"Hundreds? Who are you looking down on? I start from ten thousand," Cheng Zhu said with a smile, making a joke to break the ice.
Jiang Wanzhou didn't take him seriously, thinking he was just joking, while struggling to handle the steering wheel of the Mercedes G with his thin arms.
It was then that Cheng Zhu noticed the watch Jiang Wanzhou was wearing on his wrist. It was a Vacheron Constantin.
If it had been the Cheng Zhu who had never seen the world, he wouldn't have known the value of that watch, and probably would have found it hideous, incomparable to his digital watch.
You, a simple student secretly using your parents' watch.
And me, the fashion vanguard on campus.
Actually, the watch was a birthday gift from his mother when Jiang Wanzhou turned eighteen. His father, on the other hand, had given him a Porsche 911, but he didn't drive it because he felt it didn't match his dominant CEO aura, making him look more like a rich kid.
Later, when Cheng Zhu prospered, the first luxury watch he bought was also a Vacheron Constantin, because he liked the model name and the special blue touch on its dial. This model is called "Overseas".
The bar run by Jiang Wanzhou's cousin was called "Jiu Yin", a play on words with "JiǔYǐn" which means (alcohol addiction).
His cousin believed that opening a bar in such an expensive place, but with a name that included "Yin" (hidden/secret), was quite sophisticated.
After parking the car, Jiang Wanzhou led Cheng Zhu to the bar in a familiar way and they sat at the counter.
During the World Cup, bar businesses were certainly prosperous
Moreover, it was July 13, and at 3 in the morning of July 14, it would be the 2014 World Cup final.
That's why "Jiu Yin" was already full of customers.
Cheng Zhu listened to the conversations around him; many were talking about football.
Of course, there were also many who bitterly complained about how much money they had lost betting on the World Cup this year.
Once they sat down, a female bartender approached to greet Jiang Wanzhou and said: "Little Jiang."
She wore a tight bartender uniform that accentuated certain prominent features.
Cheng Zhu looked at her once and could realize that this bartender was probably the main attraction at the counter.
Clearly, she knew Jiang Wanzhou, the cousin of Shen Minglang, the bar's owner, and started chatting with him. At the same time, she didn't ignore Cheng Zhu and introduced herself as Yezi.
Yezi, when chatting with customers, used to lean on the counter, slightly tilting her body forward.
People who work in nightlife know how to project their charm.
Cheng Zhu knew that many bartenders earn commissions, that's why they also liked to interact with customers.
Of course, if some customers are rich enough, the interaction can go beyond just chatting.
Jiang Wanzhou thought that Cheng Zhu, being his first time in a bar, might feel insecure.
But, to his surprise, this boy was like a fish in water, making Yezi laugh with just a few words, putting the buttons of her uniform in danger.
Since Jiang Wanzhou was paying that night, Cheng Zhu didn't look at the drink menu and simply joked, pointing to a row of "Hibiki 21 years" bottles in a prominent place, asking if he could open one.
This drink, although its bottle wasn't particularly eye-catching, had a rather high price.
Jiang Wanzhou wasn't sure if Cheng Zhu really knew how expensive the drink was or if he was just guessing.
He was about to agree when he saw Cheng Zhu take the drink menu and order a cocktail with a catchy name, without mentioning the topic again.
"I was just joking. Even if you really wanted to open a bottle, you'd have to wait for me to start working here first so I can earn a commission," Cheng Zhu said with a mischievous smile.
Jiang Wanzhou looked at him with exasperation and said:
"Keep dreaming. Tomorrow I'll take a bottle from the drinks cabinet at home and return it here, so don't think you're going to earn that money."
Cheng Zhu gave him a thumbs up and said:
"Excellent! You're really brilliant. How can you say such cold words with a 37-degree mouth?"
Yezi watched them from the side, feeling that there was some flirting between them, and wondered if she was developing an inclination towards BL, feeling the urge to ship them.
"The owner's cousin is handsome, and his friend has a charming bad boy air. They make a good couple!" Yezi thought to herself.
"The rich and good student of the campus and the bad boy of the campus, ahhhhh!" she screamed in her mind.
Cheng Zhu, for his part, had no idea what Yezi was
thinking. If he knew, he would probably do everything possible to conquer her and then say:
"I told you not to look with those eyes! I told you not to look with those eyes! Eh?"
The cocktail was soon ready, and Yezi gently pushed it towards them, a cocktail that cost a few yuan but was sold for tens.
Then, she glanced toward the door and smiled:
"Little Jiang, your older cousin and your older female cousin have arrived."
At first, Cheng Zhu didn't pay much attention, but when
he heard the word "female cousin" come out of Yezi's mouth, he was a little surprised.
Later, he attended Hangzhou University of Science and Technology, where Jiang Wanzhou's female cousin was his classmate a year older, and she was very famous in the university, considered a campus goddess, a true rich beauty.
When Jiang Wanzhou visited him at the university, he also invited his female cousin to dinner together.
It's not known if it was serious or on purpose, but in private he told Cheng Zhu: "My female cousin has never had a boyfriend, how about it, do you want to try to conquer her?".
But Cheng Zhu thought that someone of her level probably spends on clothes what he would spend on several months of living, and he couldn't maintain such a relationship.
Now, remembering that, he could only laugh at how naive he was.
How funny, only those who don't have money need to be maintained; those who have money maintain you. Why worry about that? Why play at machismo?
As the saying goes: "Find a good person and marry; find an influential person and build your career."
"Find a rich woman and marry while building your career."
"Damn, wasn't my perspective too small?" Cheng Zhu joked in his mind.
"What, do you want to call me brother-in-law?" At that time, he only responded with that to evade the matter.
He thought it was an immature idea.
