Wang Hao looked around, and the deafening cries made his hearing begin to dull infinitely. In that moment, he felt as if time almost stopped.
Every security guard was doing their best to maintain order; fans were waving their light sticks and shouting the Ice Princess’s name in unison, their voices rustling the street-side leaves. Many people were desperately squeezing forward; a glance revealed heads everywhere, with the stench of stale sweat filling his nostrils.
Within the crowd, Wang Hao was like a small boat in a sudden storm, taking one step forward only to be pushed three steps back.
Rich heirs Zhao Zhenhao and Fang Wenbin were in no better shape. Even though they were flanked by bodyguards, at this point the bodyguards could hardly protect themselves, and were just managing not to get separated...
"There are way too many people!" Wang Hao’s scalp tingled at the sight.
Most of the crowd was young men and women. Wang Hao, fighting his way through, had touched so many chests and backsides without knowing, and had been groped just as much by others.
At times , what VIPs? Even a general leading troops would be crushed to bits by the sea of people!
"Fatty!" Wang Hao shouted as he struggled to push further in, "How are you doing? Can you make it through?"
Ren Xing, dragging Zhang Muqing and drenched in sweat, bellowed, "We have to make it through at a time ! Push through!"
The trio charged forth, the difficulty comparable to Guan Yu passing through five gates and cutting down six generals, before finally squeezing to the entrance. Wang Hao wiped the sweat from his brow; if Guan Yu had encountered such a crowd when he left, he might have just turned back...
It could be said that after the effort of ’nine bulls and two tigers,’ they had finally managed five hundred meters. Just then, Zhao Zhenhao, who was squeezing in beside Wang Hao, suddenly pointed ahead and said, "Look! There seem to be some familiar faces over there!"
They all looked in the direction he indicated and saw a team of about twenty bodyguards trying desperately with their placards to keep the crowd at bay, though to little effect—they were barely maintaining about a foot of free space.
Among these bodyguards stood two young men, around twenty-four or twenty-five, walking and chatting, though it was unclear what they were discussing.
"Do you know that person?" Wang Hao asked Zhao Zhenhao loudly, "He looks quite distinguished!"
"How could I not recognize him?" Zhao Zhenhao said through gritted teeth. "They are from our Zhao family. The one on the left is my eldest cousin Zhao Yuming, and on the right is my second cousin Zhao Wenxin!"
Fuck, they’re from the Zhao family?
Upon hearing these names, Wang Hao immediately paid closer attention.
Since crossing over, although he had had plenty of contact with people from the four great families, it still had always been just one from each, never encountering more.
Now looking over, Zhao Yuming was dressed in a suit and looking elegant, while Zhao Wenxin was slightly overweight and dressed more casually. Judging from their attire, Zhao Yuming seemed like an elite of the Zhao family, while Zhao Wenxin probably a second-generation rich kid—but of course, these were just initial impressions and could not be stated conclusively.
"Looks like you don’t get along too well with them?" Seeing Zhao Zhenhao’s expression, Wang Hao knew that things within large families were certainly not as simple as with ordinary people and asked, "What’s the situation?"
"It’s just those high-society issues," Zhao Zhenhao said with exasperation. "I was just aiming for a decent enterprise that would suffice for a lifetime. Yet my eldest cousin Zhao Mingcheng has huge ambitions and wants to inherit all of our family’s assets. He works nearly eighteen hours a day, and I reckon he’s only bothered to come today because of Miss Ice Princess’s concert."
"Such ambition!" Wang Hao exclaimed. "After all, your Zhao family is one of the four major families. To inherit all your family’s assets, that’s quite the appetite—he’s not also chasing after our Ice Princess, is he?"
"You’re not actually from a different time, are you, Brother Hao?" Fang Wenbin piped up, "Do you think there’s only one royal suitor for Miss Ice Princess? Impossible! Apart from the Bai family, whose Great Elder has expressly forbidden their members from pursuing the Ice Princess and therefore has no suitors, which of the other three major families doesn’t have a dozen fanatical pursuers? Winning over Miss Ice Princess is tantamount to having the full support of the Bai family, and with Miss Ice Princess being ’Heavenly People’s Republic’s number one beauty,’ only a fool wouldn’t be moved!"
Oh crap, does that mean there are at least twenty or thirty potential rivals just from the other three major families alone?
And not to mention this Zhao Yuming...
"Let’s just keep moving forward," Wang Hao grumbled, viciously scratching his head—there’s another love rival up ahead, better not go looking for trouble...
The group continued onward, and soon Fang Wenbin called out, "Holy cow, it’s someone from my own family! My cousin Fang Minghui!"
Wang Hao turned his head and, sure enough, there was another young man about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, also guarded by a group of bodyguards. Dressed in a suit just like Zhao Yuming, he was just as handsome as Fang Wenbin and was stepping forward with a leisurely walk.
"This..." Wang Hao cautiously asked Fang Wenbin, "Could it be another..."
"Yeah, one of your love rivals," Fang Wenbin nodded as if it were a matter of fact, adding, "and someone I don’t get along with either."
I’ve run into two love rivals in just a short time...
The party kept moving and soon encountered another group of bodyguards. This time, both Zhao Zhenhao and Fang Wenbin became serious!
"Brother Hao, I didn’t expect this guy to show up too! Looks like there’s going to be quite the drama today!" Fang Wenbin frowned at the sight of the bodyguard group, "Brother Hao, be very careful with this one, he’s as tough to deal with as the king of coercion!"
There’s such a fierce person, too?!
Wang Hao turned his head to look, and sure enough, he saw a young man with a smile walking towards them from amidst the bodyguards.
This person was clearly different from the others.
He wore a flamboyant white long suit, his sleek hairdo could rival Chow Yun-fat’s in "God of Gamblers," and his slightly hooked nose had the charm of Loki from "Thor."
The smile at the corner of his mouth was unmistakable, this guy definitely wasn’t a simple character!
"It does seem like he’s got quite the presence," Wang Hao frowned, "What’s this guy’s story?"
"The Stock Market God Hua Wuyou," Zhao Zhenhao squinted his eyes, "He’s not a member of the four major families, but comes from truly humble beginnings. Extraordinarily gifted, he started his career at the age of twenty with just five thousand bucks, dominated the stock market for ten years without a single defeat, and by thirty, his total assets had broken the billion mark—a self-made man of exceptional talent."
Damn, Zhao, are you sure Hua Wuyou isn’t the reincarnation of the Stock Market God? Normal people surely can’t achieve such feats, right?
Wang Hao nodded vigorously, "Absolutely legendary! And then?"
Zhao Zhenhao: "He’s also one of your love rivals."