After I stopped trying, a rich woman trained me into a demon emperor.

The banquet hall of the Heavenly Palace on the Cloud Top.

The crystal chandelier poured down countless rays of light, illuminating the entire hall as if it were a divine paradise on earth.

The air was filled with the melodious strains of a violin, and well-dressed men and women held wine glasses, laughing and chatting softly, displaying the elegance and composure of high society.

But beneath this peaceful facade, undercurrents are silently gathering.

As Zhou Ran and his group stepped into the banquet hall, the previous noise subsided for a moment.

Countless eyes turned to stare at them.

Chen Ya and Xiao Hongli.

One wore a fiery red dress, the other a cool blue dress; their stunning figures outshone all the other women in the room, radiating an aloof and unapproachable aura.

Zhou Ran, surrounded by them in the center, became the focus of all the men's hatred.

"Oh, isn't this President Xiao and President Chen?"

A flippant voice broke the silence in the hall.

A young man in a white suit with slicked-back hair walked over, swirling a wine glass in his hand.

Behind him were several rich second-generation heirs dressed in designer brands, their eyes full of provocation.

"What, has the Xiao family fallen so low that they even have to bring their driver to events like this?"

The man in the white suit, Zhao Tianyu, is the son of a director of the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce.

He is also Ma Tianhao's godson, and is known in the second-generation elite circles for his arrogance and domineering attitude.

He looked Zhou Ran up and down with disdain in his eyes.

"This Cloud Palace is a membership-only place; not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can come in."

Xiao Hongli's eyebrows furrowed, and she was about to lash out when Zhou Ran pressed down on the back of her hand.

Zhou Ran didn't even look at Zhao Tianyu, but turned to Wang Pangzi behind him and said:

"Fatty, the hygiene here isn't great, where are these flies buzzing around?"

Fatty Wang grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.

The last young master who was so presumptuous in front of Ran-ge is now buried three meters away.

"Brother, that's not a fly."

"These are clearly a few ignorant toads who have never seen the world, dreaming of eating swan meat."

"Who the hell are you calling a toad?!"

Zhao Tianyu's face flushed red. He, the dignified young master Zhao, had never suffered such humiliation.

"I'll just yell at anyone who tries to talk to me."

Fatty Wang shrugged nonchalantly and leaned forward.

His pectoral muscles bulged and swelled, exuding a fierce aura.

Zhao Tianyu was so frightened by the terrifying size that he took a step back.

He quickly realized that this was his home turf and became furious.

"Security! Where's the security guard?!"

He screamed at the top of his lungs.

"These people didn't have invitations; they sneaked in!"

Get them out of here!

The invitation was in Lin Qingxue's bag.

But Zhou Ran showed no intention of taking it out.

Since we're here to cause trouble, we should act like we're going to cause trouble.

Zhao Tianyu's shout attracted seven or eight burly bodyguards, all of whom were skilled in martial arts and walked with steady steps.

"Sir, please show me your invitation."

The head of security spoke expressionlessly.

"Otherwise, please leave immediately."

The surrounding guests stopped talking, their eyes revealing a sense of anticipation for a good show.

In their view, Zhou Ran might have some skills.

This is ultimately the territory of the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce, the domain of Ma Tianhao, the out-of-town dragon.

They were eager to see whether the Xiao family, a local power, was more formidable, or the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce, a powerful force from outside the region.

"invitation?"

Zhou Ran raised his eyelids, his gaze falling on the security captain's face, without any change in expression.

"In Jiangcheng, there's no place I can't go."

mad!

That's outrageous!

A suppressed gasp rose from the crowd.

In Jiangcheng, anyone who dares to say such things in Ma Tianhao's place is already buried with grass growing three feet high.

The security captain's face darkened:

"Sir, you're going to have to suffer the consequences of your refusal to listen to reason."

"Let's do it!"

At a command, several bodyguards, their muscles bulging, were about to rush forward to arrest the person.

A deep and authoritative voice came from the second-floor stairwell.

"stop."

Everyone looked up at the same time.

A middle-aged man dressed in a Tang suit, holding two lion's head walnuts in his hands.

Surrounded by a group of people, he slowly walked down the stairs.

The man was not tall, but his aura was exceptionally strong, and his eyes revealed ruthlessness and calculation with every blink.

Ma Tianhao, President of the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce.

"Mr. Zhou, it is an honor to have you here. My subordinates are ignorant and have been negligent."

Ma Tianhao spoke with a forced smile.

He stopped three meters in front of Zhou Ran, scrutinized Zhou Ran for a moment, and then his gaze fell on Chen Ya and Xiao Hongli.

"Niece Xiao, President Chen, how have you been?"

"The Xiao and Chen families have been facing many troubles lately, yet you two still have the leisure to attend this banquet. I admire your composure."

Xiao Hongli snorted coldly.

"President Ma, you've got some tricks up your sleeve. Don't you know how all those troubles came about?"

Ma Tianhao laughed heartily:

"The business world is like a battlefield, and some friction is inevitable."

However, tonight is a charity gala, so we won't discuss business.

As he spoke, he turned to the side and made a "please" gesture.

"Please take your seats, everyone."

Zhou Ran's gaze lingered on Ma Tianhao's face for a moment.

This old fox is far more difficult to deal with than Zhao Tianyu, who only knows how to bark.

There was no fluctuation of true energy within his body, making him no different from an ordinary person.

But Zhou Ran's demonic eyes clearly saw that the two lion's head walnuts in Ma Tianhao's hand were emitting a strong aura of malevolence and resentment.

Those were two human skulls that had been peeled off by humans and then polished and concentrated using a secret method.

Evil repair.

Or, to put it another way, a mortal who makes a living through evil practices.

"Since Chairman Ma has extended such a warm invitation, we would be honored to accept."

Zhou Ran smiled knowingly and led the group behind him toward the main table.

As Wang Pangzi passed by Zhao Tianyu, he stumbled and bumped into him hard on the shoulder.

"Oops, sorry, the floor is slippery."

This collision unleashed a surge of hidden power.

Zhao Tianyu felt a numbness in half of his body, spun around three times, his legs went weak, and with a "thump," he knelt straight down on the ground.

He was kneeling in the direction that Zhou Ran was facing as he left.

"Young Master Zhao, you're too kind. It's not a holiday, why such a grand gesture?"

Zhou Ran waved his hand without turning his head.

"Rise."

The entire room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

A moment later, suppressed chuckles could be heard from all corners.

Zhao Tianyu lay on the ground, his face turning a purplish-red, staring intently at Zhou Ran's back, his eyes filled with a desire to devour him alive.

Ma Tianhao's smile vanished as he watched this scene.

The two skull-shaped walnuts in his hand spun faster and faster, making a "crunching" friction sound.

"Zhou Ran..."

He muttered the name under his breath, a murderous glint in his eyes.

Let you be arrogant for a little while longer.

Once you're on the auction stage, I'll make you cough up everything you've taken, with interest, a thousand times over!