As for now, he often had some... overly mature ideas.
Of course, Cheng Zhu knew that in his previous life, with his level in college, with his charming bad boy face and his athlete's physique, he could conquer ordinary pretty girls without problem. But at the level of Jiang Wanzhou's female cousin, it was still quite unlikely.
At that moment, he looked toward the bar door and noticed that many of the men present were also looking in that direction.
Some knew the bar owner, Shen Minglang. Others were attracted by the woman beside him.
She was called Shen Qingning, was at least 1.68 meters tall, and wore a knee-length black dress, showing her long and well-proportioned legs.
The neckline of the dress was adorned with a small row of pearls that, although white, couldn't compare to the whiteness of her skin.
She was the type of woman with incredibly pale skin, which looked even whiter under the bar lights.
In addition, her temperament was of the cold and distant type, giving a "don't approach" feeling.
Cheng Zhu noticed a detail at that moment.
Many pretty girls, when observed by men, tend to act as if they don't notice or avoid eye contact.
But Shen Qingning was different.
She looked around the bar naturally.
And as her cold gaze swept across the place, several men who were observing her averted their gaze.
"Her presence is strong, as cool as ever," Cheng Zhu thought.
In his mind, this type of woman not only attracts men but also women.
Actually, Shen Qingning was also very popular among the girls at the university
-Ah! Let this goddess kill me!
As for Shen Minglang, his appearance is not worth describing.
-Omitted.
At that moment, Shen Minglang and Shen Qingning approached Jiang Wanzhou and greeted him:
"Hey, if it isn't little Jiang!"
"Go away, go away! Annoying!" Jiang Wanzhou gave him an annoyed look.
When his friends called him "little Jiang", he felt happy. But when his cousin called him that, he found it annoying.
However, it was evident that his family had a good relationship.
In Cheng Zhu's family, the relationships between relatives were quite average.
In his family, family hierarchy doesn't matter, only economic conditions and social status.
And besides, actually, many families the more common, or even more economically difficult, the more this happens.
Shen Minglang looked at Cheng Zhu and asked Jiang Wanzhou:
"Is this the good friend you told me about on WeChat?"
Jiang Wanzhou nodded, and Shen Minglang raised his left hand, showing his watch nicknamed "Steel King" - a Patek Philippe Nautilus, and shook Cheng Zhu's hand, saying with a pretentious tone:
"Shen Minglang, the most respected cousin of Jiang Wanzhou."
While saying this, he seemed to have forgotten that a few seconds ago Jiang Wanzhou had told him to go away.
"You're his good friend, so you can call me cousin."
"Cousin, Cheng Zhu," Cheng Zhu responded nonchalantly, giving his name.
"Great, cousin," Shen Minglang also didn't bother to remember names, tonight he would just call him cousin.
In a bar, you only need one name. It's not as if they were going to stay in contact afterwards.
However, Shen Minglang was quite hospitable and, smiling, said:
"You just finished high school, right? Do you smoke already? Yezi, bring me two cigars."
Cigars were sold in the bar, and some customers specifically ordered them.
Some because they were used to it, others because they thought smoking cigars made them look cool.
As soon as he spoke, Shen Qingning's gaze settled on Shen Minglang's face.
Although she didn't say a word, her older brother coughed and changed the subject, telling Yezi:
"Yezi, take the cigars to table A03, those are my friends."
Feeling the change in the gaze she had on him, Shen Minglang smiled and gave Cheng Zhu a pat on the shoulder, saying:
"Did you think I was going to invite you to a cigar? Cousin, don't smoke being so young, okay?"
"I know," Cheng Zhu responded with a smile, playing along.
Cheng Zhu looked at Shen Minglang's hand on his shoulder and noticed the watch on his wrist.
He suddenly remembered that in those years, luxury watches were still cheap, unlike later, when brands like Patek Philippe and Rolex had models whose price doubled or tripled in the secondary market.
That was also a way to make money.
Why do some rich people get richer?
For Shen Minglang, it was buying a watch to show off, but after a few years he would discover: "Wow! I can sell it and make money!"
"What's up?" Shen Minglang asked, raising his wrist.
"Do you want to know the time?"
"No, it's that it's cool," Cheng Zhu praised the watch.
Shen Minglang smiled from ear to ear.
It was curious because, coming from a recent high school graduate, the compliment sounded very sincere.
When someone from his circle praised him, Shen Minglang felt that they recognized the price of the watch. But coming from a student, he felt that they recognized his taste and style.
Jiang Wanzhou, beside him, was amazed: "How is it that I feel my cousin is being so easily manipulated by him?"
Feeling that his style had been validated by a student, Shen Minglang smiled broadly and said:
"Don't stay at the counter, come with me to A01, I have a reserved seat. Oh, and Yezi, the cousin's drink bill is on my account."
"But you pay for yours," he added, pointing to Jiang Wanzhou.
This made Jiang Wanzhou roll his eyes again.
So, the four headed to table A01.
Jiang Wanzhou and Shen Minglang sat on both sides of Cheng Zhu.
The future "senior" of cold character, Shen Qingning, sat right in front of him.
In the dim light of the bar, Cheng Zhu thought that his future senior was definitely a campus goddess, recognizing her beauty.
"Jiang Wanzhou mentioned that his female cousin is talented, knows how to play the piano and does ballet."
A goddess is one thing, long legs is another, but a long-legged goddess who can do a split is something more.
And all this with a cold face.
This made his night much better, because who would want to sit at a table full of ugly girls in a bar?
"My parents always wanted me to be an outstanding person. Clearly, I've already fulfilled four-fifths of that, becoming a person... with 'appetite' (play on words between 出色, outstanding, and 好色, lecherous)." he thought with satisfaction.