Chapter 95: Linda’s Engagement Party!

Chapter 95: Linda's Engagement Party!

Knock knock. I jog over to answer the door, already expecting the two specific ladies waiting on the other side of the threshold.

Linda Lang stands before me, looking absolutely breathtaking in a long, elegant white dress paired with striking silver heels and a matching silver shawl. The look in her eyes practically screams that she belongs entirely to me. She radiates a powerful aura of youth and absolute confidence, standing with the poised posture of a proud noble lady who is thoroughly ready to take her place as a wife.

"Good afternoon my fiance," Linda smiles, her voice clear and resonant. "Your Lang woman is here for you."

She steps across the threshold to pull me into a light, careful hug. She purposely avoids planting a kiss on my face for now, not wanting to do anything that might mess up the immaculate makeup and formal clothing she spent the entire morning preparing.

"I honestly never thought today would actually come, Linda," I say, wrapping my arms around her waist. "Thank you for choosing me."

"Don't be silly, Rick," she replies, pulling back just enough to look into my eyes. "You, Mercy, and I all know we are standing here today because you chose me back then, right Mercy?"

Mercy, her exceptionally tall and beautiful personal maid, stands a few paces behind her, carefully resting several heavy travel bags onto the ground so they can be moved into the house. She isn't sporting her usual long housemaid uniform today. Instead, she wears a highly professional, business-casual navy blue pantsuit that fits the formal nature of the event perfectly. Her sharp blonde bob cut contrasts beautifully against Mary's hair, looking incredibly straight and elegant. Her calm blue eyes scan my face, carrying a deep look of quiet gratitude behind her usual expressionless facade. She is a noticeably taller woman, matching Victoria's height perfectly, and she functions as the absolute ideal Eurasian noble maid who doubles as a lethal bodyguard.

"Linda is correct, Master," Mercy says, her voice smooth and formal. "We were saved because of your family's desire to protect the people you cared for, and I have not yet formally thanked you for that action. I shall do so from today onward."

Mercy brings both of her hands flat in front of her waist and drops into a full, deep bow of absolute submission. The sudden display leaves me scratching my head in confusion.

Standing right behind my shoulder, Mei squints her eyes instantly, her sharp senses picking up on some serious bad news incoming.

Linda notices my confused expression and laughs softly. Reaching out to wrap her fingers securely around mine, she steps in close to explain the situation.

"Mercy Mu is no longer working under the employment of the Lang family, Rick," Linda reveals. "As of today, she is officially your second personal maid, assigned to help out our household. You technically employed her back then, and as a free maid, her only desire is to serve you directly."

Mei completely breaks protocol, cutting right into the conversation from behind my back. "My Master already has me operating as his sole personal maid, so a second one is entirely unnecessary."

Linda shifts her posture, instantly channeling that strict, protective behavior the twins warned me about. Completely unaware that Mei is actually a deadly super spy, she delivers a sharp, authoritative scold.

"Mei, you are completely out of turn here," Linda notes, her voice dropping into a chilly, aristocratic tone. "Your technical skills as a private maid are exceptional, but Mercy Mu is a certified professional bodyguard and fiercely loyal. This arrangement is a joint decision made by myself and Mercy for the benefit of my soon-to-be husband, so please just focus on working well with her. Thank you."

A microscopic smile plays on Mercy's lips at Linda's firm rebuke. Honestly, if Mei wasn't secretly an elite special agent and only possessed the standard domestic background known to the public, Mercy would easily be considered overqualified for the household. She is a highly trained fighter, and I really don't see a single downside to having her on the payroll. The number one priority for me is that I know I can trust her implicitly. I turn my eyes back to Mercy.

"Why choose to serve me instead of Linda?" I ask curiously. "I honestly thought you would want to keep serving her directly."

"I originally worked for George Lang, not Linda," Mercy explains, meeting my gaze without blinking. "I view Linda as my fellow little sister and I will always do whatever it takes to keep her safe, but... I am a noble woman born from the Mu family line, and honor is paramount to our people. I will follow you for the rest of my natural life because you are a Master truly worth serving, Rick Lee-Tang."

