Meanwhile, at Leonard's house.
Leonard is arguing with Sheldon about whether to go to Raj's Halloween party.
"Sheldon, are you really not planning to go to Raj's party?" Leonard asked while carefully arranging the magic cloak of Gryffindor House over his shoulders.
"Of course I won't go. Dr. Koothrappali has severed ties with me, and he didn't invite me, so I refuse to show my face there," Sheldon said firmly. "And you shouldn't go either. You should stand with me in solidarity."
"Sorry, Sheldon, but Raj is going to introduce me to a girl today. I can't miss this opportunity," Leonard insisted, adjusting his round glasses.
"Fine, go ahead. But remember this moment. After I win the Nobel Prize in the future, reporters will interview you and ask, 'I heard that you used to be a close friend of Dr. Sheldon Cooper, is that correct?'" Sheldon paused, adopting a mocking tone as he imitated Leonard, "'Yes,' you'll say, while choking with regret and shame, 'but I betrayed him for the chance to talk to a girl.'"
"Say whatever you want. Bye." Leonard shook his head, checked his costume one last time in the mirror, and then opened the door and walked out.
"Woo~" Seeing this, Sheldon couldn't help letting out an aggrieved whine.
A moment later, with a click, the door opened again.
"Oh, you chose me! You chose me!" Seeing Leonard's return, Sheldon greeted him happily, his face brightening.
"Sorry, I forgot to take my wand." Leonard picked up a wooden stick from the table and held it up.
"Woo~" Sheldon roared again, even more pitifully.
After Leonard arrived at the party, Raj began to help him and Howard connect with the girls he'd invited.
Leonard was dressed as Harry Potter. The latest film in the series, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," had just been released in July and earned $960 million at the box office, ranking second on the annual box office list.
Howard was dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow. The latest installment, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," had been released in May this year, grossing $960 million at the worldwide box office and ranking first on the annual box office list.
The success of both movies had made these two characters extremely popular with massive fan followings. Because of this, Leonard and Howard's costumes immediately left a good first impression on the girls.
Now, they only needed to have engaging conversations with them. As long as nothing went wrong, there was a high probability that their evening wouldn't be wasted.
"Remember, Howard, don't be in a hurry. You can't drink hot coffee if you're rushing," Raj warned in a low voice. "And Leonard, remember not to use so many scientific terms. You're trying to connect with a girl, not teaching a physics lecture."
"OK!" Both of them nodded eagerly.
"OK, good luck to both of you." Raj smiled and gave them an encouraging pat on the shoulders.
After the party started, people arrived one after another. Among them were colleagues from Raj's University and Penny's friends from society. The apartment buzzed with energy and laughter, creating a wonderfully lively atmosphere. Raj was also surprised to find that there were many female students from Caltech at the party—young women he'd never met before. I didn't invite them at all, but they still appeared here, he thought with bewilderment. And after they arrived, they always circled around Raj intentionally or unintentionally, like moths drawn to a flame.
"Dr. Koothrappali, I have read your 'Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt Fragment Disk' paper several times, and it is really well written." A beautiful girl dressed as a witch, complete with a pointed hat and flowing black cape, took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Raj.
"Thank you," Raj smiled slightly, though his confusion was evident. "Excuse me for asking a question, but how did you know that I'm having a party today?"
"Oh, someone sent the news of your Halloween party to the school's Facebook group," the girl smiled and explained. "But the invitation said only girls could participate."
Raj was slightly taken aback when he heard this, and immediately understood. It must be Howard who released this news—no one else would be as mischievous and scheming as him.
"Dr. Koothrappali, your research on the Kuiper Belt is really advanced, and I hope to have the opportunity to learn from you," the beautiful witch said with a smile, her eyes bright with admiration.
"Okay, I'll think about it," Raj nodded and said. It would be nice to have a beautiful assistant by my side, he mused. On the one hand, she could help with some trivial matters, and on the other hand, having someone attractive nearby would certainly be pleasant. If we get along well, the relationship could even go further in the future.
"Really?! Thank you very much," the pretty witch said happily, her face lighting up. "By the way, my name is Sandy Crawford."
Sandy Crawford had just walked away to fetch champagne for Raj when another girl immediately swooped in to take her place.
"Dr. Koothrappali, I have read all your papers. I think you are really talented. Especially your research in the field of the Kuiper Belt is so profound and really admirable," the girl said with a smile. She was also very cute, with delicate features and an earnest expression.
"Thank you," Raj nodded and smiled, feeling his ego inflate just a little. To be honest, this feeling of being complimented by beautiful girls is really cool.
"I'm also very interested in the Kuiper Belt. Can I communicate with you about it?" the cute girl asked tentatively, leaning in slightly.
"Okay, there's a chance," Raj nodded and said, maintaining his diplomatic tone.
"Ah, I forgot to tell you—my name is Katherine Hathaway," the girl smiled warmly.
At this time, Sandy Crawford had already returned with the champagne, and when she saw Katherine Hathaway standing so close to Raj, her expression immediately sank into a dark scowl.
"Hey, why are you here?" she demanded angrily, her voice sharp.
"If you can be here, why can't I be here?" Katherine asked back, her tone defiant.
"B*tch, get out of here," Sandy cursed, her composure completely shattered.
"You are the b*tch, and you should get out," Katherine said without showing any weakness, standing her ground.
"F*cking squid!" Sandy poured her glass of wine at Katherine in a swift, angry motion. Fortunately, Katherine dodged in time, the liquid splashing harmlessly onto the floor; otherwise, she would definitely have been drenched.
"Hey, stop! Stop it right now!" Raj said firmly, stepping between them. When girls fight over him, ordinarily he wouldn't mind the flattery. But it is absolutely not allowed to happen in his own home, let alone disrupt the party he and Penny had worked so hard to organize.
At this time, Penny also noticed that there was a dispute brewing in the corner, and immediately left her friend mid-conversation and rushed over.
"Honey, what's going on?" She looked at Sandy and Katherine with concern, and then asked Raj suspiciously, trying to read his expression.
"Oh, it's nothing—the two of them are just drunk," Raj said in an understatement, hoping to defuse the situation quickly.
"It's fine. If you can't drink enough, just drink less," Penny looked at Sandy and Katherine and said coolly, expressing her dissatisfaction with their drunken gaffes and the scene they'd caused.
"Are you Dr. Koothrappali's girlfriend?" Sandy looked Penny up and down critically and said, "Are you also a student of Caltech? Why haven't I seen you before?"
"I'm not a student. I'm already working—I'm an actress," Penny said proudly, lifting her chin.
"Heh," Sandy scoffed with barely concealed disgust, her lip curling.
"Wait, I seem to have seen you at the Cheesecake Factory. You seem to be the waitress there," Katherine also said with a look of disgust, recognition dawning on her face.
"Heh," seeing that Penny's identity was just a waitress, Sandy once again made a disdainful sound, this time more pronounced.
Seeing that the two of them looked down on her so much, Penny's face turned dark, her jaw clenching with anger and humiliation.
"With all due respect, you are really not worthy of Dr. Koothrappali," Katherine said sharply, her words cutting like a knife.
"I think so too," Sandy nodded in agreement, emboldened by her companion.
"Enough! You two get out!" Raj couldn't bear it any longer, his voice rising with authority as he ordered them to leave. "Get out of my apartment right now!"
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