NOVEL NEXT Chapter 164:
After more than half an hour, Noah got up to leave. He had come to express Kurland City's appreciation for the investors and to convey his desire to establish a personal relationship with Lynch.
Politicians often would criticize capitalists in front of a national audience on television, but as soon as they were away from the cameras, they were likely to be sitting happily at banquets hosted by those same capitalists.
The two sides were at odds with each other, yet sometimes they needed to rely on each other.
Lynch found Noah to be an interesting person. In some ways, he was more proactive than the mayor of Sabin City and more enthusiastic than Ferrall—one could even say more blatant.
"Is he an important person?" Katherine asked as she walked out of the bedroom after Lynch saw Noah off.
Lynch nodded. During the conversation, Noah had clearly hinted that he could easily change the mayor's attitude and thoughts, allowing certain issues to be discussed further, but not now.
Both sides intended to have deeper interactions, but there was still a test they had to complete, which was the auction on Friday.
Katherine had no idea what the two had discussed in that half-hour. She only felt that Lynch had changed so much that she couldn't ignore the sense of unfamiliarity.
A few months ago, Lynch was still thinking about how to find a suitable job or simply doing nothing. But now, these big figures were actively visiting him.
If they weren't so familiar with each other, she might have mistaken the person in front of her for someone else.
After a fleeting moment of confusion in her eyes, the girl didn't dwell on these matters. The upcoming university life attracted all her attention; that was her future battlefield.
However...
"Don't you plan to go back to school?" Katherine asked during dinner, bringing up the question they had longed to answer for some time—going to school.
They had once agreed that if one of them found a good job first, they would fully support the other in pursuing their academic dreams.
Reality was cruel yet dramatic. While it destroyed their dreams, it also brought them to where they were now.
In Katherine's view, Lynch should go to school, as it was their shared aspiration and dream.
Lynch put down his knife and fork, wiped the sauce from the corner of his mouth with a napkin, and leaned back in his chair. "Of course, but not now. Maybe next year or the year after, I'll choose a place to study. But not now. I don't have that much time."
This statement calmed down some unknown feelings in Katherine's heart, bringing a smile to her face. "What university are you planning to choose? Will you go to the same university as me?"
Looking into the girl's expectant eyes, Lynch gave an unexpected answer, "I might go to one of the league schools of the Society of the Sacred Harmony. Studying there will be more beneficial for my future."
In the Federation, there was a conspiracy theory that the Society of the Sacred Harmony controlled the entire economy and politics. Most upper-class capitalists and politicians came from the league schools of the Society of the Sacred Harmony, and were united by this society from the beginning.
What's more, these social elites often ensured their children joined the Society of the Sacred Harmony, becoming the new generation of elite members. In some long-established families, it was common to see three, four, or even more generations all being members of the Society of the Sacred Harmony, and they took pride in it.
Lynch had listened to what the mayor of Sabin City said during dinner. Sometimes society was very cruel—even if one did have superior abilities, lacking a ticket could leave them wandering outside the "house" all their life.
But when they had this ticket, this key, the people inside the house would open the door to welcome them.
To truly enter high society, one first needed an elite student badge from a league school of the Society of the Sacred Harmony, then became a formal member of the Society of the Sacred Harmony.
It was too late to enrol this year. Managing this was not as simple as spending some money; otherwise, the Federation's economic recession wouldn't be so fast.
Initially, some foreign capital forces also wanted to integrate into the core group of the Federation, but the self-proclaimed superior core members rejected foreign capital's invasion, leading to these foreign capitalists feeling a lack of belonging in the Federation.
Without a sense of belonging, there was no sense of security, so they longed to return to a place where they felt safe. Even if it meant no economic returns for five to ten years, they were willing to go back.
Next year, when Lynch's plans were almost implemented and he had enough capital to drive some people to work for him, he could easily get an admission invitation to a league school of the Society of the Sacred Harmony.
"A league school of the Society of the Sacred Harmony?" The girl's tongue flicked across her lips, not as a playful gesture but rather enticing. "That place might only be suitable for someone like you."
She remarked, having learned a bit about the league schools of the Society of the Sacred Harmony and their significance from the book "How to Quickly Integrate into University Social Circles." In the book, the female protagonist, starting as an ordinary person, stirred up a storm at one of the league schools. Naturally, to showcase the school's significance, the author also popularised the formidable aspects of the league schools and the Society of the Sacred Harmony.
Just thinking about the schemes and plots in the book made the girl feel terrified.
Reading about the protagonist's victories in those schemes was exhilarating, but experiencing it firsthand would be painful. She felt she wouldn't last three book pages in that environment.
Lynch chuckled. It wasn't that terrifying to him. After all, a bunch of fledglings just starting to touch society were not much different from elementary students in front of him.
After dinner, Lynch took the girl to the mall on the hotel's second floor. There were many high-end to mid-range luxury brands, mainly to accommodate guests accustomed to traveling without luggage, ensuring they always had clean clothes.
Of course, they didn't mind if ordinary people came in to shop; after all, business is business.
Lynch planned to order a few sets of summer and autumn outfits for the girl and register her as a member.
These stores regularly updated member information, including the members' current body measurements. When members needed custom-made clothes, a phone call would suffice, and designers would visit with design drafts to ensure the clothes fit perfectly.
Throughout the process, the girl was very poised, showing no embarrassment or fear even though her current outfit cost less than twenty bucks.
Seeing her very composed, Lynch found it amusing. He watched her calmly stand in front of the mirror, allowing the female staff to take her body measurements and record details.
Research showed that female staff were more likely to be forgiven by customers if mistakes occurred. Moreover, a fresh term in society called "beauty consumption" indicated that people found it hard to refuse a pretty girl, including female customers. Hence, high-end establishments often employed many attractive female workers.
After the staff finished recording, Lynch walked over.
Katherine casually held his arm, but most of her weight was leaning on him. "My legs feel a bit weak. Is this how you usually shop for clothes?"
Lynch couldn't help but laugh heartily. Supporting the girl, he led her to a nearby sofa. "I thought you were fine. You didn't look like your legs were weak."
She laughed too. "I was pretending." Pausing, she added, "What's next? What do I have to do?"
"Don't look like you're going to the gallows. Next, you'll choose some styles you like and can suggest modifications," Lynch said, taking a candy from the table, unwrapping it, and popping it into the girl's mouth.
Candy could stabilize emotions. The girl quickly held it in her mouth, then suddenly complained, "You didn't wash your hands. Your fingers are a bit salty."
Lynch's previous action had caused the girl to slightly touch his fingers. Surprised, he licked the fingertip that had a bit of moisture and said. "Steak flavor."
Their playful banter completely calmed the girl down, and she no longer felt her legs were weak.
Soon, a pretty female employee approached them, deliberately sitting on Katherine's side, not Lynch's, to avoid any misunderstanding about her intentions.
Some people were paranoid, and many high-society individuals could be hysterical, exploding over trivial matters. To prevent such situations, high-end store employees would undergo rigorous training before starting their jobs.
She placed two thick design books on the table in front of them, with pages of various colors. "Sir, madam, these are our designers' latest summer and autumn designs. Different colors represent different designers. You can choose the styles you like, suggest modifications, or request a custom design."Please vote for this novel at https://www.novelupdates.com/series/blackstone-code/There are advance chapters available nowAccess will be granted 24 hours after the donationTier 1: 7 Advance chapters Link
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