NovelEnglishThe young man was slightly stumped and had some doubts when he saw the invitation in Lin Jie's hand.
That was because this invitation was different from the one he had... In a sense, it was vastly different from his own.
The base of Lin Jie's invitation was also black, but it was obvious the thick paper used was special. The Rolle Resource Development insignia embossed in silver at the bottom corner exuded low-key luxury...
The young man couldn't help but gaze at the invitation he held. Though it was also relatively special with a black base and gold lettering, it was otherwise a very ordinary invitation.
While he was sure he held the real invitation—this invitation style had already been spread throughout the city and given Rolle Resource Development's status—no one would dare forge one.
Neither had he heard of Ji Bonong handing out special invites...
If not for that, he really would have suspected he himself was holding a fake invite.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtWhile thinking about all this, he put back on a stiff smile and casually introduced himself. "I'm Houston Fitch, just a mere violinist that isn't worth mentioning. You can call me Fitch."
While he described himself this way, his face was filled with extreme pride.
It required a certain repute and prestige for one to be invited to a banquet hosted by Ji Bonong. Being invited meant one was recognized by the upper class and was naturally worthy of pride.
Since he dared to introduce himself as a violinist, he was naturally rather accomplished in the field.
In fact, 'Wandering Genius' Houston Fitch had been all the rage in Norzin's music scene of late.
He didn't belong to any orchestra or official organization but was instead a wandering drifter that played improvisational music in the squares and street corners of Norzin, often drawing crowds of hundreds because of his skill.
But what had really put him on the map was a 'musical showdown' a month ago.
In front of the entrance of the famed Golden Orchestra Hall, he had beat out the principal first violinist via a vote by the audience, leading to Fitch's name to spread throughout the music world.
And the following month, he had received an invitation from Ji Bonong.
As a self-styled frugal drifter that refused all assistance from others, Fitch had to scrape together some money to rent the cheapest top and shoes just to attend this party...
Just the top and shoes, but no bottoms.
The pants he wore currently had been sponsored by the owner of the rental shop out of goodwill — The owner had heard of Fitch, and while he didn't really believe the young musician was capable of scoring a Rolle Resource Development invite, providing a pair of pants wasn't much of a problem.
Of course, given his body size, it naturally wouldn't be that well-fitting.
Feeling cocksure in his cheap suit, Fitch furtively took measure of the other, hoping this similar-aged new acquaintance would give him a pleasant surprise.
"Lin Jie." Lin Jie casually handed over his business card, then mulled for a second before adding, "Just the owner of an ordinary bookstore."
Fitch: "..."
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmUtterly dumbstruck, Fitch stared at him, trying to read something else from his expression.
For the past few days, Fitch had even specially gone to different places as a test, and people who hadn't seen him perform could also recognize him...
Lin Jie noticed the violinist staring at him so intently and thus asked, "Is there a problem?"
He arrived filled with excitement and had even practiced many times on how to reveal his identity humbly, how to deal with surprise and praise, how to deal with doubt and jealousy... Yet, he never expected to face a shut door upon meeting his first subject of conversation.
Fresh doubts had once more resurfaced in Fitch's mind, and thus he asked with a tinge of skepticism, "No, but just one question. Could you tell me the name of your bookstore?"
Those who could score an invite to such a banquet were definitely accomplished persons in certain fields. Even a bookstore owner would surely need a certain degree of repute or financial resources.
Fitch suddenly got excited. He sensed that he had stumbled on yet another opportunity to make a name for himself.
Trying to suppress his grin, Fitch raised his chin and scrutinized Lin Jie openly with the intent to create psychological pressure on the latter.
Lin Jie raised an eyebrow and stroked his chin. "That's a really good question..."
Fitch scoffed. "Don't tell me you don't even have a name for your bookstore?"
"A fragrant wine fears no dark alley. As long as my books are good enough, it doesn't matter if I have no name or signboard," replied Lin Jie pretentiously.
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