Liu Chen did not notice Hu Qian in the corner, nor did she know when she had left. Driving a top-spec all-black Big G with temporary plates, Liu Chen was driving himself on the streets of Beijing for the first time.
He had never paid attention before, but sitting high in the car and looking at the straight, wide roads, Liu Chen thought of the mission given to him by the system: traffic convenience.
He had always believed that traffic convenience should be within the city, or at least near the Third Ring Road. But he was someone reborn from ten years in the future, and he probably knew the traffic plans for C City in the next decade better than even the planning bureau.
Parking the car on the roadside, Liu Chen sent a message in their small group chat:
“Zhuzhu, Lai Jielun, Ren Mo, are you at school or somewhere else?”
Zhuzhu: I’m at school packing up, planning to come find you later.
Lai Jielun: I’m at school for an audition, should be done in about half an hour.
Ren Mo: I’m at a milk tea shop outside school, taking daily photos for a newly signed blogger.
Liu Chen: Then wait for me at school, I’ll drive over to pick you up.
Zhuzhu: Okay, okay!
Lai Jielun: Driving? Sister Chen, you bought a car?
Ren Mo: Holy cow? My sister is my sister, buying a car without a word. When did you buy it? What car did you buy? Is it cool? What color? Can it fit all five of us?
Sang Ling: Curious plus one.
Liu Chen: You’ll know when I get there. I bought it today, off the lot.
After sending the message, Liu Chen placed his phone on the passenger seat and drove towards Beiying, the nearest location.
It was Friday afternoon, and with Christmas Eve today, the roads were bustling with traffic. By the time Liu Chen reached the entrance of Beiying, it was already a little past five in the afternoon. He parked the car casually not far from the school gate and then sent a message in the group chat.
Liu Chen: I’m at the main entrance of Beiying. Come out. The tallest all-black car at the entrance is mine.
Lai Jielun: Okay, Sister Chen, I’m coming right now.
Students entering and exiting the Beiying campus couldn’t help but cast their gazes toward the all-black Big G parked not far from the school gate, and the beautiful girl sitting in the driver’s seat.
Even in a cradle of stars and actors like Beiying, Liu Chen’s appearance was still striking.
Especially with the contrast of the square, all-black SUV, it created a sense of endearing cuteness.
Liu Chen sat in the car and saw a head looking around after exiting the school gate. He quickly leaned out of the window and waved, shouting:
“Lai Jielun! Over here!”
Lai Jielun, standing at the school gate, looked toward the source of the voice and saw the Mercedes-Benz SUV parked not far to the left of the entrance.
With a backpack slung over one shoulder, Lai Jielun jogged to the back seat of the car.
“Sister Chen, you’re amazing! This car is so cool!”
The moment Lai Jielun finished speaking, the system’s task completion sound rang out.
Simultaneously, a transfer of 4.3 million yuan arrived in Liu Chen’s phone.
“So, this ‘cherished’ meant the person in the car is cherished?”
“Huh? Sister Chen, were you talking to yourself just now?”
Liu Chen shook his head, “Nothing. Let’s go, we need to pick up Zhuzhu.”
A photo of Lai Jielun getting into the beautiful girl’s all-black Mercedes-Benz SUV was posted on the school forum by someone with nothing better to do.
‘Handsome freshman picked up by a rich and beautiful girl driving a four-million-dollar luxury car at the school gate!’
As the post began to receive replies, Liu Chen arrived at Communication University of China. A light snow had begun to fall outside, with snowflakes the size of fingernails fluttering onto the windshield before quickly melting into raindrops.
Liu Chen took out two complimentary Mercedes-Benz black umbrellas from the car, and he and Lai Jielun got out to walk and pick up Zhuzhu.
There was no choice. If he didn't go pick her up, Mi Zhuzhu would probably nag for ages after getting into the car. Moreover, in Liu Chen’s heart, Mi Zhuzhu was a friend from two lifetimes, her status was naturally different.
Streetlights illuminated the road. Liu Chen and Lai Jielun, a handsome pair, stood leisurely under the all-black umbrellas. Snowflakes landed on the umbrella surface and melted. The streetlights shone down, making the umbrella surfaces shimmer like diamonds.
Mi Zhuzhu, wearing a hat, emerged from the school in the distance. Upon seeing this scene, she immediately stopped and took out the camera from her down jacket pocket.
“Click.”
A flash went off. Liu Chen’s eyes sharpened as he looked over with a serious expression, startling many Communication University of China students who were secretly taking photos or peeking. They quickly turned their heads and pretended to do nothing.
This was the first time Mi Zhuzhu had seen Liu Chen with such an expression, and she couldn’t help but take another photo.
This time, Liu Chen finally located the source of the flash. His face immediately melted like ice, revealing a somewhat helpless smile.
“Hehe, Chenchen, you look so handsome today! Let’s go, show me the new car our Chenchen bought~~~”
Mi Zhuzhu said, walking quickly and ducking under Lai Jielun’s umbrella, hugging Lai Jielun’s waist with one hand and holding the umbrella together.
