Mrs. Kumar looked disappointed. She must have purely wanted me to be connected with Bo Hong so that her husband might benefit. She was really too naive. She turned for her seat.
"Mrs. Kumar knows the importance of such a connection, as a business minded woman, why can't we set aside the prejudice and work together. After all, we are...we're all friends."
I tried to reign in the outburst.
"Mrs. Kumar, I still want your company. Please, don't go"
"Oh" she seems elated.
She joined my table.
"Miss An, read my lips. I AM NOT INTERESTED"
"She said she's not interested. Don't just stand here Miss, leave" the kind hearted Mrs. Kumar suggested.
An Qiao's refusal to leave caused half the gala to be turned against me. It was playg out the usual way.
Some ladies quickly came to An Qiao's aid.
"Miss An, this friend of yours has better connections. Don't mind her "
"Miss An is so beautiful. Is your fiancé here?"
"Miss An, this watch is so beautiful"
Miss An this, Miss An that went on and on. Until...
Mo Jinsheng was tapping the table in a very familiar yet strange rhythm. It was pleasant at first but the pace changed and the force applied increased. Then an uncomfortable feeling erupted within me. This wasn't the morse code. This was sound hypnosis.
I quickly applied some martial force to repel the attack. These days I was beginning to forget how heartless the man could be. I was going to yell, "Mo Jinsheng, what the hell" when I noticed that, the very noisy people had all dispersed.
"Li Chaihong?"
Ehn? Is that how questions are asked now?
I'll just ignore him.
His brows creased. I could imagine the cloud gathered above his head.
"Attention everyone, is that time that we have been waiting for!!! The Award Ceremony. Before that the woman behind the AGFBC, Bo Hong has finally arrived and she will be giving the opening speech.
And with a standing ovation let's welcome Miss Bo Hong."
A tall handsome woman whose face transcends gender appears. The tuxedo she was wearing complimented her bodice so well that she looked ageless.
Gasps echoed at every corner of the hall but it was quickly surpressed by the host's announcement of the commencement of the awards.
In the now silent hall, the host continued.
"As we bring this year's gala to it's peak, let's welcome Mo Jinsheng, our presenter, the young king of investments,the CEO of Sheng Capital Partners."
There was a moment of silence which was then followed by a long round of applause. As a security personnel came to escort Mo Jinsheng to the stage.
It was within my predictions so I wasn't as shocked as the others, yet it came as a bit of surprise. Sheng Capital Partners was not new in the market. It had been around for about fifteen years. How old was Mo Jinsheng, then?
The man walked briskly up the stage, his back as cold and proud as ever.
The host gave him a microphone.
"I'll hand over to Mr. Mo now."
Looking at Mo Jinsheng up the stage, I felt proud. I sat up even straighter than before. Sheng Capital was linked to so my business in Africa. Almost all the people here were indebted to it. That was a man who could really change the business world.
I could feel the piercing stares of the women both far and near me. It was so unbearable that I started to take sip after sip of whatever was in my glass.
"The Veteran Entrepreneur Award goes to ....."
Following was an applause and Mo Jinsheng shaking hands with whoever it was
"The highest GDP Award goes to ....."
"The Developer Award is given to..."
"..... will be taking the New Entrepreneur Award home"
"And finally, the Legal Team Award will be given to An Qiao, the CEO of RegalLegals"
I wasn't surprised. I knew she would be getting an award.
Not too far away from where I was, I could hear the hushed voices of An Qiao's company. She was really trying to look humble. I smiled because I was too familiar with that act.
Mo Jinsheng had stepped down from the stage but he was lost in the crowd; I couldn't find him.
I took another sip of whatev... Alcohol! Not only alcohol but something... I could feel it moving slowly in my blood stream. It dawned on me at such a moment that I had become less sensitive and alert ever since my revival at the hospital. This was really serious.
I got up decisively, took my bag and quickly walked out but my actions might have meant differently to anyone else because I had hardly taken three steps when one of the women from before blocked me. What the...
"Miss Li! Excuse me."
"Yes" I was really been polite but she looked at me as if she had never heard that word before.
"Well, Miss Li isn't it normal to not get an award. Why does it look like it has affected your mood?"
This one is the cannon fodder, I won't bother.
"Ehn, has it also affected your speech"
"Excuse me!"
She held unto me instead. I really didn't have the time to quibble.
"Miss, leave the way"
"Miss Li has to congratulate her friend. If not genuinely but for the sake of politeness."
Another woman joined in. She was one of those at An Qiao's table too.
"Miss Li when Miss An had extended a hand out for the sake of your business, your response was quite aggressive. Why not just apologise and we put this matter under the rugs."
"The audacity!" I face palmed in my head. She was finally here!
Everyone in the hall turned towards the voice. The hall had suddenly lost its noisy atmosphere.
"Ma...ma... ma'am" the first woman stammered.
The others took two steps backwards.
"I, Bo Hong, am still here. Who dares!"
"Madam Bo Hong. I mean Miss Bo, it's this lady who is trying to cause trouble" she pointed at me with an innocent and straight face.
"Sheycausing trouble? How?"
"Her friend invited her to meet with your highly esteemed self ma'am but she declined and now she's acting very jealous"
"She was invited to meet me and she declined and because of that it was concluded that she was jealous?" I knew she was getting irritated.
"I.."
"Hold it!" She wouldn't even let me talk.
"Yes"
The discomfort was already increasing. Cold sweat dripped down my neck. I was growing pale. She saw it too.
"Security!"
They were there before she was done speaking. Everyone who had worked with Bo Hong knew this rule too well. 'when I'm angry, don't waste my time's
"Get this women out."
"Ah!" The woman hadn't expected that outcome. She exclaimed because my annoying aunt was pointing right at her.
"My niece, the only descendant of the Bo family as a matter of fact,needs no reason to be jealous of anyone."
I was too weak to feel the mood at the time, but I could tell by the long silence and the chatter that errupted that it had finally gotten home. The future heir of the Bo family doesn't need an award to be recognised!