The Supreme Soldier in the City
Chapter 111 Light Clouds and Breeze

Chapter 111: Chapter 111 Light Clouds and Breeze

James Johnson was quite the show-off back in high school, his father being the Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Bureau in YODC City.

Over the years, environmental protection has become increasingly important, and the power of the Environmental Protection Bureau has grown. Even when James Johnson’s father was just a minor section chief, James was already quite arrogant. Now that his father holds significant authority as a Deputy Director, he managed to get him a government job in the District Transportation Bureau after graduation.

With a government job and a powerful father, James always thought of himself as someone who ranked high among his classmates—not the absolute top perhaps, but certainly among the first few. He was usually very haughty, humbling himself a bit for classmates who were doing well, but when it came to small-time employees like James Brown, he was utterly unreserved in his disdain.

David Brown quickly stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "James Brown, James is just kidding with you."

James Brown gave a light smile and said, "It’s nothing."

Back in high school, James Brown and this James Johnson had their differences. But after so many years, James Brown had long since stopped caring, whereas it seemed James Johnson still harbored those memories. However, in James Brown’s eyes, James Johnson was hardly significant now, so even when Johnson was being mean-spirited, Brown couldn’t bother to take him seriously.

James Brown didn’t expect that Alice Brown and Jennifer Hog would hold such high esteem in everyone’s eyes. Even after meeting all kinds of celebrities and artists, Brown really didn’t think much of these two municipal TV hosts.

After James Johnson got a rise out of James Brown and saw that Brown didn’t retort, he felt immensely self-important. Although he refrained from making further harsh comments, he still had the tone of a leader lecturing an employee, "You see, James Brown, what I said earlier might not have been pleasing to you, but we’re all old classmates, and I was speaking the truth. We’re not kids anymore; we need to be responsible for what we say. How can you achieve great things if you just brag without substance?"

James Brown found it amusing and replied, "Thanks for the advice, leader James. I won’t brag anymore."

Feeling even more self-important, James Johnson laughed, "That’s good, that’s good. Seeing how humble you are, if you run into any trouble in the future, come to me, and I’ll definitely help you out."

"Well, that’s very kind of you, leader James, make sure to keep your word," James Brown responded, playing along with Johnson’s words. For such a petty figure, it wasn’t worth Brown’s time to make a fuss.

As James Brown did not retort, others quickly stepped in to keep the peace, and James Johnson, having saved face, began chatting with a few he favored.

After a few casual exchanges, the topic naturally drifted back to Alice Brown and Jennifer Hog. The group was mostly in their mid-twenties, with over eighty percent unmarried and only two or three years into their careers, still harboring a bit of that student-era celebrity fascination.

Big-name stars were certainly a hot topic too, but since they felt far-removed, the local appeal of Alice Brown and Jennifer Hog—who hosted very popular shows and were sometimes seen in person—gave everyone a stronger sense of connection, and they discussed them with enthusiastic interest.

Seizing the moment, James Johnson asked proudly, "Do you guys know how much the appearance fees are for Alice Brown and Jennifer Hog nowadays?"

"How much?" Amy Smith immediately asked with curiosity.

Sensing everyone’s eagerness and filled with the spirit of gossip, James Johnson gloated, "Although their fees can’t compare to those top-tier celebrities, they’re pretty high in YODC City. A while back, a relative of mine who is quite wealthy wanted to have them host a wedding, but they flat out refused."

Someone immediately chimed in, asking, "Why? Was the offer too low?"

James Johnson shook his head and said, "No, it’s not about the money. They don’t just take on any gig. Ordinary folks could offer all the money in the world and they still wouldn’t come—it would be beneath them. Only the very rich or noble can afford them, that’s what maintains their status. And I’ve heard their fees range between ten to twenty thousand a time."

Amy Smith interjected, "Ten or twenty thousand? That doesn’t seem too expensive. An average wedding host also costs a few thousand dollars."

Lighting a cigarette and blowing a smoke ring, James Johnson said, "What’s the point of an average wedding host? If you could get Alice Brown or Jennifer Hog to do it, that’s where the real prestige lies. You only get married once in a lifetime; if you don’t make it grand, what’s the fun in that? I’ve already decided, I absolutely must get one of them to host my wedding."

