning wearily rubbed her temples. Lin Sen, who followed close behind, gave Su One a meaningful look.
Su One: ...
Was this human's eye twitching?
Lin Sen fell silent.
Fine, he was asking for too much. He should have known long ago that this Su One, aside from being obedient and a good fighter, was missing a screw in his head. Yet sometimes, without needing any instructions, he knew exactly what to do... even Lin Sen felt inferior in that regard.
It was truly baffling.
"Is the guest list out yet?"
Su Ning casually asked, completely unaware of her Assistant Lin's bewilderment regarding Su One.
That had been the final visit. It was now crystal clear who would come and who wouldn't. The banquet was in three days, so having the guest list finalized now was already cutting it very close.
It couldn't be delayed any longer.
"It's ready."
Sure enough, the all-capable Assistant Lin nodded and handed over a document.
As Su Ning flipped through it, he said in a low voice:
"Miss, although some people have promised to come, in my humble opinion, they might have ulterior motives... Some may make excuses and back out at the last minute."
His voice carried a trace of indignation.
The money Su Ning had thrown around was no small amount; in fact, it was staggeringly generous.
Yet these people.
Taking the money without doing the work was bad enough, but they actually wanted to cause trouble for her. How despicable... The contempt and malice revealed in their actions were even more alarming.
Su Ning naturally knew all this.
She even sighed to her system: a man does not get rich without windfalls, and a horse does not grow fat without night grazing. The money she had painstakingly spent over such a long time was less than what she spent on a single bribe. Although she had already experienced this once in Peiping.
Compared to Nanjing, it paled into insignificance.
The people here were far greedier.
And much bolder in their demands.
"It's a pity we can't do this often." Doing it once was the standard practice of paying respects and offering perks, but doing it constantly would easily make her look like a gullible target, bringing a continuous stream of trouble.
As for some people taking the money while harboring ill intentions, Su Ning took it very lightly. Not only did she know about this, but she also knew she would encounter quite a few romantic entanglements.
A piece of fat meat was placed right in front of them.
Anyone would want to test the waters.
"Let them be. After all, a newcomer always gets bullied, don't they?" Su Ning said coldly.
There was not a single trace of anger on her face.
Her expression remained utterly indifferent.
Though her words sounded submissive, Lin Sen, after a brief moment of surprise, bowed his head deeply.
Back in Peiping, she had been a newcomer too.
And arguably, the situation back then had been far more perilous.
But had Su Ning ever been the one getting bullied? If anything, she was the one bullying others.
"Pass down my orders. Anyone who arrives after the banquet's scheduled start time is to be denied entry. Just find some random excuse, like telling them we didn't prepare enough tableware for them or something."
Su Ning leaned back lazily against the sofa.
Her tone was utterly casual.
"Yes."
Did the young lady already know that someone was bound to regret it? Lin Sen wondered in confusion. He didn't speak out of turn to ask. He would find out sooner or later anyway, and right now, he had work to do...