A paparazzi who had been waiting outside the school saw this scene and instinctively pressed the shutter button.
A trainee paparazzi beside him, seeing his boss press the shutter, asked confusedly:
“Boss, they don’t seem to be celebrities? Just ordinary students, should we still photograph them?”
The paparazzi took photos of their group shot and then of the three of them walking in the snow.
“That’s why you’re an intern. With this kind of looks, even if they aren’t celebrities now, they will be in the future. If we photograph their romance, and they become famous later, wouldn’t we have historical negatives?”
His words made the trainee paparazzi, who had just entered the industry, look at him with respect.
“Boss, no wonder you can get so many big scoops. I’ve learned a lot.”
Mi Zhuzhu stepped onto the running board and got into the passenger seat. As soon as she got in, she felt the warmth on her bottom.
She exclaimed in surprise:
“Wow! Chenchen! This car is amazing! How much did this car cost? I want my dad to buy me one too, to drive back during winter break.”
Liu Chen was simultaneously stepping on the accelerator and turning the steering wheel. Hearing the question, he didn’t try to hide it.
“Four point three million.”
Mi Zhuzhu, who had been reaching out to touch things, stopped the moment she heard this. Lai Jielun did the same. Both of them looked at Liu Chen, who was calmly driving the 4.3-million-dollar SUV, with identical expressions.
“Chenchen, holy cow, where did you get so much money? Four point three million. You didn’t spend the money Grandpa Chen gave you for land on a car, did you? No, you’re not that impulsive!
Was it the money from Meimei Brand? No, you give so many bloggers advertising fees, plus employee expenses. It’s only been two weeks, you couldn’t have made this much?”
While Mi Zhuzhu was frantically trying to find an explanation for Liu Chen, Liu Chen spoke, dispelling her guesses:
“The game ‘Penguin Farm’ and ‘League of Legends,’ which was released this summer, I have a small share in both of them.”
“Chen, Sister Chen, a small share in these two games… wouldn’t that mean you’re directly financially free?”
Thinking about ‘League of Legends,’ which was being played everywhere in his dorm, and that Sister Chen had a stake in it, Lai Jielun couldn’t help but inhale sharply the warm air inside the car.
“Then Sister Chen, you started Meimei Brand not to make money, but purely for an ideal!”
Mi Zhuzhu nodded vigorously upon hearing Lai Jielun’s words.
“Chenchen, if I were you, I wouldn’t work. I’d just play after classes every day and do nothing!”
“Zhuzhu, if you had money, would you stop posting on Weibo?”
Mi Zhuzhu paused at the question and thought carefully before shaking her head, “I’d still want to post. I like interacting with my fans, and I can feel their warmth.”
“When Ren Mo gets in the car later, don’t let it slip. He doesn’t know about this yet.”
The two quickly nodded vigorously, repeatedly promising not to say a word.
When Ren Mo got into the car, he screamed in surprise:
“Ahhh! It’s a Big G! Sister, you bought a Big G! It’s so cool! Wuwu, can I borrow this car for a couple of days? It’s too awesome! Or should we go on a road trip? From Beijing all the way to Sanya?
Lai Jielun, Mi Zhuzhu, what’s wrong with you two? Why aren’t you excited?”
Mi Zhuzhu swallowed hard, her eyes blinking rapidly:
“I, I’m just a little tired. I took the CET-4 today, and I feel like I might fail.”
Ren Mo turned to look at the equally silent Lai Jielun.
“I’m a bit worried about whether the theater audition will pass.”
Ren Mo nodded understandingly and looked at Liu Chen.
Sensing Ren Mo’s intense gaze, Liu Chen said while driving:
“If you want to drive it, once I get my driver’s license, I’ll leave the car keys at home. Whoever wants to drive it can go to the underground parking lot and take it.”
At the same time, the post from the Beiying campus was shared on Hupu and Weibo. Soon, someone recognized the beautiful girl in the Mercedes-Benz Big G as the person involved in the school flower, top student, and entrepreneur who had recently gained attention.
‘Holy crap, it’s this young lady. I saw her buying the car today when I was looking at cars. From looking to paying the full amount, it probably only took half an hour. A car worth over 4.3 million was bought.’
‘The above? 4.3 million? For this car?’
‘This is a Mercedes-Benz G-wagon. The base price is already very high. For 4.3 million, if it has a lot of added configurations, this price is probably about right.’
‘Wait, where did she get the money?’
‘Heh, I actually know a bit of inside information. The company that Liu Chen posted about, the young master of Meili Pai, is Liu Chen’s stepfather. Those who know, know.’
‘Know what? What’s wrong with having a stepfather? Is he eating your rice? With a stepfather, can laboratory data from Tsinghua University be falsified? Besides, she commissioned production, she had to pay for it, right?’
‘The person above, 343, probably means that the money for this 4.3-million-dollar car was most likely given by the stepfather.’
As the comments piled up, Liu Chen’s topic’s popularity soared once again. This scene made advertising industry professionals feel like they were seeing a ghost.
“Which company did Liu Chen hire for marketing? How is it so easy for her to trend every single time!”