But since I've been to similar occasions before in the country, I didn't feel too awkward.
I relaxed and simply followed Eighth Master into the banquet hall...
However, what I never expected was that I would actually step onto a stage that belonged to me, Chen Yang, and to me, Xiao Wu, right from here!
The show has started, hasn't it?
Part 1: A Man in the Martial World, Forced to His Own Destiny, Chapter 144: You Asked for It!
The banquet hall was undoubtedly extremely luxurious. And everyone coming and going there had an exceptionally distinguished background!
Eighth Master clearly had quite a few connections. I followed behind him as we moved through the banquet hall.
Western banquets are mostly in the form of buffets, and I saw many men and women gathered in small circles, chatting quietly.
To be honest, I was quite shocked for the first ten minutes... but after ten minutes I calmed down... or rather, I became numb.
Anyone would be nervous if they were standing face-to-face with the head of the third-ranked family in the North American Mafia.
But if within ten minutes you were surrounded by figures like the Black Hand, the infamous leader of the Ku Klux Klan, the head of the Mormon Church, and so on... with so many powerful and influential figures from powerful families and clans swirling around in front of you, you would become numb, just like me.
Eighth Master warmly embraced a fat man with a bright smile and an innocent expression. The two chatted happily for a long time, and then introduced me to him. When Eighth Master introduced me, he gave me an identity: his nephew.
I greeted them in English, which I'd been cramming for recently. My English is still not very good; learning short, polite phrases isn't easy. However, I could understand about 70-80% of what they said when they weren't speaking too fast and their sentences weren't too complex.
This seemingly harmless, overweight white man is actually the representative of a notorious drug family in the eastern United States!
Afterwards, Master Ba chatted for a while with an elderly man who clearly looked Sicily. The two casually talked about things like the weather and daily life. Finally, Master Ba politely inquired about the man's investments, and the reply was: they had invested in a recent, very successful movie that was currently showing in theaters.
This old man is a member of the mafia.
After exchanging a few words, we walked away. Eighth Master smiled and said to me, "Investing in movies to launder money is a great way... It's a pity that we are Chinese, and the investment restrictions in Hollywood are very unfavorable to us... Alas, we can't get involved in such a good business channel for the time being."
So far tonight, I still have some questions. I don't quite understand why Master Ba brought me to such a high-level underworld gathering.
Although I've officially started working for Master Ba, I haven't even scratched the surface of his businesses. Yet tonight, Master Ba brought me to this kind of event, and it's clear that my role isn't just that of a follower. Several times, he seriously introduced me to several important figures, and to outsiders, he referred to me as his nephew.
Yunshe's intentions behind this action are something I should seriously consider.
At eight o'clock in the evening, I finally saw the legendary figure who controlled the entire Canadian underworld, the mastermind behind the Canadian underground order, and the godfather of the Hells Angels: Mr. Thorin.
Mr. Sorin was probably around the same age as the Eighth Prince, but he looked much older. With a full head of silver hair, he resembled Marcello Lippi, the coach who had just led Italy to the World Cup victory the previous year. His facial features were very defined, his chin slightly thin, and his lines very attractive, especially his pair of deep blue eyes—exactly like Princess Sophie's—I'm certain of it. Mr. Sorin must have been a very handsome and charming man in his youth.
His eyes were full of wisdom, a calmness, and the composure and calmness that come with the passage of time. Such a person exuded an aura that made him stand out, and every move he made seemed to carry the air of a superior.
I can confidently say that among all the great figures I've met in my life, Mr. Thorin before me is absolutely top-tier in both his demeanor and his aura!
Then I saw the "princess" standing next to Mr. Thorin.
If my previous brief encounter with Princess Sophie left me with the impression that her beauty possessed an angelic innocence, then tonight she displayed a completely opposite side…
Her long, wavy golden hair was cleverly styled, deliberately showcasing her swan-like neck. She wore a dark, tight-fitting, sleeveless, ruched top; the low-cut design perfectly revealed her full bust! Especially her two perfect hemispheres exposed to the air… faintly gleaming like ivory! Beneath the bohemian-style skirt, a pair of full, long legs, and a pair of crystal high heels perfectly accentuated her noble气质… the transparent straps outlining the graceful curves of her calves…
It's safe to say that her outfit tonight was a perfect display of her feminine charm! I only glanced at her, and two words immediately popped into my head;
Sexy!!!
Sorin and her daughter walked down the steps side by side. Sophie's arm was linked with Sorin's, and her bright blue eyes seemed to be searching around before finally settling on me.
