408. Watch Your Image

Having witnessed the filth and stench of the Black Street and the hardships and misery of the poor, Lu Ban felt that the difference between this luxurious banquet in the Upper City and his journey to another world was even greater.

Inside the brightly lit hall, men and women dressed in gorgeous clothes were singing and dancing on the dance floor, chatting on the sofas, and standing on the terrace, holding expensive cigarettes and cigars, puffing away.

On the banquet hall tables, a dazzling array of food was on display: roasted suckling pig with crispy skin and tender meat, steaks sizzling on the hot plate, roasted chickens, fried fish, and more. Although it couldn't compare to the exquisite and elaborate presentation of food in Lu Ban's era, in the environment of the Ruined City, these dishes could definitely be considered luxurious.

"With so much food, I can just eat whatever I want?"

Looking at the table full of food, Xiya felt her soul almost spilling out of her mouth.

"You should be mindful of your image."

Trist knew he couldn't dissuade Xiya; this glutton would inevitably drown in a sea of food and forget the purpose of his trip.

However, he also noticed that there were many guests sitting around the table, including a member of the Catania Family, the eldest brother of this generation, Peter.

"Peter Catania is more of a gourmet than a gangster. He loves food and has little interest in the family business. You can use meals to keep an eye on him."

Trist said to Xiya.

Xiya's eyes had turned into the shape of roasted chickens, and it was unclear whether she had understood what she was saying.

As soon as Trist let go, Xiya rushed to the dining table, grabbed a mountain of food from her plate, and sat down two tables away from the gangster boss. She wolfed down her food, which surprised many people.

No one bothered her.

Most of the people who attend these charity banquets are wealthy people who have so much money they don't know what to do with it and need to satisfy their spiritual needs through donations. Everyone is very polite and will not speak rudely to unfamiliar and pretty girls.

Even though she ate, she didn't look much better than a pig.

Lu Ban had experienced similar situations several times and knew how to handle them.

He and Trist each grabbed a glass of wine, pretending to be familiar with the others as they greeted them. Meanwhile, Trist was explaining some things about the Catania Family to him.

The Catania Family currently has two sons and three daughters.

Peter, the eldest brother, was there enjoying the food and wine while dealing with the flattery of others.

Corsica, the second son, is the most likely to inherit the family position. He is ruthless and highly skilled in combat. He once led a gang fight and killed more than a dozen people. The man surrounded by many people next to the dance floor is him.

The eldest daughter, Carol, is gentle and teaches at a school in the upper town; she did not attend the dinner tonight.

The second daughter Talia, helps with the family business and is very shrewd. She has a tense relationship with her second brother and is seen dancing with a woman in a suit and trousers on the dance floor.

The third daughter, Madam Martina, loved theater and, after marrying a theater actor, frequently attended various parties, making her a socialite.

Madam Martina was nowhere to be seen at the banquet; only her husband was there, engaging in ostentatious and boastful conversation with several portly businessmen.

Lu Ban looked around, but he had already forgotten all the names.

He simply categorized the people present into the gourmet, the second brother, the tomboy, and Madam Martina.

As for why only Martina deserves a name, it's because Trist mentioned it too many times.

Their father, the true head of the Catania Family, Godfather Corneon, usually did not attend such banquets, or he would simply sit in one of the rooms of the banquet hall, holding a cat and listening to other people's requests to kiss the ring on his finger.

In the Ruined City, there were just as many people who wanted to please him as there were people who wanted to kill him.

Suddenly, the music on the dance floor changed, and a classical melody began to play. Lu Ban looked over and saw a woman in a dress that clung to her body like a cheongsam smiling slightly as she began to sing. On the stage in front of the band, in front of the microphone, a woman wearing a dress that clung to her body like a cheongsam began to sing.

"I don't know why, but sorrow surrounds me. I pray every day to drive away the loneliness of love."

Her voice is full of emotion, melodious and gentle, and when paired with old tunes, it is easy to immerse the listener in it.

"How could it be her?"

Trist paused, then stopped in his tracks when he saw the singer.

Lu Ban glanced at her. The singer was dressed gracefully and had a beautiful face with a classical charm, far superior to the internet celebrity beauties in his world.

"Is she the singer you were talking about?"

Lu Ban was curious.

"Yes, Madam Charlotte, a real singer."

Trist instinctively straightened his clothes.

"I didn't expect them to invite her."

"Are you going to catch up with some old friends?"

Lu Ban glanced at the female singer. At least in Lu Ban's opinion, she didn't have any strange or unusual physical structure; she was at least a normal person.

No, thank you.

Trist's face turned as if he had suddenly found a weakness, or as if he had suddenly gained armor.

The charity dinner officially began a dozen minutes later.

The second brother gave the speech. Lu Ban saw that Stone, or rather Stone, was standing in the shadows behind the second brother. He was like a shadow, secretly observing everyone.

"I hope to build a beautiful new Ruined City we can eliminate poverty, hunger, and crime, improve the living conditions of factory workers, make the air in the Black Street no longer stink, and allow every resident of the Ruined City to find their own happiness."

My second brother spoke with great passion and enthusiasm. He has a natural talent for oratory; his pauses, tone of voice, and body language effectively evoked the emotions of the audience.

When he mentioned that the factory workers were suffering from various illnesses due to overwork and polluted air, some people in the audience wiped away tears, and when he spoke of the threats outside the Ruined City, the monsters, and the horrors of the ratmen, some guests showed fear.

If Lu Ban hadn't known he was the head of the gang, he almost would have believed it.

Then the donations began. Lu Ban vaguely remembered that a meal downstairs from Trist's house cost only ten or twenty yuan per person, but the donations here were tens or hundreds of thousands of yuan. He wondered how many factory workers could have a full meal with that money.

"It's all fake. They call it charity, but it's actually forced donations. Many small business owners, such as factory owners or shopkeepers, have to donate money along with those big shots. In the end, the money they receive is returned to those big shots, and the rest is split 30/70 with the gangsters. Less than one-tenth of what's left for the workers is actually left."

Trist whispered to Lu Ban.

"Let's go find Madam Martina."

He found a member of the gang and explained his purpose to him.

The man then led Trist and Lu Ban to the entrance of a lounge outside the banquet hall.

Two burly thugs stood guard at the entrance. They glanced at Trist and opened the door to the lounge.

Lu Ban was initially curious about how Madam Martina, with her peculiar tastes, would react.

But when the door opened, everything was shattered.

In that room, on that soft sofa, the 30-something gangster woman, still charming, lay crookedly on her side in a strange posture, her abdomen, internal organs, and bones being pulled, twisted, and rotated.

The Glass Flower blooms quietly.