181: Chapter 181 Wealth and honor not returned to one's hometown are like wearing brocade at night.

Coming out of the restaurant, Fu Wanqing's family rushed ahead to stand by their Porsche Cayenne.

The third aunt pulled open the car door, turned back to wave at Fu Haoran's parents, her face covered in smiles, and the sense of superiority in her voice almost overflowing: "Old Fu, sister-in-law! Ride in our car!"

"Just let Haoran use his GPS and drive over slowly by himself!"

A Cayenne was indeed prestigious in Rong City, especially in front of these relatives who had run small businesses their entire lives, and it had been her capital for showing off for several years.

Fu Haoran didn't reply. He just lowered his head, picked up his phone, and sent a message.

Ten seconds later, a matte black Maybach S680 slowly drove out of the parking lot.

The moment the three-pointed star logo on the hood flashed under the streetlights, the smile on Fu Wanqing's face froze.

The starting price of an S680 was 3.32 million yuan. The price alone was enough to deter the vast majority of people.

When the Maybach stopped in front of everyone, except for Fu Haoran, everyone unconsciously took half a step back.

Under the streetlights, the car paint gleamed with a delicate matte finish, and the chrome trim on the wheels reflected the light in a low-key manner.

There was no roaring engine, no flashiness, but the moment it parked there, the aura of the entire street was completely suppressed.

The professional chauffeur quickly got out, bowed, and opened the back door: "Mr. Fu, Uncle, Aunt, please get in."

Everyone looked at the pitch-black luxury car, then at Fu Haoran, unable to react for a moment.

"Dad, Mom, get in."

Under Fu Haoran's urging, the two elders got into the car.

Fu's father's back was much straighter than usual. It wasn't that he was intentionally standing tall; it was as if he had been gently supported by something, causing him to relax and straighten up unconsciously.

Fu's mother sat in the back seat, gently stroking the leather seat before quickly pulling her hand back and placing it on her lap.

Watching Fu Haoran's family get into the car, Fu Wanqing quickly pulled out her phone and took five or six high-definition photos of the Maybach.

She naturally recognized the Maybach S680.

Her father ran a building materials business in Rong City, and their family owned a Porsche Cayenne, making them well-off among their relatives. She had also used her family's money to blend into a group of wealthy second-generation Chinese students studying abroad.

She just couldn't believe why this distant cousin—whose family used to be worse off than hers and who had been mocked by relatives for 'running off to work abroad right after graduation'—could ride in a luxury car that cost over four million yuan.

"If this car really belongs to Fu Haoran, I'll immediately take a screenshot and post it to my Moments, captioning it as my brother's car, to boost my status in the rich kids' group."

"If it isn't his, even better. I'll expose him publicly in the family group chat and win back all the face I lost at the dinner table."

She opened the international student rich kids' group chat, sent the clearest front-facing photo, and captioned it: "Just returned to the country. This Maybach S680 is so handsome. Which year's model is it?"

A dozen seconds later, there was a reply in the group chat.

Ah Kai: "A '14 S680. It's the flagship car of Rong City Shenghao Car Rental, registered under the rental company, not a private account. It's highly likely rented just to show off."

Fu Wanqing stared at the line of text on the screen, slowly let out a breath, and the corners of her mouth curled up again.

She immediately took a screenshot, but instead of rushing to post it in the family group, she specifically tagged Fu Haoran: "Brother Hao, this car must be expensive, right? The latest S680 costs over four million yuan on the road."

"When did you buy it? I've never heard about it."

Fu Wanqing was ready. Once Fu Haoran admitted it, she would post the screenshot from the other group and expose him publicly!

Fu Haoran replied quickly: "Rented by the company, for temporary reception use."

Fu Wanqing's finger, about to tap, hovered over the screen.

Wait, why did you just admit it?

Fu's father also saw the message in the group, and his expression relaxed at first.

But after relaxing, an indescribable sense of disappointment crept in.

Fu Wanqing flipped her phone over and placed it face down on her lap, but she felt inexplicably stifled in her heart.

Even though the car was rented and she had exposed him, that stifled feeling just wouldn't go away.

Even if the car was rented, he could easily call up a four-million-yuan Maybach, while her family, at best, only had a Porsche Cayenne.

For the first time, she realized she had never truly understood this distant cousin.

