Chapter 22: Schemes on Every Side

His actions caused quite a bit of distress among those in the audience. These individuals were the ones who had infiltrated the event the night before. Disguised, they had blended in with the mass of fans, and now lay in wait among the crowd. When the main event was announced, they knew their moment had come. Some could barely restrain themselves, ready to make their move.

But with a single gesture from Shen An, all their plans were immediately extinguished.

“Damn it, this kid is really troublesome,” someone muttered among the crowd.

“Patience. Our mission isn’t just about her. We need to get that fruit as well,” another man, dressed inconspicuously, clapped the first on the shoulder and said with a smile.

“You don’t need to tell me. But this kid is a real problem. When the prizes are given out, one of us will pose as a winner, and as soon as we get the item, we act,” he whispered into a button on his shirt.

“Understood.”

All around the audience, in different spots, people murmured quietly in response.

Shen An paid no attention to the scene; his eyes never left Chu Yuxi and the fruit. Several of the awards were food-related—oil paintings, cash prizes, and such—but only at the very end was the fruit finally brought out.

He noticed that those in charge of the fruit did not seem ordinary. Each was strong, stern-faced, and their movements were in perfect unison, like soldiers.

“Soldiers?” Shen An’s mind flashed back to the previous night, to the moment when Chu Yuxi had arranged to meet Bai Weiwei. Bai Weiwei had the authority to deploy special police.

Suddenly, the whole matter seemed far less simple than he’d thought. If his guess was right, the famous Chu Yuxi must also know something about the secret behind the fruit. Just how involved she was, though, he couldn’t yet tell.

These thoughts swirled through his mind as the host announced the first prize winner. As soon as the name was called, Shen An noticed someone in the crowd respond, only for the voice to vanish, replaced by another loud reply from someone nearby. Although the two voices sounded similar, Shen An could hear the difference. The first was not the same as the second.

He quickly extended his senses and immediately detected a trace of deathly stillness. Had that person died?

Shen An’s brow furrowed deeply.

He fixed his gaze on the man approaching the stage. The man’s face was lit with unconcealed excitement. Shen An kept his eyes on him. When the man picked up the fruit, his grin was impossible to hide, and suddenly, he rushed straight toward Chu Yuxi.

Shen An had been waiting for just this opportunity. He pulled Chu Yuxi behind him, his gaze icy as he stared down the man.

At that very instant, as the man prepared to act, others among the hidden infiltrators tore off their disguises and charged toward the stage. But just as they moved, several soft gunshots rang out—suppressed weapons.

The would-be attackers all sat back down instantly. Tiny ice needles had pierced their necks, melting away without a trace. These were ice bullets, designed for special situations, capable of rendering a person instantly unconscious. It seemed as if those responsible had anticipated everything.

Before Shen An could even intervene, he saw an ice needle sink into the assailant’s neck. The man collapsed at once, caught by one of his accomplices. Oddly, they seemed unconcerned about the fruit, instead supporting their fallen comrade as they slipped away backstage.

Meanwhile, Shen An noticed an ice needle flying toward his own neck. He activated his devouring ability in front of him, and the needle vanished before it could touch him.

Those firing from afar assumed they had hit him. Shen An let his body go limp, as if he were about to fall.

At just the right moment, someone nearby caught him.

Han Feng and the others sensed that something was wrong and rushed forward, only to be blocked. The person confronting them flashed a badge, and at the sight of it, Han Feng immediately fell silent.

Zhou Wang also glimpsed the badge. He had merely wanted to ask what had happened—after all, Shen An was his classmate. Seeing Shen An inexplicably collapse, he felt obliged to do something. But as soon as he stepped forward and saw the badge, he fell silent, mouth opening and closing without a word.

Instead of being taken away, Shen An was brought to a separate room. Inside, he found only one person: Bai Weiwei.

When Shen An was brought in, Bai Weiwei waved her hand dismissively at the escort, who then left. Shen An remained motionless, feigning unconsciousness, curious to see what Bai Weiwei would do.

Before long, the event seemed to end, and Chu Yuxi entered the room.

“What’s going on? How is he?” As soon as she closed the door and saw Shen An lying there, Chu Yuxi asked anxiously.

“He’s fine, just unconscious. Looks like you’re worried about him,” Bai Weiwei replied, her tone playful.

“Am not! Weiwei, he really doesn’t know anything. Why did you have him brought here?” Chu Yuxi protested in confusion.

During their earlier conversation, Chu Yuxi had mentioned Shen An, but she hadn’t expected Bai Weiwei to react with such curiosity—she actually knew Shen An. And judging by Bai Weiwei’s expression, Chu Yuxi guessed there was more to their relationship than she realized, that there were secrets she knew nothing about.

“Girl, don’t ask what you shouldn’t. You said he was impressive, and I was simply curious,” Bai Weiwei said.

“Curious about what? Hmph, don’t think I don’t know—you’ve awakened your ability,” Chu Yuxi retorted.

Bai Weiwei glared at her. “Careful what you say. With today’s technology, who knows who might be listening? Everyone knows how resourceful the Chu family’s daughter is—nothing escapes you.”

With a sigh, Bai Weiwei added, “Everyone is fooled by your appearance. How many people out there know you’re the heiress of the Chu family?”

“Hehe,” Chu Yuxi giggled, not bothering to deny it.

Meanwhile, Shen An, lying there, was stunned.

“The Chu family?” he cried out inwardly.

Good heavens, could it be that Chu family?

He thought of the powerful clan that made all of Silver City tremble. The Chu family was the most illustrious among Silver City’s four great families. Chu Tianba was a legendary figure, his business empire spanning the nation, his wealth immense, and he owned several entertainment companies.

One of them was Silver City Entertainment.

And rumor had it that Chu Yuxi was an artist signed to Silver City Entertainment.