54: Chapter 54 A room full of top dignitaries, Lin Tian becomes the group's darling.

The garden was terrifyingly large.

It was at least a five or six-hundred-meter walk from the front gate to the main building in the center.

On both sides of the road were wide, neatly manicured lawns.

In the middle stood a marble statue of a goddess.

The goddess carried a vase on her shoulder, from which clear spring water flowed, cascading into a fountain.

Along the main path to the building, there were gentlemen in tailcoats everywhere, with female companions draped in gold and silver on their arms.

Looking around, it was entirely made up of white people.

As a Chinese man walking among them, Lin Tian stood out like a crane in a flock of chickens.

It was fortunate that it had gotten dark, otherwise, he surely would have been recognized by passersby.

Bypassing the fountain, Lin Tian walked up to the main building.

The magnificent hall was already packed with people.

Important figures gathered in small groups, some chatting about stock market trends, others sharing gossip and anecdotes, and some discussing the political situation in the USA.

Whenever they reached a happy point, bursts of laughter would erupt from time to time.

"Oh, isn't this Mr. Lin Tian, who is about to step into the ring with the Polar Bear boxer?"

A slightly mocking voice suddenly came from the side.

Lin Tian turned his head to look.

The person speaking was a handsome white boy, about twelve or thirteen years old.

The kid was staring at him with a playful expression.

"Pierre!"

A gorgeously dressed noblewoman nearby immediately scolded him sharply.

The boy was scolded, and he quickly shut his mouth.

The noblewoman was wearing a purple backless evening gown, with a long string of sparkling diamond necklaces around her neck.

She walked up to Lin Tian and spoke with an apologetic face:

"I am so sorry, this child Pierre is too ill-mannered!"

Since his mother had stepped forward to apologize, Lin Tian naturally could not be bothered to quibble with a mere child. He shook his head and responded calmly:

"Don't worry about it, Madam. It's nothing; I do indeed plan to face the Polar Bear boxer in three days!"

"God bless you! I heard that this boxer can punch with a force of eight hundred pounds. Mr. Lin Tian, are you really confident?"

The noblewoman looked worried, as if she were genuinely sweating for Bruce.

"It's a small matter. Many people outside are convinced I will lose, but I just want to say, the championship will definitely be mine!" Lin Tian said with great confidence.

"Then I wish you a successful start, Mr. Lin Tian!"

After finishing the pleasantries, the noblewoman pulled the boy named Pierre and hurried away.

Just as Lin Tian was wondering about the background of this mother and son, someone nearby chimed in:

"They are from the Du Pont Family. This boy is named Pierre Du Pont, sharing the name with the family founder who passed away years ago. That lady just now is the wife of Ramon Du Pont!"

Bruce turned his head and immediately saw James Roosevelt smiling.

"Hello, Mr. Roosevelt. What a coincidence to run into you here!" Lin Tian said, somewhat surprised.

"Good evening, Lin Tian!"

After greeting him, James pointed to the side.

A young man stood beside him.

He was much younger than James, but they looked somewhat alike.

This person had been standing there, looking Lin Tian up and down with great interest.

"And who is this?" Lin Tian asked casually.

"This is my cousin, Theodore Roosevelt!" James introduced him enthusiastically.

"The future President of the USA?"

Lin Tian's heart skipped a beat; he really hadn't expected to run into this legendary figure here.

Seeing that Bruce did not respond, Theodore took the initiative to extend his hand, breaking the silence first:

"Hello, Mr. Lin Tian. I am Theodore Roosevelt, nice to meet you!"

"Hello, I am Bruce Lin. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Roosevelt!" Lin Tian shook his hand, his expression calm.

Just as the two finished exchanging pleasantries, and before Lin Tian could continue, a familiar, crisp cry suddenly rang out in the hall.

"Bruce!"

Bruce turned his head in the direction of the voice.

He saw Anna wearing a sky-blue dress, with a string of sparkling sapphire necklaces around her neck.

