A Birthday Party
Xia Fei had never seen such a bright night before. The countless spotlights on Half Moon Hill and Half Moon Lake had turned day and night upside down. Even the bright moon above had become a dispensable decoration. Actually, the moon was very beautiful and bright, but it was not as dazzling as the tens of thousands of spotlights in Sunset Villa.
Xia Fei suddenly felt that Sunset Villa should be called The Rising Sun Villa more appropriately.
The banquet would last from tonight to three days later, day and night.
Xia Fei had no idea how much this period of time would cost, how many high-ranking officials, and how many members of the royal family would be attending, nor did he want to know. To him, there was only one person he was attending this extravagant banquet at this time, and that was Avrils.
After tidying up his tight suit, Xia Fei lit a cigarette and stood outside the entrance of Sunset Villa. A large group of well-dressed men and women were chatting and laughing as they gracefully made their way to the brightly lit Half Moon Hill.
A stylish Mattia extended hover car whizzed over, and the driver opened the door to welcome a young lady in a purple evening gown. This young lady was clearly not used to her high heels and cumbersome classical long dress. No matter how one looked at it, her gait was somewhat awkward, and she swayed as if she could fall at any time.
The lady noticed the problem after taking a few steps. If she kept walking like this, she would have to perform her ultimate wrestling skills for everyone before they reached the top of Half Moon Hill.
Looking around, she immediately spotted Xia Fei, who was standing to the side. Due to his years of practicing Crafty Approach, Xia Fei liked to hide himself in the most inconspicuous corner. For this lady to be able to spot Xia Fei at a glance meant that her eyes were sharp enough.
The lady waved at Xia Fei, gesturing for him to come over.
Xia Fei pointed at himself with a puzzled expression.
The lady was not happy. She said, "Come over here! She's calling you! "
Xia Fei smiled and walked over. The lady covered her nose with her hand. The smell of low-quality tobacco made her very uncomfortable.
"Throw that thing away and hold my bag for me," the lady said bluntly. "You have no manners at all. I really don't know why the Jian family would hire a bodyguard like you."
Only then did Xia Fei realize that she was actually treating him as a bodyguard, which was why she was yelling at him.
Xia Fei took the lady's bag and tossed the cigarette butt to the side. He lowered his head and looked at his evening gown. Avrils had personally chosen this outfit, so why was he still being treated as a bodyguard?
The girl nimbly took off her high heels and examined them with her eyes, as if she was an experienced carpenter inspecting her work.
Xia Fei took advantage of this moment to size up the young lady from the corner of his eye. She looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, and her looks were not bad. Her small nose even had a hint of playfulness.
Actually, the ladies who came tonight were all very beautiful. Unfortunately, Xia Fei did not appreciate their thick foundation and dazzling jewels. Instead, it was this lady in front of him, who was wearing light makeup and did not have many jewels on, that made Xia Fei more pleasing to the eye.
"The heel height needs to be reduced by 2.4 centimeters, and the curve of the sole needs to be smoother."
With that, the lady stuffed her high heels into Xia Fei's hands and crossed her arms as she looked at Xia Fei.
Xia Fei furrowed his eyebrows. "Miss, I —"
Who would have thought that the lady would raise her eyebrows before Xia Fei could even finish his sentence. "I don't care what reason you have. In short, a bodyguard's job is not only to protect the guests, but also to help them solve their problems. This is your job. Now, I need you to immediately help me modify this pair of shoes."
Xia Fei helplessly smiled and pulled out the Adjudicator Union dagger from his spatial ring.
* Screech! *
In an instant, the heel of the high heels was accurately cut by 2.4 centimeters. Xia Fei also adjusted the sole, even carving dozens of cross flowers on it to make the shoes softer.
The lady was somewhat surprised by Xia Fei's handiwork. She took the shoes and tried walking a few steps. The effect was even better than what she had expected, especially when the soles of the shoes, which were originally hard, became extremely soft, just like a pair of sneakers.
"Not bad." The lady nodded in satisfaction. She took back her golden bag, found a pen and paper, and quickly wrote a line of words before handing it to Xia Fei.