I can practically feel the burning glare Mei is shooting into the back of my skull right now, but I wisely choose not to look back at her. Mercy commands the exact same level of respect as Zoe. Just like Zoe's situation, the Mu clan functions as a mid-ranking vassal family serving under the main Lang household, making a noble maid highly respected in high society. Her Mu clan operates exactly like the ancient samurai of my old Earth when it comes to absolute loyalty, meaning her word is an ironclad guarantee.

"In that case, Mercy Mu, I welcome you as a permanent part of our household," I smile, nodding my head. "I will be relying on you from now on."

Breaking past her normally cold, detached appearance, a small, genuine smile touches her lips as she drops into another deep bow. She reaches down to hoist the heavy travel bags, carrying them down the hall toward the residential wing to get settled.

As Linda and I walk side by side toward the lounge area where the other wives are finishing up their preparations, I suddenly feel a sharp, agonizing pinch drive straight into my ribs. I wince, glancing over to see an incredibly annoyed, pouting Mei Xia pulling her hand back.

The moment Linda steps into the next room to converse with the other women, I lean over to whisper to Mei.

"Mei, why the hell are you so pissed off at me?" I mutter, rubbing my sore side. "I don't think I did a single thing wrong just now, right?"

She maintains her rigid, professional maid posture, keeping her voice down to an absolute whisper. "Master, do you actually possess any clue what the specific title of personal maid implies among high society nobility? Especially when it applies to a maid serving a male member of the main household?"

I start putting the pieces together in my head, the realization hitting me, but I decide to keep it completely honest with her. "No, not really. Uncle Tang literally just told you to teach me how to function as a proper Young Master, right? You never actually explained the deeper nuances of your specific role as a personal maid."

A look of intense frustration washes over her face, her expression showing a strong urge to slap herself for forgetting that teaching me proper noble etiquette and household architecture is literally her job. Her left eyebrow twitches violently as she delivers the explanation she definitely should have given me months ago.

"For noblemen, a personal maid is exactly what the name explicitly implies," she hisses softly, her eyes narrowing. "It signifies a maid who enters your private bedchambers to attend to absolutely all of the Master's intimate physical needs. Do I really have to say more for your brain to get the picture, Master~? Personal maids are traditionally responsible for producing main branch offspring to create or strengthen side branches and subordinate vassal families, sigh. Do you finally understand now?"

My eyes widen in absolute shock at the revelation. Before I can stop myself, I ask the one question she absolutely didn't expect to hear.

"Wait, does that mean Uncle Anthony and Zoe have kids together?!"

Mei looks at me with a completely baffled expression, clearly thrown off by the fact that my mind immediately jumped straight to family gossip, but she nods to confirm the fact.

"Indeed," she whispers. "They have two children together, and both are officially recognized members of the Hong noble family. One of them is currently attending classes at Star University."

I turn my head slowly, my bright-blue eyes drifting across the room to where Zoe is currently helping the twins organize their bags for the trip. I just stare at her blankly, trying to process the information. Sensing my gaze, Zoe looks up from the luggage and flashes me a polite, professional smile.

"Young Master, is there anything specific you need help with?" Zoe asks.

"Ah, no, sorry Zoe," I stammer, quickly waving my hands. "I was just learning a bit more about my clan history, thanks."

She nods politely and immediately returns to her domestic duties. Mei rolls her eyes beside me, bringing the conversation to a definitive conclusion.

"This is the exact reason why the vast majority of personal maids are sourced directly from the four subordinate families," Mei notes. "They actively wish to strengthen their own households by securing main branch male offspring. The unfortunate maids who get assigned to serve female heads of house usually have to find husbands elsewhere. Do you get it now? That was the exact reason why everyone fully expected me to get pregnant with Scott's child back before you intervened."

I look straight at her, pointing an accusing finger. "Okay, so why exactly did you fail to teach me that vital piece of information?"

She shrugs her shoulders casually, letting out a flat admission. "I didn't think you were dumb enough to just pick up another random personal maid without checking her background first. I was planning to bring the whole topic up later whenever it was finally time for me to get pregnant. So..."

I exhale a long, heavy breath at her complete lack of forward thinking on the subject. "Well, at least now I know to never accept any more personal maids into this house, geez. So stop being pissed off at me, because this whole misunderstanding is entirely on you."

Mei Xia turns her head away, muttering under her breath. "On the bright side, she can fight just as well as I can, handles firearms flawlessly, drives beautifully, and knows every noble house in the city, but I am still noticeably better at..."

