Chapter 159 Sneaking In
"Well, I know what gift to give her."
Xavier smirked, "Don't worry, Noah. I guarantee that the gift you give her will definitely impress everyone and make all those pursuers feel inferior!"
"Really? What gift is it?"
Noah suddenly became interested.
"I’ll keep it a secret for now. The gift is too valuable and needs to be imported from overseas, so it will take two or three days to arrive. When you receive it, you will know what gift it is.” Xavier smiled.
"Okay, then I'll wait for your gift." Noah nodded.
...
One week later, at the Royal Garden in Oceanbridge City, a top-tier hotel located in the outskirts of Oceanbridge City.
The hotel was in a European style, with Gothic architecture, towering like a castle.
In the front of the hotel, there were fountains, gardens, and statues, all giving a classical and noble feeling with fresh air and the sounds of birds chirping.
This is where Lily had chosen to have her birthday party.
Noah woke up early and took a taxi to the Royal Garden.
There was a gatekeeper at the entrance.
When the gatekeeper saw Noah approaching he still smiled politely at him although he was dressed casually.
"Sir, there’s a birthday party going on inside. The entire hotel has been booked. If you want to enter, please show your invitation."
"I don't have an invitation." Noah shook his head. "Lily asked me to come."
"Lily asked you to come?" The gatekeeper's eyes lit up, and he respectfully asked, "May I know your name, sir?"
"Noah."
"So you’re Noah. Please go in then!"
The gatekeeper's eyelids twitched, his expression even more respectful as he allowed Noah to enter.
Lily had told Noah that she had already informed the gatekeeper about him, so he could enter just by mentioning his name.
As he entered the first floor of the castle, the decoration inside was magnificent, with classical murals on the dome, depicting Poseidon, the god of the sea, and Athena, the goddess of wisdom, in vibrant colors, filled with a sense of historical vicissitude.
Noah looked toward the hall and saw that many guests had already arrived. They were all dressed impeccably, with men wearing expensive suits and watches, and women adorned in pristine white evening gowns with sparkling diamond necklaces. They carried themselves with elegance, embodying the upper-class society. In contrast, Noah was dressed comfortably in a t-shirt, sweatpants, and sneakers and stood out among the crowd.
As he entered, many people couldn't help but turn their gaze toward Noah, filled with curiosity, surprise, and disdain. In the center of the hall was a dance floor with a piano being played by a blonde, blue-eyed pianist, filling the space with melodious music.
Noah remained unfazed by the attention. He made his way to a table, grabbing some fruit platters, and finding a corner to eat. The fruits were all imported, such as dragon fruit, watermelon, and fresh oranges.
Clickety-clack! The sound of footsteps approached. A young man walked in with confidence. He was dressed in an Armani suit, and his hair was slicked back and shiny. A Rolex watch adorned his wrist, reflecting the lights.
"Joshua?" Noah blinked slightly, realizing that the young man before him was Joshua.
Lily's father had invited influential figures from various industries to this birthday banquet, including Charles, Joshua's father, who was important in the real estate industry. It was only natural for Joshua to be present. Noah estimated that even higher-ranked individuals would arrive soon.
"Joshua, long time no see!" someone immediately approached Joshua with enthusiasm.
"I heard you've been working on the redevelopment project in the impoverished area recently. How's it going?" Another person asked.
"Ah, it's you, Emmett!" Joshua smiled. "Max is in charge of the poverty-stricken areas now. Our company considers it good enough to get a share of the profits. But I heard that Mr. Aiden's building materials business is booming recently!"
Clearly, Joshua was no stranger to these social gatherings. He was skilled in socializing and quickly engaged in conversation with the others. This birthday banquet was not just a celebration, but also a place for these high society individuals to exchange information and collaborate.
"Hmm?" Joshua's gaze shifted and he noticed a familiar figure in the corner.
It was a young man, sitting there with his head down, eating the fruit platter.
"Noah?" Joshua furrowed his eyebrows and walked toward Noah.
"Hey, what are you doing here, Joshua?" The people who had been talking with Joshua followed him.
"Noah, what are you doing here?" Joshua stood in front of Noah, his tone cold.
"I came to attend the birthday banquet." Noah continued eating the fruit, not bothering to look up.
"You came to attend the birthday banquet?" Joshua was taken aback, but then chuckled.
"Noah, are you kidding me? This birthday party is for Miss Lily, the daughter of Kyle. The attendees are all social elites, upper-class individuals, and successful people from various industries. You said you came to attend the birthday party? Can you please stop joking?" Several people had gathered around them.
"Joshua, do you know this young man?"
Someone was scrutinizing Noah from head to toe. A hint of contempt appeared in their eyes when they saw that he was wearing a cheap sports shirt to such a formal occasion.
"I know him!" Joshua points at Noah and said to the crowd, "This guy is jobless, stays at home all day, and doesn't even have a proper job! He's nothing but a social bottom-dweller. He shamelessly claimed that he came to attend the birthday party!"
"A social bottom-dweller is at Lily's birthday party?"
"He must have sneaked in!"
"Most likely. Look at his clothes, they don't even add up to two hundred dollars."
The crowd looked at Noah with ridicule, discussing and pointing at him.
"Noah, as a bottom-dweller like you is not good enough to be here!" Joshua coldly spoke up. "Since you claimed that you came to attend the birthday party, I don't want to accuse you of sneaking in secretly. So, show us your invitation. If you have it, we'll believe that you came to attend the birthday party!"
"My invitation? I don't have one." Noah shakes his head.
"You have no invitation? How did you get in then?" Joshua raised his voice, full of disdain. "We all have invitations, but you don't. If you didn't sneak in, then what are you doing here?"
"Yes, everyone has an invitation except him."
"He obviously sneaked in."
"Actually, I noticed this young man as soon as he came in. The first thing he did was look for something to eat."
"It's obvious that he sneaked in to steal food!"
"These fruits are imported and expensive. What he’s eating is equivalent to his annual salary!"
"Didn't Joshua just say it? This guy is jobless, so where does he get his salary from?"
"This young man has serious character issues!"
The crowd started discussing again.
"Noah, you entered without an invitation and sneaked in. It's morally corrupt!" Joshua shouted, "Security! Security, where are you? Come over and kick this guy out!"