David Brown, due to his good rapport with James Brown and his disdain for James Johnson, butted in, "Didn’t you just say your relatives couldn’t get them to come? What makes you think you can for your wedding?"

James Johnson smiled with self-assurance, "My relatives are my relatives. They’re not close kin; just distant ones. My wedding is a different story. As long as my father pulls some strings, how could they not come?"

Considering James Johnson’s father’s position, everyone believed his claim. The men seemed less impressed, while the women were filled with envy. Women tend to place more importance on weddings, and their vanity in this regard is much greater than men’s—naturally, having a famous host was something they aspired to.

Amy Smith was rather bold in her speech, half-seriously saying, "Hey James Johnson, since you have such capabilities, when I get married, can you get them to host my wedding?"

James Johnson shook his head and said, "Amy, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, but this isn’t something you can acquire with money alone. Status is what matters most. If your husband has such strength, then they might come, but if you marry an ordinary guy, no matter how much money you offer, they won’t attend."

Everyone felt somewhat uncomfortable upon hearing this. James Johnson would constantly bring up his family, his father, as if no one else counted for anything besides himself.

But since he was indeed more influential than the rest, nobody could really compete with him, so they simply changed the topic, not wishing to dwell on the matter anymore.

James Brown did not interject. He truly did not expect that Alice Brown and Jennifer Hog, in the eyes of ordinary people, would hold such high status and be surrounded by such powerful auras; however, according to James’s view of them, these two were not that glamorous. At the very least, in an effort to get further ahead, they were clearly willing to pander to him posing as a wealthy heir.

At that moment, David Brown asked James softly, "James Brown, do you have a girlfriend now?"

James Brown shook his head and replied, "Not yet."

David Brown lowered his voice and asked, "You’re not still hung up on Melody Yoody, are you?"

James Brown’s mouth twitched slightly; the Melody Yoody that David mentioned was his first love. Only David had a vague idea of their past relationship. James replied, "I haven’t been in touch with her for a long time."

David patted James’s shoulder and said, "Let it go, Melody Yoody is no simple woman now; she’s a mayor already."

This was the first time in many years that James had heard about Melody. He had not expected her to have become a mayor already; she truly had accomplished a lot.

"Melody Yoody is currently studying at the party school, so she’s tied up and won’t be coming this time. I have her number, do you want it?"

James shook his head and said, "No, let the past be the past."

David nodded and said, "Right, you should let go. In a few years, she’ll be a deputy county head, and then a county chief and county party secretary. The gap is just too great."

James smiled faintly and said, "Yeah, we common folk can’t reach such heights."

At that time, John Stephens, the groom, came over and loudly called everyone over, greeting them enthusiastically. John exchanged a few words with everyone, and, having not seen James for so many years, he made a special effort to say a couple of words to him.

Everyone ate, drank, sang, and played cards until the wee hours of the night before finally settling down in the hotel arranged by John Stephens.

James shared a room with David. Lying in bed with the lights off, David said, "James, you really held back today. If it were me, I would have wanted to cuss out James Johnson right then and there."

James laughed, lit a cigarette and said, "It’s not worth getting worked up about. Besides, it’s John’s wedding. If we started arguing, it would’ve made things difficult for him."

"That’s true. You’ve changed a lot, man. I remember back in school, you weren’t so patient."

"People always change. After so many years of struggling in society, you can’t be as carefree as when you were a child."

David also lit a cigarette and cursed, "Society really is a big dye vat. Even the best people can be tainted. I’m now a civil servant and often look down on others. To be honest, when I first saw you and learned you were just a small-time employee, I somewhat looked down on you too. But seeing James Johnson today was a wake-up call. That kind of attitude is truly off-putting."

James laughed heartily and said, "I didn’t feel like you were looking down on me. We’re still good classmates, right?"

David also laughed. After a moment of silence, he said, "James, honestly, the one who’s really made it out of our class is Melody Yoody. We’re just civil servants. To move up, it’ll take several years, but she’s already a mayor. Her future is truly limitless."