Standing Next To You-Chapter 438: Invitation for the Royal Banquet

Fei Chuan walked to the front, neither too fast nor too slow. The spotlight didn’t need to follow him; as soon as he stood up, he immediately drew the attention of everyone in the hall.

His fair skin seemed to glow under the chandelier lights. His broad shoulders and well-built physique perfectly complemented the black suit he wore. His hair was slicked back, with just a few strands falling onto his clean forehead, revealing his strikingly handsome face.

The room went silent as they watched him approach the stage.

A man followed behind him. Upon reaching the stage, the man took the microphone and began to speak, while Fei Chuan stood silently, commanding the room without uttering a word.

"...We received an invitation from Young Master Lin Sanju and came here to support him. Although our gifts may not compare to everyone else’s, we hope our sincerity will reach Head Master Lin’s heart."

Three red envelopes with golden inscriptions were placed on a majestic plate and delivered to Old Master Lin’s table.

Those with sharp eyes immediately recognized the envelopes and the golden insignia. They gasped in shock, causing the others at their table to turn toward them with curiosity.

"...Do you recognize those envelopes?" one guest asked the person who had gasped beside him.

"Of course! I’ve never seen one in person, but I saw it on Mrs. Penelope’s social media account..." The woman, too excited to form a coherent sentence, mumbled her words. However, when the name ’Penelope’ was mentioned, the curiosity in the room grew even more.

Was she referring to the former First Lady of Country A?

A person at another table, who also recognized the envelopes, chimed in.

"Those are royal invitations to the Royal Banquet. Only a select few receive them each year, and the attendees are always people of great reputation and legendary status from around the world."

Those who overheard this exclaimed in shock.

’The Royal Banquet?’

None of them had ever been invited to the Royal Banquet, but they had all heard of it. If there were a hierarchy of banquets, this would sit at the very top—the pinnacle of exclusivity.

The Royal Banquet was held annually, with only fifty guests at most allowed to attend. Each attendee was the crème de la crème, not just in their country, but from across the globe.

It was every elite’s dream to receive an invitation to this banquet, a symbol of ultimate prestige. Yet, no matter how wealthy or globally influential they were, it was rarely enough to secure an invitation. After all, the competition was fierce, with global hegemons all vying for the same coveted spots.

And now, those priceless invitations—three of them—had appeared at this party.

Eyes across the room fixated on the three invitations resting on Old Master Lin’s table, filled with burning desire.

The man on stage continued, "The James family extends their congratulations and hopes to see you at the Royal Banquet. You are welcome to bring two additional guests of your choosing."

Those who hadn’t recognized the invitations earlier were left speechless the moment they heard "Royal Banquet." Murmurs of shock rippled through the crowd.

To have three Royal Banquet invitations in hand was like possessing three mines filled with precious crystals. No—it was worth far more than that. People would go to unimaginable lengths to obtain those two extra invitations from Head Master Lin.

He could trade them for anything. After all, in this room, no one lacked wealth. What they craved was prestige and something to satisfy their insatiable egos.

Old Master Lin stared silently at the three invitations before him. As a man well-versed in high society, he knew exactly what these invitations represented—and he could think of hundreds of ways to take advantage of them.

These were priceless gifts, far more valuable than any family heirloom. After all, attending the Royal Banquet as the head of the Lin family would prove that he had reached the pinnacle of his life. It was a sweet gift for an old man who knew he only had a few more years left. freewebnøvel.com

But...

Old Master Lin’s gaze shifted to Fei Chuan’s impassive face.

Why give these to him?

The James family was considered legendary among the most prestigious families in the world. Even with their immense influence, they were only granted one invitation per year. So how had they managed to secure three—and give them all to him?

This was beyond anything he could comprehend.

Old Master Lin was more concerned about the reason behind this extraordinary gift than excited by it. Countless questions swirled in his mind, but he could only force a smile, masking his unease.

"This is such a great honor to have the James family think of me. I thank them for their generosity in giving me three invitations, but one is more than enough. This is beyond what I can accept." Receiving too much could bring unwanted trouble upon him and his family.

The room suddenly fell silent. Did this mean the other two invitations were now up for grabs?

Despite their rising greed, no one dared make a move or say a word. After all, the James family representative was still standing on stage.

"It’s a gift. There’s no need to feel burdened by it." A deep, soothing voice broke the silence.

Fei Chuan, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke. He looked at Old Master Lin and let out a smile—a gentle, refined, and dazzling smile that seemed to light up his entire presence.

"This is their heartfelt wish for you. Please, accept it."

The room seemed to brighten with his halo, and no one dared breathe too loudly, as if they feared breaking the spell of the remarkable moment.

Old Master Lin was so stunned by that smile that he unconsciously accepted the two additional invitations Fei Chuan pushed toward him.

"We came to deliver these gifts personally," Fei Chuan said, his voice smooth and polite.

"Now that we’ve seen you accepted them, we’ll take our leave. We only stopped by briefly to congratulate you, as we have another appointment to attend. I wish you a prosperous year and continued good health." He gave a slight bow and stepped off the stage.

The man who accompanied him followed immediately.

The hall remained silent as Fei Chuan exited. Even Old Master Lin remained speechless as he was still trying to process what had just happened.

Gradually, murmurs began to rise from those who had recovered first, whispering about the Royal Banquet, the James family, and that striking man that appeared and left so suddenly.

Meanwhile, Lin Sanju stood abruptly, hastily making his way in the direction where Fei Chuan had gone.