Before him was a bustling hall filled with people he didn’t recognize—judging by their attire, they were either prominent figures or wealthy merchants.
There were even a few political figures he had seen on Qinshan’s media before—he was now seeing them in person for the first time.
But Zhou Ming had no interest in mingling with them; he simply wanted to find Xiao Yun first.
“Zhou Ming, over here.”
Not far away, a round-faced girl was waving at him—it was Qin Shiyu, who worked with him at the Qinshan Library.
Beside her stood Xiao Yun and Xiao Lei. The few others around them, judging by their demeanor and attire, should be Xiao Yun’s parents and some government officials from Qinshan Base.
When Qin Shiyu called out to him, Xiao Yun also noticed Zhou Ming. After briefly saying a few words to the elders beside her, she pulled Xiao Lei and walked over.
“Happy birthday.”
This was Zhou Ming’s first time formally celebrating a friend’s birthday. As he offered his congratulations, he handed over the gift he had brought.
“Hmph, what kind of gift is that?”
Because of Zhou Ming, even though Xiao Lei was now a Beast Tamer, he had not escaped a severe beating from his sister before.
He still held some resentment, especially since he was also one of the banquet’s main figures today.
“Hmph, keep that up and I won’t mind letting you make a fool of yourself in front of everyone tonight.”
Usually gentle and composed, Xiao Yun instantly exuded a commanding presence when facing her younger brother.
Xiao Lei wanted to retort, but after meeting Xiao Yun’s gaze, he immediately shrank back—a pure suppression of bloodline authority.
“I didn’t know what to buy, so I got you a jade bracelet. I know you don’t like flashy things.”
“That’s too extravagant.”
“It’s fine. I’ve already condensed my Spiritual Seed and become a Beast Tamer. I can afford this much.”
“Really?”
More than the gift itself, Xiao Yun felt that this news was the best present she could have received.
“Yes.”
Seeing her reaction, Zhou Ming felt slightly embarrassed, as if he had just tricked a little girl.
“When I became a Beast Tamer, you weren’t even half this happy,” Xiao Lei muttered under his breath, unable to resist.
Especially knowing that his sister treated Zhou Ming like a younger brother, he found it hard to accept.
I’m the real brother here!
“Haha…”
This time, Xiao Yun didn’t get angry.
Instead, she laughed together with Qin Shiyu.