New Gods of North America.

Chapter 742 "The Young Master"

As a capable and energetic state official, and also from a prominent family, the Secretary of State would naturally have no shortage of people to strike up conversations with in such a social setting.
In fact, he was surrounded by a "tight inside, loose outside" encirclement. The two men who were talking casually with the Secretary of State were about the same age and family background as him. A little further away, there were several people who seemed to be queuing up, probably waiting for the first two men to finish their conversation before they could take their place.

Broadly speaking, "conversation" or "getting acquainted" in social situations can actually be divided into three types:

The first scenario is when both parties are of equal status. In that case, they can simply walk over and begin exchanging greetings and conversation as normal, and even talk about whatever they want.

The second scenario is where both parties have the opportunity to get what they need. In this case, the party who is more interested in the other party or who is more "attentive" needs to master the skills and seize the opportunity to quickly express what is most attractive to the other party.
The third type is simply to make a name for yourself, trying to leave an impression on "important people." Whether it has any practical use is hard to say, but theoretically it can help you build a network of connections in a broader sense.

The resulting behavioral differences are actually one of the bases for people to judge each other's status in social situations.

For example, Wayne actually saw the old Mr. Basque from the Beaton family just now, and his basic friendliness towards Wayne was even higher than that of this Secretary of State.
But now, the gallery has formed several "small circles." Mr. Basque's group is clearly in the "inner circle." The average age of those people is around 40 or 50, and they are a generation older. They are surrounded by even more exaggerated layers of people. Even those of lower status in the gallery are probably not ordinary people. Right now, it's time for important people to exchange pleasantries.

Even if the old Basque gentleman is willing to give Wayne face, Wayne still needs a "reason" to go over there now.
Otherwise, it would seem somewhat presumptuous to the gentlemen who were cut in line, and would be a little "disruptive to seniority"—normally, exchanges between people with obvious differences in status or seniority would take place during the free exchange period after the banquet.

In contrast, the Secretary of State's seat was roughly at the "main table on the children's side," meaning that even if Wayne wasn't welcomed, his manners were impeccable.

After all, the Secretary of State is only in his thirties and has not yet become the "head of the family," so he is still considered a "junior."

This is one of the underlying reasons why Inessa was surrounded by a bunch of young men and women chatting about pets, because in a sense, those young people were also being driven to the "children's" side by unspoken etiquette.

Etiquette, in its many rules and regulations, can sometimes be quite complex.

Let's take the Secretary of State as an example again.
Generally speaking, the position of "Secretary of State" is among the top-ranking political figures in a state, and during their term, they are always placed in the "inner circle" when attending various political events in the state.
However, in politics, "seniority" and "longevity" are sometimes very important. Elections are a matter of chance. A single victory may be due to family background or luck, but only by maintaining a stable position multiple times can one be recognized as having "ability". A counter-example can be seen in the "father" of the Beeton family. Therefore, young politicians from prominent families may not necessarily be treated with more courtesy in social settings than those senior members of parliament who have remained in power for many years.

Conversely,

The fact that the Secretary of State is not in the "inner circle" at this time also shows that tonight's banquet is not purely a "political" event.
It felt more like a gathering of the estate owners' families; otherwise, he should be with the older generation of important figures right now.

To put it even more dramatically, Wayne is superior to the Secretary of State in some aspects.

For example, Wayne is now an orphan. Regardless of whether the Constantine family has fallen on hard times or whether he is now the only son left, if we look at it solely from the perspective of "family," then Wayne is a very clearly defined "head of the family."
If someone were to organize a "family gathering," Wayne might only be able to sit in a corner, but if the Secretary of State didn't have the family's approval, he probably wouldn't even be qualified to sit at the table.

Seniority-based ranking is sometimes like this.

After Wayne walked over, he was surprised to find that the Secretary of State was giving him considerable face that evening. The Secretary waved Wayne over as he approached, signaling him to join the conversation.
The two young men who had been talking to him understood and made way for Wayne, and the arrangement of the people changed from "playing cards" to "playing mahjong".

“This is Wayne Constantine, Mr. Philip Auster’s ‘that’ grandson.”

The Secretary of State introduced the group to each other, his tone casual and relaxed, yet all his points were, in a sense, spot-on: "Richard Norton, the eldest son of our state's U.S. Senator Walter Norton. Hunter Calhoun, the 'Calhoun' from South Carolina, is their family's groomed heir." Good heavens!
Wayne wasn't entirely clear on the Calhoun family's current situation, but they had produced a former vice president and more than one powerful senator, making them, in a sense, historically significant.
The other one, "Norton," is even more familiar; his father is currently in power.

By associating with these individuals, Wayne has, in a sense, infiltrated the "princeling" circle.

Moreover, these individuals are either "eldest sons" or "heirs," and their status among the "princelings" is quite prestigious, which explains why they can "have a separate table."

The two men had already instinctively straightened up as Wayne approached, their gazes towards him seeming to carry a hint of scrutiny.
However, after hearing the introduction, they all nodded slightly and their attitudes returned to being relaxed, seemingly acknowledging that Wayne was qualified to participate in the chat.

Richard Norton was quite hospitable: "Wayne, did you only recently arrive in Virginia? When do you plan to return to New York?"

"..."

Damn it, I've been in Richmond for so many days, and I've been in the local newspaper more than once or twice. How come you're making it sound like I've been in the industry for half my life and am still a newcomer?
If I were a minor idol who relied on my fame for a living, you'd probably have shattered my Dao heart...

The Secretary of State continued, "Wayne is a freshman at the college this year and has been in Virginia for a while now. He was quite famous in Richmond recently. Haven't you been following Miss Sophia? How come you don't even know that?"

"Ah... so you're that 'great detective'?" The other person's face showed a look of sudden realization. "I admire you. Even my father praised you, saying that some of the methods you proposed were very targeted and quite instructive."

Hunter Calhoun smiled sarcastically: "Looks like Wayne's quite popular with the ladies. Richard, you've met a formidable competitor."

"Wayne's fiancée is Miss Anne, right? If he wanted to marry Sophia, he would probably be worthless in Mr. Randolph's eyes and would never be allowed to agree."

Richard Norton looked quite relaxed. "You're the one who needs to worry about Wayne. I've heard of that 'luncheon meat.' Miss Olivia even helped promote it at the ball. The two of them are clearly closer."

Hunter Calhoun seemed to be just joking, and appeared completely unconcerned about the possibility of so-called "competitors."
Upon hearing this, he seemed to think of something else, and looked at Wayne with a hint of doubt, asking an unrelated question:
"However, according to New York State law, can your marriage guarantee full inheritance of property? That place was built by the Puritans, and they seem to particularly despise the old nobility's ruthless methods in order to inherit titles and property. Are there any legal details that need to be avoided in advance?"

The Secretary of State, like an elder brother, offered his explanation: "Our family lawyer has confirmed that cousin marriage is not illegal in New York. As for the opinions of those Puritans, they are completely irrelevant."

"That's good." Although it was their first meeting, Hunter Calhoun had a "thinking of his buddy" attitude. "Otherwise, dealing with so many people vying for the family fortune would be quite troublesome."

Well……

Wayne started to regret it a little, because he suddenly felt that the topics the "young masters" were discussing were also rather pointless...

To be fair, when they weren't arrogant and there were no conflicts of interest, these young men weren't as difficult to get along with as Wayne had stereotyped them to be.
In a sense, they really are all "talented individuals, and they speak very well," at least they are better than those gangsters in the dock area who litter and spit when they visit other people's homes...

(End of this chapter)