168: Excessive indulgence

When Shen Lian arrived, he saw Director Zhao turn his wine glass upside down, signaling it was empty, before urging the executive opposite him to drink amidst the cheers of the crowd.

Shen Lian wasn't very interested; in fact, for a while now, he had been forcing himself to stay spirited.

Liu Tang attended in full dress, looking charming in a light pink gown. Under everyone's shocked gazes, she downed a small glass of white liquor in one go.

It was Director Zhao's first time seeing this, and he was left speechless.

Shen Lian joked from the side, "Desperate yet? Forty years of practicing your drinking capacity can't beat someone with maxed-out talent."

"Good, good, good!" everyone cheered.

Amidst the lively atmosphere, Shen Lian seemed to be participating, but in reality, he felt an indescribable sense of detachment.

At midnight, Shen Lian took out his phone and glanced at it; there were only two messages from Chen Mu, congratulating him on finishing his new drama.

Shen Lian replied politely. In fact, he had no memory of what he wrote or sent.

Besides the heads of the two major platforms, Kuang Chenghai arrived later that night.

"CEO Kuang," Shen Lian stood up to greet him.

"Shen Lian." Kuang Chenghai remained calm on the surface, but as he approached, he immediately whispered to Shen Lian, "Don't be so formal!"

Shen Lian: "Mhm!"

destined splendor was also a project Star Opening valued. Hu Kailan going to find Shen Lian had been approved by Kuang Chenghai; since he wanted to acquire it independently, he had to show up no matter what.

Kuang Chenghai was a heavy drinker. In the entertainment industry, he had been to no fewer glitzy dinners than Feng Yueshan. During the meal, whenever someone tried to drink with Shen Lian, Kuang Chenghai would subtly block them.

Was he kidding? Who was Shen Lian to CEO Chu? Assistant Sun had made it very clear; he would definitely ensure the Boss's Wife was safe!

Shi Zhujie also came, but because of the incident with the crazed fan a few days ago, his situation was somewhat awkward, and everyone's attitude toward him was very subtle.

No matter how unhappy Shi Zhujie was, once he saw Kuang Chenghai's attitude, he settled down.

Kuang Chenghai was well-known among the big bosses in the industry. To put it this way, even if someone offered themselves up, it would depend on whether CEO Kuang took an interest.

Since he was protecting Shen Lian like this, looking for trouble was equivalent to seeking death.

Shen Lian stayed and chatted until two in the morning.

However, the group wasn't satisfied yet, and one of the bosses invited everyone to his private club.

Reeking of alcohol and with flushed cheeks, Kuang Chenghai swayed slightly as he walked up to Shen Lian: "Are you going home, Boss's Wife?"

Shen Lian: "What did you call me?"

"Boss's Wife."

Shen Lian: "..." That works too.

For some reason, Shen Lian didn't really want to go home.

Anyway, Aunt Fen would be asleep, and Chu Zhumi most likely couldn't be found.

"I'll go with you guys," Shen Lian said.

Kuang Chenghai hesitated for two seconds: "Alright, let me know if you get tired."

Everyone started moving. Shen Lian sat on the sofa waiting for them. He stared at the clear, golden liquid in the champagne glass, gradually realizing that it wasn't that he didn't want to go home, but that he was feeling emotional.

In the past, when he attended such banquets, Chu Yilan would at least call or text, and basically pick him up in person afterward. But today, it was completely quiet.

Of course, it wasn't just that. On a deeper level, Shen Lian was angry that Chu Yilan was too deeply immersed in things. If he took one wrong step, he would fall back into the abyss.

Although Shen Lian hadn't met Chu Changqi, he had seen a glimpse of the man's ability to manipulate hearts and minds, judging by how brainwashed Ming Lin was.

Chu Yilan didn't intentionally hide anything, but Shen Lian couldn't help. The only thing he could do right now was ensure his own safety.

"Teacher Shen, the car CEO Kuang arranged for you has arrived," a staff member stepped forward.

Shen Lian saw it was a familiar face who had been serving back and forth just now. He nodded: "Thank you."

With several Bodyguards following him, Shen Lian walked with his hands in his pockets, thinking about staying there for a while until it was almost dawn, then buying breakfast to take to Hengtai.

What else could he do? Teacher Shen sighed in his heart. He had to pamper his own lover. Besides, seeking revenge for grievances was only right.

Shen Lian went to the underground garage.

The other bosses and actors who came down with him had already left in their cars. Shen Lian was led to a black luxury car.

"Wishing Teacher Shen a safe journey," the staff member who led the way said and then left.

Shen Lian looked back and saw CEO Kuang standing at the exit with a few others, smoking and chatting.

It was an ordinary scene; one could even hear the sounds of people smiling and saying goodbye to each other.

Shen Lian's hand was on the car door, and he was about to get in, but suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his heart.

It was so fast and intense that Shen Lian's vision went black for a moment.

Something's wrong!

For some reason, alarms blared urgently throughout his body!

Shen Lian clutched his chest with one hand and propped himself against the car door to back away. Just as he was about to speak, the car door suddenly opened from the inside, and a pair of sinister eyes appeared, staring intently at Shen Lian.

I can escape! Shen Lian quickly made a judgment. The Bodyguards were right behind him—four of them—while the other side only had two. Plus, with Kuang Chenghai and the others not far away, if they made a move... "Little Star." The sinister man's voice was hoarse, with a grating, sandy quality. At the same time, a black hole was pointed at Shen Lian: "You'd better not move. This thing of mine isn't a toy."

The other party raised a gun.

In a single second, the blood in his body boiled and then stilled. His strong will to survive and the urgency of the situation forced Shen Lian to suppress his physical discomfort. He certainly wouldn't act as a human target to test the truth of the man's words, but it was also impossible to just comply. "This place is full of surveillance cameras. There's one right behind us. Most likely, you've already been captured clearly."

The man was bald with lower sanpaku eyes. Hearing this, he gave a malicious smile. The next second, the man raised his hand. With a "bang!", the surveillance camera Shen Lian mentioned was blasted into powder.

Shen Lian's heart sank. The worst-case scenario: a real gun, and the opponent was a desperate criminal.

A wave of screams erupted. Everyone, including Kuang Chenghai, instinctively ducked to find cover, their faces terrified as they searched for the source of the sound.

The gunshot was also a signal. People emerged from two cars on the left and right rear simultaneously—a crowd of over a dozen. Without a word, they rushed up and pinned down the Bodyguards protecting Shen Lian. One Bodyguard who had spoken to Shen Lian earlier struggled violently and had his arm dislocated by brute force on the spot.

"Little Star, get in quietly, or else..." As the man spoke, the muzzle of the gun pointed at that Bodyguard. "I guarantee his head will explode. Of course, you can waste time with me, but when the time comes, he won't be the only one whose head explodes. I'm not afraid to die; are you?"

Shen Lian knew very well that the man wasn't joking.

"I'll go with you. Don't hurt anyone?" Shen Lian asked.

"Of course." The man sneered: "Hurry up."

Shen Lian had no choice. At any time, even the toughest are afraid of those who don't value their lives.

As soon as Shen Lian stepped into the car, he was thrown into the back by a powerful force. There were no seats; only a person crouching there, who immediately tied Shen Lian's hands and feet. They had come completely prepared.

"It's also thanks to Chu Yilan." Accompanied by the heavy sound of the car door closing, the man laughed. "Hatred blinds a person's eyes. He put all his effort into catching Sir, which gave us this opportunity."

Excessive indulgence.

Shen Lian closed his eyes, but when he opened them, he said coldly, "When your Sir was running like a dog, did you say the same thing?"