Chapter 43: The opening dance will be given to General Chu.
Luo ZhouZhou was sent home by Chu Feng, took a shower, and quickly changed into the new outfit that Linda had bought for him. It was a pure white suit that fit perfectly around his thin waist. The cuffs and neckline were edged in dark gold, which made his lips look red and his teeth white. There was a brand new set of accessories on the table, probably the same one Luo Pei had seen in the magazine.
He opened the box, took out the beautifully shaped diamond cufflinks and brooch, and put them on. Thinking that Chu Feng would ask him for the first dance, Luo ZhouZhou moved in front of the mirror, dancing by stepping forward and backward, humming softly.
"I'm sorry, I stepped on your foot." He imitated Chu Feng's voice, and frowned.
He cut back to his own, "It's okay, you can step on my feet."
"Zhou Zhou, are you ready?" Linda knocked on the door, "Time to go."
"Coming." Luo ZhouZhou stopped dancing, and checked in the mirror one last time to make sure there was nothing wrong before leaving the room.
Linda was wearing a lotus-pink dress, her hair styled and pulled up high, exposing her long, slender neck.
"Madam, you look so beautiful today," Luo ZhouZhou said from the bottom of his heart.
Linda poked his forehead with her finger, and said happily with fake anger, "You always call me Madam and don't call me Mom anymore.”
Luo Pei, in his new black suit, stood at the bottom of the stairs and said helplessly, "Have I not become General, too?"
At the bottom of the stairs, the three of them headed out, with Luo ZhouZhou walking at the end, and he heard Linda say, "Forget it, be content with what you have. Speaker Li's son, who is also a nineteen-year-old Omega, was criticized by his father and ran away from home. Our Zhou Zhou is well-behaved, and already passed that age, so he will be fine."
Luo Pei said, "Where is he well-behaved? All day long, you just spoil him."
"Yes, yes, yes, I'm spoiling him." Linda muttered, "You’re saying that, but you're actually spoiling him more than anyone else."
…
Luo ZhouZhou was listening to their conversation in the back with mixed feelings.
After coming to this world, the initial resistance to Luo Pei was slowly disappearing, and now he had gotten used to and accepted the fact that he had two more family members. He had also done the handover ceremony with Luo ZhouZhou, promising to take care of the General and his wife from now on. But the names Mom and Dad were unfamiliar to him, and he didn't know how to say them.
After a struggle, Luo ZhouZhou practiced in his heart as he watched the back of the two people in front of him.
Butler Li was waiting in front of the villa in a luxurious black sedan, and the three of them got into the car and drove toward Sita Manor.
Sita Manor was located on the outskirts of Aleisha's fringe, and was built by the former emperor for himself. After the establishment of the Alliance, the manor was confiscated and now belonged to the Alliance, and was usually taken care of by designated personnel.
According to President Calgar's request, no high-ranking members of the military or political circles were allowed to acquire land for the construction of a manor. Therefore, if a senior official wanted to hold a large banquet, he or she had to rent the Sita Manor.
Even President Calgar was no exception, so he set up the banquet here.
The gate of the Sita Manor looked very normal, just an ordinary iron gate. Next to it stood a few black-clothed men in suits and sunglasses. After entering the manor after identification, Luo ZhouZhou realized that it was bigger than he had imagined.
As the sedan drove down the spacious forested driveway, he saw horse stables, bathhouses, a three-hole miniature golf course, and a variety of architectural facilities and gardens of various styles along the way.
Luo ZhouZhou sat in the passenger seat and stared out of the car window with fascination. Only when the car stopped in front of a luxurious building did he withdraw his gaze and got out of the car.
Linda fixed his collar, took Luo Pei's arm and said, "Let's go."
In front of the Sita Manor was a large lawn, and the guests were already there, gathering in groups of two or three and chatting. There was a band playing by the lawn, and the sound of music was mixed with loud laughter, and there were some young men and women in swimsuits playing in the swimming pool not far away.
Luo ZhouZhou’s three person group stepped into the courtyard, and were immediately greeted by these people who exchanged warm greetings with Luo Pei. From time to time, the eyes of those young people fell on Luo ZhouZhou.
When Luo Pei stopped to talk to someone, Luo ZhouZhou stood quietly behind him, beautifully and upright. Although he didn't move at all, he had a unique quality about him that attracted the attention of several people.
Luo Pei laughed and chatted with the people he met along the way, and from time to time he would pull Luo ZhouZhou to his side and introduce him to people, "This is my son, Luo ZhouZhou. Zhou Zhou, say hello to uncle.”
