In the evening, the sky was drenched in red, and the clouds glowed like they'd been set on fire.
The three roommates had all found jobs in Shanghai, so they weren't leaving this bustling city anytime soon. Chu Fang drove them one by one to their respective places.
The car stayed unusually quiet the whole way.
Four years of student brotherhood cut off just like that.
No matter how much they joked during the day, when the moment truly arrived… it was still hard to let go.
After a while, they reached the community where Wen Xiangbing rented a place.
Wen Xiangbing lifted his luggage, patted Shao Liang on the shoulder, and smiled.
"Liangzi, be bold in the workplace. Don't be so cautious all the time. And watch out for workplace bullying. If anything happens, talk to your buddies. I can't help with big things, and I'm too lazy to help with small things…"
He paused, then added with a slightly softer voice:
"But you have to remember to tell us. After all, we've been brothers for several years…"
Shao Liang was the youngest among the four. Introverted, gentle, even a little "soft" in temperament. In college, everyone naturally took care of him like a little brother.
Shao Liang nodded and replied quietly.
"Thank you, Brother Bing."
Wen Xiangbing waved his hand, then turned to Rong Shunji. He stared at him for two seconds, thought about it, and finally said:
"Forget it. I won't tell you anything."
Rong Shunji was the most optimistic and cheerful of the four. Good at talking, good at blending in he was the social butterfly of their class. Even in the workplace, Wen Xiangbing believed he'd do well.
Finally, Wen Xiangbing's gaze landed on Chu Fang.
He spoke slowly.
"Fangzi, you're different from us brothers. You don't have to worry about money. I'm the most relieved about you… but I still want to say a few words. Don't mind it."
After a pause, he continued:
"I won't talk about your 'platonic relationship.' That's your lifelong goal."
His tone turned more serious.
"What I want to say is: if one day in the future you really meet 'the one' in your mind don't get confused. Keep your eyes open. Figure out whether 'she' is someone who truly loves you… or just a treasure hunter."
It didn't matter if Chu Fang spent money. His family could afford it and they were generous.
What Wen Xiangbing worried about was something else:
This "rich second generation" roommate might get tortured by love.
That was the kind of pain that really crushed people.
Love sometimes it was the most hurtful thing in the world.
Chu Fang nodded.
"Got it."
Wen Xiangbing didn't say more. He raised a hand, waved at them, picked up his suitcase, and walked into the community.
Not long after, Chu Fang drove the remaining two to the entrance of another community.
Because Rong Shunji and Shao Liang's companies were close to each other, they'd rented the same place. At least they could look after each other.
"Go on." Rong Shunji snapped his fingers at Chu Fang. "Invite us to dinner when you have time."
"Why am I treating?" Chu Fang tossed him a bottle of drink. "What about you?"
Rong Shunji answered righteously, without any shame.
"You have money."
"Get lost!" Chu Fang laughed and cursed, then closed the trunk and patted Shao Liang on the shoulder. "If anything happens, call me."
The introverted roommate nodded again.
It was already late. Everyone had work the next day. There was no need for extra drama.
Chu Fang didn't say much more just a few brief reminders then started the car and drove off.
As night fell, workers began pouring out after work, and the streets quickly clogged into a slow-moving river of vehicles.
Chu Fang wasn't in a hurry. He rolled down the window.
Hot air rushed in immediately, making him feel briefly breathless.
He took a few seconds to adjust.
Staying under air conditioning for too long in summer wasn't great for the body.
He inched forward with the traffic, watching the city outside.
Under the night curtain
Neon lights from shopping malls.Towering skyscrapers.Streams of cars slicing through the streets…
The luxury and prosperity of the Magic City was on full display.
Buzzz buzzz buzzz…
A Lamborghini shot by from the front, engine roaring like a beast. People on both sides cast envious glances at the sports car.
"Driving a broken Lamborghini, what's there to brag about?" Chu Fang rolled his eyes.
"Identified: a standard idiot."
He genuinely couldn't stand those rich second-generations who drove their "toy sports cars" around all day, revving engines whenever they felt like it acting like they were the chosen ones, when in reality they were just loud.
Fortunately, thanks to several elevated bridges, the traffic jam eased quickly.
Chu Fang stepped on the accelerator and moved forward.
Not long after, he arrived at the heart of Shanghai where even in all of Huaxia, every inch of land was worth a fortune.
The Bund.
A place packed with luxury stores LV, Hermès, Patek Philippe…
Magnificent malls.Five-star hotels.Elites in suits, walking with gentlemanly manners…
This place smelled like money.
But none of it caught Chu Fang's attention.
He'd seen too much.
After a while… it all started to feel boring.
He casually turned the steering wheel, and the car slipped into a small alley near the Bund.
The alley was quiet and clean, surrounded by residential buildings.
Zhonghai Mingyuan.
This was Chu Fang's community.
Located right in the center of Shanghai, next to the Bund. The owners here were people with status and position. Standing in this community, you could see some of the most beautiful views in Shanghai.
Of course
The housing price was something ordinary people couldn't even imagine.
When Chu Fang bought it a few years ago, it had cost 0.6 small goals.
A few years later, even under the so-called "declining market," Zhonghai Mingyuan's price still rose against the trend.
Because the most important value of a house was always
location, location and location.
And Zhonghai Mingyuan's location was flawless.
When Chu Fang reached the gate, a young and strong security guard immediately straightened his body, saluted respectfully, and quickly opened the underground garage entrance.
"Sorry for the trouble." Chu Fang smiled and tossed him a pack of cigarettes.
Chu Fang didn't smoke.
The cigarettes were bought by Wen Xiangbing. He'd forgotten to take them when he left, so Chu Fang simply gave them away.
"Thank you, Mr. Chu." The security guard accepted them. He'd known Chu Fang for a while, so he didn't refuse. He saluted again.
After the Cadillac disappeared into the garage, the guard finally relaxed, and couldn't help sighing:
"We're all human… so why is the difference between our lives so big?"
Chu Fang was obviously much younger than him, yet he'd already achieved financial freedom worry-free. Meanwhile the guard was still working for others.
What the guard admired most wasn't even the money.
It was Chu Fang's approachable attitude.
Chu Fang was clearly in a different world from them, but he wasn't arrogant. Whenever he saw them, he'd smile, offer small gifts cigarettes, good wine…
The guard asked himself honestly:
If he were Chu Fang, he definitely wouldn't be able to do that.
Chu Fang drove into the underground garage.
Inside were all kinds of cars BMW, Audi, Lexus, Bentley…
Luxury cars worth hundreds of thousands, millions, even tens of millions.
He parked the Cadillac in his dedicated space.
Then he got out and looked at the three cars next to it:
A LaFerrari, a Maybach, and a Bugatti.
Chu Fang gently kicked the LaFerrari worth tens of millions and sighed.
"Why did I buy these in the first place? They're boring."
All three were his.
After buying them, he rarely drove them. They just sat here collecting dust.
Annual depreciation.Insurance.Maintenance…
All kinds of miscellaneous fees added up to millions.
You really have to be cautious when buying a car.
After the kick, Chu Fang's mood improved slightly.
He turned around, headed for the elevator
and went home.