Darkstone Code
Chapter 165 - 0164 Hassa Gei, face life.

Chapter 165: 0164 Hassa Gei, face life.

More than half an hour later, Noah got up to leave. He was here to show Curilan City’s appreciation for investment merchants and to express his desire to establish a private relationship with Lynch.

Politicians often denounce the ugliness of capitalists in front of a national audience on television, but as soon as they step away from the cameras, they’re likely to sit cheerfully at banquets hosted by capitalists.

The two sides are often at odds, yet sometimes they need to rely on each other.

Lynch found Noah a rather interesting "young man." In some ways, he was more proactive than the mayor of Sabin City and more enthusiastic than Ferrari—more unabashed, you might say.

"Is he a big deal?" After Lynch had seen Noah off, Catherine came out of the bedroom.

Lynch nodded. During their conversation, Noah had strongly hinted that he could easily change the mayor’s attitude and thinking, which meant some discussions could continue but not now.

Both sides were interested in further engagement, but there was still a test they both had to pass, which was Friday’s auction.

Catherine had no idea what the two had talked about in that half hour. She only felt that Lynch had changed too much, to the point that she couldn’t ignore the unfamiliar feeling.

Just a few months ago, Lynch was still wondering how to find a suitable job or simply doing nothing. But now, these big figures were visiting him of their own accord.

This drastic difference left the girl both surprised and with a peculiar thought that the current Lynch didn’t seem at all like the one she used to know.

If they weren’t so familiar with each other, she might have mistaken him for someone else.

The blankness in her eyes was fleeting, and she stopped dwelling on it. The upcoming university life distracted her, as that was her future battlefield.

However...

"Aren’t you planning to go back to school?" over dinner, Catherine raised the question that had been most pressing for them lately—education.

They had agreed that if one of them found a good job, they would fully support the other going to school to pursue their dreams.

However, reality was ruthless yet dramatically poetic, destroying their dreams while leading them to their current situation.

In Catherine’s eyes, Lynch should also go to school because it had been their pursuit and dream.

Lynch put down his knife and fork, wiped the sauce at the corner of his mouth with a napkin, placed the napkin on the table, leaned back in his chair, and said, "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."

These words quelled something in Catherine’s heart, something even she wasn’t aware of, and her face blossomed with smiles. "Which school do you plan to choose, and will it be with me?"

Facing the girl’s expectant gaze, Lynch gave an unexpected answer, "I might attend the Saint Harmony Alliance Schools; studying there would better benefit my future!"

In the Federation, there’s a conspiracy theory that claims the Saint Harmony Association controls the entire Federation’s economy and politics. Almost all top-tier capitalists and politicians come from Saint Harmony Alliance Schools, bonded by the Saint Harmony Association; they were united from the beginning.

More frighteningly, these societal elites also have their children join the Saint Harmony Association, becoming the new generation of elite members. In some historic families, it’s common to see three, four, or even more generations as members of the Saint Harmony Association, and they take pride in that.

Lynch had listened to what the mayor of Sabin City said over dinner. Sometimes this society is this cruel—even if you have superior abilities, lacking a ticket can leave you circling outside the "house" all your life.

But when you possess this ticket, this key, the people in the house will readily open the door to welcome you without needing you to unlock it yourself.

To truly step into high society, one must first have a badge as an elite student from the Saint Harmony Alliance Schools and then become a formal member of the Saint Harmony Association.

This year is too late. Handling this matter isn’t as simple as just spending some money; otherwise, the Federation’s economic decline wouldn’t be so swift.

Initially, some foreign capital forces also wanted to integrate with the Federation’s most core group, but these self-proclaimed superior core members rejected foreign forces, which led to foreign capital lacking a sense of belonging in the Federation.

Without a sense of belonging, there’s no sense of security, so they yearn to return to a place where they feel secure, even if they might not see any economic returns for five to ten years in the future; they are willing to go back.

Next year, once Lynch’s plans have largely materialized and he has enough capital to drive some people to serve him, he will easily receive an admission invitation to the Saint Harmony Schools Alliance.

