Chapter 105: Returning Home, Buying Property First

Rongfu Banquet

Zhang Yang didn’t go overboard with some extravagant feast costing hundreds of thousands; that would have been too flashy.

Still, with an average of over two thousand per person, over ten thousand yuan worth of dishes per table, and aged Wuliangye worth less than twenty thousand, the level of the meal was more than sufficient.

“Uncle, welcome.” Zhang Yang poured a glass of wine and toasted Bei Wei’s father.

Bei Yongning quickly picked up the glass and drank it in one gulp, his cheeks flushing immediately.

Partly due to last night’s lingering hangover, and partly because, as Bei Wei’s father, he genuinely felt proud and honored.

To have such a son-in-law-just thinking about it made him tremble with excitement.

At the table, besides Zhang Yang and his party of four, were Bei Jiajia and her father Bei Tianfu.

The Shanghai office was extremely busy, and in the short term, Bei Tianfu planned to stay in Shanghai to make some quick money.

“Brother, our families should get together more often in the future,” Bei Tianfu said warmly, draping an arm over Bei Yongning’s shoulder with genuine enthusiasm.

“Definitely, definitely,” Bei Yongning replied, clinking glasses, though inwardly he felt a mix of emotions.

This cousin hadn’t been so enthusiastic in the past.

“Even though it’s my dad, I have to say it,” Bei Jiajia whispered to Bei Wei, leaning close. “So practical. Look at his expression-when have you ever seen him voluntarily toast someone before?”

In her memory, at family banquets, it was always others toasting him, never the other way around.

Bei Wei’s face was slightly embarrassed, and she had no comment.

The banquet was lively throughout.

Bei Tianfu and Bei Yongning’s boss, Zheng Gang, were both seasoned in social drinking, skilled at keeping the atmosphere active, leaving Bei Yongning a little dazed in the process.

“Old Bei, you’ve got to finish this glass. Look at you, too modest,” Zheng Gang said with a laugh.

Bei Yongning held his glass, his face flushed.

In the past, faced with words like this from his boss, he would have been nervous and overly humble.

But today, he felt no unease at all.

Why? Confidence! The confidence from his daughter, the confidence from his son-in-law.

“Haha, our family never cares about appearances; character is what matters. I saw Little Zhang at a glance and immediately thought he’s upright, clear-eyed, a trustworthy person,” Bei Yongning laughed heartily.

Zheng Gang looked at him, stunned.

This old Bei, once so humble and sincere, now… well, words couldn’t describe it!

The luncheon ended with everyone in high spirits.

Zhang Yang had been toasted several times and even received a business card from Zheng Gang, who expressed hope for future cooperation.

After the banquet, with nothing else to do, Zhang Yang invited them to visit his home.

Whether it was the Bentley next to the Cullinan or the multi-hundred-million-yuan COFCO Seaview No. 1, both left them utterly impressed.

Standing on the balcony of COFCO Seaview No. 1, Zheng Gang, a small business owner earning just over a million a year, felt for the first time that his years of hard work seemed almost meaningless.

Compared to ordinary people, he was only a little better off.

A riverside mansion worth over a hundred million? He could only admire it from afar.

“Uncle, stay for dinner tonight. It’s rare to have guests over,” Zhang Yang said, unpacking some premium cigarettes worth eleven thousand a pack and handing out a few.

“No, no, just seeing you puts me at ease,” Bei Yongning said, looking at the perfect couple before him with complete satisfaction. “I still need to go with President Zheng to the next stop. I’ve let you go to quite some trouble this time.”

“Uncle, it’s my honor that you came,” Zhang Yang said, sharing a smoke with Bei Yongning on the balcony. “We’ll have another drink next time.”

“Haha, definitely,” Bei Yongning replied, his face flushed with pleasure.

“Dad, you don’t have anything to say to me?” Bei Wei asked, slightly pouting as she watched her father.

Though she knew he came under the pretense of visiting her, he had barely spoken a word to her the whole time, which was a little unfair.

“You, just behave, don’t throw little tantrums, and I’ll be satisfied,” Bei Yongning said in front of Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang blinked, listening.

Little tantrums? Bei Wei? Not at all. She was the epitome of obedience, genuine inside and out.

In the afternoon, Zhang Yang personally escorted Bei Yongning and the others downstairs and saw them into the car.

