Chapter 2: The Old Gothic Winery
There weren’t many pedestrians on Skyfire Avenue, because this was a place where one had to be qualified to be here. It wasn’t just a matter of money. It was also a matter of taste.
Only after one passed through seventeen linked evaluations would one receive the Skyfire Badge. But of course, it would cost money as well. The reason was: ‘Skyfire Avenue Public Maintenance Fund’.
Lan Jue walked out of Zeus, his face returning to its normal, faint smile. The events in the shop apparently hadn’t impacted him at all.
He walked to the opposite side of Skyfire Avenue. There was an ancient, French-style gothic building there.
Tall, sharp towers, arched doorways, stained glass windows depicting stories from the Holy Bible, gothic arches, flying buttresses, slender columns…they produced a light yet lofty sensation, as though one was flying in the sky. The framework provided the entire structure with abundant support and strength, with the directly rising lines contributing to a grandiose and spacious appearance.
Compared to Lan Jue’s Zeus Jewelry Store, this Gothic structure was like a leviathan. In the entire Skyfire Avenue, in fact, it was the most arresting sight.
Pushing open the door and going inside, Lan Jue rubbed some of the stubble on his face. He couldn’t help but let out a hint of a bitter smile. He was about to be criticized again by that strict fellow.
“Jewel Master, you came.” A tall, slender, beautiful young lady, with long golden hair, dressed in an ancient French full-length court dress, came to welcome him. She gave Lan Jue an absolutely proper French curtsey.
Lan Jue nodded at her slightly. “Eva [Yi’wa], hello. Is the Wine Master here yet?”
Eva smiled slightly, displaying those eight pearly white teeth. “He’s here. The Gourmet and the Coffee Master are here as well.”
“Oh?” A hint of surprised delight flashed past Lan Jue’s eyes. “The Gourmet is here as well? That’s wonderful.”
Eva smiled. “I’ll bring you there.”
A luxurious, long French palace table that could easily seat twenty for dinner. Several people were seated next to it. In the head seat, there was an old man who seemed to be in his fifties or sixties. He was dressed in an exquisite French suit, with a wig on his head. He sat there, upright yet graceful, his face very solemn.
On each side of him, there were two others seated as well. One was tall and thin, dressed in a white shirt and a black vest. His short hair was exquisitely done. He was around forty or so, and there was a gentle smile on his face.
The other person was around thirty-five, of ordinary stature. He wore a white suit, and his long golden hair was perfectly brushed, falling from both sides of his temples to his shoulders, dazzling to behold. His eyebrows were quite thick, and his eyes were very large, but in his eyes there was an undisguised hint of laughter, making him look a bit ‘naughty’.
Three men were seated on the other side of the table. An old man, a middle-aged man, and a youngster.
Compared to the three people in the host’s seats, they seemed to be slightly uneasy.
“Hey, is it the evaluation time again today?” Led by the young lady, Eva, Lan Jue arrived at that long table. He pulled a chair next to the man in the white suit.
“Jewel Master, you didn’t shave or comb your hair.” The old man in the head seat said with a frown.
Lan Jue slapped his forehead. “I knew you’d say that. Fine, I’m at fault. Even though I just came because I wanted to show that I’m making changes, and wanted to draw a bit closer to you old fogeys.”
The Wine Master said coldly, “If you are at fault, then you need to accept the punishment. You understand our rules.”
The man in the white suit next to Lan Jue lowered his head, and said in a very ‘cool’ manner, “Support.”
Lan Jue glanced at him sideways, then looked at the Wine Master. “What’s for dinner?”
The lips of the man in the white suit trembled. In the end, he couldn’t refrain from laughing.
The Wine Master laughed as well. “We can talk about what we’ll eat later. Since you are at fault, then you’ll handle the interviews for the next few people. You are more skilled in this regard than I am.”
Lan Jue shook his head. “No. That’ll cost me too much brain power.”
One of the seventeen evaluations in order to be admitted into Skyfire Avenue: Wine.
The Wine Master said, “If the results of your interview are satisfactory to me, tonight’s wine will be on me.”
“Done.” Lan Jue said.
The man in the white suit pursed his lips. “Can’t you be a bit more reserved?”
Lan Jue said calmly, “Then don’t drink.”
The youngster dressed in a black vest on the other side of the man in the white suit spoke for the first time. “Support.”
The man in the white suit said unhappily, “Gourmet, why are you always on his side?”
Gourmet said, “Because he has more taste than you.”
The Wine Master, in the head seat, nodded as well. “He does.”