Starting with the Carrick Club and ending with the mystery guests, the charity auctions organised by Alexander Hamilton are undoubtedly the hottest topic in London in late summer and early autumn, and that invitation is a treasure that everyone covets and is a must-have for the hot people of the moment.

It's not just the new generation of aristocrats, from the emerging artists to the hot financial tycoons, from the three generations of the much-anticipated consortium to the self-made rising stars, from the masters of art collectors to the business hunters of scalping and speculation...... The middle of the entire elite is boiling with hustle and bustle.

Because the top bigwigs don't need to attend the charity auction in person at all, sending agents to attend is already face-saving, and because the new generation of freshmen are not qualified to get invitations, they may not be able to get a straight look if they sharpen their heads and drill in, which also makes all the focus gather in the middle of the pyramid -

When they get an invitation, they may be able to climb the ladder and promote their name in the upper class, but if they miss the invitation, they may be forgotten and their reputation will suffer. As a result, everyone is trying to get their names on the invitation list.

This war has not even begun.

As the person behind the success of this drama and as an important part of the focus, Lan Li left the residence unhurriedly and headed for the West End of London.

Before heading to the charity auction, Blue Rite has a special itinerary.

Lan Li took the lead in visiting the current president of the Carrick Club, expressed his gratitude for the charity event, and had a friendly conversation, including the proposal for Lan Li to return to London's West End, which is definitely something that everyone is looking forward to - Lan Li himself is looking forward to being able to stand on the stage again and try more challenges, and the chairman is looking forward to the return of Lan Li to bring more young blood.

"It's only when the young people keep coming in that the West End can keep going, and most importantly, we old guys get to see more wonderful work, which I haven't seen in a long, long time that makes me jump. It's so disappointing. ”

It can be said that these private clubs all follow the ancient and cumbersome traditional rules, stubborn, self-contained, and even refuse to advance with the times, but it can also be said that these private clubs have their own persistence and love, which may be a complete disaster for others, but it is a hearty and timely rain for like-minded people, allowing them to find each other.

Later, accompanied by Matthew, Lan Li went to the Garrick Club.

In the end, Lan Li still did not choose the out-of-the-ordinary dress of hat T with jeans, but continued the etiquette of formal occasions and appeared on the scene in a suit.

The dark red blazer with dark blue suit pants, the pearl white shirt with the dark blue narrow tie, the overall outfit still continued the youthful vitality in the calm, and finally a pair of brown chestnut oxford shoes as an embellishment, which became the finishing touch, faintly revealing a hint of flamboyant vitality.

Not only Lan Li, but Matthew, who was traveling with him, also spent a lot of thought on dressing.

A smoky gray dark checked suit with an off-white shirt is obviously more lively than the usual black suit in court - although it is not an exceptional breakthrough, it is already very rare for Matthew, and the burgundy square on his left chest is definitely a special highlight.

There was no need for words at all, when Lan Li and Matthew appeared hand in hand, the eyes around them couldn't help but be projected, which was enough to create a hot focus.

When I arrived at the club, about forty-five minutes before the auction officially began, there was a bustling crowd of reporters gathered at the door, at least 30 people at a glance, but unlike the crowded and lively ceremony of the award ceremony, all the reporters appeared in suits and leather shoes, gathered together in an orderly and polite manner, and had a friendly and enthusiastic conversation, unable to hide their excitement and excitement.

Even if the guests appeared, they did not flock forward, as if they were restrained by the suit, and raised their cameras slightly to take pictures, even the flash became quiet and polite, and the sound of those shutters converged like a beautiful symphony.

There was a faint sense of joy in such a scene, but Lan Li was not surprised at all. Even where the royal family appears, the presence of journalists will never disappear, and similarly, as long as it is a formal and solemn occasion, the paparazzi are willing to restrain their arrogance and show etiquette, which is also a unique scenery in the United Kingdom.

There was no question session at the scene, and the reporters were just whispering, "Your Excellency Lan Li, please wait." ”

The difference can be detected in small details, not "Lan Li", nor "Lan Li Young Master", but "Your Excellency Lan Li", showing different specifications of treatment.

