55: Chapter 55 The Tycoon's Visit

"Xishan Villa?" Huang Yimei's almond-shaped eyes widened. "Are... are you serious? You're not joking?"

"Zhao Yang, you have a villa in Xishan too?" Huang Zhenhua blinked in shock, stumbling over his words. "The... the people living there are all incredibly wealthy."

Zhao Yang shook his head. "I just bought it. It's a shell house, and I haven't moved in yet, so I don't know who the neighbors are."

Huang Zhenhua patted Zhou Shihui on the shoulder and whispered, "Old Zhou, you have to help me. I can handle the duplex renovations, but I really have no confidence when it comes to this villa!"

Zhou Shihui nodded, but in his heart, he became more certain—there was something seriously wrong with this Zhao Yang. A villa and two duplexes? Does his family own a bank? He secretly resolved to expose Zhao Yang's true colors and keep the Huang siblings away from him. However, it wasn't convenient to talk in the car, so he would look for an opportunity once they arrived.

"Xishan Villa..." Huang Zhenhua's lips twitched as he imagined his parents' expressions once they found out about this situation.

...

The Xishan Villa area was scenic, and the residential complex covered a vast area. Every detached villa had its own large lawn. The distance between two houses was usually quite far, and combined with the undulating terrain, sometimes even if one stood on their tiptoes, they could only see the roofs of other people's homes.

The one Zhao Yang bought was located near the center of the villa area. The lawn in the yard had been entrusted to the property management by the previous owner. It was mown flat, but it was just a superficial trim; upon closer inspection, there were no fewer than seven or eight types of weeds.

From the outside, the house looked beautiful, with its European style and bright red exterior walls. But the inside was an eyesore: cement floors, cement walls, and even the temporary stairs were a simple steel frame structure, making it look like a construction site.

Huang Yimei looked up at the high dome and shouted loudly, "Ah—"

Huang Zhenhua gave her a tug. "What are you doing?"

Huang Yimei gave a playful smile. "I'm listening to the echo."

"How old are you..." Huang Zhenhua looked at her with feigned disgust before starting to wander around the rooms.

Zhao Yang sighed. "To be honest, I was a bit impulsive when I bought it. Such a big house with empty surroundings feels empty even for a family of five."

Huang Yimei nodded vigorously. "Yeah, I think so too. Then why did you buy it?"

"Villas like this are a waste of land and aren't suitable for our national conditions. The government will definitely restrict them in the future. If I don't buy one now, I won't be able to later," Zhao Yang said.

"Really?" Huang Yimei asked doubtfully.

"Zhao Yang is within the system, so the news must be true." Huang Zhenhua looked around with envy. "If I had the money, I'd buy one too! By the way, Zhao Yang, how do you plan to renovate this house?"

Zhao Yang thought for a moment. "Something grand. As long as the materials are eco-friendly, it should look very luxurious, like a grand hotel."

Huang Zhenhua was bewildered. "Why that style? It wouldn't be very suitable for living, would it?"

"After all, I'm within the system, so it's not appropriate for me to live here permanently," Zhao Yang smiled. "If I make it grand, I can rent it out to film crews when it's vacant."

Huang Zhenhua laughed in realization. "Your brain really is sharp. No wonder you can make so much money!"

Huang Yimei asked tentatively, "Zhao Yang, can I design it then? Can I try designing a princess room?"

"Sure, you could even design a room into a haunted house if you want."

"Then it's a deal! Haha! I'm going to pick a room!" Huang Yimei's eyes curved as she laughed, looking radiantly beautiful. "Zhao Yang, take me there. There are too many rooms; I'll get lost."

"The stairs are very narrow, watch your step..."

Zhao Yang followed Huang Yimei upstairs. Zhou Shihui immediately pulled Huang Zhenhua outside. "Come here, come here quickly."

"Old Zhou, what's wrong? You're being so mysterious."

"Zhenhua, haven't you noticed?" Zhou Shihui's expression was grave. "There's definitely something wrong with this Zhao Yang."

"What problem? Didn't I tell you? He's a painter."

