Chapter 106: Chapter 100: The Pretentiousness of a Billion-Dollar Mansion
“Why 88 though? Isn’t a starting red envelope supposed to be 200?”
Shi Yi looked a bit confused, while Hua Suisui, sporting a bashful smile, pinched her.
Shi Yi instantly got it… It was another trend she had missed!
“Our flight is in the evening, so we have some time to spare.”
“Are you leaving tonight?”
Zhou Wang seemed a bit regretful upon hearing the news, but not much.
...
Ten minutes later, Lu Conglin returned with a new purchase agreement, changing Zhou Wang’s ownership from 7002 to 7001.
However, Chen Mei needed to return after taking the statement to finalize the apartment handover. The property’s representative had to be present to protect Zhou Wang’s rights.
Coincidentally, it was nearing noon, so Lu Conglin ordered meals from the nearby restaurant and had lunch on the terrace, offering a small treat to Zhou Wang.
Meanwhile, Lu Conglin exchanged contact information with Zhou Wang, genuinely curious about Zhou Wang’s identity.
Although 7002 was publicly marketed for sale, Zhou Wang’s ability to stand out among many buyers was notable in itself.
Lu Conglin carefully reviewed the documents filed by Zhou Wang during the purchase but found nothing. The chairman must have known something, or he wouldn’t have easily agreed to swap 7001 for Zhou Wang…
Zhou Wang responded only with a smile to Lu Conglin’s occasional probing.
This made Lu Conglin even more cautious. After some indirect probing, he stopped discussing the topic and just engaged enthusiastically with Zhou Wang.
“There are rarely young people so composed without any urge to brag, definitely not an ordinary wealthy family kid!”
Such thoughts fleetingly passed through Lu Conglin’s mind.
What he didn’t know was… Zhou Wang simply didn’t know what to say.
Should he say he just graduated from college and came from generations of working-class family?
Although it’s true, saying it would surely seem unbelievable… Are you telling me you’re from an ordinary family when you live in a billion-dollar mansion?
Too much pretense! Too much pretense!
After the meal, Chen Mei and Lin Ran, who went to the police station to make a statement, also returned.
Lu Conglin had other matters to attend to, so after bidding farewell to Zhou Wang, he left first. The others took the elevator back to level B1, as Chen Mei explained that the handover process also began from there.
“Welcome, Mr. Zhou, to your new home!”
Upon entering the underground parking lot, more than ten property management and security personnel formed two rows, bowed to Zhou Wang, and said loudly.
This stance startled Zhou Wang slightly, mainly because they had banners and confetti ready, it may sound corny, but being part of it truly sped up your blood circulation.
Next to them, Hua Suisui, Lin Ran, and Shi Yi were a bit excited amid their surprise; even though it wasn’t their home, the experience was quite novel—
So this is what a luxury home’s handover ceremony is like!
“No way, I have to record a vlog, this kind of footage is rare… Zhou Wang, is that okay?”
Shi Yi took out her camera and asked Zhou Wang.
“Sure, but don’t capture my face.”
Zhou Wang didn’t mind, just gave a heads-up.
Recently, Zhou Wang had been mildly troubled, it was due to his Ferrari 812C. Although he seldom drove it, the car was too eye-catching, and passersby would photograph and record every outing.
Despite his caution, Zhou Wang sometimes ended up on camera.
On apps like Douyin and Kuaishou, some people had already posted clips, and a long-lost high school friend reached out after seeing a video. Though it only captured a side profile, that friend merely joked around…
Clearly, they just thought Zhou Wang bore some resemblance to the rich guy in the supercar.
As his wealth and status grew, Zhou Wang figured such occurrences might happen more often, though he hadn’t quite figured out how to handle them.
With Zhou Wang’s permission, besides Hua Suisui, Sun Yi, and Lin Ran also took out their phones to start recording.
“Mr. Zhou, please this way.”
Chen Mei led Zhou Wang to a separately demarcated garage. With just a glance, there were about ten vacant spots.
The apparent distinction was that the floor in this section was covered with red linoleum, the material unknown to Zhou Wang, but it felt quite comfortable to tread on.
“This is a garage we’ve exclusively prepared for you; only the top two-floor owners of the entire apartment have this privilege.”
Chen Mei explained while pointing to a service desk on the side, “Here, property personnel will be stationed 24 hours. The smart intercom system in your house can contact them, and they will provide round-the-clock service.”
Zhou Wang maintained composure, though mildly surprised inwardly.
He was just contemplating how many car spaces he’d need to buy, but he clearly underestimated…
Never expected they would prepare a private garage for him, even providing dedicated service personnel!
He realized he’d underestimated the standard of a billion-dollar home.
