After just two days, Zhao Xuan realized something: in society, most people—regardless of gender or profession—judge you first and foremost by how you look. If he'd shown up last night in head-to-toe designer or even ultra-luxury wear, Officer Yang Wenyu would never have mistaken him for a broke teenager who'd taken a loan shark's money.
So, no matter what, it was time for a total image overhaul.
With that thought, Zhao Xuan hailed a cab straight to Times Square Mall.
Time to get a car too, he thought as the cab rolled along.
His dad, Zhao Mingdong, drove a Honda Fit that was already six years old. During high school holidays, aside from cram school, Zhao Xuan had spent most of his time in that Fit practicing driving. Right after turning 18 and passing the gaokao, he'd gotten his license.
Since Zhao Xuan planned to leave Lianhai eventually, the car would be for his dad—meaning flashy rides were out. Low-key was the way to go.
After a quiet afternoon, Zhao Xuan emerged in a Burberry shirt, casual trousers, and matching sneakers. Behind the wheel of a freshly picked-up Audi A8L, he suddenly looked the part of a young heir. In just one afternoon, he'd burned through another ¥1.3 million—bringing his single-day total to ¥6.3 million.
Yet this was only the beginning of his new life.
The A8L 50TFSI packed a 3.0-liter high-output engine. It wasn't a sports car by any means, but the driving experience was leagues beyond the Fit or the Hyundai Elantra he'd learned in.
He'd considered younger, edgier models—with his budget, a Porsche Panamera was easily within reach, and it would attract far more attention from guys his age than a "stodgy" Audi. But while browsing, he remembered his dad casually mentioning admiration for Audi. Since the car would mainly be for Zhao Mingdong, Zhao Xuan decided to go with the A8L.
At the dealership, the saleswoman's hints were anything but subtle. Her ample chest brushed against his arm as she steered him toward a test drive. She was attractive—fine-featured, narrow waist, long legs. Zhao Xuan was tempted to indulge in the stereotypical rich-kid lifestyle, but when he pulled up her status panel, a warning popped up: High-risk infectious disease. He shook his head and made a quick exit.
Soon he was back at Vanke Xishan. The household supplies he'd ordered that morning were ready for delivery. His parents weren't off work yet, so Zhao Xuan directed the delivery guys to haul everything into the villa. By the time he finished organizing, evening had arrived.
When he returned to the sales center, everyone—including Lin Jingjing—did a double take.
Gone was the thrift-store teen from that morning. In Burberry, Zhao Xuan looked like a different person. Lin nodded approvingly to herself; the salespeople who'd passed him off earlier looked sick with regret.
"Miss Lin, my parents will be here soon. Please help them get their entry passes for the community," Zhao Xuan said, checking her status as he spoke.
Lin Jingjing
Female / Youth
Healthy
Strength 9 / Agility 10 / Stamina 11
Energy 12 / Focus 11
Friendliness: 75
Submissiveness: 100 (undeveloped)
Obedience: 100
Zhao Xuan's eyes lit up. A friendliness of 75 meant that with a little effort, this beauty might just fall in line. But Submissiveness? At 100 and "undeveloped"? Was she a born… well, he didn't quite know what to call it. Still, "undeveloped" meant a treasure trove waiting to be unlocked.
Obedience at 100 was practically tailor-made for him. Every potential romantic interest had an obedience stat—0 meant complete independence (like Yang Wenyu). For men, the equivalent was Loyalty. Submissiveness, though, was a hidden trait, found only in natural submissives or those "trained."
"Of course, I'll take them through the process when they arrive," Lin said, leaning slightly toward Zhao Xuan as he sat on the sofa.
"By the way, Miss Lin, to thank you for your help, how about dinner after we wrap up?" With her high friendliness, Zhao Xuan skipped subtlety and issued a direct invitation.
Lin understood the implication perfectly. If this guy were a middle-aged homeowner buying an even pricier unit, she'd hesitate. But Zhao Xuan was young, loaded, and—according to the ID on the contract—only 18, just over a month past his birthday.
His physique was lethal to most women: fit but not bulky, balanced proportions hiding explosive strength. Aside from an average face and height, he was close to perfect.
"Sure, I'll change after my shift and wait here for you," Lin said, cheeks tinged pink, nodding.
Outside, Zhao Mingdong's old Honda Fit looked comically out of place. Even staff at this level usually drove mid-range sedans; subcompacts under ¥100,000 rarely ventured near here.
Zhao Mingdong and Zhao Guyu stepped out, glancing around a little nervously.