Then I saw her lower her head and say something to Thorin.
Eighth Master also saw Thorin and immediately walked towards him.
"Hello, my friend." Mr. Thorin smiled and saw his daughter off, then opened his arms and smiled at Eighth Master, and the two embraced. I saw Sophie squinting at me, and I hesitated for a moment, remembering Eighth Master's instructions before I came. I was about to greet Princess Sophie, but Eighth Master was talking to Mr. Thorin, and someone of my status couldn't very well interrupt.
“Your business has been good lately.” Thorin held a cigar between his fingers, a faint smile on his face. His English was clear enough for me to understand him: “However, it seems that things have been a bit too turbulent in Vancouver these days. Some old friends have come to me, hoping that I can advise everyone that negotiation is always more effective than war.”
“But when negotiations break down, war is inevitable, isn’t it?” Eighth Master replied calmly.
Thorin smiled, not dwelling on the topic, and immediately turned his gaze to me: "This gentleman is..."
“My nephew.” Eighth Master smiled, then glanced at me. I immediately stepped forward, shook hands with Mr. Thorin, and greeted him in English. My brief English was fairly standard.
Mr. Sorin looked me over for a moment, then suddenly smiled deliberately and said, "Mr. Fang, is this young man really just your nephew? He's very handsome, could he be your illegitimate son?"
Eighth Master smiled and said, "He is a very good young man. I would be very happy if I had a son like him. It's just a pity that he is not my son."
Thorin smiled like a cunning old fox, then checked the time: "Alright, we still have some time. Now let us old folks talk about our old folks' problems. You young people should go and wander around somewhere else for a while, lest you get bored. Anyway, you're not interested in us old folks."
He then glanced at his daughter, his eyes revealing undisguised doting affection.
I understand that perfectly. Anyone would cherish a daughter as beautiful and charming as Princess Sophie.
Sophie smiled, greeted Eighth Master in a very generous manner, then greeted me, and casually reached out her arm to link it with mine.
"Come on, let me show you around."
I know that Mr. Thorin is probably going to talk to Master Ba about something important next.
I suspect it's also likely related to the large-scale conflicts we had with the Vietnamese and local Chinese communities during that period. After all, Mr. Sorin is an arbitrator of Canada's underworld; if things escalated like this, he certainly wouldn't stand idly by.
As Sophie and I walked away, I felt a soft pressure on my arm, which she was holding. Her chest was pressed tightly against my arm, and to be honest… it felt wonderful. But I instinctively knew that this woman was someone I shouldn't mess with, and I didn't have many other thoughts in mind.
We walked side by side to the open-air terrace on one side of the banquet hall. The terrace was nearly 100 square meters in size and had a small fountain. In fact, there were many such terraces on both sides of the banquet hall, probably for guests who needed a quiet space to talk.
Along the way, Sophie greeted many people. Her face was beaming with smiles, and she was incredibly charming. I could sense that many men were completely infatuated with her.
Stepping off the terrace, I breathed a sigh of relief. Without making a sound, I withdrew my arm, coughed, and slightly turned my face away, not looking directly at her, but at the lamppost behind her. After a moment's hesitation, I said, "Miss Sophie… I must be frank, regarding our last meeting… cough… I think I need to express some apology to you… um…"
Sophie slightly raised her chin, her blue eyes fixed on me. Suddenly, she interrupted me rudely, "Don't you know that when you apologize to someone, you should at least look them in the eye? That's polite."
I gave a wry smile, withdrew my gaze from the distance, looked closely into her eyes, and slowly said, "I'm sorry."
I must say, only by looking into her eyes up close can you truly appreciate their astonishing allure! Those deep blue eyes are like a still lake; the more you look, the more you feel yourself sinking deeper into them.
I saw a smile gradually appear in her eyes... but unfortunately, it didn't seem to be a kind smile, but rather carried a hint of cunning and mockery... or even a hint of teasing or sarcasm.
"Oh, did you apologize?"
Princess Sophie looked at me with an unfriendly gaze: "Why apologize? In my impression of you, you should be a man full of...
She was speaking English, and I didn't understand a few words in the middle. But judging from her expression, I guessed she wasn't saying anything nice. I paused for a moment, racking my brain to figure out the meaning of those words.
Sophie's eyes grew colder: "Has no one told you that you shouldn't be distracted when you're talking to someone?"
