Chapter 53 I am a self-made millionaire

Zhang Peng was the first to react, quickly stepping in to smooth things over.

He gave a hearty laugh:

"Why are you all looking at Brother Chen!"

"There are plenty of people with the same first and last name!"

Wu Gang also snapped out of it and hurriedly chimed in:

"Exactly, exactly! There are at least several hundred people named Wu Gang in the whole country!"

"It's definitely a coincidence!"

Lin Chen, however, muttered to himself—could the world really be this coincidental?

Right at that moment...

*Ding!*

The screen of Lin Chen's phone, sitting on the table, suddenly lit up.

It was exceptionally conspicuous on the dark dining table in the night.

Immediately after, the crisp notification sound of a WeChat message rang out.

Everyone's gaze involuntarily shifted toward the glowing phone screen.

A WeChat pop-up message from Su Wan quickly appeared, clearly stating:

"Mr. Lin: I'm sending you the revised decoration sketches for Dingjiangyang. Please check them!"

The next second,

*Beep, beep, beep...*

Over a dozen exquisite decoration renderings flickered across the screen one by one.

Luxurious chandeliers, Chinese-style solid wood furniture, and those massive floor-to-ceiling windows...

Every single image radiated two words—Filthy Rich!

Instantly, the entire table fell silent.

You could hear a pin drop.

Zhang Peng's mouth hung wide open, the smile on his face frozen.

The skewer in his mouth fell onto his plate with a soft 'clatter,'

Yet he was completely oblivious, his eyes staring straight at Lin Chen's phone screen.

Then he abruptly looked up at Lin Chen, his throat bobbing, unable to squeeze out a single word.

The wine glass in Wu Gang's hand almost slipped; wine spilled all over his hand,

But he didn't seem to feel it, the expression on his face as colorful as a palette.

Li Lei's eyes were wide, and he even forgot to wipe the beer foam from his mouth as he stared blankly at Lin Chen.

The girl next to him was so startled that the chopsticks in her hand dropped to the ground.

Chen Qian's beautiful eyes were wide as she looked at Lin Chen.

Her gaze was filled with shock, bewilderment, and a hint of disbelief.

An eleven-million-yuan luxury flat...

A ten-million-yuan decoration budget...

That mysterious young wealthy tycoon...

Was actually Lin Chen?!

This junior who usually kept such a low profile that he seemed like an ordinary student, and was supposedly from the countryside,

Was actually a top-tier big shot who could casually drop over twenty million on a house and its renovation?!

Zhang Peng swallowed hard and managed to squeeze out a sentence,

His voice as dry as sandpaper rubbing together:

"I... I suddenly feel like the meat in my mouth doesn't taste good anymore..."

Wu Gang: "So you're the real Second-generation rich!"

Lin Chen: "Hehe, I'm not a Second-generation rich, but the house is mine."

Li Lei: "Didn't you say you were from the countryside?

"Is there a place even more famous than my Liede Village!"

Lin Chen: "Hehe, the house really is mine."

He was secretly lamenting in his heart; what was he supposed to do now?

"Let's not talk about this, it's personal privacy!"

"Let's all keep it a secret. Tonight we're sharing our hearts, so let's not go around gossiping about family backgrounds."

Seeing that Lin Chen didn't want to talk about it, the others didn't press further.

They quickly changed the subject, saying:

"Oh right, Chen Qian,"

"From the way you talk, I get the feeling your family is in the government or some state organ!"

Lin Chen perked up upon hearing this and followed up with great interest:

"Your parents must at least be division-level cadres, maybe even at the municipal or provincial level!"

Chen Qian snapped her head up to look at him when she heard that,

Her eyes carrying a hint of surprise and suspicion.

Her father was indeed a vice-mayor, and her mother was a division-level cadre.

So she questioned him:

"What, could it be that you specifically went and investigated my background before?"

Lin Chen felt a bit guilty under her gaze; he certainly couldn't say it was a background tip from the system.

However, he maintained his composure, shook his head, and explained:

"How could that be!"

"Actually, it's just that after chatting with you for a bit,"

"I noticed that whether you're interacting with people or handling matters, you're exceptionally poised and measured,"

"That's why I made that guess."

"After all, usually only those who have lived in that kind of environment for a long time can develop such good habits..."

As he reached the last sentence, his voice unconsciously lowered.

Chen Qian didn't seem to fully believe his explanation as she continued to stare into his eyes and pressed:

"Is it really just for that reason?"

Lin Chen braced himself and nodded, adding:

"Of course!"

"And I think an outstanding girl like you definitely couldn't have done it without the influence of your family atmosphere,"

"Maybe you just learned a lot from your mom and dad at home on a daily basis~"

Lin Chen's flattery was spot on.

Hearing this, Chen Qian said with a smile:

"Haha, so that's how it is."

"But to be honest, I'm quite surprised."

"We haven't known each other for long, yet you've observed me so meticulously. Impressive, impressive!"

The system panel suddenly popped up a notification:

[Detected that target Chen Qian's favorability toward the Host has increased by 20. Current favorability is 40.]

Lin Chen was secretly delighted.

"Not bad. Between showing off and this conversation, the campus belle's favorability toward me actually reached 40 in a single day."

"It seems different methods are needed for different women. I can't just be an

"For girls with poor economic conditions, just throw money at them!"

"For a heartbroken woman, you need emotional integration."

"For a naive girl, you need to attract her curiosity!"

"For a wealthy girl, you either take her to experience something fresh and exciting, or you occupy the moral high ground to make her submit."

...

After chatting for a while,

Five thuggish-looking guys sauntered over from the street corner.

Their hair was dyed in various colors, they wore baggy jackets, and they had cigarettes dangling from their mouths.

Their eyes roved casually through the crowd, and when they reached the neighboring table,

Their gaze instantly stuck to Chen Qian and the others, and their pace stopped.

One of the thugs with dyed yellow hair was the first to approach, reeking of cigarette smoke, his tone frivolous and lecherous:

"Yo, so many pretty babes accompanying four little punks for a late-night snack!"

"How boring. Why don't you come with us brothers? We'll treat you to something better, and go singing later."

As he spoke, he deliberately reached out his hand, trying to touch Chen Qian's arm.

Chen Qian was so frightened she quickly shrank back,

Subconsciously leaning closer to Lin Chen, her face instantly turning pale.

The other three girls also panicked, huddling close to Zhang Peng and the others.

Zhang Peng immediately stood up, clenching his fists and glaring at the blondie:

"What do you think you're doing? Stay away from them!"

The blondie sneered, glanced at Zhang Peng, and said dismissively:

"Kid, this is none of your business. If you're smart, shut up, or I'll deal with you too."

Several other thugs also surrounded them,

Each with a fierce look on their face. Some were whistling,

Others were making unsavory comments, and one even reached out to tug at the hem of one of the girls' clothes.

Zhang Peng was so angry he wanted to charge forward, but Lin Chen held him back.

Lin Chen slowly stood up, the warmth fading from his eyes, leaving only a steady coldness:

"I advise you to leave now and don't go looking for trouble."

The blondie was momentarily startled by his aura,

But he quickly became arrogant again, reaching out to shove Lin Chen's shoulder:

"Who do you think you are?"

"How dare you meddle in my business!"

Just as the blondie's hand was about to touch Lin Chen,

Defensive moves from Basic Combat flashed through Lin Chen's mind.

He shifted his body slightly to avoid it easily, while simultaneously raising his hand to accurately grab the blondie's wrist,

Applying force according to combat techniques.

"Hiss..."

"Ow, ow, ow...!"