Seeing Anna waving at him continuously, Lin Tian, who had intended to chat a bit more with Theodore, could only apologize and excuse himself:

"Gentlemen Roosevelt, please excuse me."

The twenty-something Theodore laughed heartily and joked: "Go ahead. The banquet hasn't started yet; keeping a young lady company is the mark of a true gentleman. Don't keep her waiting!"

James, standing beside him, also smiled.

Lin Tian nodded helplessly and turned to walk towards Anna.

Seeing Lin Tian come over, Anna was beaming with joy.

She turned her head and proudly showed off to the group of young beauties beside her:

"This is Bruce Lin! The great hero who saved my mother and me by firing his gun on the train last time! The Smokeless Powder that is causing such a stir right now was also invented by him!"

Hearing this, the group of young girls' eyes lit up, and they scrambled to step forward to introduce themselves.

"Hello, Mr. Bruce. My name is Sonia, and my father is a Senator for the Republican Party!"

"Hello, Mr. Bruce, I am Polly, and my father owns a bank!"

The group of young girls were chirping away, each trying to outdo the other by bragging about their fathers; they all came from impressive backgrounds.

"Alright, alright!"

Anna felt as if she were surrounded by a flock of ducks and quickly called for a stop. "Bruce, I'm sorry, these are all friends of Elizabeth and me."

Bruce smiled slightly and bowed in a very gentlemanly manner to greet them:

"Hello everyone. I am Bruce Lin, and I am very pleased to meet such beautiful ladies!"

"So handsome!"

The group of young girls were so excited that their faces turned red, and their hearts were racing.

This was the age of dreaming.

After listening to Anna's embellished account of the heroic deed on the train, which sounded like a knight saving a damsel in distress, everyone was incredibly envious, wishing they could replace Anna as the female lead on the spot.

To make a good impression, the young girls pinched the hems of their skirts and returned a flawless lady's curtsy.

Anna watched from the side and pouted: "These people usually just go through the motions when they greet others, but today they are more proper than anyone!"

Fortunately, she wasn't at the age where she would pull hair or get into catfights, otherwise, she would have started scolding them long ago.

Lin Tian casually changed the subject: "Anna, did Mr. Edison bring you to the banquet today?"

"Of course not, I came with my mother."

Anna explained angrily, "My father created the light bulb, which caused Mr. Rockefeller to lose a huge sum of money in his oil business. Since they fell out, my father hasn't set foot in the Rockefeller house again!"

It was quite a grudge.

Earlier on, Rockefeller thought very highly of Edison and had even invested a sum of money to support his inventions.

But one day, four years ago, Edison had a sudden inspiration and insisted on using electricity to create light and illuminate the night.

This was clearly meant to smash the rice bowl of Rockefeller, who made a fortune selling kerosene.

After countless failures, Edison finally used an electric current to light up a vacuum-sealed light bulb.

The light shone across New York City.

At that time, The Public Gazette loved to stir up trouble and published on its front page: "Edison's wild imagination: using electricity to produce light, heat, and power!"

Edison was, of course, overjoyed.

But in stark contrast, the stock of the kerosene company plunged by thirty percent within a few days.

In an era before the internal combustion engine had been invented, the greatest use for petroleum was refining kerosene for lighting.

Rockefeller was severely hit and swore an oath on the spot: he would never invest a single cent in any of Edison's projects for the rest of his life!

Developing the light bulb was a bottomless pit.

Unable to get investment from the Oil King, Edison turned and sought refuge with another super mogul—J.P. Morgan.

From then on, the Oil King and the Invention King completely severed ties.

Lin Tian naturally had no standing to comment on the grudge between the two giants.

He patiently chatted with the group of young girls.

The chirping noise attracted the attention of many adults, who looked over one after another.

Just then, melodious music began to play in the hall.

"The banquet is starting!"

Anna grabbed Lin Tian's hand and walked toward the center of the main hall.