CHAPTER 222: CHAPTER 222: ATTENDING THE PARTY

Weekend, nightfall.

Lu Zheng and Lin Wan were dressed to the nines as they arrived at the KASAMUVA Restaurant.

"Mr. Lu, Miss Lin, welcome!"

Sanders personally greeted guests at the door. Upon seeing Lu Zheng and Lin Wan step out of a taxi, he was momentarily taken aback but warmly approached them nonetheless.

"You’re too kind, thank you for inviting us to the party. It’s our first time attending such a party, we’re very curious," Lu Zheng said with a smile as he shook hands with Sanders.

"Haha, it’s really just a gathering, bringing my friends from Hua Country and Italy together to connect and exchange—nothing different from the gatherings in Hua Country, just a different form," Sanders laughed.

"The atmosphere is different, we’re just here to experience it," Lu Zheng chuckled.

At this moment, Lu Zheng noticed another car pulling into the restaurant parking lot—another guest arriving, so he nodded to Sanders, "You go ahead and greet the guests; we’ll head in first."

"Alright!" Sanders replied, "I’ll come find you inside later and introduce you to some friends from the music world."

Lu Zheng waved him off with a smile, neither agreeing nor refusing, and led Lin Wan inside.

Tonight, the KASAMUVA Restaurant was closed to the public, only serving invited guests. The restaurant’s center was cleared as a dance floor, with another section featuring a row of tables connected to a bar, adorned with a spread of buffet items and drinks.

Hmm, there were also waiters carrying trays of red wine, weaving back and forth, just like in the movies.

In the restaurant, besides the waiters, there were some Hua Country folks and foreigners. The men were in suits and ties, the women in cocktail dresses and gowns.

Upon seeing the pair enter, a few people politely nodded, though most did not look their way at all.

Additionally, Lu Zheng, blessed with good hearing, caught snippets of whispering conversations from a distance.

"Where did these two come from, arriving in a taxi?"

Lu Zheng turned back to glance at the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing him to see the street outside and the scene of him and Lin Wan getting out of the taxi.

"No idea, judging by the clothes they’re wearing, they’re also of common style."

Lu Zheng blinked, not yet acclimated to the true rhythm of the wealthy. He and Lin Wan’s clothes were bought from brand stores at Fulong Plaza, costing several thousand yuan, and he thought they were quite upscale—and they’re only common style?

"Perhaps they’re Sanders’ friends from the music scene; he often goes to places like bars to play music, so maybe he got to know a couple of grassroots musicians."

"Possibly, maybe we’ll get to enjoy their performance later."

Lu Zheng: 눈_눈//

Though your analysis is completely off, the conclusion is inexplicably accurate. What is this nonsense?

Lu Zheng and Lin Wan took a look around, just about to get some food when four young people, two men and two women, approached them.

"Hello!" they greeted.

"Hello!" Lu Zheng and Lin Wan both nodded in return.

"We’ve never seen you before. Where do you usually perform?" one of the girls asked, very naturally.

Lin Wan blinked—she had not yet cultivated her Martial Dao Blood Qi, so she didn’t hear the whispered discussions around the restaurant.

Lu Zheng glanced at the four people and could confirm they were Sanders’ friends in Hai City’s music scene.

"We’re not musicians," Lu Zheng smiled as he shook hands with the leading person, "We met Sanders because of music, but that’s just a hobby, not a profession."

"Oh, I see," the leading young man nodded, "We’re the Firebird Band. My name is Dongsheng."

"Lu Zheng."

"Lin Wan."

"Sister Lin, you’re so beautiful!" the girl who first spoke, named An Ge, said.

"Thank you! You’re beautiful too!"

They gathered food and drinks from the buffet table, found a table to sit, and started chatting.

"Usually we perform in bars, and Sanders comes by to play occasionally, so we got to know each other over time."

"We’re performing today too, but it’s just a friendly performance, no charge."

"Buddy, what do you do?"

"I’m a programmer, but I work on outsourced projects, so I have more flexible hours," Lu Zheng ignored the disdainful glance Lin Wan cast at him.

"I was about to introduce you to each other, but didn’t expect you to have already hit it off," Sanders appeared beside them with a smile.

"Everyone’s here?" Lu Zheng asked, looking toward the restaurant door and noticing the last to enter was a young man in a white suit, with brown hair and bright blue eyes.

"Yes," Sanders nodded, "I’ll go up and say a few words, then introduce you all to the crowd."

Then, Sanders took the stage to speak, mostly to thank everyone for coming and inviting them to have a good time at the party.

"Seems like there’s no difference from our gatherings?" Lu Zheng quipped.

"Not really," Lin Wan shook her head, "They bring together many strangers, whereas in our culture that’s rare. Even when introducing friends, it’s usually one-on-one in private."

Lu Zheng nodded, "Makes sense."

"I didn’t expect this young lady to be so knowledgeable about Western culture."

The slightly peculiar accent and implied meaning indicated a fluent foreigner speaking Chinese.

Lu Zheng turned to find the young man now standing on Lin Wan’s other side.

Noticing Lu Zheng’s gaze, the man nodded, "Hello."

"Yes, hello."

Lin Wan glanced at him, politely nodding, then moved to Lu Zheng’s other side.

The man blinked, making a helpless shrug, and said to Lu Zheng, "Your companion is very beautiful; I meant no offense."

"Thank you," Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, nodding in thanks.

Just then, Sanders had introduced the Firebird Band on stage, inviting them to perform.

Dongsheng was the drummer, An Ge the bassist, another man was the keyboardist, and the last, seemingly quiet girl, was the lead singer.

"Mr. Lu, if you ever want to play a piece up there, just let me know in advance, and I’ll introduce you," Sanders said, joining Lu Zheng’s side.

"No need for introductions,"

Lu Zheng waved it off, "I’m not in it for a career, just to liven up your party. No need to introduce me."

"This... okay," Sanders saw the determination in Lu Zheng’s eyes and had to agree, soon getting pulled away by other guests.

Having spent many years in Hua Country, he knew that Hua Country people and Europeans had different styles, and a young pianist who could refuse a professor from the Juilliard School should not be viewed with ordinary eyes.

"So you’re a pianist too," the young man smiled, then casually took two glasses of red wine from a passing waiter’s tray, "Sanders really prepared well; this should be an ’03 Bordeaux, my favorite wine."

The young man held one glass of wine, offering the other to Lu Zheng, raising his glass, "To music!"

The courtesy was impeccable, and after Lin Wan expressed her distance, he didn’t look at her again. Despite feeling the man was a bit pretentious, Lu Zheng still clinked glasses with him.

"To music!"

Taking a sip, then...

"Phff!"

Lu Zheng spat the wine onto the ground, lifting his head abruptly, "The wine is poisoned!"