Chapter 428 - 222: Is He Worthy?

Chapter 428: Chapter 222: Is He Worthy?

Su Chen, of course, noticed the look on his face—that of someone who wanted to say something but was hesitating.

"Brother Qian, why so hesitant? There’s no need to be shy among us. If you’ve got something to say, just say it," Su Chen said with a smile.

All eyes immediately turned to Yu Qian. They had noticed it earlier too, but since it wasn’t their business and they weren’t particularly close, no one had bothered to ask.

But now that Su Chen had brought it up, they were curious to see what Yu Qian was up to.

Yu Qian paid no mind to the others’ stares. Meeting Su Chen’s gaze, he spoke in a slightly apprehensive tone, "Mr. Su, I was wondering... would it be possible to borrow a volume of the *Yongle Encyclopedia* to study?"

Upon hearing this, Su Chen almost laughed. ’And here I was, thinking he had some outrageous request. It’s just to borrow a single volume.’

"Of course. When you’re ready to leave later, just find Jiang Hui and tell him I said it was okay."

"Thank you, Mr. Su!" Yu Qian exclaimed, standing up excitedly. He was about to give Su Chen a bow, but a look from Su Chen stopped him in his tracks.

The others were tempted as well, but ultimately held their tongues. After all, among those present, only Yu Qian was a renowned antiques enthusiast; the rest didn’t share that hobby. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

They didn’t know much about antiques, but there were other treasures in the basement. Qin Fen and Chen Feiyu exchanged a glance and steered the conversation toward the wine.

When Deng Chao, Chen He, and the others learned that Su Chen had a collection of wines aged for several decades, their eyes practically lit up.

Resignedly, Su Chen retrieved a few bottles of his older vintage wines from the collection room for everyone to taste.

"Sir, dinner is ready." The group was still savoring the taste of the decades-old wine when Chen Fei’s arrival broke their reverie.

Su Chen glanced at the time and saw it was already six in the evening. ’Time really flies when you’re just chatting.’ He hadn’t realized they’d been talking for two or three hours.

"I can’t believe how quickly the time has passed. Come on, let’s head up for dinner!" As he spoke, Su Chen also motioned for Chen Fei to bring a case of wine upstairs.

Meanwhile, Su Chen went to the collection room himself and grabbed a few bottles of Maotai that were over a decade old.

"What a magnificent feast!" Upon entering the dining room, the guests’ faces filled with surprise at the sight of a table laden with dishes.

It wasn’t as if anyone there hadn’t tasted their share of exotic delicacies, but this was the first time any of them had seen a spread featuring classic dishes from all Eight Great Cuisines of China.

Su Chen promptly beckoned for everyone to take a seat.

After filling his glass, Su Chen stood up and raised it. "A toast to the massive success of *Wolf Warrior 2*!"

Seeing this, the others quickly rose to their feet, raised their glasses, and echoed loudly, "To the massive success of *Wolf Warrior 2*!"

They all tilted their heads back and downed the drink in one gulp, and Sun Li was no exception.

With such a good start, everyone loosened up considerably, and the entire dining room became incredibly lively.

.....

「Imperial Capital CBD, Wada Square!」

Today, Wada Square was exceptionally bustling. A horde of reporters had already surrounded the entrance, their long-lensed cameras all aimed at the red carpet.

"Damn, looks like basically every media outlet in the Imperial Capital is here today. There are so many people."

"Tell me about it. If we hadn’t gotten here early, we probably wouldn’t have even gotten a spot near the front," muttered two young reporters wearing Mango Entertainment press badges.

"I wonder who the backer for *Wolf Warrior 2* is. They must be loaded. Who knows how much they’ve poured into marketing. Lately, it feels like three out of every ten videos on my feed are about *Wolf Warrior 2*."

These words instantly piqued the interest of the other reporters nearby, who all shuffled a bit closer to the pair.

"Who isn’t curious? Wu Jing isn’t exactly a big name in entertainment. His first *Wolf Warrior* did decently, sure, but he’s not a top-tier celebrity with a massive online following. It’s hard to say if this movie can even surpass the first."

For a moment, a flurry of opinions filled the air. Everyone had their own take, with some optimistic and others pessimistic about the film’s prospects.

Just then, a young reporter looked around furtively before whispering, "I heard a little rumor, though I don’t know if it’s true."

At these words, the eyes of the reporters who had gathered around lit up. It didn’t matter if the rumor was true or not; as long as it was sensational enough, they could immediately write an article and be the first to capitalize on the buzz.

"Hey man, what’s the rumor? Spill it!"

"Yeah, buddy, lay it on us. We’ll help you figure out if there’s a story there."

As they spoke, a few of the veteran reporters pulled out packs of cigarettes and offered one to the youngster.

The young reporter was a bit overwhelmed by the attention but secretly enjoyed the treatment.

He lit a cigarette, took a drag, and blew out a cloud of smoke before saying in a deliberately mysterious tone, "I heard from my neighbor’s sister-in-law’s aunt’s son’s wife’s third-great-uncle’s son that the villains in Wu Jing’s movie are real steel."

The moment he said this, he was met with ridicule from several others. "Pfft. The villains are ’real steel’? You’ve had too much to drink. Have you been living under a rock? Don’t you know this movie got support from the Navy?!"

"Don’t tell me you’re about to say the villains are actual mercenaries active in Africa. Use your head. Does someone with Wu Jing’s status have that kind of pull?"

It was true. Judging by Wu Jing’s current standing in the entertainment industry, he really didn’t have that kind of clout. He didn’t have the money, and he didn’t have the connections.