Chapter 537: The Chinese Business Association Gala

At London's Canary Wharf, the Marriott Hotel!

This is the best hotel in the UK under the Marriott Hotel Group, and it is also one of the top hotels in all of London.

After Xia Yu arrived at the Marriott Hotel, he was guided to the parking lot by a vehicle attendant.

Upon getting out of the car, Xia Yu saw that the parking lot was packed with vehicles, with new cars constantly pulling in. The people getting out of the cars were all Chinese with yellow skin and black hair, dressed impeccably, showcasing the demeanor of successful individuals.

Clearly, these were all Chinese entrepreneurs and their companions attending the gala.

When Li Qian got out of the car and linked her arm with Xia Yu's, Xia Yu said softly, "Let's go!"

"Mm!"

Then, Li Wuming, holding the invitation letter, followed behind Xia Yu and Li Qian as they walked towards the hotel's main entrance.

"Sir, please proceed to the second-floor banquet hall!"

As they walked along the red carpet to the entrance, Xia Yu saw four elegantly dressed hostesses checking invitations. After Li Wuming handed over the invitation, the hostesses confirmed Xia Yu and the others' identities. One of the hostesses bowed slightly and directed Xia Yu to their location.

"Thank you!"

Nodding with a smile, Xia Yu led Li Qian and Li Wuming up the stairs to the second floor.

Before they entered, they could already hear the loud noise from inside, indicating that many people had arrived.

Indeed, upon entering, they saw a sea of people inside. Many were chatting in small groups, but their eyes frequently darted towards the entrance, anxious not to miss any important guests.

At this moment, Wu Hongyi had already arrived. As the young master of the Wu family and the president of the London Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, although he was not a member of the Chinese Business Association's board of directors, he was still a significant figure and naturally had many people surrounding him.

Since the Wu family was the main organizer, Wu Hongyi had arrived early to host the guests.

Seeing Xia Yu appear, he immediately apologized to the people around him, then, with a smiling face, he walked towards Xia Yu with confident strides.

"Xia Yu, you're finally here!"

"Miss Li, you look even more beautiful today. As soon as you arrived, the whole venue seemed brighter."

Wu Hongyi said warmly.

"Thank you!"

Li Qian responded gracefully, then stood quietly beside Xia Yu.

"It's not too late, is it?"

Xia Yu said casually with a smile.

"Of course not. The gala hasn't started yet. Besides, with your status, arriving early would actually be out of place!"

Wu Hongyi joked, speaking very casually. He knew what kind of person Xia Yu was, so he wasn't worried about offending him with his words.

"Haha…"

Wu Hongyi's enthusiastic conversation with Xia Yu naturally drew the attention of a large number of people around, especially those who had been clustered around him earlier. They were very curious about Xia Yu's identity and wanted to find out more.

"Who is the person talking to Wu Hongyi? They seem to have an extraordinary relationship, and they're so young. Could they be from a prominent family?"

"I don't know. I've never seen them before. Considering their relationship with Wu Hongyi, their reputation should have preceded them."

...

Many people whispered among themselves, continuously speculating about Xia Yu's identity.

Of course, there was one exception here. He knew Xia Yu's true identity. He was Ye Huanrong, the owner of Rongye Xing.

At this moment, he had a beaming smile and was eager to go over and greet Xia Yu, but Wu Hongyi was already deep in conversation with Xia Yu, making it seem inappropriate.

A nearby Chinese person noticed Ye Huanrong's unusual behavior and leaned over to ask, "Brother Ye, do you know these two handsome men and women? What's their background?"

Ye Huanrong glanced at him and quietly replied, "Their background is significant. They're like a dragon crossing the river, with strength not inferior to the Wu family's!"

Xia Yu held a 30% stake in Rongye Xing, so Ye Huanrong naturally had a deep understanding of this partner. Because of this understanding, his attitude towards Xia Yu had changed significantly and he now treated him with great respect. After all, the Jiuding Group's enterprises were like colossal entities to him.

Rongye Xing was not worthy to even hold Xia Yu's shoes.

No wonder after Xia Yu invested, a financial team was sent over without appointing any management personnel. At that time, he was worried, but later he realized that he had overthought it.

"How do you know? Tell me more about it."

The person next to Ye Huanrong's eyes lit up and asked eagerly.

Ye Huanrong smiled faintly and said to the person beside him, "He's here!"

He raised his eyebrows slightly as he spoke.

Indeed, Wu Hongyi, surprised after finishing his conversation with Xia Yu, was now leading Xia Yu and the others towards them.

Ye Huanrong and his group immediately stopped whispering and greeted Wu Hongyi and others with smiles.

"Come, let me introduce you to a remarkable person, my good friend, Xia Yu. He has just arrived from Hong Kong, and this is his girlfriend, Miss Li."

"By the way, he is now the second largest shareholder in our Chinese Business Bank!"

Wu Hongyi announced loudly, introducing Xia Yu to the crowd.

"Hello, everyone!"

After Wu Hongyi's introduction, Xia Yu greeted everyone with a smile.

"Hello, Mr. Xia, welcome to the UK!"

"Mr. Xia…"

The crowd immediately greeted him warmly, their minds secretly astonished. They did not expect Xia Yu to be the second-largest shareholder in the Chinese Business Bank. This status was extremely important to them.

"Mr. Xia, long time no see! Welcome back to London!"

Ye Huanrong stepped forward with a smile, acting as if they were old friends.

"Mr. Ye, it's been a long time. I wanted to visit you last time but heard you were in France."

Xia Yu extended his hand to shake Ye Huanrong's, smiling as he spoke.

"That's truly unfortunate!"

"Mr. Xia, you are also the owner of Rongye Xing. If you have time, you must visit. I would appreciate your guidance!"

Ye Huanrong expressed his regret and hinted at his relationship with Xia Yu to the surrounding people.

He didn't expect Xia Yu to become the second-largest shareholder in the Chinese Business Bank, but knowing this made him even more enthusiastic.

Although Xia Yu was powerful, that was in Hong Kong, and it couldn't help him much. He didn't want Xia Yu's money, as that would cost him shares.

But now, with Xia Yu being the second-largest shareholder in the Chinese Business Bank, it was different. With the partnership, his future funding would be secured, which was definitely good news!

"Guidance is too much to ask, but I will definitely visit when I have time!"

...

After Ye Huanrong's polite conversation, he naturally stepped aside to make room for others, so as not to attract resentment.

As Xia Yu was chatting with others and building connections, time passed, and more people arrived. The noise in the venue grew louder.

"Xia Yu, my grandfather has arrived. It must be Ambassador Qian. I'll go over there first!"

Wu Hongyi, always attentive to the surroundings, suddenly focused as he saw his grandfather, Wu Chengde, walking toward the entrance with a dragon-headed cane. He looked at the entrance and saw Ambassador Qian and others, so he said to Xia Yu.

"Oh?"

Xia Yu followed his gaze and saw familiar figures, notably Ambassador Qian Wenchao. He didn't expect him to be here as well.

"I'll go with you. I have a good relationship with him!"

Xia Yu said, and with Wu Hongyi's somewhat surprised gaze, he accompanied him towards Ambassador Qian.