101: Chapter 101 Su Qiang's Versailles Moment

On the outskirts of Yunzhou, at the entrance of Hongda Electronics Factory.

There was a constant smell of burnt plastic here, and the dust was thick enough to bury a person. It was shift-change time, and workers in blue anti-static uniforms poured out of the gates. None of them were in a hurry to leave; instead, they gathered in a circle, pointing and whispering at the shiny black car in the center.

Su Qiang hung up the phone and looked at the familiar faces around him.

In the past, these people either ignored him or looked at him with disdain for the smell of sweat that could never be washed off. But now, the light in their eyes was called envy.

"Su Qiang, look at you go!"

A short, stout man squeezed out of the crowd. It was Wang Dana, the workshop director, who often docked Su Qiang's performance pay. He held a thermos in one hand and was about to pat the car's hood with his greasy hand.

"Don't touch it!" Su Qiang reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, suddenly blocking the front of the car. "It was just waxed; one slap and it'll cost hundreds!"

Wang Dana's hand froze in mid-air, the fat on his face twitching. He let out a weird, mocking laugh. "Oh, getting protective now? Su Qiang, we know everything about you. Can that delivery-man brother-in-law of yours really afford this car? I bet you stole the keys from somewhere and want to act like a big shot in front of our factory belle, Xiao Li, right?"

The crowd burst into laughter.

"Exactly, Qiang Zi. This car must cost five or six hundred thousand, right? Even if you sold yourself, you couldn't afford a single wheel."

"Move it quickly! Don't block the factory's trucks, or I'll dock your salary this month!"

Su Qiang's face turned beet red. In the past, he would have meekly pushed his electric bike away. But today was different. He had the property deed in his pocket and the "nuclear weapon" Chen Muyang had just sent him in his hand.

*Ding-dong.*

The WeChat notification sounded at just the right moment.

Su Qiang tapped on the image. It was a high-definition scan of the car purchase contract sent by Chen Muyang, along with a photo of the vehicle registration certificate. The bright red official seal on it was even redder than Wang Dana's thermos.

He took a deep breath and straightened his back, as if venting all the humiliation he had endured for over twenty years in one go.

"Director Wang, you're right."

Su Qiang held his phone up to Wang Dana's eyes, the screen brightness turned to the maximum. "My brother-in-law really is just a small business owner. But this car, it really wasn't stolen."

Wang Dana squinted and leaned in, about to mock it as a photoshopped image, but his gaze froze.

Purchaser: Su Qiang.

Paid in full: 568,000 yuan.

Date: Just yesterday.

It was as if a fly was stuck in Wang Dana's throat; he couldn't squeeze out a word for a long time. The coworkers who had craned their necks to watch the excitement also fell silent, their eyes nearly popping out.

He really bought it?

Paid in full?

Did this kid Su Qiang win the lottery?

"Impossible!" Wang Dana was still struggling. "If you had this kind of money, would you still come to the factory to tighten screws? Su Qiang, you must have taken out a high-interest loan, right?"

"High-interest loan?" Su Qiang sneered. Mimicking Chen Fan's manner, he nonchalantly straightened his bespoke suit that cost tens of thousands. "I wanted to keep a low profile, but my brother-in-law said that since I'm a manager in his company, driving a car worth only a hundred thousand or so would embarrass him, so he insisted on giving me this one. Sigh, actually, I don't like this color; it's too old-fashioned."

Versailles.

Top-tier Versailles.

As soon as those words were spoken, the air on the scene was filled with the scent of sour grapes.

Complaining that a Mercedes-Benz worth hundreds of thousands is too old-fashioned?

Being forced to drive it?

"Alright, I'm done chatting with you all." Su Qiang pulled the ID badge from his neck and tossed it into the air.

The plastic badge traced an arc in the air and landed on the dusty concrete floor with a clack.

"Director Wang, I'm quitting. Keep that attendance bonus and performance pay for yourself to buy some tea. I have to go help my sister at the supermarket. That's a multi-million dollar business; I don't have time to earn this three thousand five hundred here."