“Heading inward from the garage, you can see a designated waiting and reception area. If guests visit or you need a semi-private meeting away from home, these areas can accommodate your needs.”
Following Chen Mei inside, it was a lounge and meeting room set up like a hotel lobby, about fifty square meters, furnished with sofas, coffee tables, a TV, and a separate solid wood tea table, with plush carpets lining the floor.
“Is this just the prestige of a billion-dollar mansion?”
Shi Yi couldn’t help but exclaim, “This parking lot’s reception room feels more luxurious than my living room…”
“Luxury apartment services match that of luxury hotels. Otherwise, did you think rich people were fools to bypass villas and estates for a forty-year-lease commercial property?”
Lin Ran, having seen a bit of the world, commented with a sigh, “Besides location, what they pursue is the advanced service that covers all details.”
Listening to the low murmurs of Lin Ran and Shi Yi, Hua Suisui licked her lips, her eyes shining.
She also wished she could live in such luxury…
But calculating her earnings again left her disheartened.
She, indeed a top influencer, still saw vast disparities among the top influencers. Same fan count, yet income vastly differed among niches.
The most lucrative were those live-streamers selling goods—flipping through Douyin’s annual income leaderboard, it was clear the top names were all involved in live-streaming sales.
Her lament to Zhou Wang was mostly true.
Her account averaged about 600,000 a month, but less than a third reached her, most swept up by the company under “account incubation costs.”
Even if 200,000 a month was hers, saving without spending would take fifty years to earn enough for this house.
But how many youthful years does one have…
The influencer industry evolves far too swiftly; at least some celebrities stay evergreen in the entertainment circle, whereas no influencer stays at the top for long.
Beyond the reception room lay the exclusive elevator lobby.
Two private elevators were installed. Usually, just one operated, the other was a backup, activated in case the main failed or Zhou Wang had temporary needs.
Guided by Chen Mei, Zhou Wang registered his fingerprint, with card swiping as an alternative when fingerprints were inactive, to unlock the elevator.
Together, they rode the elevator to the 70th floor. The layout of 7001 was broadly similar to 7002, with the elevator opening directly to the garden entrance; familiar with the outdoor layout, Chen Mei led him straight indoors.
While on 7002’s terrace, Zhou Wang hadn’t entered inside but caught a glimpse through nearly floor-to-ceiling windows.
In comparison, purely from the interior’s luxuriousness, 7001 indeed differed fundamentally from 7002.
The living room had a nearly 7-meter ceiling, with automatic double glass doors opening to the balcony. Every space had been meticulously arranged with tastefully positioned high-end custom furniture that, though brand-less, exuded opulence.
At this point, despite Chen Mei’s professional expertise, she had to refer to a hefty manual to explain things clearly to Zhou Wang.
“This is actually my home!”
Furniture brand prestige or luxurious interior decor was not Zhou Wang’s concern, his heart was just filled with varied emotions.
Unless you’re Huaxia, it’s impossible to grasp the obsession of needing a home of your own.
And here he was, having already surpassed his dream at a young age. Even if this were a bare room, he couldn’t harbor complaints, much less when it’s fully furnished.
However, Zhou Wang did feel some added surprises.
Since 7001 was reportedly designed by Yalong Real Estate’s chairman himself, he worried it might not suit his tastes, being too middle-aged, but after a thorough walkthrough, Zhou Wang was at ease.
Except for the slightly old-fashioned private gym and home theater which he thought might need some revamping, he was thoroughly pleased with the rest.
For instance… the chairman had some Bearbrick brick figures, confirming the house was indeed intended to house someone else originally.
Such trendy collectibles have recently gained popularity, with regular models costing thousands and some collaborations fetching tens or even hundreds of thousands. Zhou Wang wasn’t well-versed, but the girls were thrilled, even Sun Yi couldn’t resist snapping several photos.
After touring the 1860㎡ area with Chen Mei, Zhou Wang was a bit tired from the walk.
However, the four girls beside continued to chat animatedly, discussing how nice the spa room was and how the space in the second-floor corridor seemed wasted, needing at least a row of figurines…
Oddly enough, their touristy conversations provided Zhou Wang with quite useful suggestions, all of which he silently noted for future improvements.
And what Zhou Wang was most pleased with was, aside from the infinity pool on the terrace, there was also a pool indoors…
With all this space upstairs and downstairs, how many bikini-clad girls could he throw in there!
“Mr. Zhou, please move to the living room; I still have some final matters to confirm with you.”
Upon returning to the first floor, Chen Mei, with a bit of sweat on her forehead, smiled as she spoke.
(To avoid word padding and provide a direct experience, Zhou Wang commissioned the author to clip a penthouse video, served as an extra chapter viewable only on the Qidian platform. Q-reading users can check it out there.)