Luo ZhouZhou curtsied all the way in a patient and courteous way, and after entering the banquet hall, Luo Pei said with satisfaction, "Now go and get something to eat yourself and go play with the other young people outside.” After thinking about it, he uneasily added, "Stay away from the Alphas, and if they ask for your terminal contact, just tell them you need to ask Dad first."
"Okay." Luo ZhouZhou left Luo Pei without getting anything to eat or going out to look for the young people. Instead, he found a secluded spot by the window and sat quietly on the sofa.
He looked around the room and the crowd outside, but didn't see Chu Feng. He was probably still on his way, driving his military SUV with Chen SiHan.
I hope Chen SiHan doesn't sit in my seat, Luo ZhouZhou mused.
Luo ZhouZhou was lost in his thoughts, looking around the banquet hall in boredom. The banquet hall was so large and luxurious, that he couldn't even name all the decorations and equipment in it. It seemed that the emperor had put a lot of effort and money into building this manor.
Not far away, someone called out his name, "Luo ZhouZhou.”
Luo ZhouZhou turned around and looked over; it was Lin Fan waving excitedly at him.
Lin Fan jogged over, sat down beside him, and said, "I was standing so far away that I wasn't sure if it was you, but when I saw you sitting here for half a day without moving, I thought it must be you."
Luo ZhouZhou looked at Lin Fan and said from the bottom of his heart, "Lin Fan, you are so handsome today.”
He was obviously well dressed today, very different from his usual self.
"Really?" Lin Fan cheered up and grinned at him, whispering, "I took my braces off, too."
"Your teeth are beautiful, too," Luo ZhouZhou said, examining his teeth.
Lin Fan got embarrassed, "You are the most handsome." Looking around, Lin Fan said, "It's so stuffy in here, and it's still early. Let’s go out for a stroll.”
Luo ZhouZhou was a bit hesitant, as he could see the door from his position, and he wanted to sit here and wait for Chu Feng.
"Let's go, let's go, we’ll be back in a minute." Lin Fan got up and dragged him with him, and then whispered, "It's full of old men talking in here and it’s hard to bear.”
Luo ZhouZhou couldn't resist him, so he could only follow him out of the banquet hall and into the small garden outside the mansion. As soon as they sat down on the bench, they heard a loud laughing sound coming from not far away.
Luo ZhouZhou looked over and saw several young boys and girls in gorgeous clothes, standing in a corner of the garden, talking about something.
"It's a couple of the congressman's Omegas, so let's pretend we didn't see them," Lin Fan said.
At the top of the Alliance, the military and the political circles all despise each other, one side only thinks the other side is vulgar while the other side thinks they are just a bunch of smart mouths. Their children had inherited the family culture very well and didn't see eye to eye either.
Although Lin Fan said this, he kept staring at one of the girls in a long, purple dress. Then he quietly asked Luo ZhouZhou, "Do you see the one in the purple dress?
Luo ZhouZhou took a look and quietly replied, "Yes, I do."
"Her name is Qin Baozhu, and she is the daughter of Speaker Qin." Lin Fan put his hand over his mouth, "The guy she likes is one of your Alphas."
"Eh?" Luo ZhouZhou was a bit confused.
Lin Fan scrutinized his expression and tsked, "There are too many to figure out which one it is, right?"
Luo ZhouZhou stared at him blankly.
"General Chu Feng." said Lin Fan, "Qin Baozhu has been after your Chu Feng for a long time and is very crazy about him."
Luo ZhouZhou took one more look at Qin Baozhu and said to Lin Fan, "Got it."
"Got it? You seem to be indifferent."
"Chu Feng is so good, there must be other people who like him, and you've said before that many Omegas and Betas are after him."
Lin Fan said, "So you don't have a sense of crisis?"
"Didn't you just say she was after my Chu Feng?" Luo ZhouZhou said frankly, "Chu Feng is mine." Lin Fan wanted to say more, but the applause in the banquet hall became thunderous.
Lin Fan pulled up Luo ZhouZhou and said, "It should be President Calgar arriving, let’s go.”
All the people outside the villa heard the commotion and were walking toward the banquet hall and the two of them also hurried to follow.
As soon as they entered the banquet hall, Luo ZhouZhou saw several people standing on the stairs facing the front door. The first one was President Calgar, whom he had met once before, waving and greeting the crowd. The handsome man in the suit behind him was none other than Chu Feng.