"If you're not satisfied with your work in the Jian family, you can choose to work for me. No matter what your current salary is, I'll double it."
With that said, she took large strides toward Half Moon Mountain. However, the way she walked was still a little awkward, as if she rarely dressed like this.
Phantom smirked. "Quick, take a look at what she's written. Who knows, it might be a good job. "
Xia Fei flicked his finger and tossed the piece of paper away, plainly saying, "Not interested."
…
After waiting for a while, Thuram and a few other department heads of the Adjudicator Union appeared in Sunset Villa.
Thuram gave them a brief introduction, and these important members of the Adjudicator Union all looked at Xia Fei strangely. Xia Fei guessed that it was probably because of old man Qin Mang. Some of their gazes were kind, such as Thuram, while others were malicious, such as Mata from the tracking department. Xia Fei had a bad relationship with old man Qin Mang the last time he was hospitalized.
"Let's go." Thuram patted Xia Fei on the shoulder.
Everyone took out their butterfly orchid corsage and put it on. Only then did Xia Fei realize that this was the reason why the lady mistook him as a bodyguard.
The Jian family gave every guest an exquisitely crafted butterfly orchid. This corsage was made of an expensive and colorful alloy, with a crystal clear sapphire embedded in it. Anyone who wore it would be able to enter and exit Sunset Villa with ease, receiving the highest level of treatment.
Actually, there were many intricate surveillance mechanisms inside the corsage. Ever since Avrils attack, the Jian family had been particularly concerned about the safety of their own family, so they came up with this method to secretly observe the guests. After all, there were thousands of guests gathered together, so it was inevitable that there would be a mix of good and bad people, so it was best to be careful.
Xia Fei did not wear the corsage, and the men's evening gown was very simple. It was only slightly different from the bodyguard's uniform in terms of texture and details. The Jian family was rich and overbearing, so the bodyguards' uniforms were also expensive. It would be difficult to tell the difference if one did not look closely, which was why people would misunderstand.
Xia Fei and Thuram were at the back. The group slowly ascended the escalator, heading straight for the main venue at the top of Half Moon Mountain.
Xia Fei acted very naturally as he weaved through the countless dignitaries and nobles, as if he was not interested in who they were or what their background was. He mingled in the crowd, yet at the same time, he stood aloof from the crowd.
The top of the mountain was decorated in a variety of colors, looking very festive. There were too many plants that Xia Fei did not recognize. These were not there the last time he was here, so the Jian family must have transplanted them from somewhere else for this banquet.
A huge energy barrier surrounded the top of the mountain. The mountain was very windy at night, and after the energy barrier was activated, the mountain became very quiet, not even a hint of wind could be felt.
Countless waiters and waitresses were shuttling through the crowd, serving all sorts of delicacies and drinks. Thuram ordered a dark-colored Hibernian malt wine, while Xia Fei ordered a glass of light champagne.
All of a sudden, Xia Fei felt someone trying to pull him back from behind. Instinctively, he took a step to the side, only to see a snow-white hand grabbing at thin air. Xia Fei could keenly sense that there were faint marks around the wrist of this hand, as if it had been injured before. Even though she was using a golden bracelet to cover it up, it did not escape Xia Fei's eyes.
Xia Fei curiously turned his head and saw that it was still the lady at the foot of the mountain standing behind him. There were a few drops of champagne on her purple dress, probably caused when Xia Fei dodged to the side.
"I was just about to look for you. Give me my …"
Halfway through her sentence, the lady suddenly choked on her words because Xia Fei also had an exquisite butterfly orchid pinned to his chest, and it was identical to the one on her chest. It was obvious that Xia Fei was not some bodyguard but a guest of the Jian family just like her.
Xia Fei smiled. "Are your shoes comfortable?"
The lady answered awkwardly, "Not bad."
"That's good." Xia Fei raised the glass of wine in his hand and jokingly said, "Actually, I'm not used to wearing high heels, either."
"It'd be strange if you could get used to it." Thuram looked at Xia Fei and the lady and asked, "Why? Do you two already know each other? "
Xia Fei shook his head. "Not really."
