The Starry Hotel.
Early in the morning, Lin Shoucheng and his wife stood at the entrance of a private room.
As one of the most upscale hotels in East Ning City, Starry Hotel really lived up to its reputation, known for its impeccable service and top-notch culinary offerings.
Hosting their son's celebration of becoming an Evolver here was a matter of great pride for the family.
"Uncle, you've arrived!"
"Come, have a seat here."
"Is this your daughter? She's grown so much since I last saw her."
"Uncle Nian, please walk slowly, come inside. If not for you back then, who knows where I'd be today."
Lin Shoucheng hadn't had a moment's rest, standing at the doorway, busy greeting guests with great courtesy.
Half an hour later, most of the guests had arrived, and the family banquet officially began.
People started to sit down and enjoy the food and drinks.
Sitting at the head of the table, Lin Yuan's chopsticks didn't stop moving.
Starry Hotel stood out in East Ning City not only because of its powerful connections but also due to its own merits.
Many ingredients here came from other planets, with plenty of the meat being rare demon beast meat, far superior in quality and taste than the local farm-raised meat.
Although these meats couldn't compare to high-grade nutrition liquids in terms of energy, they still surpassed ordinary meals, making Lin Yuan quite pleased with his meal.
At the banquet, apart from Lin Yuan, everyone else was not just focusing on eating; they engaged in lively chats and interactions, especially those who had made a success of themselves.
Lin Shoucheng's distant cousin, Lin Jiye, who hit the jackpot thanks to the city's growth, invested in several plots of land in the suburbs which the government later developed.
He made a fortune, and now he was the picture of success.
"I'll tell you, I've met the owner of this Starry Hotel a few times. It's a woman, you know," Lin Jiye started to boast about his connections and insights, capturing everyone's attention with his stories.
The owner of Starry Hotel had always been a mystery, sparking much curiosity and speculation among people about who she might really be.
"By the way," Lin Jiye suddenly turned his attention to Lin Yuan, who was enjoying his food.
"What's your future plan, Lin Yuan?"
With this question, everyone's focus shifted towards Lin Yuan.
After all, today's family banquet was in his honor to celebrate his achievement as an Evolver.
The fact that Lin Yuan had become an Evolver exceeded everyone's expectations.
Looking at Lin Yuan's future prospects, the relatives knew they'd have to look up to him with admiration.
"I'm not quite sure yet, I'll just take it one step at a time," Lin Yuan put down his chopsticks and said truthfully.
At the moment, he really didn't have a specific goal.
If he had to say something, it would be becoming stronger.
But who doesn’t want to become stronger?
"Why not come to my company? Even though my company isn't big, if you come, I'll offer you twenty thousand a month," Lin Jiye said confidently, patting his chest.
Twenty thousand a month? The relatives around them showed envious glances.
Earning twenty-four thousand a year was considered a high salary, especially when an ordinary citizen earns around two or three thousand a month.
"So, what do you say? Don't think it's beneath you. Our company also employs an Evolver for security work. If you join, not only will you earn a salary, but you can also ask for advice on evolution matters," Lin Jiye added confidently.
For ordinary people, Evolvers are exceedingly rare.
However, wealthy bosses like Lin Jiye have channels to hire Evolvers, albeit mostly those who haven't reached higher ranks because they couldn't afford those.
Impressed by Lin Jiye's words, many in the room, whose relatives were struggling to find jobs, began to inquire eagerly, trying to get a foot in the door.
In no time, Lin Jiye became the focal point of the banquet, and he basked in the attention, smiling broadly at the flattery and compliments from family members.
Lin Yuan, meanwhile, wasn't overly concerned, casually picking up his chopsticks to continue eating as he watched Lin Jiye's performance.
He knew all too well that as soon as the banquet ended, Lin Jiye might just pretend it never happened.
Just before attending the party, Lin Yuan had used his second-class citizen privileges to check on Lin Jiye's financial status.
The company was indeed real, and he had once hired an unranked Evolver who had resigned years ago over unpaid wages, almost turning to the Evolvers Association for resolution.
This meant that while Lin Jiye might have been wealthy once, his current financial situation wasn't as promising, and it was unlikely he'd hire another Evolver.
