Chapter 65: A Gift Well Given

Song Desheng's words, though devoid of any vulgarity, landed like slaps on Wu Zhiming's face, each sentence a stinging blow. The surrounding elites of high society burst into laughter, with some even chiming in.

"Mr. Wu not only knows how to endure, but his thick skin is also something we could never achieve. We really have much to learn from him!"

"Yes, indeed. Mr. Wu is extraordinary, a fitting patriarch of Haixia City's foremost family!"

Hearing this, Zhou Wenwei's expression turned awkward. He hadn't expected Wu Zhiming to be so unpopular among these people.

"And who are you to speak?" Wu Zhiming's gaze swept across the surrounding elites with disdain as he spoke coldly.

"Wu Zhiming, do you think you can tell us what to say?" one of the high society members retorted angrily.

"I'm here to congratulate the old master. What are you squawking about? Are you richer than me? Better looking than me? Or is your wife prettier than mine? If you can't outdo me in any way, what's the point of flaunting your so-called superiority?" Wu Zhiming sneered.

The faces of the surrounding elites darkened. They had assumed Wu Zhiming was here to humble himself, which was why they played along with Song Desheng in mocking him. They hadn't expected him to openly humiliate them in return.

"You lot don't even deserve to talk to me!" Wu Zhiming said, shaking his head as he strode towards the hotel entrance.

"Mr. Wu, our Song family did not send you an invitation. We do not welcome you here!" Song Desheng quickly blocked his path.

"I'm here to wish your grandfather well. Do I need your permission? Since when did the Song family put you in charge?" Wu Zhiming taunted.

"You!!" Song Desheng's face twisted in anger. Just moments ago, Wu Zhiming had been all smiles, but now he had shown his true colors.

"Let's go," Wu Zhiming called to Zhou Wenwei and headed for the elevator.

"Old Song, this Wu Zhiming is too arrogant! He's completely disrespecting your family!"

"Yeah, he's definitely here to stir up trouble!" the high society folks exclaimed in agitation.

"Come with me! I won't let Wu Zhiming cause a scene!" Song Desheng gritted his teeth and led them towards the elevator.

Meanwhile, Wu Zhiming had already arrived at the eighth-floor banquet hall. 

The hall was packed.

Song Jingsheng was well-connected in Haixia City and had spent generously in social circles over the years, so nearly everyone invited had come.

As Wu Zhiming appeared at the entrance, he immediately attracted attention.

In the general population of Haixia City, Wu Zhiming might not be well-known, and few would recognize him. However, in the elite circles, many knew exactly who he was. 

Everyone was aware that the Song family hadn't sent Wu Zhiming an invitation, yet here he was. This was intriguing!

Like those downstairs, most assumed Wu Zhiming had come to curry favor with Song Jingsheng.

Wu Zhiming, smiling, walked straight in and made his way to the head table.

Song Jingsheng was engaged in conversation when he noticed the room had suddenly quieted down. Looking up, he saw Wu Zhiming.

"Mr. Song, I wish you a long life filled with prosperity!" Wu Zhiming greeted with clasped hands and a broad smile.

"What are you doing here? I don't recall inviting you," Song Jingsheng frowned.

"You are a renowned and esteemed figure in Haixia City. As your junior, it's only right for me to come and offer my respects on your birthday, regardless of an invitation. You might not have invited me, but you must accept this gift I've carefully chosen for you!" Wu Zhiming said cheerfully.

A gift?

Song Jingsheng was surprised. Rumor had it that Wu Zhiming had been exceedingly arrogant lately, yet now he was humbling himself by bringing a gift. This was quite unexpected.

When Zhou Wenwei stepped forward with the gift, Song Jingsheng didn't have him stopped.

"Mr. Song, I'm Zhou Wenwei, a jeweler from Tianlu City. I believe you'll really appreciate this gift," Zhou Wenwei said with a smile as he handed the box to Song Jingsheng.

Jewelry business?

That made him a peer of Song Jingsheng! Song Jingsheng was intrigued by what a fellow jeweler had to offer as a gift.

"It's very thoughtful of you," Song Jingsheng replied. He had no deep-seated enmity with Wu Zhiming; he just found him distasteful. Now that Wu Zhiming was humbling himself and presenting a gift, Song Jingsheng couldn't bring himself to reject it outright.

"Mr. Song, this gift from Mr. Wu must be something extraordinary. Open it and show us," someone suggested.

"Yes, Mr. Song, let us have a look!" others echoed around the room.

Seeing the eager faces, Song Jingsheng knew what they were up to. They wanted to see if they could use the gift as a pretext to ridicule Wu Zhiming further.

Song Jingsheng decided not to dismiss the suggestions of those around him. "Since everyone is interested, let's take a look," he said.