"A painter?" Zhou Shihui pointed at the villa. "Two duplexes, one villa, and an audi a6—do you know any painter with that kind of financial power?"

"He's not just a painter; he can also write songs! He wrote the songs for Phoenix Legend!"

Zhou Shihui's heart stirred, and he couldn't help but think of the concert tickets he had given to Huang Yimei.

But he quickly snapped out of it and said, "I know about that field. For songwriting and composing, you get at most ten or twenty thousand a song. They usually live quite frugally. Where would he get so much money? I think Zhao Yang's money definitely came from illegitimate sources!"

Huang Zhenhua frowned. "That's a bit much, isn't it? Aren't you being too cynical?"

"Think about it..." Zhou Shihui said. "He's an official from Jinghai, so why did he come all the way to the capital to buy property? It must be because his money can't see the light of day. He doesn't dare buy locally for fear of being reported."

Huang Zhenhua's frown deepened. Although he didn't think there was anything wrong with Zhao Yang, what Zhou Shihui said seemed to make some sense. Just as he was thinking about how to rebut, a middle-aged man of extraordinary bearing walked up to the yard's fence. With his hands behind his back, he called out loudly, "Young men, may I come in?"

The two were taken aback. When they looked at the middle-aged man, their expressions froze—the man carried the unique composure and majesty of someone who had long held a high position.

Huang Zhenhua walked over quickly and gave a polite smile. "Hello, Uncle. Is there something you need?"

The middle-aged man pointed toward a red roof in the distance and said, "I live over there; we're neighbors. This villa has been empty for a long time, with no one visiting. I saw someone here while I was on my walk today, so I came to take a look. Are you the owner?"

Huang Zhenhua shook his head. "I'm not the owner. I'm here to review the renovation plans for the owner. How about... I call him out for you?"

"Sure!" The middle-aged man smiled. "I'd like to meet my neighbor too."

"Please wait a moment..." Huang Zhenhua trotted into the villa and shouted, "Zhao Yang! Zhao Yang! A neighbor is here and wants to see you."

"A neighbor?" Zhao Yang was too lazy to take the narrow stairs, so he vaulted over the railing and jumped down from the second floor.

"So cool!" Huang Yimei's eyes lit up. She held onto the railing and wobbled a bit but didn't have the confidence to jump from such a height, so she could only sheepishly take the stairs.

By then, Zhao Yang had already reached the middle-aged man outside. "Hello, I'm Zhao Yang."

Nothing showed on the middle-aged man's face, but he was inwardly surprised by Zhao Yang's temperament and looks. Could this young man be some celebrity?

He smiled slightly and said, "I live in the villa over there. My surname is Bai. Bai Erru."

Bai Erru!

A major entrepreneur, a collector of famous paintings, and the father of the highly educated beauty Bai Xiaohe in the drama. Zhao Yang himself hadn't expected that the villa he bought would be so close to the Bai family's.

Bai Erru had an extraordinary bearing and exuded the majesty of a high-ranking individual, but Zhao Yang didn't mind at all.

No matter how majestic he was, could he be more so than General Feng, who wore wheat stalks on his shoulders?

Zhao Yang smiled slightly. "Then we'll be neighbors from now on. Uncle Bai, could you give me some advice on the renovation? To be honest, the interior of the house is giving me a bit of a headache."

Bai Erru laughed heartily. "I felt much the same when I first saw mine back then! Renovation is a major project; you need to discuss it thoroughly with your family. I remember discussing it with my parents for over a month before we roughly finalized the plan. During the process, I don't know how many times we changed it midway. My suggestion is to consult with your parents more on this."

Zhao Yang gave a bitter smile. "I really envy that you had parents to consult with."

Bai Erru was experienced and naturally caught the implication, so he quickly said, "Little Zhao, I'm truly sorry."

Despite his words, he began to take Zhao Yang seriously in his heart—buying a villa here all by himself without parents, and having such steady behavior and extraordinary temperament, this young man was no ordinary person!

Why not introduce him to my daughter? I don't ask for much, just to let that silly girl know that there's no shortage of outstanding young men in this world, and she shouldn't have eyes only for that male classmate of hers!"