Chapter 4: A Gentleman's Attire
The café's glass doors closed behind him with a soft chime, but Lin Hao barely noticed. His head was still filled with Rossi's words.
Hong Kong. Shareholder meeting. Billionaires.
His pulse had finally slowed from the call, but now another thought struck him with full force: appearance.
Xu Yaqin's last message lingered on his phone screen. "Please remember, this is a formal event. Proper attire is required."
Lin Hao stopped on the sidewalk, staring at his reflection in the darkened shop window beside him. His jeans were faded, his shoes scuffed and worn at the soles. His jacket still had the crooked zipper he had tugged nervously during the call.
He looked nothing like a man who held one percent of Lamborghini.
A bitter laugh escaped his lips. "If I walk in like this, they'll throw me out before I even say my name."
That might seems like a joke now but it may as well become a reality.
But the problem wasn't just appearance. It was money.
He had no dividends yet. The shares were real, worth billions, but they couldn't be sold overnight. And no one at Lamborghini had wired him cash. The only money he had right now was what the system had transferred to his account when the equity deal went through. A small portion. Enough to cover living expenses for years if he lived carefully — but not endless wealth.
He pulled out his battered wallet, staring at the bank card inside. He checked the balance on his phone: 280,000 RMB.
Not nothing. But not infinite.
He swallowed hard. "If I'm not careful, I'll burn through everything in one day."
But he had no choice. If he showed up in Hong Kong looking like a beggar, the humiliation would be worse than death. His ex would laugh herself sick if she ever saw that scene.
This wasn't just about blending in — it was about survival in a circle where appearance meant power.
He clenched his jaw and started walking toward the city's luxury shopping district.
The commercial avenue glittered with neon and polished marble storefronts. Names he had only ever seen in magazines stood proudly above glass windows: Armani, Zegna, Gucci, Prada.
Lin Hao's palms grew damp. He had never even dared to step inside these places before. But now… he had to.
He stopped before Armani, heart pounding. Mannequins in tailored suits stood in perfect posture behind the glass, their reflections sharp under golden lights.
"Just a suit," he whispered to himself. "I'll buy one good suit. That's all."
He pushed the door open. A soft chime greeted him, followed quickly by a sales associate with a practiced smile.
"Welcome to Armani. May I help you, sir?"
Lin Hao hesitated. The man's eyes flicked over his worn clothes, but to his credit, the smile didn't waver.
"I… need a suit," Lin Hao said finally. "Something formal. For a business meeting."
"Of course," the associate replied smoothly, leading him toward the racks of dark suits. "What kind of meeting, if I may ask?"
These salesman of high-end brands are really good,They wouldn't turn a blind eye on you only because you are wearing some common clothes.All those stupid things that happen in other novels are mostly to entertain others.
Lin Hao cleared his throat. "Important. Very important."
The man nodded as if that answer was perfectly natural. "Then I recommend a classic Italian cut. Slim, elegant. Dark navy or charcoal are most appropriate."
He pulled out a suit and handed it to Lin Hao. "The fitting rooms are this way."
Inside the mirror-lit booth, Lin Hao carefully slipped on the jacket.
The difference was immediate. His shoulders straightened, his posture lifted. He looked… sharper.
When he stepped out, the associate's brows lifted slightly. "Excellent fit. With some minor tailoring, it will look perfect on you."
Lin Hao stared at himself in the mirror, his chest tightening. For the first time in his life, he looked like a man who could sit across from billionaires without shame.
"How much?" he asked quietly.
"39,800 RMB," the associate replied without blinking.
Lin Hao's stomach twisted. Almost forty thousand — for one suit.
He thought of his balance again. 280,000.
His first instinct was to put it back. But then Xu Yaqin's words echoed again: Proper attire is required.
And his heart was also telling him to take it.hehe.
He clenched his jaw. "I'll take it."
By the time he left Armani an hour later, he carried two bags: one navy suit, one pair of polished black leather shoes, and a silk tie. The bill was 58,000 RMB.
His balance had dropped to 222,000.
He walked through the mall in silence, his mind spinning. Should he stop here? Would one suit be enough?
Then he passed a Rolex boutique.
He froze.
Behind the glass, a display case shone under spotlights. Watches gleamed like jewelry, their dials elegant, their crowns unmistakable.
A voice whispered in his mind: Clothes show respect. But a watch shows status.
He swallowed hard. He had never even dared to touch a Rolex. The thought of spending tens of thousands on something that only told time once felt insane.
But now, time wasn't the point. Status was.
Gritting his teeth, he stepped inside.
The boutique was hushed, lined with glass cases. A salesman in a tailored suit approached.
"Good afternoon, sir. Looking for something in particular?"
Lin Hao tried to sound calm. "Something… classic."
The man thought for a moment.
Then,the man opened a case and lifted out a stainless steel Submariner with a black dial.
"This is one of our most iconic models. Timeless, versatile. It suits both formal and casual occasions."
Lin Hao lifted it, the weight solid in his hand. He fastened it on his wrist and stared at his reflection in the polished glass.
The man staring back at him looked different. Complete.
"How much?" Lin Hao asked quietly.
"Seventy-two thousand RMB," the salesman replied smoothly.
Lin Hao's throat tightened. Seventy-two. That was nearly a third of what he had left.
He hesitated. His stomach knotted. But then he remembered Hong Kong. The shareholder meeting. The eyes of billionaires sweeping over him.
If he walked in with a cheap plastic watch, they would know instantly he didn't belong.
He took a deep breath. "I'll take it."
When Lin Hao left the mall at dusk, the city lights were already flickering on. His bags were heavy in his hands, but heavier still was the watch gleaming on his wrist.
His balance had dropped again. 150,000 remained. Enough to live on comfortably for now, but no longer the cushion it had been this morning.
He walked back to his apartment slowly, his mind racing.
When he laid the suit, shoes, and Rolex out on his bed, the contrast was jarring. The cracked walls, the dim lightbulb, the peeling paint—all of it looked like a backdrop unworthy of the elegance before him.
He sat on the bed, staring at the items in silence. His heart swelled with both pride and fear.
He had invested nearly half of what he had into these things. They weren't luxuries, not really. They were armor.
Armor he needed to step into Lamborghini's world without shame.
Lin Hao tightened the Rolex around his wrist, the crown gleaming faintly in the dim light.
"This is my ticket," he whispered. "My ticket to a new life."
The room was silent except for his breathing. But in his chest, his determination burned stronger than ever.
Next week, in Hong Kong, he would walk into that shareholder meeting not as the poor boy who once ate instant noodles in a cracked apartment, but as a man who looked the part of the world he now belonged to.
And no one would ever doubt him again.
Now,he was determined to change himself into a man,into a businessman,Who will stand ,one day,at the very top of the world.