novelhk Chapter 310 Vision
Chapter 310 Vision
Chapter 310 Vision
"Is that James Scott?"
While everyone's attention was focused on the two royals, Audrey keenly noticed Lorne in the crowd. She had seen his picture in the newspaper.
"So he's already here?"
"Hmm—very young, with a decent appearance and demeanor. But he seems a bit reserved, and his expression isn't relaxed enough."
Is it because it's your first time attending a dinner party of this caliber, and you're feeling nervous?
Just as Audrey was about to take a closer look at this "East End hero" and try to analyze more of his personality traits, James Scott, who was in the distance, seemed to sense something and suddenly turned his head, his gaze precisely fixed in her direction.
Their eyes met briefly in the air.
"He spotted me?" Audrey was slightly startled and immediately looked away naturally, pretending to admire the oil painting on the wall.
"No wonder he was able to rescue a group of girls from a gangster's villa; he's really perceptive."
Since they are friends of Fors and the others, they should also be extraordinary individuals, but I wonder how they obtained it.
Seeing Audrey look away, Lorne secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
I was observing her just now, and now she's observing me. Has she noticed something?
It's best to be careful—he told himself.
This Miss Audrey doesn't seem as innocent as she appears. Moreover, the way she's looking at him makes him very uncomfortable.
Lorne first greeted Sheriff Huntington and some other high-ranking police officers he had met before, and briefly confirmed the next steps.
"I've had a bad feeling all night, so I'll try to keep a low profile and just get the process done."
Just as he was about to retreat to a corner and quietly wait for the party to officially begin.
"Are you Mr. James Scott?"
A kind-faced middle-aged man wearing a double-breasted black clergy robe suddenly called out to him.
"Yes, Your Excellency the Bishop." Lorne bowed slightly and gave a salute.
During their conversation, Lorne learned that the other person was Bishop Elektra of the Church of the Night, and one of the organizers of this charity gala. The two then struck up a conversation.
"I never imagined that there would be such a brave and devout follower of the goddess in Backlund."
Lorne smiled humbly, raised his hand, and tapped his chest four times clockwise: "All for the mercy and peace of the goddess. Praise be to the goddess."
"Blessed Goddess," Bishop Elektra returned the greeting.
The two chatted briefly. The other person asked a few questions about the Capin Villa, and then asked curiously, "I wonder which clergyman led you into the church?"
Uh—I don’t even know which way the door of the Church of the Goddess of Night faces, and you’re asking me this—Lorne felt a wave of helplessness.
He quickly adjusted his expression, lowered his voice, and adopted a reminiscent and slightly sorrowful look: "It was my parents—our whole family were devout believers in the goddess. But sadly, they died in an accident a few years ago—"
As he said this, he forced a smile, giving off a feeling of sorrow without being hurt.
"I'm sorry. They must have entered the Kingdom of God and are sleeping peacefully under the watchful eye of the Goddess," Bishop Elektra said sincerely, tapping her chest four times clockwise again.
Actually—if there truly is an afterlife, they should also be in that land of roaring steam—
Lorne felt somewhat embarrassed.
The original owner's parents, including himself, were actually believers in the god of steam and machinery.
The two tacitly changed the subject. Lorne then offered to personally donate an additional twelve thousand pounds to the charity. This amount slightly moved even the well-informed Bishop Elektra, who hadn't expected this young man, who looked to be no more than twenty, to be so generous.
"By the way, Your Excellency, could you please introduce me to the guests around here? I'm a little—" Lorne's tone sounded somewhat reserved.
"Don't be nervous, child, relax," Bishop Elektra gently reassured him, attributing Lorne's performance to the natural reaction of a young man facing a big occasion.
"Actually, it was fine at first," Lorne said with a wry smile, "but I didn't expect—such a big shot from the royal family to come."
"We didn't expect this at first either." Bishop Électra nodded slightly. "But since it's an officially established foundation, it's only natural that the royal family would send someone to express their support."
"I always thought that members of the royal family should be more mysterious and aloof, but I never expected to see them in person here." Lorne expressed his "awe" at the right time.
"You don't need to think like that. Actually, we're all human, so how different can we be?" Bishop Elektra said something very philosophical.
They're all human beings.
These words made Lorne slightly lose his composure.