She picked up her phone again, opened Tianyancha, and searched for Fu Haoran's domestic branch of DYB.

The page popped up. The registered capital was 100,000 yuan, and the enterprise type was strikingly written as 'small and micro enterprise'.

The column for the number of insured employees was collapsed, and one had to click into the details page to see it.

She didn't even bother to click, directly taking a screenshot of the words 'small and micro enterprise' and sneering in her heart.

"As expected, it's a shell company."

"Domestic guys only have this much ambition, daring to act like big shots after registering a shell company."

She completely failed to notice that in the collapsed column for the number of insured employees, the small grey font read: 32,749 people.

Nor did she know that the China Tobacco Head Office was also labeled as a 'small and micro enterprise' in its industrial and commercial registration information.

The convoy drove onto Rong City's Binjiang Avenue and turned into a private driveway hidden within a camphor forest.

The Maybach led the way, followed by the Cayenne, and behind them were the third uncle's Cayenne and the fourth aunt's Buick.

This driveway wound up the mountain. Along the way, only a few wrought-iron gates of estates could be seen hidden behind green hedges. Each villa was concealed within the mountain terrain and tree shadows. Looking up from the foot of the mountain, no buildings could be seen at all, only an overwhelming expanse of green.

Fu's father, sitting in the back seat, suddenly spoke: "Haoran, did we drive the wrong way? These are all luxury residential areas, all single-family villas."

"No, Dad," Fu Haoran said. "I bought a place here."

Fu Wanqing sat in the back seat of the Cayenne, looking at the wrought-iron gates hidden in the tree shadows outside the window, unable to say a word.

As someone who mingled in the circle of wealthy second-generation kids, how could she not recognize this place?

Binjiang No. 1, Rong City's most established top-tier villa district, offered tranquility amidst the bustle and was less than a fifteen-minute drive from the city center.

She had only heard people in her circle mention this kind of place; she had never entered it with her own eyes.

The convoy was stopped in front of the security booth.

—

The uniformed security guard walked to the window of the Maybach, glanced down at the license plate, scanned Fu Haoran in the back seat, and immediately spoke a few words into his walkie-talkie.

The next second, he snapped to attention and gave a standard salute, and the electric wrought-iron gates slowly slid open to both sides.

The Cayenne followed behind the Maybach, driving straight in without even registering.

The vehicles finally stopped at the top of the mountain, but no one was in a hurry to get out.

It wasn't that they didn't want to, but they didn't know what kind of expression they should wear to walk into the estate before them.

Fu Haoran pushed open the car door, holding his father with one hand and supporting his mother with the other, leading them up the steps.

"Dad, Mom, the house is a bit big. You can live here for now, and we can change it if you're not used to it."

Fu Haoran hadn't expected the house j.a.r.v.i.s. bought to be this big. He had to admit, as expected of the AI butler created by Iron Man Tony, the level of prestige was incredibly high.

The mansion could only be described as outrageously, obscenely luxurious.

Inside the door was a living room with a three-story-high ceiling.

A five-story-high wall of floor-to-ceiling glass windows faced the winding river in the distance, and the alabaster chandelier hanging from the dome cast its light evenly on—

—the marble floor. Outside the window was the rushing river water, and inside was the warm, gentle light, making the entire living room look like a transparent box floating on the river.

A spiral staircase wound upward, its handrail crafted from a single polished piece of North American black walnut wood.

Someone stealthily peeked down the stairs. The basement featured a fully lit sunken courtyard with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall facing a mountain lightwell. It was fully equipped with a temperature-controlled wine cellar, a home theater, and a solid pearwood tea table. Sunlight streamed in at an angle from the lightwell, making it bright and airy.

"Is this even looking at a house..." the third aunt murmured to herself. "It feels like we're watching a movie."

She spoke very softly, but everyone present heard her loud and clear.

Because that was exactly what everyone was thinking.

Everyone stood stiffly, and no one dared to sit.

Shen Shuwei had only returned from America a few days ago and hadn't fully recovered from jet lag. She had originally planned to indulge herself, as life abroad had been far too bitter.

After her mother's accidental passing, her father kept an extremely tight leash on her. Not only did he send people to monitor her studies, but he also packed her schedule with lessons: horse riding, skiing, ballet, piano, business etiquette, and art appreciation.

She had absolutely no opportunity to enjoy the so-called beautiful college days.