Spotting them, Lin rushed over, collected their IDs, and hurried upstairs to handle the paperwork.
"This area's close to Dad's workplace, so it'll be more convenient. Mom, you might need a new job—it's too far from your current one," Zhao Xuan said, placing his dad's backpack on a nearby sofa.
"Is that Audi outside yours?" Zhao Mingdong asked as they sat. He'd noticed the brand-new A8L the moment they got out.
"Yeah, it's for you," Zhao Xuan replied.
"Use it during the holiday, and give it to me when you head off to college," his dad said, no false modesty—he'd made no secret of liking Audi.
"Our son's done well. But I've been at my job for years and don't want to switch. I'll just commute," Zhao Guyu said, genuinely pleased—not just because he had money, but because he was the first thing on their son's mind.
Zhao Guyu was an accountant, a former state-owned enterprise employee who'd taken various jobs after being laid off. For the last five years, she'd been a financial assistant at a law firm.
"Let Dad use the Fit for now. Once I gather more funds, I'll get you a nice car too." Older folks liked stability, so Zhao Xuan didn't press.
Before Zhao Guyu could refuse, Lin returned with envelopes containing utilities cards, access passes, and other essentials.
"Let's check out the house first so you can get used to it," Zhao Xuan said, leading his parents out.
Meanwhile, Lin dashed off to change.
Half an hour later, after settling his parents, Zhao Xuan returned to the sales center. Lin had texted that she'd changed, so he waited, munching on fruit from the coffee table.
A little over ten minutes later, Lin appeared in the doorway. Zhao Xuan's eyes brightened: she'd swapped into a light-blue pencil skirt that showcased the top third of her ample bust, creating a deep cleavage line.
The hem stopped at the knee, accentuating her tall frame. She wore white strappy sandals—lower than the ones from earlier, putting her just below eye level with him, softening the earlier sense of pressure.
This time she wasn't wearing pantyhose; her bare calves were flawless, smooth as porcelain.
"Thanks for joining me, Miss Lin. I booked a private room at Starsea First-Rate to thank you for today," Zhao Xuan said, guiding her to the passenger seat.
"Call me Jingjing," she smiled at him from the passenger side.
Once they were in the car, a few other saleswomen huddled nearby, whispering.
In their line of work, most were attractive, and surviving in luxury villa sales usually meant sleeping with account managers or clients—mostly middle-aged or older. Now that Lin might snag a young, high-potential guy like Zhao Xuan, envy rippled through the group.
Everyone knew where this dinner was heading. Zhao Xuan had already told his parents he'd sleep over at a classmate's place. The "thank you" meal was just an excuse.
This villa sale netted Lin nearly ¥40,000 in commission. She'd been at the company a year since graduation. Six months earlier, after refusing advances from a nearly 50-year-old mid-level manager, she'd been banished here and hadn't closed a deal since. Without this month's sale, she'd be fired. Who owed whom was obvious—and Lin was ready to repay him however he wanted.
"Mr. Zhao, you're accomplished at such a young age. What do you do?" Jingjing asked sweetly, wanting final confirmation he was the real deal.
"I researched blockchain currencies on my own," Zhao Xuan replied. He didn't fully grasp it himself, but from the System's upgrade info, one function could transfer money to him via this tech, avoiding steep withdrawal taxes. He cherry-picked the most technical bits to impress her.
Jingjing had heard of Bitcoin in college, even made a bit investing in it—she likely knew more than him. Still, the System's explanation sounded precise enough to wow someone with only surface knowledge.
"You must be doing well here, Jingjing," Zhao Xuan probed.
"Without today's sale, I'd probably be let go by month's end," she admitted, sharing her predicament.
Zhao Xuan got reassurance; Jingjing got sympathy.
"Can you do me a small favor, Jingjing?" he asked as they pulled into Starsea Plaza, hunting for parking.
"Anything I can do, I will," she said eagerly. She was now convinced he was a windfall-chasing rich kid. High school graduate with this kind of cash? Worth investing in.
"Help my parents find a reliable housekeeper. I'll cover the agency fee." Zhao Xuan parked and turned to her.
"Oh… okay, I'll handle it tomorrow." Jingjing had braced for a more physical request. Her cheeks warmed, and she felt a flicker of disappointment.
Before she could dwell on it, Zhao Xuan spoke again.
"Also, I'll be going to college in Jiangcheng soon and may settle there for a while. Interested in being my personal steward?"
"Huh?!" Jingjing froze.