Chapter 63: Chapter 60 Jing! ?
He was modestly dressed, which should have made him inconspicuous, yet his appearance and aura were too outstanding. Along the way, he caught the attention of many people.
"Hmm? Who is that person?"
A muscular young man clad in white, designed for ease of movement, pointed at Xue Jing in the distance, his face expressing confusion.
"Judging by his clothes, he looks like someone who practices martial arts. He probably isn't here to attend the banquet as a second-generation wealthy... Which dojo's disciple is he from? Is he also invited to take care of security? He seems too young for that."
Next to him, a man in a suit glanced at Xue Jing and Zhao, and after a mental comparison, he laughed and said,
"Master Li, that should be a high-ranking student of the Hidden Dragon Dojo."
Upon hearing this, Li Zhaoquan's eyes twitched with doubt, "I've seen all six direct disciples of the Hidden Dragon Dojo, including the youngest lass, but I don't recognize this lad?"
"They can't take on new disciples?"
Someone nearby teased.
Li Zhaoquan heard this and turned to glance at the speaker.
"Zhang Daqing, you rascal, why are you here too?"
Zhang Daqing, tall and slim, dressed in a dark teal suit, stepped forward, elbowed Li Zhaoquan's shoulder, and nodded towards Xue Jing.
"'Dragon King' Li Qi has always said he would take on seven disciples. This one might be the seventh. Kept quite secret, he's able to handle tasks already, and no one in the circle knows. Probably has been secretly training for a while, maybe to make a sensational debut."
Li Zhaoquan curled his lip,
"What could a kid who's not fully grown do? Most likely this job today was just a formality, and Li Qi let him come here to mooch some credit and gain some experience. As long as he doesn't fall behind, that would be good enough."
He looked at Xue Jing's facial features and chuckled,
"Who knows, he might also be here to hook up with a few rich ladies and misses."
Zhang Daqing clicked his tongue and shook his head, sighing, "Don't say that. You may not even beat him. His lower body is extremely stable; every step is the exact same distance, no more, no less. His upper body doesn't even sway, showing a strong control over his body, and his skill in channeling energy is quite tempered."
Li Zhaoquan was dismissive, flexing his large muscles on his arm, "What's the use of using Power well? Even if he can amplify a single force into ten, he'll still be knocked out by a punch with a hundred or a thousand times more power, it's meaningless."
Zhang Daqing rolled his eyes, "There's no point in talking with you bunch of meatheads."
...
"Master Xue, take a look."
Zhao took out a blueprint from the hotel lobby and spread it out in front of Xue Jing.
"This is a map of the banquet hall," Zhao explained.
He pointed a finger at an area on the map that was circled.
"We've invited six masters today, each in charge of security for a different area. This is your responsibility."
"Once you're in the banquet hall, the security of this area is all on you."
Xue Jing carefully looked at the map and committed it to memory, then nodded and smiled, "Don't worry, leave it to me."
As they walked towards the elevator, Zhao continued to mention several points to note, which Xue Jing remembered one by one.
After all, he was there to make money, and his work attitude was quite serious.
Following Zhao through several elevators, Xue Jing arrived on the twenty-second floor of the Rui Zhu Hotel.
"If you go straight along the corridor, you'll reach the banquet hall. Today is Ye's exclusive event. He ordered that, unless necessary, others should not come close. I can't go in, so I can only accompany you this far."
Zhao's attitude was as respectful as ever.
Xue Jing nodded, turned, and walked toward the banquet hall.
After a short walk, just around a corner, he saw a pair of double doors. He went over and pushed them open directly.
Xue Jing had expected the banquet of these wealthy and noble second-generation elites to be like in the movies; to the gentle sound of piano, countless men and women would be elegantly toasting and conversing about matters beyond the reach of common folk.
Yet, as he pushed open the doors to the banquet hall, he was greeted by the noisy booming beats.
"everybody----"
"Let's get hyped!!"
In the midst of shouts and cheers, neon lights flickered across the venue.
Xue Jing paused slightly, eyeing the extremely out-of-place DJ booth in the center of the hall, and the DJ atop it, dressed in hip-hop style, headphones on, hands constantly rubbing the surface of the booth, although what he was actually doing was unclear.
"Hmm? Did I walk into the wrong place?"
He slipped back out quietly and checked the floor.
22nd floor, banquet hall.
"This is the right place, isn't it?"
He pushed the door open again and walked back in.
The raucous and dynamic music resumed, and Xue Jing looked around the banquet hall. Above his head were several elaborate and magnificent crystal chandeliers, the walls were decorated with artistic murals and sculptures, and beneath his feet lay a large patterned carpet. The overall decor was clearly classical in style.
Except for the oddly placed DJ booth in the middle...
"You might as well have gone straight to the disco," Xue Jing said somewhat speechlessly.
Had they specifically rented out such an expensive hotel banquet hall just to change the scene for a dance party?
Watching the dozens of well-dressed youths swaying to the thumping music, Xue Jing smiled and didn't pay it much mind.
After all, he was only there on security duty. What the attendees chose to do was none of his business.
Even if he had opened the door to find dozens of people doing improv, his job for the day would still be the same.
Xue Jing surveyed the hall and, after comparing it with the map he'd seen earlier, headed towards his assigned area to start patrolling.
From a distance, he could also see several individuals whose postures and auras clearly suggested they had martial arts training. They were presumably other dojo disciples hired by the Rui Zhu Hotel.
By now, the noisy music was reaching its end; as the last beat sounded, the several crystal chandeliers on the ceiling lit up, and the previously dim hall was instantly bright.
About ten staff members entered from the main door, dismantled the DJ booth in the center of the hall, and carried away the parts one by one.
Xue Jing nodded. It appeared that dancing was just one of the night's events, not the main purpose.
And as the lights came on, he himself became more visible.
"Hmm, who is that?" Nearby heiresses spotted him, their eyes suddenly sparkling.
But before they could act, a muscular man dressed in white martial attire approached Xue Jing.
"Are you the new direct disciple taken in by Hidden Dragon Dojo?"
The man was quite direct and immediately asked as he came up to Xue Jing.
The commotion caught the attention of those around them.
A few men and women holding wine glasses and standing together also looked over.
"Hmm? What's happening over there?" inquired Ye Chenglin, organizer of the banquet, curiously.
"Seems like a conflict between two security guys arranged by Rui Zhu... Are they having a dispute?" someone answered, a curious look crossing their face.
"Let's go check it out!" said Ye Chenglin with a laugh.
A group of them promptly made their way over to where Xue Jing was, with Pei Youguang among them.
He scratched his head, following behind his elder brother Pei Tiancheng.
Upon getting closer, he glanced casually at the two security personnel in a dispute, lifted his glass for a sip--ptooey!
"Jing... Jing bro?"
Staring at the familiar figure standing amidst the crowd, Pei Youguang couldn't help spitting out his drink in shock and disbelief.
...