He followed Calgar down the stairs and onto the platform at the head of the banquet hall, looking ahead with a distant expression. From the first moment he saw Chu Feng, Luo ZhouZhou never took his eyes off him.
All that was left was the feeling that everything in the banquet hall had faded into the background, except for Chu Feng, who was dazzlingly bright. But Chu Feng didn't see him, he just stared straight ahead.
Calgar stepped up to the microphone, smiled, and began his speech, "Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, thank you for accepting my invitation to attend this banquet."
The hall applauded and Calgar nodded his head, "The purpose of today’s dinner is twofold. Firstly, I would like to thank you on behalf of the people who have gained freedom and new life, and that is why I invited you all to this gathering. The second is because of the… Sunset Face."
Calgar paused at this point, restrained his smile, and looked around the crowd in a meaningful way. Everyone present had a heavy expression when they heard Sunset Face.
"We have been researching ways to treat Sunset Face, and the third generation of allopathic medicine is in the experimental stage, which is considered a slight progress. As you all know, the war on the border is ongoing, and the remnants of the Olin Truth Church have been fighting against us, so the military expenditure must not be reduced. Accordingly, research funding is getting tighter and tighter. As a last resort, we have no choice but to gather everyone together to discuss a solution." Calgar's voice was getting heavier and heavier, and his expression became serious.
Everyone present was stunned at these words, and looked at each other and those around them. Calgar’s meaning was obvious enough, and although it was to discuss a solution, what could be discussed with a group of officials who never touched finance and business people who were not involved in military politics?
To put it another way, the crowd was asked to donate.
Seeing the scene cool down, an official standing with Chu Feng came forward, took the microphone and said, "His Excellency Calgar donated all of his monthly salary, and today he is able to rent this manor because he got an IOU from the military department for an advance.”
After the officer finished speaking, he put the microphone back and returned to his place. Looking at Calgar's look of embarrassment and helplessness, everyone laughed again, and the atmosphere was relaxed for a while.
At that moment, two people came in from the right entrance. The one in front had a big wooden box on his chest with the word "fundraising" written on it. He was tall and thin, with a serious look, and thick glasses on the bridge of his nose, so thick that his eyes couldn't be clearly seen behind them.
As soon as Lin Fan saw him, he panicked and tugged on Luo ZhouZhou, "Quickly hide, Director, it's the Director!”
Luo ZhouZhou also recognized Qi Fen, and quickly backed away with Lin Fan, quietly hiding in the crowd.
On the stage, Chu Feng was still standing upright, not looking away, but at this moment, the corner of his mouth was slightly quirked and a smile slipped under his eyes.
Qi Fen bowed deeply in front of each person, holding the collection box, while the person on his side quickly handed over a check signing pen and a collection terminal. It was a choice between one and the other.
It seemed that the collection box was just a front, as it was impossible to pull out a wallet and throw in a few bills. The door banged open, and amidst the hubbub, a dozen reporters, led by men in black, swarmed through the door. They held up their cameras, which were pointed right at the people in the banquet hall, and filmed the expressions of everyone present.
"Don't panic everyone, this is a meaningful event that will be broadcasted throughout the Alliance, so that the public can see our determination to fight against the Sunset Face. That's why the media has been notified, so don't panic and don’t be nervous." Calgar said, taking the microphone at the right time.
Everyone smiled again and donated money, trying their best to look good in front of the cameras. Some of the dames took off their necklaces and threw them into the collection box.
After the donations were made, Qi Fen walked back with the collection box hanging from his neck, his face red and glowing with satisfaction.
The officer standing next to Chu Feng clapped his hands, and the man in black led the reporters back out of the room.
Smiling, Calgar announced loudly, "Gentlemen, the evening has begun, please dance and have fun and invite the most beautiful Omega in the room.”
"Your Excellency the President, you should be the one to do the opening dance tonight." Someone shouted from below.
Amidst a chorus of agreement, Calgar waved his hand and said, "I'm getting old, so I'll give the opening dance tonight to…" He turned to Chu Feng, "Let's leave it to our young and handsome General Chu." After saying that, he also smiled and clapped with the crowd, "General Chu, go and invite your partner.”
Chu Feng didn't shirk his duties, he made a helpless face and said to the audience, "I hope the partner I invite won't reject me.”
The crowd burst into laughter again.
The band on the side of the stage played music, a joyous dance song that reverberated throughout the banquet hall in an instant.
Chu Feng smiled at the audience and slowly walked down the small platform in front of everyone's eyes.