Chapter Five: An Air of Shabbiness

After leaving the internet café, Zhao Fan could hardly restrain himself from laughing out loud. Now, he was a genuine multimillionaire. Millionaires were common enough in 2015, but fifteen years before, they were as rare as unicorns.

With twenty million as his seed money, he could dabble in stocks, make investments, let his money multiply—having breakfast with Buffett and discussing business with Bill Gates would no longer be just a dream.

The first thing that came to Zhao Fan’s mind after coming into money was to improve his parents’ lives. In his past life, he owed them too much; this time, he was determined to make it up to them.

He considered buying a home in the city center. At first, he thought of making his second fortune by speculating in real estate, but after some thought, he realized the risks were high. Besides, housing prices in Yang City wouldn’t see a major increase for another two years; investing in property now wasn’t wise, so he abandoned the idea.

Zhao Fan transferred all his money into the Yang City branch of Xiahang Bank. The amount was so large that it alarmed the bank manager. Mu Tianrong, the branch manager himself, received Zhao Fan as an honored guest, upgraded him to lifetime VIP status free of charge, and even assigned several professional investment consultants to him.

Zhao Fan couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—money truly did open doors. With it, every path seemed wider.

Leaving the bank, Zhao Fan hailed a cab to the city’s most expensive development—the sales office of Waterside Residences.

As he stepped inside, he immediately attracted a few curious glances, but none of the sales ladies approached him.

He laughed at himself. After spending a day and a night in the internet café, he was disheveled, dressed in a cheap T-shirt and sweatpants—it was no wonder people looked at him strangely.

Dressed like this, who would believe he could afford a home at Waterside Residences?

Zhao Fan was perfectly content, ambling around and studying the model homes. Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly spotted two familiar figures.

Wang Ying—what was she doing here?

Wang Ying was impeccably dressed, her arm entwined with that of a chubby man. They leaned against each other affectionately.

The chubby man clutched a briefcase and grinned, flashing a gaudy gold tooth—he looked every inch a nouveau riche.

In a coquettish voice, Wang Ying said, “Brother Li, the location here is perfect—close to the subway. Living here would make commuting so much easier, no more squeezing onto crowded buses in the morning. What do you think?”

“Alright, alright, whatever you say, my little darling,” the man replied.

“Then why not buy it for me today?” she pouted.

“Sure, my baby. Whatever you want,” he replied, eyes gleaming as he stroked her cheek. He waved over a sales lady, who greeted them with a beaming smile. “Sir, would you like to view some homes? All our properties are fully furnished and ready for move-in. The community has excellent security and a superb environment—living here is pure comfort. What type of home are you interested in?”

“What’s there to see? I’ll just take your biggest home. Money’s no object!” the gold-toothed man boomed.

His loud declaration drew a good deal of attention. Seeing the beautiful Wang Ying on his arm, many bystanders couldn’t help but look on with envy and resentment.

The saleswoman was delighted—just looking at the man’s clothes, it was obvious he had more money than sense. If she could close a full-cash sale, her quarterly bonus would be assured!

Zhao Fan watched all this with a cold smirk. It seemed he had underestimated Wang Ying. Only a few days after their breakup, she’d already latched onto a wealthy fool.

Thank goodness they’d split up early—otherwise, who knew how many times he’d end up playing the fool without even realizing it.

Wang Ying also spotted Zhao Fan. She paused for a moment, then smiled smugly.

The saleswoman’s smile became even more ingratiating. “Sir, with your impressive bearing, only a stand-alone villa would be worthy of your status. Would you like to take a look?”

Gold Tooth slapped his wallet proudly. “No need to look. I’ll buy the villa!”

Wang Ying giggled, throwing herself into Gold Tooth’s arms. Suddenly, she turned and, pointing at Zhao Fan, said petulantly, “Isn’t Waterside Residences supposed to be the most exclusive development in Yang City? Why do they let just anyone in—even beggars can wander into the sales office?”

“What a stench of poverty—absolutely disgusting!”