As Chen Fan was observing, an extended Rolls-Royce slowly stopped in front of him.
The car door opened, and a handsome man, impeccably dressed and with an imposing presence, stepped out.
Chen Fan immediately felt Luo Sheng's demeanor turn cold. As he was wondering why, he saw the man leisurely walk around to the rear passenger side and open the door—
The first thing that caught his eye was a pair of high heels, about ten centimeters long.
Above the delicate feet were long, shapely legs. The evening gown hugged her figure perfectly, making the woman appear incomparably radiant.
"Luo Sheng?"
It was the young woman who spotted Chen Fan and his companions first. She looked somewhat surprised, clearly not understanding why someone like Luo Sheng would be present at such a banquet.
Luo Sheng nodded at the two of them with a forced smile, "Long time no see."
The handsome man beside her let out a snort, his eyes full of disdain, "I never expected you to have such prospects. Looks like you've been doing well after leaving our Xiao Xue?"
Xiao Xue was the woman beside him, Luo Sheng's ex-girlfriend.
She playfully punched the man's arm twice, the blows carrying no force and only adding to her allure, "It's been a long time since he and I were together. Please don't say such things anymore."
The man cupped her small hand in his, his chin lifted with smugness as he addressed Luo Sheng, "Mr. Chris is waiting for me. Don't keep him waiting, let's go."
With that, and disregarding Luo Sheng's displeased expression, the man arrogantly led Xiao Xue into the banquet hall.
Chen Fan raised an eyebrow and looked at the person beside him, "Got dumped?"
"Tch," Luo Sheng smoothed his cuffs, "Do you think I'd get dumped? She was someone I discarded, and that man, Zhou Lu, picked her up like a treasure."
Seeing the dejected look on his face, Chen Fan grasped the situation and didn't press the matter further. Together, they entered the venue with their invitation cards.
Half of the banquet guests had already arrived.
The sound of music filled the air, goblets clinked, and the guests conversed merrily, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
A massive crystal chandelier cast a brilliant, opulent glow over the entire Mas mansion.
The décor was European throughout, exuding grandeur at every turn, like an exquisitely carved work of art. If there was anything out of place…
It was probably the staircase embedded in the wall in the center of the hall.
It was impassable.
And lacked any artistic aesthetic.
Luo Sheng followed Chen Fan's gaze and understood. He leaned in and whispered to Chen Fan, "The Mas family made their fortune through tomb raiding. They're superstitious about these things."
"They say they had someone look at it for warding off evil spirits and protecting the home."
Chen Fan calmly shifted his gaze, offering no comment.
As Chen Fan's eyes scanned the banquet hall, Luo Sheng nudged him with his elbow, "That's Mr. Chris."
Chen Fan followed his gaze and immediately saw an elder dressed in traditional Chinese attire.
The elder was in his sixties, his temples graying, but his spirit was still remarkably vigorous.
His back was straight, showing no signs of senility.
He was currently holding a compass and looking to the man they had met at the entrance earlier for guidance, whom Luo Sheng believed was named Zhou Lu?
"The Zhou family's ancestors were renowned Feng Shui masters, proficient in divination and physiognomy. It is precisely for this reason that they have always been close with the Mas family."
As he said this, Luo Sheng couldn't help but pout, "In my opinion, he's just good with his words and has no real skill. If it came down to actual fortune-telling, he's not as good as you!"
Chen Fan frowned, wanting for the umpteenth time to tell him: I'm not actually skilled.
But, he glanced at the staircase on the wall, pursed his lips.
Then he nodded in agreement, "What you say makes sense."
Huh?
Luo Sheng looked at the man beside him in confusion, "What?"
"I think I can do fortune-telling."
Is this something you can just decide you can do?
Of course, before Luo Sheng could voice his question, Chen Fan had already strolled towards Chris—
"Mr. Chris."
Chen Fan directly interrupted their conversation, "I've long heard of your esteemed name."
Chris and Zhou Lu both frowned at the sudden appearance of this guest. Who was this person?
Chen Fan completely disregarded their displeasure. He leisurely introduced himself, "I am from the Chen family in Huaguo. My ancestors have made a living through divination for generations, able to discern misfortune and good fortune, and predict wealth and status."
"My apologies for the intrusion, but I am not here for any other reason than that I sensed a lingering resentment within the mansion just now, and I wished to offer Mr. Chris a few words of caution."
Naturally, most of these words were fabricated by Chen Fan on the spot.
He considered it a matter of expediency, playing to their interests.
Since Chris was so inclined, there was no harm in using this method to build connections.
Moreover, he wasn't entirely without basis.
The Dragon-patterned Compass had the ability to ward off evil and invite good fortune. As its holder, Chen Fan's perceptive abilities were significantly stronger than others.
And just from that hanging staircase, Chen Fan could sense one or two wisps of dark energy emanating from it.
Zhou Lu looked at the uninvited guest before him. He distinctly remembered that this person had been standing with Luo Sheng earlier. Was he deliberately showing up now to sabotage him?
Zhou Lu's eyes were filled with displeasure, "To speak such things in front of a member of the Zhou family, isn't that like showing off to an expert? Or trying to teach a fish to swim?"
"Furthermore, this Mas mansion was chosen and built by my father back in the day, how could it possibly..."
"Mr. Zhou," Chris interrupted him, his eyes flickering as he looked at Chen Fan, "Mr. Chen, what is the caution you mentioned?"