After watching them leave, Bei Wei looped her arm around his shoulder, her expression different from usual-full of the excitement and joy of finally gaining her parents’ approval.

“My dad looks really happy,” she said, smiling at Zhang Yang.

“Could he not be happy? I’d be thrilled too, little rich girl,” Zhang Yang said, holding her waist, eyes burning with affection.

After the midday drinks, his blood was pumping, feeling vigorous and full of energy.

“Ah?” Bei Wei said lightly, glancing at the bright daylight. “In broad daylight…”

“Time of day? Doesn’t matter,” Zhang Yang said, and before she could protest, he lifted her effortlessly.

Bei Wei, probably under 45 kilograms (~99 lb), felt almost weightless in his arms. Zhang Yang carried her swiftly back to their home at COFCO Seaview No. 1.

The house, lively at noon, was now quiet and still.

Opening the door, Zhang Yang carried Bei Wei straight into the room, gently closing the door behind them.

Late afternoon, approaching evening.

Sunlight glimmered on the golden window sills as Zhang Yang stretched, feeling refreshed.

“Zhang Yang!” Bei Wei peeked out from the blanket, her bare shoulder exposed, teasing him softly. “Look at you, you tore my clothes! How am I supposed to go out now?”

Zhang Yang glanced at the scattered cloth, a little embarrassed.

“Uh, how about checking out the new Victoria’s Secret collection?”

“Victoria’s Secret?” Bei Wei shrank further under the thin blanket.

Around sunset, Zhang Yang ordered a simple dinner from a nearby restaurant.

After a luxurious lunch, dinner was simple: a pot of Chaozhou claypot porridge with some lightly pickled sides to soothe the stomach.

After enjoying the meal leisurely with Bei Wei, they headed out in the Cullinan.

Huaihai Middle Road, Victoria’s Secret store.

It was Zhang Yang’s first time in such a store. He had planned just to buy and leave, after all, a grown man lingering too long would be odd.

Unexpectedly, by the third floor, seeing the runway pieces once worn by celebrities, Zhang Yang lingered, unable to move on.

Floral lace, lettered straps, open backs, ultra-thin designs…

“Sir, would you like to consider this one too?” the sales assistant asked, smiling at the handsome man.

A man this attractive shopping for Victoria’s Secret for his girlfriend at night was unusual enough to make her both curious and enthusiastic, so she guided him attentively.

“Hmm… let’s get this one too,” Zhang Yang said casually, glancing at a supermodel’s style.

The sales assistant stifled a laugh and quickly retrieved the item.

Moments later, Zhang Yang paid and now had several shopping bags in hand.

“Thank you, sir,” the assistant said warmly at the door.

Outside, a few tall girls entered the store as a group.

Zhang Yang quickly placed the purchases in the car and finally exhaled in relief.

Night fell over COFCO Seaview No. 1’s master bedroom.

Bei Wei stared at the clothes spread across the bed, looking at Zhang Yang, who was thoughtfully stroking his chin as if contemplating some deep problem, and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Good one, Zhang Yang, you’re… you’re so bad.”

“I wasn’t sure what would suit you. How about trying them all to see which fits best?” Zhang Yang said seriously, looking at her earnestly.

Under the night sky, Bei Wei bit her lip and slowly got up.

Zhang Yang’s eyes widened slightly.

The next morning, Bei Wei had planned to cuddle with Zhang Yang in bed, but unexpected business called.

“Another prospective franchisee has arrived at the company. Bei Jiajia is attending to them,” Bei Wei, still sleepy, suddenly felt wide awake.

“Let her handle it first; you can nap a bit more,” Zhang Yang said, reaching to hold her.

Resting in his arms, Bei Wei gave him a morning kiss.

“No sleeping now, dear. I need to work hard for you.”

Having received a thirty-million-yuan house and car from Zhang Yang, she was eager to give her all. Now that she could contribute to the franchise, she wanted to achieve more.

“Alright then,” Zhang Yang nodded, feeling the morning kiss from his little sweet girl.

The franchise business was directly tied to his own interests-not the fees, but the system tasks.

Since she was so motivated, it was best not to discourage her.

By seven a.m., in the still fragrant room, Bei Wei quietly got up barefoot, blushing, and put on a new outfit Zhang Yang had bought the previous night, then went to wash up.