He looked down at his magnificent suit and then at the distinguished guests around him, all dressed in fine clothes and exuding an air of superiority.
Are they really the same kind of creature as the people in the East District?
Lorne thought of old Kohler, of Liv and her daughter, and of the workers in his factory struggling to make a living.
A strong, absurd sense of unease welled up in his heart.
He doesn't seem to belong here.
well----
Next, under the introduction of Bishop Elektra, Lorne greeted a group of nobles, including Marquis Lot, Earl Sibeth, and Viscount Laflan. Of course, most of those introduced were followers of the Goddess of Night.
"That's Councilor Macht. He is—" Bishop Elektra pointed to a familiar face in the distance.
“I know Congressman Macht,” Lorne said, his tone respectful. “He’s a respected elder who gave me invaluable help when my business was just starting out.”
Upon hearing this, Bishop Elektra's expression became somewhat subtle. He glanced at Lorne, then at Councilor Macht, who was talking with Earl Hall in the distance, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.
Some time passed.
A superintendent of the Backlund Police Department stepped forward.
"Thank you all for coming." He said a few polite words first, and then made public Kapin's crimes and his plan to use his assets to establish a foundation.
He then invited Lorne to the stage, telling everyone that the management of the fund would be handled by this "Eastern Hero," and asked him to give a short speech.
-
Sigh—I hate these public occasions—noticing that everyone's eyes were on him, Lorne gave a bitter smile to himself.
He subtly mobilized some of his recently accumulated "luck," silently praying that nothing would go wrong in the next stage.
He bowed slightly to the crowd, stepped onto the stage, and said in a steady yet inspiring voice, "Ladies and gentlemen."
"Many people might wonder why I would do something so dangerous. Actually, the reason is very simple. There was an old employee in my factory whose child had gone missing."
"When I saw the despair of a father on his sorrowful face, I knew I had to do something. Driven by a sense of responsibility, I began to investigate. Eventually, I was fortunate enough to find those poor girls."
"I must admit that my strength alone is far from enough —"
"I have deepest sympathy for those girls who have gone through what they have. I am willing to do everything in my power to help them so that they can have a bright future again!"
After the speech, the Duke of Henry was the first to applaud. Prince Edsack, standing beside him, followed suit. Then, the applause from the others gradually grew louder, resounding throughout the hall.
"Are the royals really this supportive?" Lorne was somewhat puzzled, but outwardly remained calm.
After the applause subsided, the police commissioner announced loudly, "In addition, our East End hero, Mr. Scott, will also donate £10,000 to the foundation's initial operations! Ladies and gentlemen, if you also have compassion for those poor women and children, please lend a helping hand to this foundation!"
Ten thousand pounds! That's a huge sum! Many people had this thought at the same time.
It's important to understand that even among nobles and wealthy merchants, the number of people who can readily come up with more than ten thousand pounds in liquid funds is extremely limited. For a time, many people had the idea of befriending this young "hero."
Sigh, ten thousand pounds. Luckily, the mysterious queen delivered the money through legal means, otherwise I really wouldn't be able to explain where the money came from.
The money given by the mysterious queen was all laundered. In a way, it was thanks to the financial crisis that the money went through the stock market and became legitimate income.
-
Although he had already decided to donate, Lorne still felt a little heartbroken.
This money could buy another factory —
"Forget it, I can't build up my supply chain anytime soon anyway, and ten thousand pounds isn't enough to do that. Using this money for political investment isn't a big deal; at the very least, it can help those in need. It'll be a good deed in itself," Lorne consoled himself.
Next came the donation session. Both members of the royal family generously donated over ten thousand pounds each, followed by the Earl of Hall, who donated eight thousand pounds. Other nobles and wealthy businessmen also responded enthusiastically, donating varying amounts.
Just as Lorne breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the process was about to end smoothly, his spiritual intuition was triggered once again. A gaze that wasn't simply one of curiosity or admiration, but rather one carrying a sense of inquiry, fell upon him.
He subtly tilted his head slightly, following his instincts to look in that direction.
He saw a handsome young man with black hair and dark green eyes standing not far away, scrutinizing him with a hint of examination and—doubt?
To Lorne's surprise, he actually knew that person!
Isn't this the same show-off policeman we met in Tingen?
What is he doing here?!
So persistent, huh?
>