"I'm sorry, I just can't quite understand what you're saying... My English isn't very good." I smiled wryly.
For someone who only graduated from high school, my English is indeed not good, although I have been working hard to learn it on my own for the past few months...
“Male chauvinism!” Sophie suddenly snapped. She extended a slender, jade-like finger and pressed it hard against my chest, coldly saying, “What I just said was: I think you are a man full of male chauvinism.” As if afraid I wouldn’t understand, she repeated the words “male chauvinism” in broken Chinese.
I frowned: "No, I am. I have great respect for women. What happened that day was just an accident."
Sophie just pursed her lips.
I was getting a little impatient.
Why should I appease this woman? Eighth Master told me to apologize to her and settle things peacefully, and I've already done so. If she continues like this, there's nothing I can do.
I did what I was supposed to do, and that's enough.
“You’re a very proud person.” Sophie looked at me coldly and said, “You’re a lot like someone I know. You two are very similar. Even the expressions you make when you talk are similar… I hate that guy, so I feel very disliked when I see you.”
“That’s your prerogative.” I shrugged. “I didn’t expect you to like me.”
Then I took out a cigarette and decided to stop talking to this woman.
“It’s best not to smoke around ladies, don’t you know that?” Sophie asked me.
"Okay." I nodded, immediately took a few steps away, keeping a distance from her.
"What are you doing!" she shouted angrily.
"Is it alright if I don't smoke near ladies? I'll just walk away from you."
Sophie stomped her foot angrily: "Do you think smoking is more important than talking to me?"
I was immediately amused by her, but I held back my laughter. I said in a serious tone, "Don't worry. In any man's heart, a beauty like you is definitely more important than cigarettes! Of course, that includes me."
To my surprise, Sophie didn't seem to mind the teasing in my words—or rather, the kind of teasing we Easterners don't really understand, Westerners don't really grasp. She actually thought I was telling the truth: "Okay, then please put out your cigarette."
After thinking about it, I could only sigh and put out my cigarette.
"Where in China are you from? Hong Kong? Macau? Or mainland China?"
"The mainland," I replied calmly.
Actually... there's a technical issue here.
I didn't mean to avoid talking to her, it's just... my English is really bad. I can understand about 70-80% of what she says, but speaking is much more difficult. That's why I seem to talk very little. It's like I'm ignoring her... Actually, I didn't do it on purpose, it's just that my English is bad, so I naturally speak less.
“Oh, mainland China! You’re quite different from other Chinese people.” Sophie’s tone softened a bit: “I’ve met some local Chinese, many of them are from Hong Kong and Macau, and some are from Taiwan. You’re different from them. You’re very arrogant, while they all seem more humble and gentlemanly than you.”
Then she pointed to the people in the distance. Among them was a fair-skinned man who appeared to be Chinese, about thirty years old.
“That guy is Chinese too. I know him. He’s much more respectable than you. And he wouldn’t be as rude as you.” Sophie looked at me defiantly.
I remained silent.
"Oh, I forgot to mention, I talked to him. I asked him if he was Chinese. I said no, he's Canadian because he came to Canada when he was very young and has already obtained his permanent resident card (Canadian citizenship, like a US green card). I talked to him about China, but he seemed reluctant to bring it up. He was very polite to me, unlike you!"
Looking at the Chinese man with glasses in the distance, I felt a little unhappy.
Then I glanced at Princess Sophie and saw a hint of mockery in her eyes. Suddenly, a wicked thought popped into my head...
I smiled casually and said, "Oh, a gentleman like him has a special name in our country, a respectful title for such a person. Would you like to learn that Chinese phrase?"
“Great!” Princess Sophie’s eyes lit up.
I could tell that she had studied Chinese and seemed to be very interested in it.
“Hmm.” I told her seriously, “In our country, this gentleman is usually respectfully called… idiot.”
"Idiot?" Sophie blinked her beautiful eyes, looking completely bewildered, and then tried to repeat it several times. I even patiently helped her correct her pronunciation...
"Believe me, it's a term of respect, and a gentleman like him would be very pleased to hear it." I said with a serious expression.
Just then, the guy in the distance suddenly saw us. I clearly saw his eyes light up, and then he strode over.
“Princess Sophie, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” The Chinese man looked at Sophie, a very ‘gentlemanly’ smile indeed on his face. Then, out of politeness, he also glanced at me: “I am Mike Wang… May I ask who you are…”
"My surname is Chen, and I just came from China."
"Oh." A hint of indifference flashed in his eyes immediately.