Actually, it was Bai Jing's experience which had benefited Ning Tao. On top of that, his spiritual power had greatly increased due to his cultivation. His body was in an equilibrium between good and evil. If not for his earlier experience, he would find it hard to detect the Viper-like Insect lurking in a human body.

Then, Ning Tao's sight landed on the senior engineer, Hanks, from Gerton Company. He could sense a demon aura emanating from his body. Although it was not strong, it was clearly there.

Ning Tao's heart started to ask himself, “Gerton Company is a world renowned silicon chip company. And this senior engineer of theirs, Hanks, is also a new demon. Might he be related to Nicholas Conway?”

Hanks also gave Ning Tao an unfriendly stare.

Tamao Takeda introduced the diners to Joanna and her to them. But in his introduction to Ning Tao, he merely said, “This is Doctor Ning Tao. He runs a clinic in Shan City of Hua Country.”

A slight sneer hovered on Hanks's lips. He remarked in fluent mandarin, “A clinic doctor? Haha, this technological forum is so interesting. I wonder what topic Doctor Ning will bring up, representing your clinic at the forum?”

Ning Tao said blandly, “Do you need to propose a topic at the forum? If 1,000 people attend, will there be 1,000 topics? Mr. Hanks, what topic are you intending to raise”

Hanks said disdainfully, “I am raising the topics of 5G networking and the telecommunication revolution. But you won't understand even if I explain.”

Tamao Takeda said with a smile, “Mr. Hanks, don't make things difficult for Doctor Ning. He is a doctor. How can he know about 5G networking and the coming telecommunication revolution?”

Joanna raised her brows a little. Tamao Takeda had spoken in front of so many people. He was obviously helping Hanks slight Ning Tao. He had gone a little over the limit.

Hanks said, “Indeed. On my way here, I met a country dog from Hua Country on the streets. It kept barking at me. I ordered it to stop, but it couldn't understand a thing I was saying.”

He was insulting him as a dog. It also was a racial slur.

Even Lin Qingyu could not stand it. “Mr. Hanks, what do you mean by these words?”

Hanks snickered but did not care to explain himself.

Joanna stared at Hanks, her eyes full of disdain.

Ning Tao was quite calm. He said blandly, “Mr. Hanks, I happen to understand dog speech. Just like I can understand your words.”

A smile instantly froze on Hanks's face. His voice turned cold. “A clinic doctor, scoffing me like that? If I were the organizer, I would not have invited you. I would ban you from entry.”

Ning Tao stood up and walked towards Hanks.

Hanks also stood up. His frame was bigger and more burly than Ning Tao's. He showed no fear at all on his face.

Tamao Takeda also stood up, his voice threatening. “Doctor Ning, what are you doing? If you go beyond the limit, you will start an international dispute. The United States has just banned a Hua Country communication company from purchasing chips and software from American companies. The survival of many Hua Country companies lies in Gerton Company's hands. I believe one phone call from Mr. Hanks and your officials will know what to do.”

Ning Tao said with a smile, “Are you threatening me? I just want to show Mr. Hanks the large silicon chip I have been working on. I want to open his eyes.”

Hanks was visibly shaken. “Large silicon chip?”

“The Frog in the Well chip.” Ning Tao extended his hand to Hanks. In his outstretched hand was a folded sheet of gray paper.

Hanks said angrily, “Are you taunting me?”

Ning Tao suddenly flipped his palm over and his palm lay flat on Hanks's chest. But it merely stayed there for a second or so. Then he suddenly retracted his hand.

Whoos.h.!.+

He was so fast that no one could see what he was doing. All of Hanks's clothes, including his briefs, were not spared. Within a mere second, Hanks had turned into a primitive, standing completely nude before the dining table.

Jaws fell to the ground. There were gasps of shock.

Lin Qingyu hurriedly covered her eyes.

No one knew how Ning Tao had stripped Hanks naked. The entire process seemed like a magic trick, or a magic spell. No one could explain it.

“a.s.shole!” Hanks suddenly roared in fury. He punched a fist at Ning Tao's head.

Ning Tao did not even dodge. He, too, hit out a fist at Hanks.

Both their heads were hit at the same time. Ning Tao merely trembled, but Hanks collapsed to the floor with a loud thud.

Ning Tao crouched down and pulled out the erroneous plucking talisman, pasting it on the shameful private parts of Hanks's body. He seemed to be helpfully picking up someone else's clothes. At this very moment, however, a cold dart penetrated Hanks's thigh. It was the Sacred Needle to Nasty Diseases!

Hanks glared fuming at Ning Tao, his eyes ready to shred Ning Tao alive. But he did not dare move. On the surface, he was the senior engineer of Gerton Company, but he was in fact a new demon. The moment Ning Tao acted, he knew that he was not Ning Tao's match, even if he multiplied himself. The use of brute force would only bring shame to himself.