"What did you just say, Mei?" I ask, squinting at her.

"I said an idiot maid follows an idiot Master," she retorts.

She pulls a face and sticks her tongue out at me before turning on her heel to get ready herself.

An hour later, our entire group is navigating past the bustling downtown area inside my white limousine. Coincidentally, with Linda officially moving her belongings into the house, her matching black limousine has also been integrated into our fleet.

Mercy Mu takes the wheel, driving us smoothly through the city traffic while Zoe sits up in the front passenger seat, her sharp eyes scanning the streets for any signs of trouble. Mei is situated in the spacious back cabin with me and my five women, and the luxury interior fits all seven of us very comfortably.

Because today is officially Linda's and my big day, the two of us sit close together on the leather bench, our fingers tightly locked. All of my women are dressed in immaculate white outfits highlighted by stunning gold accessories, while I wear a sharp black suit accented with gold hardware and a matching black tie. The color coordination perfectly represents the black and white themes of the Tang family.

Nichole shifts her position, looking across the cabin to address Linda. "Will there be any massive surprises waiting for us at the venue today for Rick to get violently involved with, ufufu?"

Nichole always makes a conscious effort to calculate my terrible luck into her long-term plans, which is honestly a completely thankless job. Linda looks at her future sister, a reassuring smile on her lips.

"Scott and Cat were explicitly excluded from the invitation list," Linda answers. "So I am genuinely hoping the entire event should be peaceful. But even if things go sideways, I don't care. I am coming home with everyone tonight no matter what."

Linda squeezes my hand with incredible force, making sure I know she has zero intention of letting me go if I try to run. I flash her a warm smile. Mary catches the interaction and giggles softly, well aware of the lingering trauma Linda holds from her past.

"Linda, don't worry if Rick suddenly pulls out his revolver today," Mary teases, a playful glint in her eyes. "We manually forced him to load the cylinders with rubber slugs this morning to avoid any unnecessary bloodshed, so if he actually shoots someone, don't panic, fufu."

Well, that is mostly because Mary, Mei, Mercy, and Zoe are all carrying concealed weapons anyway. Linda nods her head in silent understanding, thoroughly familiar with the baseline security protocols of high society. I choose not to mention the heavy row of forty-five Colt bullets tucked securely inside my belt loop. Instead, I just offer Linda a reassuring smile.

"I will be on my absolute best behavior today, I promise," I say, squeezing her hand. "Or at least, I will try my hardest."

Our large group of nine finally pulls up to the Hilton International, bypassing the main hotel lobby to head straight toward the adjacent convention ballroom structure. The facility is officially designated as the Event Hall. Just to be absolutely safe, I had already reactivated my custom Trojan Horse program on my mobile device before leaving the vehicle, gaining full entry to the building's central server matrix just in case any major network trouble flares up during the evening.

Standing right outside the massive formal entrance are two sets of parents, arrayed to greet the arriving crowd. To the left side stands George Lang, sporting his signature black hair and piercing grey eyes, alongside his wife Sue Lang, who matches his coloring with neat black hair and striking blue eyes. Positioned on the right side of the threshold is Kim Tang, her deep black hair contrasting nicely against her unique gold eyes, standing right next to my uncle Anthony Tang, whose sharp blonde hair and brown eyes give him a commanding presence.

Both sets of relatives look mostly thrilled the exact moment they spot our group approaching the concrete walkway. Only Linda's mother seems to harbor a faint expression of concern regarding her daughter's sudden marriage, mostly because she still isn't entirely certain if Linda is genuinely happy with the arrangement or not.

Linda and I smoothly separate for a brief moment, taking our temporary positions alongside our respective families to maintain a proper appearance for the public eye. Kim immediately steps forward, wrapping her arms around each of my wives in a display of genuine, heartfelt familial affection. She definitely isn't faking the warmth, either. She even goes out of her way to flash the twins a pair of happy, completely authentic smiles.

My uncle steps up to me next, executing a perfectly timed handshake for the crowd before clapping a firm hand against my shoulder. I immediately activate my Acting skill, throwing up the coordinated front act he instructed me to maintain for the duration of the night. The display is specifically designed to show the gathering of guests and subordinate vassal families our complete inner solidarity. Honestly, I don't really mind playing along because I place an incredibly high value on family loyalty, excluding that absolute trash Scott.