—

While others studied abroad to see the world, she studied abroad to look at her schedule.

However, her father left no room for negotiation.

This time, upon her return, he had even assigned her a task.

Currently, there was a luxury mansion under the company's name that needed to be disposed of. Her father wanted her to represent the Shen family to go through the motions and get to know the buyer, saying the other party was also an overseas Chinese. If the Shen family wanted to expand overseas in the future, having one more friend meant one more path.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

She placed the entry form for the Miss World beauty pageant face down on the table, grabbed a low-key but expensive Max Mara belted cashmere coat, and headed out.

The coat was a minimalist H-line belted style that sat perfectly at her waist, flawlessly outlining her 182cm supermodel height and accentuating her golden 3:7 body ratio to the fullest.

The matching wide-leg trousers had a beautiful drape, making her straight, well-proportioned long legs—which accounted for nearly 60% of her height—look even more striking.

After all, she, Miss Shen, had spent years immersed in ballet studios and posture training rooms.

With sharp, upright shoulder and neck lines and a waist that could be encircled by a single hand, her casual stance exuded the relaxed aura of a professional runway model.

The rearview mirror reflected her excessively exquisite face.

Not yet nineteen, her features had fully matured, inheriting all of her mother's youthful beauty, and perhaps even surpassing it.

The corners of her eyes curved slightly upward, carrying a hint of innate allure.

Her cold, moon-white skin was like porcelain; even without a trace of makeup, she was a hundred times more eye-catching than the heavily made-up socialites in her circle.

Her father's tone on the phone just now sounded like he was talking about an ordinary business deal, but there was an underlying subtext.

"The other party is young, single, and works in industry abroad. He's very capable. Go chat with him more and make friends."

She understood, of course.

Growing up, her father never allowed her to date, questioning her for ages even if a male classmate sent her a message, yet now he was suddenly arranging a blind date.

She felt uncomfortable, thinking her father was overstepping his bounds.

However, Shen Shuwei failed to detect the undisguisable exhaustion and anxiety deep within her father's tone during that call.

It wasn't a father worrying about his daughter's marriage; it was a man on the verge of being crushed by debt, looking for someone to support his daughter.

"Alright Dad, I get it, but I don't want to date anyone right now."

After hanging up, Father Shen sat in his empty office, looking at a pile of overdue debt collection notices on his desk. He sighed to the empty room, muttering to himself, "Xiao Wei, why don't you understand? While there's still someone willing to look at you, hurry up and find someone reliable to marry. Once the company truly collapses, nobody will want to marry you."

The car stopped at the gate of the estate. Shen Shuwei stepped out, her 10cm stilettos clicking crisply against the stone path.

Standing before the massive estate, rather than being overshadowed by the architecture, her presence perfectly matched the style of this ultra-luxury mansion.

She looked up at the three-story mansion before her, feeling a slight stir in her heart.

She had heard her father mention this building more than once.

It was originally planned by her father to be the top private club in Rong City, with one hundred million spent on renovation alone, intended as a high-end business social venue. Later, due to tight cash flow, it had to be converted into a residential property for sale.

Priced at one billion, it had been listed for three months, and fewer than three groups had come to view it.

It wasn't that people didn't like it; it was just that no one was willing to spend one billion to buy a detached estate in Rong City.

She took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell.

The door opened, and the property manager eagerly led her inside, lowering his voice as they walked: "Miss Shen, the buyer's surname is Fu. He is an overseas Chinese who paid in full. It's a retirement home for his parents."

Shen Shuwei nodded and walked through the foyer into the living room.

Every gaze in the living room instantly converged on her.

Her eyes habitually swept over everyone present, an instinct from growing up in a business family.

About a dozen people stood in the center of the living room, looking awkward and unsure of what to do with their hands and feet; clearly, they were not the owners of this place.

Then, she saw the only person who was seated.

The man was leaning back on the sofa, wearing a dark gray casual suit, legs crossed, with a calm expression.

A whole room of relatives was standing, yet he was the only one sitting, surrounded like the moon among stars.

Shen Shuwei's footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

It was him.

The man who, at a private dinner in Washington three months ago, had used a spoon to pierce the throat of a Xenomorph with his bare hands.

Standing nearly 1.92 meters tall in her heels, her statuesque figure, paired with perfect body proportions and an exquisite face, radiated luxury; the visual impact was something they had never seen in their entire lives.