At the same time, the call of "Lord Matthew" was also mixed in. Although Lan Li and Matthew did not stop, their pace of progress slowed down significantly, allowing reporters to record every moment with their cameras, this charity auction that caused a sensation in London Vanity Fair spread among the general public early, curious about the bits and pieces, just like the royal family's "wedding of the century", the gossip of the nobility is always particularly attractive-

Even if it's just the lineup of guests in attendance, it can make their blood boil.

Lan Li and Matthew's footsteps stopped at the door of the club, and two staff members in black suits took the initiative to greet them and expressed their friendship with a polite smile, "Your Excellency Lan Li, Lord Matthew, please show the invitation." ”

Even well-known familiar faces need to be reviewed one by one because of the special membership system of the Garrick Club, and not everyone will be able to enter the venue.

So, some people will definitely ask, what if the royal family is even really big, and they can't be in either? The answer is yes: no.

First of all, these elites are well aware of the rules of private clubs, they don't want others to break into their own territory, and naturally they will not break into other people's territory. That's a source of pride.

Second, if there is a thorn in the side that tries to challenge the rules, then the answer is as follows: No, otherwise, in the 300-year history of the White Club, the queen would not be the only woman who has entered it, and no other female members of the royal family have been able to get in, including Princess Diana and Princess Kate.

Lan Li and Matthew each showed their invitations, and after getting confirmation, they entered the club's door.

Entering the lobby on the first floor from the outside, you will immediately see the Victorian style built with burgundy carpets, crystal chandeliers, and dark brown cabinetry, every small detail reflects the long and deep history, and the understated luxury is everywhere.

"Your Excellency Lan Li, Your Excellency Matthew, please here. Four staff members in black suits stood in two rows at the entrance of the lobby, and one of them took the initiative to greet them and make an introduction.

Under the guidance of the staff, Lan Li and Matthew went to the adjacent cloakroom again, where they could store their hats, coats, or related items, and at the same time, they checked the invitation letter for the second time and signed it with a pen on the sign-in book, which officially confirmed their attendance.

This method is also to deal with unexpected situations, if there are really uninvited guests, ordinary guests, they will be rejected at the door of the club, and special guests, they cannot create a farce in front of the public, then the staff will guide them into the club lobby and solve the problem here -

Next to the cloakroom is a small lounge where many things can be taken care of.

There are so many secrets within the aristocracy that they can't easily expose their weaknesses and need to maintain their perfect image in public, which also means that they must be prepared for different emergencies so that they don't have to rush.

After the second confirmation and completion of the check-in, this is the official admission.

Under the guidance of the staff, I walked down the corridor to the showroom in the northwest corner of the first floor, and then the staff standing at the door of the room handed the auction brochure to Lan Li and Matthew respectively, and gave a brief introduction to the auction.

This auction brochure lists all the lots in the charity auction, and guests can read and browse the information in advance, and then mark the lot they want to bid on, the lot they want to win - or the owner of the lot, and the lot they want to be included in the collection, and so on.

At this time, the guests appeared in the showroom one after another, chatting in a whisper, and the waiters with champagne walked through it, even the appearance of Lan Li did not cause too much confusion, at most they just looked at it with their eyes, and occasionally greeted them in a friendly manner, and then continued to focus on the display case in front of them-

The items in the display case are the items that are being sold this time, so you can browse them one by one according to the auction brochure and check your thoughts by looking at the real thing.

"Does Andre know that you donated that snuffbox?" Matthew noticed one of Lan Li's donations at a glance: although it was anonymous, their group of friends knew that the Tang Dynasty lady snuff box was from Lan Li's collection, and Andre wanted to have it, but because it was Lan Li's favorite item, he couldn't do it.

Unexpectedly, today Lan Li was actually donated and became the main axis of the charity auction, and Matthew can now imagine Andre's expression.

The corners of Lan Li's mouth rose slightly, "Now he should know." ”

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