With that, Song Jingsheng opened the box in front of the crowd.

The moment the box was opened, everyone's expressions froze, including Wu Zhiming and Zhou Wenwei. 

Wu Zhiming had complete trust in Zhou Wenwei, considering him a knowledgeable jeweler who would have chosen an appropriate gift. However, he never expected the box to contain **this**!

Inside the box was a thin plastic bag, flat and slightly larger than a beer cap. Inside the bag, a circular bulge could be seen.

Any man would recognize what it was!

It was a **condom**!

For Song Jingsheng's 80th birthday, Wu Zhiming had presented him with a condom?

Song Jingsheng's face turned dark instantly, and the surrounding elites' faces twisted in shock.

"Wu Zhiming, this is outrageous!"

"Mr. Wu, the old master is 80 years old. What are you trying to imply with this gift?"

Several members of high society shouted indignantly.

"Wu Zhiming! What is the meaning of this? I'm 80 years old, and you give me this? What kind of insult is this to our Song family? We may not be as prominent as your Wu family, but we are still respected in Haixia City! How dare you humiliate us like this?" Song Jingsheng exclaimed, his voice trembling with anger.

"What the hell is going on?" Wu Zhiming turned to Zhou Wenwei.

"I… I don't know! I had prepared a jade thumb ring. Ah, I get it! It must have been Shuhui! We had an argument this morning. She must have swapped the gift without my knowing. This brand of condom… it's the one we use!" Zhou Wenwei explained frantically.

"You and your wife still use these?" Wu Zhiming asked, his expression bemused.

"Um… we weren't planning to have children yet," Zhou Wenwei replied, embarrassed.

"This is a misunderstanding," Wu Zhiming said awkwardly, turning to Song Jingsheng. "Mr. Song, I came here sincerely to wish you well. But… it seems the wrong item was brought by mistake."

"Wu Zhiming, you… you've gone too far!" Song Jingsheng was livid, his face flushed red. He clutched his chest as if on the verge of a heart attack.

The Song family members quickly surrounded him, some pressing his chest, others administering heart medication.

"Let's go," Wu Zhiming said, turning to leave. After causing such a scene, he felt too humiliated to stay.

"This wasn't intentional," Zhou Wenwei tried to explain, but seeing Wu Zhiming already heading out, he hurriedly followed.

The onlookers, despite their indignation, did not dare to physically stop Wu Zhiming, given his status and influence.

As Wu Zhiming and Zhou Wenwei hurried out of the banquet hall, they ran into Song Desheng.

Song Desheng was surprised to see Wu Zhiming leaving so soon. How could he arrive and depart so quickly? Was he driven away by his grandfather?

Passing by Wu Zhiming, Song Desheng entered the banquet hall. As he reached the head table, he realized that far from being driven away by his grandfather, it was his grandfather who was nearly driven away by Wu Zhiming!

"Wu Zhiming, this isn't over!" Song Desheng shouted in fury.

By this time, Wu Zhiming was already in the elevator, but he seemed to hear Song Desheng's words. Knowing he was at fault, he chose not to return and argue.

"I'll make sure to teach my wife a lesson when I get back!" Zhou Wenwei said apologetically.

"It's too late for that now," Wu Zhiming replied coolly. "Song Jingsheng was almost driven to the brink by us. Extracting any information about the Roselle Earrings from him now is nearly impossible."

"What should we do then? It's all my fault!" Zhou Wenwei lamented.

"Women, oh women. It's true what they say, a foolish woman can ruin a man. If not for this mess, Song Jingsheng was warming up to us. If he had been pleased with our gift, we could have stayed for dinner and had a chance to talk. But now, thanks to He Shuhui, that's all out the window," Wu Zhiming sighed. He could sense that Song Jingsheng's attitude had softened significantly. If Song had been satisfied with the gift, they might have been able to discuss the Roselle Earrings over dinner. But now, thanks to He Shuhui's stunt, that possibility was lost.

Zhou Wenwei, feeling deeply remorseful, remained silent. Although he wasn't directly under Wu Zhiming's command, the search for the Roselle set depended on Wu. He felt he had let Wu Zhiming down the most.

"If all else fails, we might have to be upfront with Song Jingsheng. He's a businessman, and as such, there's nothing that can't be negotiated. It's just a matter of what price we're willing to pay. Worst case, I might have to send you over to take a beating," Wu Zhiming remarked.

"Mr. Wu, you're quite the joker," Zhou Wenwei replied, embarrassed.

"If a beating could solve this, you should count yourself lucky," Wu Zhiming said.

Zhou Wenwei sighed deeply.

At that moment, Wu Zhiming's phone rang. It was Yao Jing calling.

Wu Zhiming answered, and Yao Jing's urgent voice came through. 

"Zhiming, where are you? Something big has happened."