Ning Tao patted Hanks's bald head. “How is my large smart chip? Would you like to try it again?”

“You will regret this.” Hanks crawled up from the floor, covering his private parts with his clothes and streaking out of the door.

A cold smile hovered on Ning Tao's lips. “Can you escape? You will come back to me again.”

Even a thousand-year-old demon like Bai Sheng had dreaded the Sacred Needle to Nasty Diseases. After being hit, one needed to ingest lots of living essence in order to survive. How could a minor demon like him avoid this? Ning Tao was no longer the same man he was in the past. His spiritual power had greatly increased and he had reached an equilibrium between good and evil. Naturally, the power in his Sacred Needle to Nasty Diseases had been boosted.

The eyes of everyone gathered on Ning Tao. All sorts of different expressions could be seen from this a.s.sortment of people.

Lin Qingyu's eyes had brightened a little. The Ning Tao who had punched the mischief-making Hanks was to her an unfamiliar Ning Tao. But she was feeling an even stronger attraction to this unfamiliar Ning Tao.

Joanna was still feeling somewhat dazed. She seemed to be recalling Ning Tao's action just now when he stripped Hanks of his clothes. Try as she might, she could not guess how Ning Tao had done it.

Tamao Takeda's eyes were the most complex. Shock, anger, surprise and fear appeared in them, but they also vanished almost instantaneously. He said with a smile, “Mr. Ning, what… what happened just now? How did you manage to strip Mr. Hanks of his clothes?”

Ning Tao said blandly, “I have said: by using a large smart chip. It's a high-end technological device. In other words, a trade secret. If Mr. Takeda is really curious, perhaps you would like to try it yourself.”

A tinge of anger flashed across Takeda's eyes. But he smiled and shook his head. “Since it is a trade secret, I will no longer ask. Let's begin dinner. I will treat everyone to authentic j.a.panese cuisine. We can have some wine and chat about something else.”

Several chefs started to serve the dishes. Some were around to handle the food and prepare the cuisine.

The succeeding dinner was quiet. No one spoke. It ended like how it had begun, in complete silence.

After dinner, Lin Qingyu walked directly to Ning Tao. “Follow me out. I have something to tell you.”

Ning Tao said to Joanna, “Miss Joanna, please go back to your suite and wait for me there. I'm having a chat with my friend.”

Joanna's face was wearing a smile. “Okay, come back soon.” With these words, she cast a somewhat meaningful glance at Lin Qingyu.

Lin Qingyu's countenance did not look too good.

After following Lin Qingyu out of the VIP restaurant, Ning Tao thought Lin Qingyu would speak to him in the corridor. But Lin Qingyu took him straight to the stairway.

After coming to the stairway, Lin Qingyu still did not speak. She was walking sulkily with her head bowed.

Ning Tao felt quite amused by this, but he kept himself from laughing. He followed Lin Qingyu down the staircase and suddenly remembered something after taking a few steps. Then he quietly summoned the states of looking and smelling to his eyes and nose. As he descended each floor, he studied the floor and tried to capture its aura.

When they had gone down three floors, his nose suddenly smelt something strange. It was the smell of tungsten steel mixed with aluminum alloy. In other words, the smell of firearms. He halted his steps and gazed over.

A young white man was standing by a room door. He was just over 20, donning a sports suit. He was physically strong and seemed like one of those Western youths who enjoyed sports and traveling. There was no smell of firearms in his body, but from the room behind him came the strong smell of firearms.

On his way back from the airport, Ning Tao could not see the faces of his a.s.sailants. But he was now certain that this white youth was one of them.

The white youth also turned his eyes towards Ning Tao.

They stared at each other. Ning Tao gave a slight smile, but the white youth retreated into the room. The room door was slammed shut. Soon, in an instant, Ning Tao could see powerful innate auras emanating from the room. There must be many people inside.

Lin Qingyu suddenly turned and walked out of the stairway. She entered a corridor and continued ahead.

Ning Tao said, “Qingyu, was your room arranged by Tamao Takeda?”

Lin Qingyu turned back and rolled her eyes at Ning Tao. “You're finally willing to speak to me?”

Ning Tao felt instantly gagged. She was the one who had wanted to talk. That was why he had followed her. But since emerging from the VIP restaurant, she had not said anything. And now she was blaming him for not talking to her!

Women were sometimes so unreasonable. A man could really do nothing to them.

Lin Qingyu walked to a door and opened it by scanning her card.

This room was separated from the white youth's room only by a wall.

Ning Tao only took one glance before retracting his eyes. He followed Lin Qingyu into her room.

When Lin Qingyu heard the room door shut, she suddenly turned around, stretching out her hand to Ning Tao. “Let me see that large smart chip of yours.”