Not to mention the relaxed aura unique to a wealthy heiress and beauty pageant contestant, a level of sophistication they had never encountered in their lives.

The property manager hurried to the man, bowed, and introduced her: "Mr. Fu, this is Miss Shen Shuwei from our Shengyuan Real Estate, the daughter of Chairman Shen, here specially to deliver the property ownership documents to you."

Fu Haoran looked up at her and gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

The living room fell silent instantly.

The Third Uncle's wine glass froze in mid-air, the Third Aunt gasped, and Fu Wanqing's eyes widened like copper bells.

The Shen Group, the leader of real estate in Rong City.

They usually only saw members of the Shen family on TV news, yet here was the daughter of the Shen family standing before Fu Haoran like a junior paying a visit.

Shen Shuwei collected herself, took the contract and property deed from her assistant, and approached Fu Haoran.

She leaned over slightly, the collar of her cashmere coat outlining her delicate collarbone, and said in a polite and proper tone: "Mr. Fu, all the ownership documents are here."

"The real estate ownership certificate, the purchase contract, and the property handover list. Please verify them."

Fu Haoran flipped through two pages and signed his name.

Shen Shuwei's gaze swept over the registration page—in the owner column, the names of Fu Haoran's parents were clearly written.

She paused, then looked up at Fu Haoran: "You bought this house for your uncle and aunt to retire in?"

"Yes. I'm abroad year-round and rarely come back. It's quite suitable for the elders to live here."

Shen Shuwei didn't ask further.

She closed the documents, handed them to her assistant behind her, and looked at Fu Haoran, suddenly feeling that this man was truly too old-fashioned.

He looked to be under thirty, but he spoke and acted like a forty-year-old.

Mature and steady, yes, but also truly boring.

She turned to leave, but reached the door, stopped, looked back at Fu Haoran, and couldn't help but ask: "That time in Washington, how did you actually do it?"

Fu Haoran leaned against the back of the sofa, picked up his teacup, and took a sip: "Just good luck."

Shen Shuwei stared at him for two seconds, her lips twitching slightly.

It wasn't a smile, but an expression of realization: "Just as I thought, I wouldn't get an answer."

"Then I won't disturb you further. I'll take my leave."

The moment the door closed, the living room was silent for a full three seconds.

Fu Wanqing was the first to lose her composure.

Replaying the scene in her mind, she was the first to react, quickly putting on a smile and stepping forward to greet her: "Hello, Miss Shen. I'm Fu Wanqing; we're in the same group chat."

Shen Shuwei just nodded politely at her, her gaze still fixed on Fu Haoran on the sofa.

And the sentence she had said at the dinner table earlier, about "an exhibition selling small private jets and model airplane toys," was still ringing in her ears, making her cheeks burn with embarrassment.

Fu Haoran picked up the red property deed and handed it to his mother: "Mom, this house is yours and Dad's from now on."

"By the way, I've rented this house to my company to serve as the base for our domestic branch. I'll pay you rent at the market rate every month."

The Third Aunt was the first to recover. Holding her teacup, she tried to smooth things over with a very unnatural tone: "Haoran, you're so capable now. The Zhuhai Airshow is in a week, why not take us there for a trip? Since you're going to exhibit anyway, we can tag along and broaden our horizons."

"Sure! Big brother, I want to see big planes!" Fu Haoran's younger sister, Fu Tongtong, who was still in elementary school, immediately raised her hand, her eyes sparkling. She had no concept of an airshow, only knowing that she could go out and play without having to go to school.

The Third Aunt was actually just looking for a way to save face and never expected Fu Haoran to take her seriously.

The next second, Fu Haoran picked up his phone and dialed Cheng Beixiao.

"Xiao Cheng, book a business jet to Zhuhai for tomorrow, a charter flight. There are about twenty-five people. Arrange accommodation, VIP viewing seats, and full shuttle services during the airshow according to the company's highest reception standards."

After hanging up, he looked at the room full of relatives with a calm tone: "Assemble at the airport tomorrow at ten in the morning."

The living room was dead silent.

The Third Uncle's hand holding the wine glass froze in mid-air, and he was completely stunned. He suddenly realized that every time his nephew said "it's okay," "nothing special," "a startup company," or "a rental car," it was never what he had understood it to mean.