Thuram laughed. "I was wondering how could all the good things happen to you. This is Nicole Sawyer, the chairwoman of Gaia Industries. Nicole, this is Xia Fei."
Xia Fei was slightly taken aback. This lady did not even look twenty years old, yet she was the chairwoman of Gaia Industries, one of the four major warship companies?
"Is your father doing well?" Thuram asked.
Nicole nodded and ran her hand through her long brown hair. "He's doing fine. His body has mostly recovered. If not for the doctor stopping him, he would have returned to work long ago."
Thuram laughed heartily. "Isn't it better to leave the company to you? Isn't it better to let you manage the company? Isn't it better to just stay at home and enjoy life instead of running around all day? Besides, the company has been doing well for the past two months. Just let that old man retire in peace."
Nicole covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled. "Uncle Thuram, you sure know how to joke. It'd be great if my father was half as carefree as you are. I've just started working in the company and still don't know many things. You must take care of your niece."
Thuram said, "You actually know how to put it nicely. The last batch of Thrones I ordered from your company actually increased the price by five percent. From what I see, you're much better at doing business than your old man."
Nicole unhurriedly said, "It's not like you don't know that the price increase this time is due to the huge increase in the price of silver. Out of the four companies, we're only the third to increase the price. Let me tell you a secret; there's something good that's about to go offline. I'll personally deliver it to you in a few days."
Thuram was startled. "Are you talking about that thing?!"
Nicole made a shushing gesture. "Uncle Thuram, it's good that you're aware of it. I was the first to inform you; even the military is behind you."
Thuram was all smiles as if the thing Nicole was talking about had made him very excited. "Yes, that's more like doing business. Don't worry; with me around, there's no way your company will suffer a loss."
Xia Fei suddenly realized that this lady was very shrewd despite her young age. Her words and actions were watertight. With just a few words, she was able to eliminate the impact of the previous price increase and even made Thuram laugh non-stop. It was obvious that she was no simple character.
Someone came up to talk to Thuram. Since Xia Fei did not know anyone, he retreated to a secluded spot and leaned against the railing to look at the valley.
"This is where you saved Avril Jane from the criminals, right?" Nicole took the initiative to come up and ask.
Xia Fei furrowed his eyebrows. "How did you know about that?"
Nicole took a sip of wine. "Our circle isn't big, but it's not small, either. There are some things that can't be hidden even if we want to. I heard that you even got seriously injured because of it?"
Xia Fei lit a cigarette. This time, Nicole did not say anything, nor did she force him to put it away. "You said yourself that this circle isn't big, so why are you asking when you already know the answer?"
Xia Fei threw the question back at her with a single sentence.
Nicole gave Xia Fei a strange look. "You like Avril, don't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have chosen to risk your life. "
Xia Fei smiled. "Trust me. There are some things that needn't be chosen because there's simply no choice."
Nicole's face suddenly turned a little pale as she muttered to herself, "Avril sure is lucky."
Xia Fei helplessly spread his arms. "If it were me, I wouldn't praise the luck of someone who almost got kidnapped."
For some reason, Nicole seemed to be very disappointed. Xia Fei looked at her wrists again and saw that she was wearing a bracelet on one hand and a silk handkerchief on the other, as if she was intentionally covering her wrists. Xia Fei guessed that there were scars on both her hands, and judging from the color and condition of the scars, they were probably from when she was young.
"That's right. Getting kidnapped can't be considered good luck," Nicole said softly. She raised her glass and drained it in one gulp before calling the waiter over to get a full glass.
"I'm going to attend a social gathering. I'll tell you something as repayment for helping me fix my shoes." Nicole's eyes swept across the crowd as she whispered, "Due to your relationship with Avril, there are some people who might not let you get too cocky tonight."
With that, Nicole walked into the crowd with a radiant smile on her face. She very skillfully interacted with those old folks, looking like she was doing it with ease.
"Not good for you? Could it be Li Mo again? "Phantom asked.
