CHAPTER 1900: CHAPTER 1893: ATTENDING THE BANQUET

Luo’er had just returned to his office, his seat not yet warmed, when he had to rush off to a banquet. He called for a motorcycle, and under the escort of a group of guards, he headed grandly towards the manor where the banquet was being held.

The manor was located in the outer city, which was essentially the outskirts of the old city.

The initial area of Lipei City was not large, and a river also divided it, so the subsequent buildings were mostly constructed in the outer city, expanding the urban area of Lipei several times over.

Crossing a modern reinforced concrete bridge, Luo’er arrived at the outer city. Unlike the inner city, which maintained its original style to protect ancient buildings, the outer city could be considered a division of Earth.

As a result, Luo’er had a moment of illusion, as if he had returned to Earth after crossing the bridge.

The ground was hardened cement, and the road was a very wide dual four-lane road. Although only a few steam motorcycles and carriages, and even horses, were traveling, anyone could see that the road would eventually be crowded with vehicles in the future.

On both sides of the road were towering reinforced concrete buildings. Although limited by the Otherworld’s productivity, these buildings were generally less than ten stories high, which was already a very noticeable change compared to the inner city.

As dusk approached, streetlights lit up sporadically along the streets. The streetlights here were different from those on Earth. They were not the kind of streetlights with poles on the ground, but were fixed on the buildings beside the street with brackets, relying on the magical energy transmission of the paths.

This setup was mainly for the convenience of line inspection, because the magical paths were not as reliable as cables and could easily be interfered with, so the municipal department didn’t dare to bury them underground and could only run them as exposed lines.

Thanks to the construction of infrastructure, even as night approached, there were still many pedestrians in the outer city. People moved quickly, seemingly indifferent to the war that might erupt at any moment.

Luo’er drove through the streets and arrived in front of the manor on the outskirts. Hu Daoke had made arrangements in advance, and by the time Luo’er arrived, the manor was already surrounded by fully armed non-human soldiers. A strict checkpoint was set up at the manor’s entrance, checking the documents of all arrivals.

As soon as Luo’er’s car arrived, Hu Daoke jogged over to personally open the door for him, welcoming him with a smile.

"Why all the fuss?" Luo’er sighed helplessly, noticing the fearful looks from the people around.

"The Commander’s outing, this kind of security deployment is quite normal, isn’t it?" Hu Daoke replied with a mischievous smile, as if it was only natural.

"Forget it," Luo’er shook his head, adjusted his peaked cap slightly, and asked, "Is there anything that hasn’t been handled well?"

"No, you look fantastic!"

Hu Daoke stepped back and gave a thumbs up.

For the occasion, Luo’er had specifically changed into formal attire, wearing the peaked cap he usually didn’t like much, which made him look far more valiant, with less of the elven softness he typically exuded.

"Want to join me?" Luo’er asked, looking at Hu Daoke.

"I wasn’t invited, don’t forget I’m the chief of guards."

Hu Daoke smiled and stepped back two more steps, then put away his smile and saluted solemnly.

"Stand at attention!"

Someone shouted, and the guards at the gate all raised their guns in salute. Their synchronized movements, the sound of uniform boots stamping the ground, instantly exuded a chilling atmosphere, stunning everyone around.

Luo’er had begun to get used to such formalities. Facing this scene, he just smiled faintly, returned the salute, and walked leisurely towards the manor.

Entering the manor, walking through a long path, Luo’er saw two familiar faces waiting for him at the entrance of the Foreign-style Mansion.

"Long time no see, Mr. Flanta Averya. And... Murong..."

Luo’er greeted the two of them politely.

"Ah, Commander Luo’er, I’m flattered that you still remember me," Flanta said with a shaky, excited voice.

"It’s only been a few years, why wouldn’t I remember?"

Luo’er gave a faint smile.

When the Otherworld Gate in Lipei opened, the Blaiqi man Flanta was involved in the assassination attempt on Luo’er. To prove his innocence, he voluntarily became an informant, helping headquarters eliminate the old aristocrats who opposed Lipei.

After the war, his performance earned him recognition from headquarters, and his business thrived. Although he wasn’t directly involved in the assassination incident, he chose to personally apologize to Luo’er after he was discharged from the hospital. Officially, it was an apology, but in reality, he mainly wanted to ingratiate himself with this mysterious figure who held sway over headquarters’ nerves.

Looking back, he clearly bet right at the time. Luo’er was indeed the sole heir groomed by headquarters. Now, with headquarters stepping back, Luo’er became the supreme leader of Lipei.

"Hehe, it’s a great honor to have the Commander grace my humble abode," Flanta said with a flattered smile.

"No need to stand on ceremony. I just took office and there’s still so much I’m unclear about. I’ll need your assistance in the future," Luo’er said.

"Not at all, not at all, I’m willing to give my all to serve you, Commander,"

Flanta seemed quite excited.

He seemed to feel he had latched onto a powerful supporter, but if he knew why Luo’er was assassinated back then, he probably wouldn’t be this excited.

"Commander, thank you for coming."

Murong appeared much calmer, especially after seeing Luo’er in his military attire. For some reason, he felt inexplicably uneasy.

"Of course, I must attend such an important occasion," Luo’er replied with a smile, turning back.

"Those people outside..."

Murong hesitated, looking towards the manor’s outer walls.

"Oh, Hu Daoke doesn’t know better. I’ll remind them later not to be so ostentatious," Luo’er explained nonchalantly.

"I see, hehe..." Murong laughed, feeling inexplicably guilty.

The more he found himself in public settings, the more he felt that there was a deep chasm between himself and Luo’er, making it hard to have the candid conversations they once had.

"Is everyone inside?" Luo’er pointed at the Foreign-style Mansion and asked.

"Oh, yes, I’ll have them come out to greet you."

Murong said and was about to go inside.

"No need, I’ll go in, no need for such a fuss."

Luo’er waved his hand, stepped towards the mansion’s door.

Entering the Foreign-style Mansion, he was first greeted by a stuffy warmth and the scent of alcohol in the air. The hall inside was brightly lit and filled with hundreds of people. Among them were business tycoons and nobles, elegantly dressed escorts, as well as maids and musicians amidst them.

An orchestra played an uplifting ensemble, and with the warm lighting and melodic music, the hall was a scene of lively merriment.

Luo’er walked into the hall and, before anyone noticed him, reached out to stop a waiter. He lifted a wine glass filled with red wine from the waiter’s tray using his index and middle fingers, holding it in the palm of his hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Flanta came in soon after, speaking loudly with excitement, "let us welcome the arrival of Commander Luo’er."

His voice wasn’t particularly loud, but instantly, the entire hall fell silent, and everyone’s eyes turned to Luo’er at the entrance.

"I’m honored to be here and meet all of you, a toast to everyone."

Luo’er then followed up, speaking unhurriedly, and slowly raised the glass in his hand.

His voice was lower than Flanta’s, but almost everyone heard it, with pleased expressions appearing on their faces.

"To the Commander!"

People said in unison, raising their glasses.

Then, they all took a sip from their glasses to show respect. However, Luo’er didn’t do the same; he just moved the glass slightly to his lips and then immediately drew it back.

Faced with everyone’s gaze, Luo’er wasn’t shy at all and smiled faintly, saying, "I apologize, I have many official duties, so I cannot drink, I hope you all understand."

"Oh, it’s alright," Flanta was momentarily stunned, then quickly stepped in to smooth things over, smiling as he said, "The Commander is overwhelmed with responsibilities, working tirelessly for Lipei, of course we understand, right everyone."

After his words, everyone’s faces smiled again, nodding in agreement with laughter.