*Vroom—*

The engine started, and the low rumble was like a heavy hammer striking everyone's heart.

Su Qiang rolled down the window, put on the sunglasses he had just found in the armrest box, and waved at the dumbfounded Wang Dana. "I'm off. If anyone wants to buy imported snacks in the future, come find me at Longwan No. 1. I'll give you a one percent discount."

The Mercedes-Benz turned elegantly, the tires kicking up a cloud of dust that sprayed all over Wang Dana's face.

Only after the red taillights disappeared at the intersection did the crowd erupt.

"Longwan No. 1? Isn't that a wealthy area?"

"My god, has Su Qiang really turned from a sparrow into a phoenix?"

"If I had known, I wouldn't have lent money to Xiao Li; I would've lent it to Su Qiang! I've really missed out this time!"

Wang Dana wiped the dirt off his face and looked at the ID badge on the ground, feeling empty inside. He knew that from today on, he and the Su Qiang he once had at his mercy were now from two different worlds.

...

Longwan No. 1, Villa.

Chen Fan was lying on the leather sofa with his legs crossed, holding a walkie-talkie and listening to Chen Muyang report on Su Qiang's battle.

"Good, this kid has some savvy; he didn't embarrass me." Chen Fan happily tossed the walkie-talkie aside and grabbed a handful of melon seeds. "This is what they call 'it's not about the bread, it's about the pride'."

Su Wanqing had just returned from the "Life Supermarket," her back aching from exhaustion, but her face was full of smiles.

"Old Chen, you should have seen the scene today." Su Wanqing said while pounding her legs. "The shelves were emptied three times! Our 'imported dish soap'—which is clearly just ordinary stock with different packaging—how did so many people fight over it?"

"That's called brand premium." Chen Fan peeled an orange and handed it over. "Wife, you've worked hard. I'll give you a foot massage tonight."

Just then, the doorbell rang.

It wasn't a polite single press, but a hurried, greedy-sounding series of rings.

"Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!"

"Who is it? A delivery?" Su Wanqing frowned, about to get up.

Chen Fan held her down, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes. "A courier wouldn't be able to get into Longwan No. 1. It seems some 'distinguished guests' have caught the scent."

He stood up and went to the monitor by the door.

On the screen, several familiar yet strange faces were squeezed together.

Eldest Uncle was wearing the leather jacket he only wore during the New Year, holding a box of discounted milk; Second Aunt had an explosion perm and was carrying a LV bag of questionable authenticity, with two bunches of bruised bananas in her hand. Behind them were various other aunts and uncles, all craning their necks to peer into the villa with the same look in their eyes as the people at the electronics factory when they saw the Mercedes-Benz.

It was the look of wolves seeing meat.

"Wanqing! It's Eldest Uncle! Open the door!"

"Second Aunt is here to see you! I heard Guohua is better? We came specifically to visit!"

The shouting from outside came through the microphone, sharp and piercing.

Su Wanqing's face turned pale instantly. She remembered those calls that were hung up in the hospital corridor a few days ago, and those cold words: "No money."

"Don't open it." Su Wanqing's hands were shaking slightly, but her voice was surprisingly cold.

Chen Fan turned his head and looked at his wife. The old Su Wanqing was soft-hearted and valued relationships; she would give her heart away if someone said a few kind words. But this time, their indifference had completely broken her heart.

"Wife, whether this door opens or not is up to you." Chen Fan leaned against the hallway cabinet, his tone flat. "If you want them to get lost, I'll let the dogs out now. If you want to see their faces at this very moment..."

Chen Fan paused and pointed outside. "Then let them in to perform a grand play. Anyway, our family is currently 'so poor all we have is money'; let's see how far they can go with their act."

Su Wanqing took a deep breath, stood up, untied her apron, and threw it aside.

She walked to the mirror and straightened her hair. The timidity in her eyes vanished, replaced by an unprecedented resolve.

"Open the door." Su Wanqing stared at herself in the mirror. "I want to see just how soft these people's knees get in the face of money."

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