Xia Fei exhaled a ring of smoke, his eyes searching for Avril in the crowd as he casually said, "Since they're already here, I'll just let them come."
…
More and more people came. Based on the habits of the upper class, the cocktail party would usually only reach its climax at midnight. After all, these rich heirs did not need to wake up early for work the next day, so their nightlife would usually last until early morning.
Avril did not appear, and even Pang Xing was nowhere to be seen. Xia Fei sat alone in a secluded corner, quietly sipping on a glass of champagne and smoking.
To him, the only person he was looking forward to attending this cocktail party was Avril. Even her grandfather Ernst was merely a supporting character. As for these strangers in front of him, they did not even count as supporting characters.
That was when the crowd suddenly parted to form a path, allowing three soldiers in general uniforms to pass. Xia Fei took a closer look and saw that these three were the military triumvirate. Not only were Layton and Williams present, even the elusive Tai was present.
Xia Fei had studied many details about the military triumvirate. After all, Quantum Holdings' entry into the A-list military supplier list was all dependent on these three. Xia Fei had long since come into contact with Layton and Williams, but this was his first time meeting Tai. The fact that he was able to attend the Jian family's birthday banquet was a testament to how influential the Avril family was.
Almost all the famous families in the business world were present. The Jian family was a business, so it was normal for these people to give them face, but the appearance of the military triumvirate was very thought-provoking. Xia Fei felt that it was perhaps because the military relied on Starlink Corporation's line of communication most of the time. Though the Jian family was not an A-list military supplier, they were still the best guarantee for the military's communications, which was why they were treating Ernst's birthday banquet with such importance.
Since ancient times, businesses would always have to lower their heads when they met the government, and even the highly developed Pan-Human Alliance was no exception. The appearance of the military triumvirate immediately caused a commotion. Everyone politely greeted them, and many even had a hint of humility.
Xia Fei continued to drink, not taking the initiative to strike up a conversation with them. It was not that he thought highly of himself, but there were simply too many people around, making it difficult for him to squeeze his way in.
The three smiled as they made their way through the crowd. Williams's sharp eyes spotted Xia Fei in the distance, and he tugged on Tai's sleeve. The three of them walked toward a corner, seemingly heading straight for Xia Fei.
Before he even arrived, Tai had already sized up Xia Fei from head to toe. His gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, but Xia Fei did not feel anything strange about it. He had already experienced all kinds of gazes, be it disdain, admiration, or even killing intent, so he had long since gotten used to it.
Soft gasps of surprise and doubt could be heard from the crowd. Everyone surrounded the three generals and greeted them. Many of the businessmen who believed themselves to be very powerful were completely ignored by Tai, yet the three of them were actually taking the initiative to approach Xia Fei, who was in a corner?
It must be said that this was a standard banquet for the upper class, and Xia Fei was just a nobody. No matter how one looked at it, he could not be considered part of the upper class of the Alliance.
"Xia Fei, this is the minister of military affairs, a six-star general in the Alliance, Tai!" Williams introduced Xia Fei with a smile.
Tai extended his hand and shook Xia Fei's hand. Thick calluses covered Tai's palm, and Xia Fei felt like he was not holding a hand but a giant pincer, hard and full of strength.
"Xia Fei? The absolute shareholder of Quantum Holdings? The inventor of the energy-shield booster? "Tai sternly asked. His attitude did not sound like a casual chat but more like a question.
Xia Fei nodded. "That's right. General Tai, nice to meet you."
There were many people around, and it was very noisy. Tai furrowed his brows and said, "Let's find a quiet place. I have a few questions to ask you."
Xia Fei was more than happy to keep him company, so the two entered the Jian family's mansion one after another.
Everyone was stunned, guessing if Xia Fei had some sort of personal relationship with Tai.
Thuram curiously walked over from a distance. "General Tai is looking for Xia Fei?"
Williams picked up a glass of sweet wine and smiled. "It's Tai's habit. Every supplier of the military has been called to his office for a private chat, and only Tai himself knows the specifics of the conversation."
Thuram was stunned. "Does that mean that the energy-shield booster has already —"
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