When they reached the third floor, they first looked at the store names. Some were in Chinese and some in English, but they didn't recognize most of the English ones.
"I don't recognize this one, or this one either. Ah~ I know this one, LOUIS VUITTON~"
Chen Hao dragged the other two straight toward LV.
Once they entered the store, the three of them went their separate ways.
"This shirt's quality is pretty good. I'll take it. That belt looks decent too. Oh right, and leather shoes."
A pretty female sales assistant enthusiastically walked over, but Chen Hao spoke first. "No need to introduce anything. I'll pick things myself. You just help me carry them!"
Perhaps she had noticed the expensive watch on Chen Hao's wrist. The sales assistant was exceptionally patient. She bowed slightly and said, "Of course, sir~ Xiaoya is fully at your service!"
After trying on each item and deciding it was suitable, he handed it to the sales assistant beside him.
After making a round of the store, the sales assistant followed behind Chen Hao, carrying three outfits, a belt, and two pairs of shoes.
When Chen Hao returned to the checkout counter, his big brother had almost finished too. Only Old Ban had already been waiting at the counter, with just one belt in his hands. How could that be enough?
He dragged Old Ban around the store again and picked out several outfits that suited him.
Pang Ban's physique was naturally that of a perfect clothes rack. No matter which outfit he wore, he could bring out its distinctive qualities.
The beautiful sales assistant responsible for him watched with her heart fluttering. Even her voice had become warm and soft.
Pang Ban, however, remained completely oblivious, as immovable as a stone.
At that moment, Chen Hao missed paying by card terribly. POS machines had only just begun developing in 2002 and had yet to become widely available.
They still had to pay in cash, which was a hassle. He took out more than a dozen bundles and tossed them onto the counter. Taking advantage of the time, the three of them cut the tags off one of the new outfits, changed into it in the fitting room, and threw away all their old clothes.
The saying that clothes made the man was truly accurate. The three handsome young men, each with his own unique bearing, looked as if their new outfits had added a layer of buffs. Their presence immediately rose several notches, drawing everyone in the store to stop and stare. Their heads turned everywhere they went.
Especially the young women.
After paying, Chen Hao and the others walked out under the escort of the store manager.
They continued their shopping spree, sweeping through Gucci, Givenchy, and every other store, whether familiar or not.
Two hours later, the three of them walked out of Central Mall. From head to toe and inside out, even their underwear was new.
Each of them carried a pile of large and small bags from various luxury brands. Pang Ban's original large backpack had also been given a complete makeover, though it was now only half the size it had been when they entered.
Looking at the amazed gazes cast their way by the surrounding crowd,
an inexplicable feeling lingered in their hearts. Was this what it felt like to be rich?
It felt pretty good.
An hour later, the three of them arrived at the Shangri-La Hotel, not far from Central Avenue.
Chen Hao had originally wanted to book the presidential suite, but the young lady at the front desk told him that it had already been fully booked a week earlier.
There really were a lot of rich people, Chen Hao thought helplessly.
With no other choice, he settled for three ordinary suites costing 6,888 yuan per night.
They each tossed their large and small bags into their rooms.
They met up at the Western restaurant downstairs. They planned to try something new.
When they ordered, the waiter asked how well done they wanted their steaks.
Chen Hao chose medium-well, but Lin Lang and Pang Ban chose medium.
"You two should choose medium-well or well-done. Listen to me. If you choose medium, you'll regret it~"
His big brother readily followed the advice, but Pang Ban shook his head and continued insisting on his own choice.
Chen Hao shrugged. "Suit yourself~"
The steaks were served soon afterward. The group awkwardly wielded their knives and forks, cutting into the meat.
Chen Hao hadn't eaten steak in a long time either, and they began discussing an important question.
Should the knife be held in the left hand, or the fork?
In the end, they concluded that everyone should do whatever felt natural.
When Lin Lang saw Pang Ban cut open his medium steak and reveal the slightly red meat inside, with blood seeping out, he exclaimed, "Ugh~" His face was full of disgust, and he was glad he had listened to Haozi.
Pang Ban, however, ate with great relish. During the meal, he mentioned that it was much tastier than the raw meat from his past wilderness endurance training.
Seeing Old Ban bring up his past so rarely, Chen Hao wanted to pry a little more, but Old Ban kept his mouth shut and focused exclusively on the food. He didn't fall for it at all.
Perhaps the three of them had genuinely worked up an appetite while shopping. Aside from feeling unaccustomed to not having chopsticks, the meal tasted pretty good.
It just wasn't as carefree as eating little skewers from a roadside stall.
Just as Chengdu and Chongqing had mala tang every three steps and hot pot every five, Ice City had a skewer shop every three steps and a barbecue joint every five. That was the proper way to describe it~
When summer arrived, night fell, and a gentle breeze blew, sitting at a street-side food stall with three or five close friends, eating barbecue, drinking iced beer, and boasting together—what could compare to that feeling of exhilaration?
Time passed quickly. It felt as if the New Year had only just ended, yet summer would arrive in a little over a month.
Chen Hao collected his thoughts, wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, and said to the two across from him, "We'll get used to it gradually. We can eat at street stalls and Western restaurants alike. Now that we have the means, we should try a bit of everything."
Out of curiosity, Chen Hao also ordered a bottle of 1982 Lafite during the meal. The three of them took a few sips and felt that it was no different from ordinary wine. They couldn't taste the years of 1982 at all. Who knew whether this bottle was genuine in those days? At any rate, the price was truly expensive. Other people sold wine by the bottle, but here they sold it by the drop.
Chen Hao didn't know exactly how many bottles of 1982 Lafite had been produced. All he knew was that by 2023, they still hadn't finished drinking it.
It was still early. They had finished dinner at only nine o'clock, and the night was young.
Lin Lang had previously entertained leaders and frequented all sorts of nightlife venues, so he knew his way around massage parlors and the like. Under his big brother's guidance, the three of them arrived at a club not far from Central Avenue.
They found a relatively nice private room, and each chose a young lady he liked.
This was where their different preferences became apparent.
Lin Lang first chose a cute girl with huge eyes and an equally ample chest.
Pang Ban, meanwhile, found a petite, delicate-looking girl from Jiangnan.
Chen Hao went through several batches and paid the madam a little extra before finally finding one he liked: a mature older woman with a fiery figure, an ultrashort skirt, black stockings, and a cool, aloof face.
After calling the young lady over to sit beside him, Chen Hao looked her up and down. Feeling that something was still missing, he turned his head and shouted, "Old Ban, bring out the props."
Hearing this, the mature older woman's expression showed astonishment mixed with a faint, hidden excitement. You might be handsome, but doing something like this in public would cost extra.
The next moment, she realized she had misunderstood. The prop was only a pair of glasses.
Chen Hao took out a pair of rimless glasses with gold-colored frames and put them on her.
Lifting the young lady's chin, Chen Hao lowered his head and looked her over from side to side. "Ah~ mature older woman Gao Qilan in glasses. Now that's more like it."
"Miss, you can keep the glasses~"
Once everyone was in place, they began choosing songs and singing.
Lin Lang was devoted to Cantopop, especially Beyond's songs—"Glorious Years," "True Love You," and "AMANI." His especially atrocious plastic Cantonese when singing "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies" made everyone burst out laughing, and the big-chested cute girl beside him joined in to cause trouble.
"Steel pot, holding tears, shouting to repair the ladle pot; broken gaps and rotten corners, replacing new pots and ladles left in disarray. Chasing pots through wind and rain, sewing the chimneys without tears; the iron pot still expands into a rain nest, and the pot gets sick."
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