?Chapter 1334:


    The grand auditorium, capable of seating more than a thousand attendees, steadily filled.


    By eight o’clock, the summit officiallymenced.


    Reporters hovered near the stage, cameras poised to capture every moment.


    Led by the ushers, the organizers’ delegation emerged through the side entrance, stepping onto the elevated tform.


    As the delegation settled into their seats, Corrine’s gaze instinctivelynded on Bryant seated at the very center, his presencemanding attention.


    As though sensing her eyes on him, Bryant lifted his head.


    Their gazes met. A slow, knowing smile touched his lips—brief but deliberate—before he casually looked away, engaging in conversation with those around him.


    At the podium, an organizer representative took the microphone, addressing the audience. He spoke of the summit’s primary objective—establishing key alliances. A ripple of murmurs spread through the attendees.


    “No wonder so many international giants are here,” someone whispered. “They are aiming for high-stakes partnerships.”


    “See the man in the middle?” another voice chimed in. “His background is no joke. If you can get in his good graces, you will never have to worry about money again.”


    Corrine listened, their words barely a whisper in her mind. Lowering her gaze, she flipped through the documents in her hands, an enigmatic smile ghosting across her lips.


    The opening ceremony unfolded with a procession of speeches, each representative and initiator stepping forward to officially inaugurate the industry summit. The air buzzed with formality, an endless cycle of introductions and acknowledgments stretching well over an hour.


    A sense of fatigue crept into the crowd—subtle shifts in posture, stifled yawns, gazes flickering toward the clock. Then, just as restlessness began to settle, Bryant took the stage with an announcement that reignited the room.


    The summit would handpick candidates from various development sectors, granting them not only funding and resources but also the prestigious title of an advanced enterprise or individual. Beyond the material rewards, they would be offered a coveted seat in the Chamber of Commerce—an honor that carried both prestige and influence.


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    Apuse erupted, murmurs of excitement weaving through the hall. But while enthusiasm crackled in the air, Corrine remained an ind of calm amid the rising tide.


    She sat through the intermission with one leg crossed over the other, fingers scrollingzily across her phone screen, unfazed by the electrified atmosphere around her.


    Footsteps approached, light but deliberate. She lifted her gaze, her expression unreadable.


    The woman standing before her looked around twenty-five. Large, round eyes peeked from beneath her bangs, brimming with an innocence untouched by the weight of business dealings.


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