EFB Chapter 55 Invitation
Chapter 55 Invitation
Although the three were furious with Evan, they ultimately lacked the courage to lay a hand on a guest invited by Earl Hall at his banquet.
The three of them got together because their family income had plummeted, which had also reduced their allowance. They drank a couple of glasses of wine, and their heads were spinning. They didn't dare to cause trouble for Robert, but they thought that Evan, this kid who had just come from the "countryside," was easy to bully, so they came over to humiliate him.
Unexpectedly, Evan was sharp-tongued and didn't care about their background at all. He had no intention of letting things go and wasn't afraid to break ties with them. He ridiculed them from beginning to end, leaving them speechless.
In this situation, they dared not make a big fuss, because anyone with eyes could see that they were the ones stirring up trouble. In the end, without Earl Hall's intervention, their father would deal with them out of consideration for Earl Hall's reputation.
"After all that you've said, the gist of it is that we are incompetent and unworthy of your attention. But you are just a recent graduate; what have you accomplished to look down on us like that?"
Just as Evan was about to respond with a cold laugh, a servant in a red vest rushed over and said:
"Earl Hall requests your presence in the back reception room. He has some questions about the legislation you have drafted and would like you to provide answers."
The servant's words were like ice water poured over the heads of the several furious men present, who all looked at Evan with incredulous eyes.
Evan casually stood up, glanced at them, a mocking smile playing on his lips, then patted the head of the golden retriever that had finished its steak and was now lying quietly there. Without another word, he followed the servant away.
The group of people were left standing there dumbfounded, looking at each other, their faces flushed, speechless. In the end, they tacitly agreed not to mention what had just happened, and as the music started up again next to the stage, they dispersed to find their dance partners.
Evan was prepared for someone to cause him trouble because of Robert, since Robert had indeed done some hateful things that year. However, he did not expect the troublemakers to be so low-class, and he dismissed them with just a few words.
However, after thinking about it, Evan felt it made sense. If those big shots really bullied the weak, that would be truly beneath them.
Just as Evan followed the servant to the reception room, he discovered Miss Audrey, the "Justice," observing the various aspects of life in the banquet hall from a detached "spectator" perspective.
When he saw Audrey, Audrey also saw him. They exchanged a glance, smiled politely, nodded to each other, and then passed by.
Evan had no intention of having any connection with Audrey at this time. The less contact they had in real life, the safer it would be to ask Audrey for help at the Tarot meeting in the future.
But after they passed each other, a look of confusion appeared on Audrey's face.
"Why do I feel like I've seen this person somewhere before? He looks familiar, and I can tell from his expression that he knows me too. It's so strange, but I have no memory of him. What's going on?"
Audrey was puzzled, but then a thought struck her. She looked in the direction Evan had come from and saw her beloved dog, Susie, lying quietly under a dining table, watching her with a melancholy gaze. This immediately pulled Audrey out of her "spectator" mode, and her expression instantly collapsed.
Upon entering the smoke-filled drawing room, Evan found the atmosphere to be better than he had expected; both Duke Negan and his brother Robert appeared quite relaxed.
After Evan entered and greeted the Conservative Party leaders, he found a seat. Earl Hall remarked:
"If Robert hadn't said it himself, I really wouldn't have imagined that someone like you, a recent college graduate, could formulate such comprehensive policies."
"You flatter me. It was just a sudden inspiration. Since we students have to take exams to get into higher education and compare scores, I wondered if government employees would need to do the same?"
Furthermore, my experience at school taught me that the process from policy formulation to implementation involves many stages. So why can't we use employees selected through examinations as the implementation level and elected officials as the decision-making level? This is the original intention behind my proposal of this bill.
Evan's words drew nods of agreement from the bigwigs present. Analyzing and dealing with specific problems in specific ways is easy to say but difficult to do.
Afterwards, the experts all questioned Evan about their own issues.
Evan's clear thinking and fluent answers left a deep impression on the experts, which made Robert, who was standing to the side, even more gratified.
"If I didn't know your age, I would really doubt whether you've been working in the government for decades. Evan, why don't you come to my office and be my assistant? You're a natural-born politician."
Prime Minister Agushid, seeing the spirited Evan, couldn't help but admire his talent and hoped that Evan could enter his prime minister's office.
Before Evan could speak, Robert said directly:
"Evan is determined to join the army and has already joined MI9. He will be reporting for duty next Monday."
Everyone present was a big shot, and with just this one sentence, they knew that Evan had become an extraordinary being, and they understood the path Robert had planned for Evan. They couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
Instead, Duke Negan suddenly interjected, saying:
"Entering the military indirectly through MI9 is indeed a good method, but I don't know whether you're interested in the Navy or the Army in the future."
After thinking for a moment, Evan quickly replied:
"It would be an honor for me to join any branch of the military, and I will do my utmost to fight for the interests of the kingdom and the glory of the king."
Duke Negan took a drag of his cigarette, nodded at Evan, his expression neither sad nor happy, making it impossible to fathom his thoughts.
Seeing that no one was asking Evan any questions, Earl Hall spoke up:
"Fellow Members of Parliament, gentlemen, do you have any further questions regarding this government employee recruitment exam bill?"
The group exchanged glances and shook their heads.
"Since there are no objections, let's focus on pushing this bill through next Monday and try to pass it before the recess."
The government is now under immense pressure due to its defeat in the struggle against the Fusak Empire in the southern continent. This bill can not only address previously identified problems but also slightly divert public attention, adding leverage for local elections.
Everyone present expressed their agreement, and some even stood up to shake hands with Robert to congratulate him. Moreover, the Duke of Negan did not nitpick.
This led Evan to speculate that, with Earl Hall's mediation, Robert and Duke Negan had temporarily put aside their differences, and that the two sides would at least maintain a superficial harmony in the future.
Sure enough, just as the bigwigs left the reception room and re-entered the ballroom, a dance ended, and Robert went up and directly invited Duchess Della of the Duke of Negan to dance. With a nod from the Duke of Negan, the lady gladly accepted the invitation, much to the astonishment of everyone present.