18 Masquerade

Several days passed and thankfully Xiang Linxin's memories did not fail her.

A masquerade party was announced on a secret channel to be held by a local tycoon in a multipurpose hall veiled by the building of a barely operating foundation corporation building. Those from the upper ranks who heard of the news knew that it was not for celebration, but for some shady purposes.

It was an unofficial gathering of people from both the business and government sectors who made dealings about stuff like bribery and tax evasions. Anything that worked best for one's interest yet couldn't see the light of the sun. Xiang Linxin even once overheard her father and a trusted aide talking about an underground mafia lord participating, offering women and illegally traded items to some dignitaries.

This kind of seemingly mysterious party, unless it was a prom night of a high school or college institution, was always draped in decadence and corruption. However, it was undeniably a good opportunity for Xiang Linxin to meet people she could extort using her knowledge of the future major events.

As for what she should wear for the event… Well, certainly not anything from her wardrobe.

Hours passed and a girl appeared at the venue wearing an elegant silk dress. Nervousness was on her face when a tall, lanky guard donning a simple black mask stopped her in the entrance. The man stood before her and bowed slightly with a hand extended forward.

"Welcome, Miss, and we feel honored by your attendance. May I see your invitation?"

The words were warm, yet the voice's tone was contrary to it, emotionless and cold, indirectly telling anyone who would hear him that he was merely reciting a practiced spiel.

Faced with the frosty attitude of the doorkeeper, if she was still the haughty woman from before, she would have thrown a tantrum already and removed her mask to flaunt her background.

But she was at least not as ignorant anymore.The looked in the person's eyes made Xiang Linxin's heart jumped, in fear. Rumor had it that those who guarded the doors to parties like this were mercenaries or ex-military men who had already killed people before.

Zhang Mei Xing looked on with interest. She was always following her examinee. The latter quite surprised her when the plan to attend a party to blackmail some people was hatched. But then, it gradually made sense to her mind since an event like this was where fateful encounters usually happened.

'How thorough. The so-called overwrite ticket functioned subtly and within reason, so the encounter would happen without appearing ridiculous or forced.'

Just when she was nodding in praise, a thought suddenly flitted through her mind… 'Or perhaps, this is the actual function of that item? Examinee Xiang has been influenced to think of attending an event where the promised helper would be interested in her and work with her?'

The girl floating behind Xiang Linxin flinched, feeling like cold sweat trickled down her spine. The idea scared her a bit, so she hurriedly shook it off and flooded it away with other thoughts.

Xiang Linxin happened to speak at that time. "Sorry, I only have the oral invitation from the swallow bird."

The guard glanced at her briefly before pulling up a tablet and checking the list of the regulars whose name matched with the password the girl said. When he saw there was indeed a regular named Lin Yan, wife of an official on the same party as the city mayor, he gave Xiang Linxin one last glance before stepping to the side and giving way for her entry.

Things turned smoothly from then on. Xiang Linxin managed to join the crowd of masked men and women whose posture and mannerisms spoke volumes of confidence and elegance despite the nature of the gathering.

As the people were all of great standing, the place was made to match them. Even though the outside appearance of the building was so boring with its generic design and fading colors of the paint, its interior was like it had been cut out of a high budget movie featuring a high-class party. Every inch of the place, even the tiles and the ceiling seemed to be shining, the decors were luxurious, classy, and expensive. The music was also as elegant, produced by a master pianist. The food and drinks seemed to be sparkling too as they emitted mouth-watering fragrance.

When had Zhang Mei Xing witnessed such a sight in person?

Of course, unlike the trainee guide who was trailing behind her, Xiang Linxin was not intimidated. Before being known as a disgrace of the Xiang household, which was just a recent issue, she had quite a reputation as a socialite. At most she only felt discomforted from the seriousness of the place despite the actual nature of everyone in attendance.

But then, after Xiang Linxin looked around, searching for a target, she was suddenly put at a loss. She was finally having a feeling that she had overestimated herself when she thought that everything would become easy once she managed to enter.

"Wine, miss?" A passing waiter presented the tray in his hand.

"No need." Xiang Linxin tried to collect her cool as she refused the offer. There was no way she would consume anything in this place. The danger of doing so was a common sense that even she knew.

"Alright. Please enjoy the party." A polite smile flashed on the man's half-masked face before he vanished from sight.

On the other hand, the girl made a sour expression as she stood in one corner, trying to make herself inconspicuous.

'I forgot I'm not the only one who would disguise myself as much as possible.'

The girl's eyes became teary as frustration and helplessness engulfed her whole being. The blow from the fact that she could recognize no one there struck her so hard.

The night was still young and only so few shady dealings were happening somewhere. In that corner, which was one of the few negligible spots, a slim girl in a beautiful black body-hugging silk dress stood with her arms crossed, the sexy back and shoulder slightly leaning on the wall.

Xiang Linxin was unaware that when she was lost in her thoughts mapping out how she would proceed from now on, a curious pair of eyes coincidentally landed on her enchanting figure.