"Saint Harmony Alliance?" The girl’s tongue quickly flicked across her lips. It wasn’t a grimace but rather somewhat enticing. "That place is probably only suitable for someone like you!"

She made such a remark after learning a bit about the meaning and value of the Saint Harmony Alliance Schools in the book "How to Quickly Integrate into the University Social Circle." The book’s female protagonist, as an ordinary person, causes a stir in this school. Naturally, to make people aware of how remarkable this school is, the author also elaborated on the prowess of the Saint Harmony Alliance Schools and the Saint Harmony Association.

Just thinking of the scenes full of intrigue in the book made the girl feel very scared.

Reading about the protagonist triumphing in scheming battles is exhilarating, but personally experiencing it would be painful. She felt she wouldn’t survive three pages in that environment.

Lynch chuckled. It’s actually not that scary. They’re mostly just fledglings barely starting to touch society; this "level" of students is not much different from elementary students in his eyes.

After they finished eating, Lynch took the girl to explore the shops on the hotel’s second floor. The second floor housed many high-end to mid-range luxury brands, essentially for the convenience of guests accustomed to traveling without luggage to have clothing available anytime, anywhere.

Of course, they don’t mind some ordinary people coming to shop, as it doesn’t hurt to take advantage of free time.

Lynch intended to order a few sets of summer and autumn outfits for the girl and registered a membership for her.

These stores update member information periodically, including members’ body sizes and measurements for the season. When members need custom-made clothes, all it takes is a phone call, and shortly after, a designer visits with some drafts to ensure that the custom clothes fit perfectly.

Throughout the process, the girl remained very poised; she wasn’t embarrassed or timid even though she was wearing less than twenty dollars’ worth of clothing when she entered the store.

She was quite composed, which Lynch found amusing. He watched as she stood confidently in front of the mirror while female staff measured and recorded her body details.

Studies show that female staff are more likely to be forgiven by clients when mistakes occur. Additionally, there’s a fresh term in society—"beauty consumption."

Proposed by a Federation sociologist, it suggests that people find it hard to refuse pretty girls, including female clients, so the more high-end the establishment, the more beautiful female employees there are.

Once the girls had finished taking notes, Lynch approached.

Catherine half-jokingly clung to his arm, though in reality, she was relying on him quite a bit. "Hold me; my legs are a bit shaky. Is this how you usually shop for clothes?"

Lynch couldn’t help but laugh heartily. Supporting her, he led her to a nearby sofa to sit. "I thought you didn’t seem affected; you didn’t look shaky just now when I was watching."

She too couldn’t help but laugh, "I was pretending!" Pausing, she added, "What do I do next?"

"Don’t look like you’re about to face an execution. Later, you’ll choose some styles you like, and you can suggest modifications if you wish." Lynch picked up a piece of candy from the table, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth.

Candy can stabilize emotions. The girl wrapped the candy in her mouth with one bite and suddenly complained, "You definitely didn’t wash your hands; your fingers taste a bit salty."

Lynch’s earlier movement had her slightly touch his fingers. Surprised, Lynch put the slightly moist fingertip in his mouth and sucked it, "Tastes like steak!"

In their playful banter, the girl’s emotions stabilized entirely, and her legs were no longer wobbly.

After a moment, a beautiful female clerk approached them, deliberately sitting next to Catherine instead of Lynch to avoid any misunderstandings about her intentions.

Some people are always suspicious, and many in high society can be quite hysterical, exploding over small matters instantly. To prevent such situations, employees in high-end stores undergo extremely rigorous training before starting work.

She placed two sketchbooks on the coffee table before them. Judging by its appearance, it was over an inch thick, consisting of variously colored pages, "Sir, Madam, these are our designers’ latest summer and autumn designs. Different colors represent different designers. You can choose your preferred styles or modify them according to your requests, or have a new design created."

"Currently, there are only two designers in the state. If a completely new design is required, it will take about two to three weeks..."