Zhang Yang took another nap.

When he woke, the sun was high. The three-hundred-plus-square-meter (~3,229+ sq ft) apartment was empty.

“Time to head back,” he muttered.

In Shanghai, the franchise business was important, but he hadn’t let it stall.

With Bei Wei’s sudden diligence and Bei Jiajia’s versatile help, handling the franchise was easy. Most prospective partners sought him out, so it posed no difficulty.

Breaking ten franchise stores seemed only a matter of time.

Then, he could wait for random projects and experience points to come in naturally.

At nine a.m., Zhang Yang cooked a steak and, while eating, messaged Bei Wei to let her know he would be away for a while.

“Ah? How long are you going back for?” Bei Wei asked, reluctant to let him go.

“Not sure. Call me if anything comes up, and make sure to get the number of stores past ten soon,” Zhang Yang encouraged her.

“Alright, I’ll do my best. Should be soon,” Bei Wei said confidently.

After breakfast, Zhang Yang tidied up a bit and, before leaving, glanced at his car keys.

Bentley, Cullinan, and Cayenne.

Forget it.

He picked up the Cayenne keys.

It wasn’t that he wanted to hide anything-just that it had only been two months since the last trip home. Making money this fast wasn’t something to flaunt yet; better to stay low-key and take it step by step.

“Phew… still feels a little strange,” he muttered as he settled into the Cayenne, whose interior was still exquisite and luxurious.

After getting used to the elegance of the Bentley and Cullinan, returning to the simpler Cayenne felt a bit underwhelming.

This trip, he hadn’t even told Zhang Zhaohai in advance-he’d just go.

The family’s small restaurant business had been booming recently, and Zhang Zhaohai and his wife were busy running it. No need to distract them.

Where to live? Where to eat? All manageable.

The purpose of the trip was twofold: first, to scout locations for new stores.

The existing restaurant’s scale could no longer keep up. With the rapid development of surrounding construction and newly delivered residential complexes, the number of customers had already exceeded what the restaurant could handle.

If the scale couldn’t keep up, customers would naturally flow to other restaurants.

Second, to buy another villa privately in Yinghai City and start renovations.

Zhang Zhaohai and his wife had their roots in Yinghai. Even if they occasionally moved to Shanghai in the future, they would inevitably return.

They couldn’t all be cramped into a hundred-some-square-meter (~1,076+ sq ft) apartment forever.

In the afternoon, after several hours of driving, Zhang Yang finally returned to the long-missed Yinghai City.

Shanghai had its hustle and bustle, Yinghai its slower pace. Leaving the metropolis for a while to enjoy a slower rhythm of life was refreshing.

“Let’s check out the houses first.”

With some free time, Zhang Yang glanced at the buildings along the way and an idea struck him.

Buy a large apartment?

Pass.

He already lived in top-tier riverside apartments in Shanghai. No way he would get another one in Yinghai.

A villa, though…

Villas in Shanghai were far out of reach, costing hundreds of millions. Even for someone like him, on the path to becoming a true tycoon, it was just a dream.

But here in Yinghai, a villa was the obvious choice.

The best locations, truly wealthy neighborhoods, had villas going for only about twenty-one thousand per square meter (~1,950 per sq ft). A standalone under five hundred square meters (~5,382 sq ft) could be secured for under ten million.

Used to Shanghai’s tens-of-millions properties, seeing a villa under ten million back home left Zhang Yang with only one thought:

So cheap!

Turning a corner, he headed straight for the villa district next to Yinghai CBD-next to Violet Gardens No. 1.

The project offered 190-square-meter (~2,045 sq ft) flats, 300-plus-square-meter (~3,229+ sq ft) townhouses, and standalone villas around 500 square meters (~5,382 sq ft).

Across Yinghai, this was undoubtedly the top-tier option.

Parking at the sales office, Zhang Yang walked in directly.

“Hello, sir! Welcome to the Violet Gardens No. 1 sales office. Is this your first visit, or has someone assisted you before?” a beautiful sales assistant greeted him.

“First time. By the way, do you still have standalone villas?” Zhang Yang asked bluntly.

“Yes, sir,” she said calmly on the surface, but internally thrilled, quickly leading him aside to sit and signaling the staff at the refreshment bar to serve tea and water immediately.