43: Chapter 43 These two girls are both freaks!
At the moment, Lin Tian naturally had no idea what was happening far away in New York, nor did he know about Elizabeth's family background.
However, being able to hang out with Anna, this girl's background was definitely not ordinary.
After taking the two of them on a long tour around downtown Chicago, he finally managed to buy a few well-fitting dresses at a high-end children's clothing store.
After changing into their new clothes, the two little girls were very satisfied.
Seeing that the sky was gradually darkening, as they walked out of the clothing store, Lin Tian bent down, extended his right hand very gentlemanly, and asked with a smile, "Would you two beautiful ladies do me the honor of having dinner together?"
Upon hearing this, Anna and Elizabeth's little faces instantly flushed red.
Having run around all day, plus not having had a drop of water or a grain of rice for over twenty hours on the train, the two were already starving.
If it hadn't been for the unbearable smell of alcohol on their clothes earlier, they would have already been clamoring to go eat.
Anna was the first to extend her fair, delicate little hand and place it in Bruce's palm. "Bruce, I would be delighted!"
"I... I'll go too!" Elizabeth said, blushing, as she also offered her soft little hand.
Tom and Allen, who were standing not far away keeping watch, stared in disbelief.
They had seen Anna last time they went to California on business and knew she was the apple of the great inventor Edison's eye.
Who would have thought that their boss not only had a close friendship with Anna but had also managed to pick up another delicate girl who looked like a doll today?
"Tom, how exactly do you think our boss cultivated this kind of charm?"
"Tell me about it! I'm in my thirties and haven't even held a woman's hand, yet the boss is only ten and is already out shopping with two girlfriends. I don't know where to hide my face!"
"You have to look at it from a different perspective. You aren't as handsome as the boss, and you don't have as much money in your pocket as the boss. It's no shame to lose to the boss!"
Ignoring his two subordinates' banter, Lin Tian led the two little girls into a nearby French restaurant.
"Good evening, sir and ladies. How many in your party?" As soon as the three entered, a male waiter wearing a red bow tie immediately greeted them respectfully.
"Arrange a nice table for us," Lin Tian said casually.
It was late, and there were not many customers in the restaurant.
The waiter looked down at the two girls. "Where would the two ladies like to sit?"
Anna and Elizabeth looked around.
To be honest, the decor and grandeur of the French restaurants in Chicago were completely incomparable to the high-end establishments in New York.
But the two were so hungry that their vision was blurring, so they really had no energy to be picky.
"Let's take the table by the window so we can see the street view," Anna suggested.
Elizabeth and Lin Tian nodded in agreement.
After they were seated, the waiter asked in French, "Sir and ladies, would you like some steak?"
Lin Tian didn't stutter at all and replied directly in fluent French, "Does the restaurant still have Chateaubriand steak?"
Hearing this fluent French, the waiter became much more enthusiastic. "Yes, sir! Our restaurant prepares the finest ingredients every day!"
Lin Tian turned back to English and asked the two little girls, "The Chateaubriand steak here has a good reputation. Would you like to try it?"
Both girls nodded repeatedly.
Elizabeth turned to the waiter to order, "I would like an order of white asparagus with oil and vinegar!"
"The same for me!" Anna chimed in.
"Also, add three orders of pan-fried foie gras and three orders of black sturgeon caviar," Lin Tian added.
"How would you like the steaks cooked?" the waiter asked as he respectfully recorded the order.
"Well-done!" Lin Tian said firmly.
Anna and Elizabeth also said in unison, "We want ours well-done too!"
The waiter paused for a moment.
It was indeed rare for customers to come to an authentic French restaurant and order well-done steak.
But he was professionally trained and immediately resumed his smile. "No problem. Would you like any dessert after the meal?"
"Opera cake!" Anna said quickly.
"Crème brûlée!" Elizabeth added.
Lin Tian shook his head to indicate he didn't need any.
Seeing that they were young, the waiter tactfully did not try to sell them red wine, and after noting down the menu, he retreated.
Once the outsider had walked away, Anna stared at Lin Tian in surprise. "Lin Tian, you actually know French!"
