Chapter 164: Hassage, Face Life

After more than half an hour, Noah stood up to leave. He came partly to show Kurland City’s respect for investors and partly to express his hope to build a personal connection with Lynch.

Politicians always criticize capitalists harshly on TV in front of the whole country, but as soon as the cameras are off, they often happily sit at banquets hosted by those capitalists.

They are adversaries yet sometimes rely on each other.

Lynch found Noah to be an interesting young man. In some ways, he was more proactive than Sabin City’s mayor and more aggressive than Ferale—blunt, even.

“Is he a big shot?” Katherine asked after Lynch saw Noah off and she came out of the bedroom.

Lynch nodded. Noah had clearly hinted during their talk that he could easily change the mayor’s attitude, allowing some issues to be discussed later, though not now.

Both sides wanted deeper contact, but they still had one test left—the auction on Friday.

Katherine didn’t know what they had discussed in those thirty minutes. She only felt Lynch had changed so much that the unfamiliarity was impossible to ignore.

A few months ago, Lynch was still worried about finding a suitable job or doing nothing at all. Now these big shots were visiting him.

The stark difference surprised her and sparked a strange thought: this Lynch was nothing like the one she once knew.

If they weren’t so familiar with each other, she might have mistaken the person in front of her.

After a brief flash of confusion, she stopped dwelling on it. Her upcoming college life drew all her attention—that was her true battlefield.

But…

“Are you going back to school?” Katherine asked at dinner, voicing their most urgent question for some time—school.

They had agreed that if one found a good job first, they would fully support the other in pursuing their dream of education.

Reality was harsh yet dramatic. It crushed their dreams but brought them here.

In Katherine’s view, Lynch should go back to school; after all, it was their shared dream.

Lynch put down his utensils, wiped sauce from his mouth with a napkin, leaned back in his chair, and said, “Of course, but not now. Maybe next year or the year after. I don’t have that much time yet.”

His words calmed some unknown worries in Katherine. She smiled, “Which school do you plan to choose? Will you go with me?”

Facing her hopeful gaze, Lynch gave an unexpected answer: “I might go to the Saint Harmony Society. Studying there will better help my future.”

There was a conspiracy theory within the Federation that the Saint Harmony organization controlled its economy and politics. Most top capitalists and politicians came from the Society’s schools, bound together by Saint Harmony.

More frighteningly, these elites had their children join Saint Harmony, creating new generations of members. In some old families, it was common for four or five generations to belong to it—and they were proud of this.

Lynch had listened carefully to the mayor of Sabin City’s earlier words. Society was cruel; no matter how talented you were, without a ticket, you’d circle outside the “house” all your life.

But if you had that ticket and key, the people inside wouldn’t need you to open the door; they’d welcome you in.

To enter true high society, you first needed the badge of a Saint Harmony Society elite student and then become a formal member.

There was no time this year. Getting in wasn’t just about money; otherwise, the Federation’s economic decline wouldn’t be so rapid.

At first, some foreign capitalists also tried to integrate into the core, but these elites rejected outsiders, leaving foreign capitalists feeling alienated.

Without belonging, there was no security, so they longed to return to safer places, even if it meant no economic return for five to ten years.

Next year, once Lynch’s plans were mostly in place and he had enough resources to hire people to serve him, he would easily get an invitation to join the Saint Harmony Society.

“Saint Harmony Society?” Katherine’s tongue flicked between her lips. It wasn’t a grimace but a spark of excitement. “That place might only be for people like you!”

She felt that way because she’d read a bit about the Society’s schools in How to Quickly Fit Into College Social Circles. The heroine was an ordinary girl who thrived there. To show how powerful the school was, the book explained the significance of the schools and Saint Harmony.

Just imagining the intrigue scared her.

While the heroine’s victories in scheming were satisfying to read, living through it herself would be painful. She doubted she’d survive more than a few pages in that environment.

Lynch laughed and said it wasn’t that scary—just a bunch of fledglings barely entering society. Those students were little different from elementary kids to him.

After dinner, Lynch took Katherine to browse the hotel’s second-floor mall. It had many mid-to-high-end brands, mainly for guests who didn’t carry luggage and needed clothes at any time.

They welcomed ordinary customers too; after all, it was quiet otherwise.

Lynch planned to order several summer and autumn outfits and registered Katherine as a member.

The shops updated member info regularly, including body measurements for the season. When members wanted custom clothes, a call was enough. Designers would visit with drafts to ensure perfect fit.

Katherine acted confidently, not ashamed or timid despite wearing less than twenty Sol’ worth of clothes when they entered.

Lynch found it interesting watching her calmly stand before mirrors while female staff measured and recorded her details.

Studies showed female staff were more easily forgiven for mistakes, and the Federation had a new concept called “beauty consumption.”

Sociologists noted it was hard to refuse a pretty girl—even from female clients. So, higher-end places employed more attractive female workers.

After the staff finished, Lynch approached.

Katherine lightly leaned on his arm but put most of her weight on him. “Hold me up, my legs feel weak. Do you always buy clothes like this?”

Lynch laughed. “I thought you weren’t affected. You didn’t look weak before.”

She laughed too. “I was pretending!” She paused. “What now?”

“Don’t act like you’re about to be executed. Now you pick styles you like and suggest changes.” Lynch handed her a candy after unwrapping it.

Candy calmed emotions. She popped it in her mouth but suddenly complained, “You didn’t wash your hands. Your fingers taste salty.”

Lynch’s fingers, slightly damp at the tips from handling the candy, brushed her mouth as he sucked on them. “Tastes like steak!”

After some playful teasing, the girl’s mood fully settled, and her legs no longer felt weak.

Soon, a pretty female sales assistant approached them. She deliberately sat next to Katherine, not Lynch, to avoid any misunderstandings.

Some people are paranoid, and many in high society are quick to overreact. To prevent this, staff at upscale stores undergo rigorous training before starting work.

She placed two catalogs on the coffee table before them. Each was about an inch thick, with pages in various colors. “Sir, ma’am, these are our designers’ latest summer and autumn collections. Different colors represent different designers. You can choose any style you like, request modifications, or even a completely new design.”

“Currently, there are only two designers in the state. A full custom order will take about two to three weeks.”