Despite knowing this, Lin Yuan kept quiet, but his parents, Lin Shoucheng and Lu Qiong, thought it was real and kept engaging with Lin Jiye about work prospects.
Then, the person at the main seat, Lin Hao, spoke up, "Lin Yuan is still so young; even as an Evolver, there's no need to join the workforce so soon."
Lin Hao's voice commanded silence across the banquet hall, including Lin Jiye, who immediately fell silent.
Among everyone at the banquet, Lin Hao held the highest position.
Being the secretary to a certain director in East Ning City, his presence at the event was a surprise even to Lin Shoucheng.
"Brother Hao, what do you mean?" Lin Shoucheng quietly inquired.
"Our bureau has a spot this year for further studies at a higher institution, but only an Evolver can apply for it," Lin Hao thoughtfully replied.
"Lin Yuan can come for an interview at our bureau soon. Once he joins, I'll allocate the spot to him."
Getting into a higher institution as an Evolver meant special treatment and opportunities unavailable to regular students, making the spot highly coveted.
The Evolvers within the bureau were all keeping an eye on it.
Even though Lin Hao wasn't an Evolver, he held the decision power as the director's secretary, managing several Evolvers.
Originally, Lin Hao planned to save this opportunity for his son.
His son had been tutored by various Evolvers but still hadn't become one; seeing the opportunity slipping to other Evolvers within the bureau, Lin Hao saw a chance when he learned a distant relative had become an Evolver.
Simple as it was, Lin Hao preferred giving the chance to family rather than outsiders—an act he believed would earn Lin Yuan's gratitude in the future.
At least, they'd remain family after all.
"Ah? Isn't that quite valuable?" Lin Shoucheng was a bit overwhelmed.
While he didn't know how difficult it was for Evolvers to secure higher institution spots, he certainly knew that for ordinary people, it was extremely tough to get in.
And now, with just a word, his son would get a spot?
"No problem," Lin Hao replied nonchalantly.
"Just follow what I say when the time comes."
Giving the spot to Lin Yuan felt like keeping the benefit within the family.
Who could he blame but his son for his failures?
Glancing at his son sitting beside him, Lin Hao felt a pang of frustration.
"Thank you, Brother Hao. Thank you, Brother Hao," Lin Shoucheng said gratefully, standing up to express his thanks.
"Lin Yuan, aren't you going to thank your uncle?" Lin Shoucheng nudged Lin Yuan.
"Thank you, Uncle."
Lin Yuan obliged.
It was undoubtedly a kind gesture from his uncle, at least someone thought about him amidst all this.
"Hmph, just saying thank you for such a huge favor?" Sitting next to Lin Hao, Lin Yan couldn't hide his displeasure.
By right, the spot should've been his, as Lin Hao's son; who else should get such a favor? Yet, the failure to become an Evolver ruined that, forcing him to reconcile with someone else getting the opportunity.
Now, seeing Lin Yuan receive what should have been his, Lin Yan felt an overwhelming sense of injustice.
"You’re useless and you dare criticize others,” Lin Hao scolded, furrowed brows directed at his son, nearly slapping him in irritation.
Others present recognized this internal family issue and watched with mixed expressions, intrigued by the tension now enveloping the once joyful occasion.
This unexpected development left Lin Shoucheng visibly awkward, uncertain of how to react.
Under normal circumstances, he should graciously refuse the offer to ease tensions between Lin Hao and his son.
However, giving up the spot was too hard to reconcile with, given its value.
At this tense moment, a staff member from Starry Hotel suddenly entered the room, appearing somewhat anxious, and asked, "Is there a Mr. Lin Yuan here?"
This question broke the uncomfortable silence.
“He's here,” Lin Shoucheng stepped forward. “What’s going on?”
The staffer quickly explained, “Someone wishes to visit Mr. Lin Yuan.”
This puzzled Lin Shoucheng—someone wanted to visit his son? All the guests for the family banquet were present.
Who could it be at this moment?
Thank you, Book Friend 'Your Glory' for the two monthly votes.
Thank you, Book Friend 'Book Friend 20220320074843243' for the two monthly votes.
The main world chapter is nearly over; the second traversal will start tomorrow.
We're close to seventy thousand words.
What do readers think or have in mind?
(The chapter ends here)