Stuck in a Chinese novel

Chapter 54: The Demonstration

"Wow. This dress is just amazing." A girl in a blue dress said to Chen Na who was surrounded by a few girls of her age, "You look amazing and that dress, covers you perfectly as if it was made for you." The girl continued her praise and it didn't seem like she was just saying it. She seemed to be genuinely praising Chen Na and she wasn't alone, all the girls couldn't stop singing those praises.

"You have to tell me Chen Na, where did you get this beautiful dress?" The same girl asked, obviously fallen for the dress.

"Umm…" Chen Na didn't know how to reply. She couldn't just say that this was given to her by her fiancée who she had never seen before until a week ago. Just as she was in a dilemma, the handsome man from earlier who had caused quite a rest in the banquet approached the group and said politely, "Excuse me, ladies, but could I borrow Miss Na for a moment? I won't take much time, I promise."

His smile was killer and the girls in the group couldn't help but stutter in reply while some were outright out of it. "Su…Sure." One of the girls replied while the rest just simply nodded. The man was quite happy with the attention but he kept that to himself.

If there was one girl who was the least influenced by Run Long, it was none other than Chen Na who didn't like him approaching her like that. She was afraid some strange rumors would begin because of him and she didn't want that.

"What do you want?" Chen Na asked, her tone wasn't curt but the displeasure in her tone was evident.

"I just wanted to ask you about the dress. Did you like it?" Run Long asked with a smile, ignoring the displeasure in her tone.

"It's good. I like it. However, I will be honest. I won't have you mistaken that I have fallen for you over a dress." She replied and said before she turned around and left.

Run Long wanted to talk more with her but he knew that now wasn't the time. He needed to first prove himself, not only to his fiancée but this new world he had stepped into as well.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Ouyang Na, the head of the Na family approached him and said, "Young Run, it is time."

Run Long nodded and followed Ouyang Na to the gathering of the families. Although the entire banquet hall could see that, the performance of Run Long's skills was only reserved for the upper class right now.

"This is the head of the esteemed Tian family, Bei Tian." Ouyang Na first and foremost introduced Run Long to the Tian family head.

"Greetings." Run Long bowed a little and greeted Bei Tian. Bei Tian nodded and said, "It is nice to meet a young man with such manners these days. I have heard a lot about you from Sir Ouyang, young man. I truly hope that all the rumors about you are true. If they are, the future will be limitless."

Run Long smiled but said nothing in return except for a bow. Ouyang Na took the cue to introduce the next influential party, the current acting head of the Lu family, Zhen Lu. "This is the esteemed head of the Lu family, Mister Zhen Lu."

"Hahaha. You flatter me, master Ouyang. I'm only the acting head of the family. Sooner or later I will have to hand it over to my niece." Zhen Lu boisterously laughed and said. Bei Tian smiled as he said, "I think the Lu family would flourish more under your leadership."

Most of the people in the crowd agreed with Bei Tian's words. Zhen Lu's business and leadership skills couldn't be denied and as for the future head, Xia Lu, she was nothing but a child who rebelled against her uncle and refused to pay any attention to her family.

"Speaking of your niece, where is she? I thought I had invited her as well." Ouyang Na asked, steering the conversation away from that topic. Although he couldn't deny Zhen Lu's skills, he wasn't also willing to acknowledge his wrongdoings being the just person that he was.

"Oh, she is currently staying at that damned brat Ruan's house." Zhen Lu said with distaste overflowing in his words. Just now he was praising his niece and now he didn't even hesitate to throw mud at her reputation.

"Why would she stay there? Are the current rumors about her being in a relationship with Wei Jun Ruan true?" Bei Tian asked, curious about this development.

"I don't know but from the looks of it, it seems so. Otherwise, why would she accept his condition even though he had tried to force himself on her? I believe there is something else going on behind the curtain." Zhen Lu replied, giving his own analysis of the situation.

"If I'm not mistaken, your niece is that superstar who often appears in dramas, right?" Run Long asked as even he, who had secluded himself from the world had heard the name enough in the past month since his descent so many times that he couldn't help but ask.

"Yes. That is her precisely. Haa… sometimes I wonder what she is doing with her future. I'm not against her being with a man but I would have been happy if she was with a sensible man. Being with a womanizer hardly suits her." Zhen Lu besmirched even more of Xia Lu's reputation under the guise of worry about her.

Run Long easily understood the underlying meaning but he kept his mouth shut because he didn't want to get involved with this man yet. Regardless, he wasn't planning on being a subordinate of any of these men. He was raised to rule and rule he will even if he had to play the meek young man for now.

"Maybe we should now move to the presentation." Ouyang Na said, trying to move on from the topic. Bei Tian who was also aware of the Zhen Lu's hypocrisy nodded in assent and said, "Of course, of course."

The introduction continued and many influential figures of the Yuan Yin city were introduced. The mayor, heads of the medium-grade families, and politicians of different posts. After the introduction, it was time for the presentation.

An old man stepped forward and said, "I am a sixty-eight-year-old war veteran. I spent a lot of my life on a battlefield and sustained an injury that prevented me from having children and I desired children all my life. But even after so many treatments, I couldn't cure my illness.

If you can somehow cure me, I will remember this favor of yours for life." The old man was an official in the city and even the families had to respect him so when he volunteered for his problem and consulted with Run Long, Run Long agreed to cure the old man under the condition that he be allowed to run his cosmetics business without a license.

The old man agreed and promised to look the other way when qualification concerns were raised about Run Long's business.

Run Long smiled and said, "It is never too late to live to your heart's content. I will cure you and you will be like a young man in just an hour." Run Long assured the old man and asked him to lie flat on his stomach on the table prepared.

Next, he procured a set of acupuncture needles and exposed the old man's spine. He began to inject those needles in systematic ways and once he was done injecting about ten needles along the spine, he took out a big one and injected this one just before the hip of the old man and spun it slightly.

Then he took out another of the same size and did the same to the old man only on the opposite side of the hip.

Then, bluish energy began to leave his hands which caused the needles to resonate and vibrate slightly. The bluish energy then entered the old man's spine and after a few more waves that entered his body, Run Long began to retract the needles. After a few more seconds, he said, "You can now stand up, good sir. You have been free of your curse."

The old man stood up, feeling no different but when he touched his crotch, tears began to form in his eyes. He hurriedly grabbed Run Long's hands and said, "Thank you, thank you." He kept thanking Run Long for some time which only made Run Long smile in contentment. The others around the table were also surprised and left in awe by Run Long's skills.

His display was amazing and they knew that this wasn't a staged show.

Bei Tian exchanged glances with his younger son, beckoning him to come there and approach Run Long.

Far away from all of this drama, at a stool of the bar sat a handsome young man undetected by everyone. He had blended with everything so naturally that even the person sitting next to him didn't know of his presence.

Wei Jun observed everything from the beginning to the end but his focus wasn't on the miracle being performed. His eyes were set on the whisky glass in Run Long's hand and the box in which he kept his acupuncture needles.