"I know a thing or two," Bruce replied with a smile.
In reality, this was all thanks to the system's check-in rewards.
He had previously drawn the French Proficiency skill, and a vast amount of vocabulary and grammar had been directly engraved into his brain.
Currently, his French proficiency was absolutely no worse than his native language.
Elizabeth blinked her big, watery eyes, full of curiosity. "Bruce, besides inventing things, what other hobbies do you have?"
"Everyone can just call me Bruce. In my spare time, I read books and earn a little money," Bruce answered truthfully.
Hearing about reading, Elizabeth's eyes lit up.
"I love reading too! I've finished all the books in my father's study, like 'The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin' and 'The Life of Napoleon.' I've also studied business management and the 'Das Kapital' written by the old German man Marx. Recently, I've become obsessed with Mary Shelley's novels!"
Hearing this string of hardcore book titles, Lin Tian couldn't help but gasp.
This was not something a nine-year-old girl should be touching!
Elizabeth continued, "After reading, I also earn money at home. My mother is the general manager of the house, and my father is the chairman. Every time I do a chore, they pay me a salary!"
Lin Tian swallowed hard as he listened.
Who on earth were these parents, actually raising their daughter like a corporate executive?
Anna interjected from the side, "I don't like reading boring biographies of famous people. I like flipping through the latest scientific journals, like Mr. Maxwell's electromagnetic wave theory. Although many old pedants these days don't even acknowledge the existence of electromagnetic waves!"
Lin Tian was speechless.
They were all a bunch of abnormal prodigies!
However, considering that Anna's father was the great inventor Edison, reading about electromagnetic wave theory was quite reasonable.
Not long after, the waiter brought the dishes to the table.
The two starving little girls immediately had their appetites whetted and dug in.
However, the upbringing of young ladies from good families was evident; their eating manners were very elegant, and one couldn't find a single fault.
After filling their stomachs, Lin Tian took them back to the Kona Hotel and specifically booked the most high-end luxury suite for the two girls.
They slept soundly through the night.
After a night of rest, the two little girls had completely recovered their energy.
Tomorrow was the official day of the All-America Rifle Shooting Championship.
The venue setup and logistics were all being monitored by people from the Rifle Association, so Lin Tian completely acted as a hands-off boss.
It just so happened that he had free time, so he took the two girls, who were visiting Chicago for the first time, around to sightsee.
Walking on Michigan Avenue, Lin Tian pointed to a limestone tower and introduced it, "This is the Chicago Water Tower. In 1871, a massive fire broke out in the city, burning down a third of the houses. This water tower was a surviving landmark, representing the rebirth of the entire city!"
Subsequently, the three of them went to St. Michael's Church, which had also escaped the fire unscathed.
In the evening.
The group walked into the old Chicago Opera House.
The English version of the Italian opera 'The Elixir of Love' was being performed on stage.
The plot was very cliché, purely the old story of a poor country boy falling in love with a rich city girl.
The poor boy was wishy-washy, but in the end, it was a happy ending.
Sitting in the box, Lin Tian watched the melodrama on stage and shook his head helplessly.
Turning his head, he saw that Anna and Elizabeth beside him had already been reduced to tears, wiping their eyes non-stop with silk handkerchiefs.
The day of sightseeing passed quickly.
As soon as the sky was barely bright, all of Chicago was completely buzzing with excitement.
The entire street was hung with striking red banners: "Warmly Celebrate the Grand Opening of the First All-America Rifle Shooting Championship!"
Countless firearms enthusiasts couldn't sleep at all and rushed to the Delano Ranch in the east of the city early in the morning.
The perimeter of the ranch had long been enclosed by a sturdy wooden fence.
Two staff members in tailcoats stood guard at the entrance.
Those without a contestant pass or a VIP invitation had to pay fifty cents for a ticket if they wanted to go in and watch the excitement.
Even though the ticket price was outrageously expensive, it still couldn't stop the enthusiasm of the public.
In just one hour, more than 30,000 spectators who had rushed in from New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and other places had squeezed inside.
Everyone wanted to witness with their own eyes who had the ability to win the title of the number one sharpshooter in the United States!