The arrival of the Head of State and the nine Cabinet Elders made everyone tense up inside. It also indirectly showed how powerful the Long Family was— even the Head of State and Cabinet Elders had to give them face.
After the Head of State and the nine Cabinet Elders finished shaking hands with the heads of the Ten Great Families, the rest of the guests finally stepped forward to pay their respects.
This whole process dragged on for a solid twenty-plus minutes.
During all this, Ian Song didn’t join the crowd. Instead, he pulled Faye Shangguan and Cynthia Murong over to a sofa in the corner of the banquet hall, and had a waiter bring over some snacks and drinks.
As for Gaopeng Shangguan, who’d just been scared half to death, he stood nearby with an anxious look, not daring to approach or leave.
Faye Shangguan couldn’t help feeling both annoyed and amused at the sight.
"Big Sis," Ian Song said with a grin, "why not call your brother over?"
"Alright!"
Faye hesitated a little, but agreed. She didn’t like Gaopeng Shangguan meddling in her business, but he was still her real big brother.
"Gaopeng Shangguan, come here for a sec." Faye waved him over.
"Hey!"
Gaopeng Shangguan answered and quickly walked over, then bowed respectfully to Ian Song. "Mr. Song, I offended you earlier. Please forgive me."
"No worries. You’re just looking out for your sister, after all!" Ian Song waved it off, unconcerned.
Thank you for understanding, Mr. Song.
Hearing that Ian Song wasn’t going to hold a grudge, Gaopeng finally relaxed—the tension melted away.
Faye and I are close friends, so you don’t have to be so formal, Brother Shangguan. Please, have a seat.
Gaopeng nodded quickly, then perched on the very edge of the sofa, looking super uptight.
"By the way, Brother Shangguan, my name’s Ian Song. If you don’t mind, you can just call me Ian or Song." Ian Song said again.
"Ah, I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare!"
Gaopeng hurriedly replied. After seeing Ian Song greet the heads of the Ten Great Martial Families just now, how could he dare call him by a nickname? Even those family heads all addressed him as Mr. Song!
Ian Song just smiled and didn’t push it. He handed Gaopeng Shangguan a drink, then started chatting with him casually.
At first, Gaopeng was still a bit nervous, but gradually relaxed, showing impressive conversation skills and humor. Ian Song couldn’t help but look at him in a new light.
The Shangguan Clan was just a third-rate family in Flame City, with one Innate expert as their backbone. Their main businesses were real estate, hotels, and malls, with total assets around fifty billion.
But with national policy changes and restrictions on real estate— which made up most of their business— the Shangguan Clan was now looking to exit real estate and enter other industries.
Right now, Yanhuang’s economy was booming, but almost every industry had already been carved up. Getting in was extremely difficult.
That’s why Gaopeng wanted to introduce his sister Faye Shangguan to the Long Family’s Third Young Master, hoping to get Long Family support.
"Brother Shangguan, would you be interested in helping me out?"
Ian Song suddenly had an idea and tried to recruit Gaopeng. Jason Zhao was already busy enough with the WonderTaste ready-to-eat foods, and Ian wanted to quickly expand into entertainment and pharmaceuticals. He needed more capable people, and since Gaopeng had experience managing the Shangguan Clan, he’d be a solid addition.
Gaopeng was stunned for a moment and hesitated. He knew Ian Song had a powerful background, but had no idea what he actually did.
"May I ask what kind of business you’re running, Mr. Song?"
Ian Song said, "Right now I’m in the ready-to-eat foods business. Next, I plan to get into entertainment and pharmaceuticals!"
"Ready-to-eat foods?"
A trace of disappointment flashed in Gaopeng Shangguan’s eyes.
"The ready-to-eat foods I make just hit the market. It’s called the Ian Song Brand— you’ve probably heard of it!" Ian Song added.
"What? Ian Song Brand?" Gaopeng couldn’t hide his shock. Lately, ads for Ian Song Brand WonderTaste Ready-to-Eat Foods had been flooding TV and the internet everywhere.
It was practically a household name by now. He’d even wondered before how someone could spend so much on advertising for snacks— it was like they had money to burn.
Sure, the snack industry had a market value in the hundreds of billions, but actual profits were nowhere near that— maybe twenty billion at most. Dumping tens of billions into ads all at once, Gaopeng really doubted they’d ever make the money back.
"Pfft!"
Faye Shangguan couldn’t help laughing. "You really are a narcissist— naming your products after yourself! If it was something fancy, maybe I’d get it, but it’s just a few snacks!"
"My ready-to-eat foods aren’t like the others!" Ian Song didn’t get mad, just smiled.
"Tch, you’re just bragging!" Faye Shangguan scoffed, curling her lip.
"If you don’t believe me, just try it."
As he spoke, Ian Song took out three packs of WonderTaste dried tofu and handed them to the others.
"Wow, you actually carry snacks around with you. Are you here to advertise?" Faye joked, her smile growing wider.
Even Cynthia Murong couldn’t help showing an amused smile.
"Just try it first!"
Ian Song said confidently.
"Alright, I’ll try it. If it’s good, I’ll buy more and help boost your sales."
With that, Faye Shangguan tore open the package and took a small bite, chewing gently. Instantly, a perfect flavor— mixed with the fresh aroma of dried tofu— spread in her mouth, completely winning over her taste buds.
She quickly chewed a few more times and swallowed, then polished off the rest in just a few bites. Looking unsatisfied, she stared at Ian Song, craving more. "Got any left? I want more!"
"That’s all I’ve got!" Ian Song waved his hand. "It’ll be on the shelves in a few days— just buy it at the supermarket then!"
Faye Shangguan looked disappointed, then eyed the piece of WonderTaste dried tofu in Cynthia Murong’s hand. "Cynthia, you’re a celebrity— you definitely don’t eat junk food. Let your bestie help you out!"
Seeing Faye’s dramatic reaction, Cynthia grew curious herself. She quickly hid her hand holding the tofu behind her back. "I’m not a celebrity anymore. Let me have it myself!"
As she spoke, Cynthia deliberately moved away from Faye, tore open the package, and took a small bite.
Just one small bite and she was utterly captivated by the taste. She thought to herself, wow, is this really dried tofu? Why is it so delicious? It’s honestly the best I’ve ever had— even gourmet delicacies couldn’t compare.
"Save some for me!"
Faye swallowed, then lunged over and snatched the rest of Cynthia’s dried tofu. Worried Cynthia might grab it back, she stuffed it all into her mouth at once and chewed triumphantly.
Seeing this, Cynthia looked utterly aggrieved. "Faye, how could you!"
Watching all this, Gaopeng Shangguan was surprised. Was dried tofu really worth all this fuss? He tore open his own package and took a bite— and his expression instantly changed.