The grand ballroom of the Wynn Macau was transformed into a spectacle of extreme wealth and public relations.
Crystal chandeliers hung three stories high, throwing fractured light across polished marble floors. Waiters in white gloves moved through the crowd with trays of champagne. The air smelled like money, perfume, and camera flashes.
The guest list was a who's who of Macau's political and financial elite. Bankers in tuxedos. Developers with Rolexes. Politicians with practiced smiles. Every major news network in Asia had cameras set up along the red carpet outside.
I stood at the center of the room.
For a moment I thought back to when I was first invited to such an event back then as a college student. Walking side by side with the Dean of thee business school, Elena Vance.