"Well, nephew, it is incredibly good to see you here safe and sound," Anthony notes, his voice carrying clearly across the stone courtyard. "Now let's bring everyone straight inside for the main party before the official announcement. Come along, everyone."

Linda falls back into line with her father and mother for the time being, while the rest of our group files into the massive ballroom. The center of the floor has been completely cleared out to accommodate dancing later in the evening, while a massive, circular round table sits at the far end of the room, arranged for the two primary households to sit side by side to represent a flawless alliance. As we make our way toward our assigned seats, I let my eyes scan the rest of the tables to evaluate the crowd.

The very first person I look for is incredibly easy to spot. Victoria is already staring straight in my direction from a nearby table, casually sipping from a tall glass of sparkling champagne. She is wearing a stunning white formal dress and a pair of gold-framed glasses, which feels like a very nice, subtle nod to our private conversation from last night. Sitting right alongside her at the table are Ashley and James, with a pair of medical crutches leaning heavily against his chair.

The next familiar face I catch in the crowd is Brenda Sho, a mature beauty possessing sleek black hair and stark white eyes. She functions as the Vice Leader of the Black Snakes organization, making her a direct rival to my Tina. I offer her a brief, polite wave across the room because despite all the structural trouble she causes for Tina's faction, she has always been a perfectly pleasant lady to deal with individually.

Of course, that little gesture immediately pisses off the very next woman I look at. Tina Feng is sitting squarely with the rest of her main family block, glaring in my direction. Interestingly, Jenifer is standing right in the background behind her chair, wearing a completely authentic, traditional maid outfit for a total change of pace. I literally do a double-take at the sight, and the moment Jenifer catches me looking, her entire face flushes a deep crimson. Tina's annoyed expression vanishes instantly, replaced by a satisfied smirk as she watches her usually irritating maid get thoroughly embarrassed for once.

Nick Soto, a middle-aged figure with salt-and-pepper hair and sharp black eyes, is seated at another table deep within the Lang family section alongside his three wives. Looking at his placement, a sudden realization smacks me right in the face. Linda must have been the one to personally send him to my location back then to offer assistance. She really went completely out of her way to protect me without ever letting me know she was pulling the strings behind the scenes. I am definitely going to have to reward her properly for that move later tonight.

Naturally, I don't recognize the vast majority of the minor nobility filling the room, but I definitely recognize the guy sitting near the center aisle. Jerry Bing, the Vice Leader of the Crouching Tigers faction, is sharing a table with his fiancée, Stacy Tang. The two of them wave over at me, and I return the gesture with a relaxed smile.

Over in the designated Lang sector, I spot a familiar father-and-son duo sitting together, Tony and Alex Deng. I offer a friendly wave to Tony because the guy has turned into a completely cool dude in my book. Ever since our last encounter, we even stop to chat in the university hallways whenever we cross paths between classes.

Even the high-profile defense lawyer Hank Ho is present, sharing a table with an incredibly high-end escort date. I offer the guy a respectful nod as well. Look, at the end of the day, he was simply doing his assigned legal job back during our previous conflict, and I don't hold a single ounce of personal resentment against him. Plus, that gorgeous lady on his arm makes him look incredibly successful.

My mother-in-law Gloria Chang and Dean John Chang are also situated at a prominent table near the front, invited specifically due to their high institutional importance and their direct administrative connections to both me and Linda. This was the exact pair Linda explicitly requested I add to the master guest list on her behalf.

The final notable arrangement in the room belongs to the Song family block, though Scott is visibly absent from the seats. Hope is sitting near the center of the table, a clear look of lingering expectation shining deep in her eyes, even though Alex Renaldo is currently sitting right at her side. Wait, what the hell?

Why did she seriously bring that complete douchebag to this event? To make things even more ridiculous, she is openly throwing flirty glances in my direction while the guy is sitting right next to her. Wow, the woman really possesses some serious balls. Well, our official challenge match is scheduled to happen in exactly two weeks anyway, so I guess she just wanted to sneak a little bit of chaotic trouble straight into my formal event tonight.

