If Carmen had only established himself in the newspapers, now he has made a name for himself in the Holy City press.

In short, there is also such a person as him in the Holy City press, and it is not easy for him, a young man from the south, to make a name for himself. Because the best and most talented people in the whole empire are gathered in this majestic capital, how difficult it is for a man like him with no background to get ahead.

So, Carmen received an offer from a club.

The tulip club hosts a monthly masquerade party, where all participants wear masks, and invites lawyers, writers, artists, freelance writers, and of course, courtesans and wine.

There are many famous works, such as poetry, music, and paintings, that come from this club. As a result, many young people take pride in being invited.

No one knows who the real owner of this club is behind it, but its famous host, Madame Brown, is famous.

The daimyo is also a glamorous name, this woman was once married to a rich man surnamed Bronn, and she was widowed after her husband's death, but she was always surrounded by a group of suitors, many of whom were powerful.

Madame Bloom was also a philanthropist, and she sponsored many young people to make a name for themselves and publish their work, which made her extremely influential in the cultural circle.

That night, Carmen wore his most modest shirt and coat to the appointment, and he sprinkled himself with a unique perfume - the Genoese have a natural appreciation for perfume.

Apparently it was a masquerade ball, and Carmen saw that many people were not wearing masks, but looking at their relaxed demeanor, it showed that these people were regulars here and did not need to maintain the so-called mystery. There were a few people, Carmen had even seen on other occasions, but no one else knew him as a nobody.

"Is that Mr. Gable, please?" and just as Carmen wondered if his master hadn't shown up, a waiter approached.

"It's me, Carmen Gable. Carmen nodded.

"Please come with me, sir, our lady is invited!" the waiter was polite.

"There is labor!"

Following the waiter through the garden and the front cloister, Carmen was led to a room by the waiter. Madame Blonn was sitting there drinking tea, a beautiful woman in her thirties, but there was no trace of age on her face, and the evening dress on her body was luxurious and elegant.

Her beauty and temperament make any normal man feel good.

"Mr. Carmen-Gable is here!" the waiter's voice was right.

Because Mrs. Blonn was talking to another gentleman.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am!" said Carmen, taking off her hat and kissing her hand.

"I was also delighted to meet a rising star in the world of journalism, Mr. Gable's sharp pen, which was truly amazing. Mrs. Bloom said.

"Thank you for the compliment, I'm just doing what a journalist does. Carmen said.

"But there are thousands of journalists and tens of thousands of journalists in the Holy City, and you are the only one who sees the darkness and misery at the bottom of society. You have exposed the hypocrisy of this society and presented us with a real world where the capitalists are as greedy and sinful as the church and the aristocracy. Another said.

Carmen glanced at the man, a man in his forties, with a slight beard and high cheekbones.

"How dare you call this gentleman?" asked Carmen.

"This is the famous artist Mr. Anthony Fuchs, whose paintings are one of the favourites sought after by collectors. ”

"Fortunately!" Carmen nodded, and the other party was still sitting in his chair, just nodding slightly, a little haughty.

"Carmen, it's no surprise that I call you that, right?" said Lady Bronn with a slight frown.

"It is my pleasure, ma'am. Carmen said.

"There's still a little more to the ball, please take a seat!" said Madame Brown, sneering, perhaps knowing what Carmen was thinking, "except for newcomers like you, everyone else is a regular and doesn't need my invitation or reception, so there's no such thing as a faux pas." It's a salon that provides a meeting place where people can talk freely, but ......"

Mrs. Blonn paused: "Except for politics. ”

"And thieves. Furks interjected, for a thief had slipped in pretending to be a guest, and had almost killed the thief, but before that the thief had made a big splash at the ball, and his dancing skills were amazing, and he was too involved in the play to show his stuff.

This has become a joke that Tulip Club members often come up with.

Mrs. Brown covered her seductive red lips with a folding fan and glanced at Fuchs with a resentful look, "Anthony, you always say things that make me laugh at everyone. ”

"No, no, I dare not make fun of your hospitable and beautiful host. Fu Ke hurriedly made amends, but his eyes were full of special affection.

The waiter brought a pot of freshly brewed tea, and Madame Bronn herself elegantly poured it for the two guests.

"If I'm not mistaken, Carmen is Genoese, right? Mrs. Bloom said.

"That's right, ma'am. To be precise, I'm from Poithu, and tea is abundant there. But now it is not only in the hilly areas of northern Genoa, close to the mountains, but also in the neighboring province of Javia. Carmen said.

"Then I wonder if you know Viscount Connelly?" asked Mrs. Brown.

"He's my headmaster, how can I not know him?" said Carmen, "Madame knows the viscount?"

"Madame is a fan of La Traviata. "When the opera based on this adaptation was staged in the Holy City the year before last, Madame watched it seven times in a row. If you want me to say, she was too deeply poisoned. ”

"Huh. Carmen laughed, he had heard too much about it, not only to Madame Bloom, but also to the Queen and Princess Elizabeth.

"It's a pity that I didn't see the viscount's new work. Madame Brown did not deny it, "I have heard that he is now a businessman, which is rare in the nobility of the South. It seems that the empire has one less artist and one more merchant. ”

In fact, in the North, especially in the Holy City, there was no objection to the aristocracy devoting themselves to industry. Carmen Road:

"That's why the Viscount wants to recruit talent in the Holy City, and he's now building new warships for the Imperial Navy. ”

"What do you think of the nobility?" asked Madame Brown suddenly.

"If it's just an individual, there are good and bad, it's no different from other classes. Carmen said.

"What about the nobility as a whole?" asked Madame Blonn again.

Carmen certainly knew that such a club was not a non-political salon as she claimed, and if he did not answer well, the doors of the club would be closed to him.

It is not surprising that everyone in the Holy City cares about politics, and the pot-bellied and hungry people often shout the same slogans, which is unimaginable to Southerners.

Therefore, Carmen said cautiously: "If the aristocracy does not seek change himself, then he will be pushed to change by external forces." ”

This sentence is very cautious, but it makes people not mistaken, depending on which angle you stand on.

Mrs. Bloom and Fuchs both laughed.

It was also from this day that Carmen Gable really integrated into some of the social circles of the Holy City.

He met a wide range of people, from freelancers, journalists and artists, to academics and low- and middle-ranking officials, all of whom undoubtedly shared a common political tendency.

Of course, he also got to know many seniors and bigwigs in the press industry, which will play an immeasurable role in the future of him as a new star in the press industry. Just as someone touts the work of a certain artist on this club.

The masquerade party lasted for an hour, with guests dancing in various masks and high-class courtesans being sought after by men.

Some of the women came out of one carriage and got into another carriage when they left, which gave Carmen a different side of the Holy City.

Leaving the club, Carmen got into a public carriage, and when the carriage stopped half an hour later, Carmen found himself in a strange place.

Several big men, with gloomy faces, dragged him down from the carriage and then forcibly pressed him to a chair.

A guy with a hooked nose asked with a stiff face:

"Carmen Gable, you're suspected of being involved in the rebellion!"