If you are currently wondering why the Head of the Feng family received a formal invitation despite being in direct opposition to the Langs, while the Head of the Long family was completely left off the list, then you clearly haven't been paying close attention to the structural shifts in my story.

We finally take our positions around the massive circular head table, where the primary Heads of house sit side-by-side with their respective wives flanking them.

Directly next to the parents' seats, I sit on the main Tang side of the line while Linda takes her position on the Lang side. My wives line up immediately next to me, with Helen anchoring the very end of our row. Positioned right next to Linda is her older sister Tonya Lang, who functions as the next official Head of House, sitting alongside her new fiancé. The guy is a completely scrawny, young kid. Oh, right, their formal wedding isn't scheduled until June because that is the exact month he finally turns eighteen.

I let out a silent chuckle in my heart, watching the poor kid look completely overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the high-society crowd. Still, I notice that Tonya keeps looking down at her younger man with an expression of pure, unadulterated love. I guess she is a total shota-con. Well, I suppose I am technically in the exact same boat, just reversed, since I don't have a single romantic interest who is younger than me in this entire world.

George Lang shifts his weight in his chair, looking across the table to capture my attention.

"Hello, Rick," George says, keeping his voice low. "We can definitely sit down to talk more about the business arrangements later tonight, but would it be alright if I deliver the formal announcement for you and Linda right now? Personally, I would much rather get the critical legal details out of the way immediately to avoid giving anyone room to cook up any sudden plots."

I can see right through his nervous posture. He is completely terrified that I might suddenly back out of the alliance at the last second, but he is stressing over absolutely nothing.

"Head Lang, I fully support your timing on this choice," I answer, nodding my head toward the crowd. "Especially since I can already spot a few chaotic elements staring holes into the side of my head from the audience."

Anthony tracks the conversation from his seat. Seeing George look so visibly anxious, my uncle offers a firm nod of approval to cut through the tension."In that case, let's execute this sooner rather than later," Anthony instructs.

Both family Heads stand up from the table in perfect unison, their synchronized movement instantly drawing the absolute attention of every single guest in the ballroom. George lifts his glass high into the air, addressing the gathered friends and relatives with a booming tone.

"Those who know my corporate track record well often call me a regular procrastinator and incredibly long-winded, matching the patient attributes of my family's guardian beast, the Black Tortoise," George announces, a proud smile breaking across his face. "But today, this turtle is going to cut straight to the point. The Lang family is incredibly proud to announce the formal union between my beautiful daughter, Linda Lang, and the main branch's own Rick Tang. May our households find closer unity through this bond. You two have my absolute blessing."

Usually, a major announcement speech like this is reserved for the absolute end of the evening, but he literally just tossed the information straight out into the crowd like a grenade with the pin pulled. Even Linda's mother looks completely stunned by the abrupt timing. Anthony immediately lifts his own glass to follow up the claim.

"Linda Lang, welcome to our household, as you have officially managed to tame a great White Tiger," Anthony declares firmly. "I deliver my full blessings to this union."

The entire room rises to toast the announcement, sipping their drinks in unison with the two family leaders. Just like that, the main political hurdle is completely cleared. Now, it is officially Linda's and my turn to take the stage. She stands up from her seat and glides over to my side of the table, and I rise to meet her halfway.

Her usual facial expressions usually don't reveal a single scrap of emotion, which often makes people think she is unhappy with her strategic arrangements, but she completely blows that icy facade away right in front of the entire assembly. She steps in close, rising up on her tip-toes to plant a gentle, lingering kiss right onto my lips for everyone to see. Slipping her arm around my left side, she securely intertwines her fingers with mine, holding onto me with a desperate level of physical intensity that betrays exactly how much she struggles with showing her true feelings in public. Even her mother looks completely taken aback by the sudden display of raw affection.

George Lang watches the reaction and lets out a joyful, roaring announcement.

"There you have it, everyone!" George beams, gesturing toward the floor. "My daughter has officially chosen her husband. Now let's party, eat, dance, and drink!"

Linda keeps her grip on my hand incredibly firm, silently conveying the absolute wave of joy rushing through her now that she finally possesses official permission to be my fiancée, meaning her mother can't do a single thing to stop the relationship now.

Now that the absolute hardest part of the evening is completely out of the way, I guess it is finally time to see exactly what kind of garbage I am going to have to shovel from the local peanut gallery.