The Brocade Robes Don't Travel at Night

On the third floor, they first looked at the store names. Some were in Chinese, others in English, and Chen Hao didn't recognize most of the English ones.

"I don't recognize this one, nor this one. Ah~ I know LOUIS VUITTON~"

Chen Hao grabbed the other two and headed straight for LV.

Once inside the store, the three split up.

"This shirt is good quality, I'll take it. That belt is okay too. Oh right, and the leather shoes."

A beautiful saleswoman approached them enthusiastically, but Chen Hao cut her off. "No need to introduce anything, I'll pick myself. Just help me carry these!"

Perhaps seeing the expensive watch on Chen Hao's wrist, the saleswoman was unusually patient. She bowed slightly and said, "Certainly, sir~ Xiao Ya is at your service!"

After trying on an item and feeling it was satisfactory, he handed it to the saleswoman next to him.

After browsing for a while, the saleswoman was following Chen Hao with three sets of clothes, a belt, and two pairs of shoes.

Chen Hao returned to the cashier and saw that Old Brother was also almost done. Only Old Ban was already waiting at the counter, having only picked out a belt. That wouldn't do.

He dragged Old Ban around again and helped him pick out several outfits that suited him.

Pang Ban's physique was naturally a perfect hanger, and no matter which outfit he wore, it showcased the garment's characteristics.

This made the beautiful saleswoman assisting him's heart flutter, and her voice became soft and sweet.

Pang Ban, however, remained oblivious, like a block of stone.

At this moment, Chen Hao really wished he could just swipe his card. In '02, POS machines were just starting to develop and weren't widely used yet.

They still paid with cash, which was quite troublesome. He took out over a dozen stacks and threw them on the counter. The others took this opportunity to cut the tags off one of the new outfits and wear them in the fitting room, discarding their old clothes.

The saying "clothes make the man" was indeed true. The three young men, already handsome with distinct auras, looked even better in their new outfits, as if they'd gained an extra buff. Their charisma instantly went up, causing the store staff to stop and stare, and turning heads everywhere.

Especially the young women.

After finishing the payment, Chen Hao and the others left the store under the respectful farewell of the store manager.

Then they continued their shopping spree, sweeping through stores like Gucci and Givenchy, both familiar and unfamiliar.

Two hours later, the three emerged from the Central Mall, completely transformed from head to toe, inside and out. Even their underwear was new.

Each of them carried a pile of shopping bags from various luxury brands. Pang Ban's original large backpack was also brand new, though it was half the size it was when they entered.

Looking at the amazed glances from the people around them.

A strange emotion welled up in his heart. Was this what it felt like to be rich?

It felt pretty good.

An hour later, the three arrived at the Shangri-La Hotel, not far from Central Street.

Chen Hao had initially wanted to book the presidential suite, but the front desk informed him that it had been booked a week in advance.

"There are still many rich people," Chen Hao sighed helplessly.

There was no other choice, so they settled for three regular suites at 6888 per night.

They dropped their bags in their respective rooms.

They agreed to meet at the Western restaurant downstairs, wanting to try something new.

When ordering, the waiter asked how they wanted their steaks cooked.

Chen Hao chose medium-well, while Lin Lang and Pang Ban opted for medium.

"You two should choose medium-well or well-done, trust me. You'll regret choosing medium," Chen Hao advised.

Old Brother readily agreed, but Pang Ban shook his head, sticking to his choice.

Chen Hao shrugged, "Suit yourself~"

The steaks were served quickly, and the group awkwardly fumbled with their knives and forks.

Chen Hao hadn't eaten steak in a long time either. They were discussing a dilemma.

Should one hold the knife in the left hand or the fork?

The final conclusion was to do whatever felt most comfortable.

When Lin Lang saw Pang Ban cut into his medium steak, revealing a pink, bloody interior, he made a face of disgust. "Glad I listened to Haozi."

Pang Ban, however, ate with relish. He mentioned during the meal that it was much better than the raw meat they had during extreme wilderness training.

Seeing that Old Ban rarely brought up the past, Chen Hao tried to probe further, but Old Ban remained tight-lipped, focusing on his food and not taking the bait.

Perhaps the group was genuinely hungry after all the shopping. Aside from the unfamiliarity of not having chopsticks, the meal was quite good.

It just wasn't as casual as the street-side barbecue stalls.

Just like how Chengdu and Chongqing have mala tang and hot pot on every corner, Harbin should have skewers and barbecue stalls on every block.

Come summer, when night falls and a gentle breeze blows, sitting at a food stall with a few friends, eating barbecue and drinking cold beer, bragging about life – it's simply unbeatable!

Time passed quickly. It felt like it was just after the New Year, and summer would be here in just over a month.

Chen Hao withdrew his thoughts, wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, and said to the other two, "We'll get used to it. We can eat at street stalls and also at Western restaurants. Now that we have the means, we should try everything."

Out of curiosity, Chen Hao ordered a bottle of 1982 Lafite during the meal. After a few sips, the group felt it was no different from ordinary wine, and they couldn't taste the years. They didn't know if the bottle was authentic, but it was definitely expensive. Others sell wine by the bottle, but here they sold it by the drop.

Chen Hao didn't know how many bottles of 1982 Lafite were produced, but by year 23, they still hadn't finished it.

Seeing that it was still early, they finished dinner at 9 PM, which was prime time.

Lin Lang, who was familiar with various nightlife spots and massage parlors from entertaining leaders before, led Chen Hao and the other two to a club not far from Central Street.

They found a good private room and each picked a young lady they liked.

Here, their different preferences became apparent.

Lin Lang first chose a cute girl with big eyes and a large bust.

Pang Ban, on the other hand, found a petite and delicate-looking girl from Jiangnan.

Chen Hao, however, went through several options and paid the madam a bit extra before finally finding someone he was satisfied with: a hot girl in a super short skirt and black stockings, with a cool and aloof demeanor.

He called the young lady over to sit beside him. Chen Hao scanned her from head to toe, feeling something was missing. He turned and called out, "Old Ban, bring out the props."

Hearing this, the mature woman's expression was a mix of surprise and a hint of excitement. "Even though you're handsome, playing like this in public will cost extra."

The next moment, she realized she had misunderstood. The prop was just a pair of glasses.

Chen Hao took out a pair of gold-rimmed, rimless glasses and put them on her.

Lifting the young lady's chin, Chen Hao looked down at her from left to right. "Ah~ Glasses-wearing mature woman Gao Qilan, now this is more like it."

"Girl, these glasses are for you~"

With everyone in place, they started picking songs and singing.

Lin Lang was fond of Hong Kong and Taiwan songs, especially Beyond's. He sang "Glorious Years," "True Love You," and "AMANI." His rendition of "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies," with its "plastic Cantonese," made everyone laugh. The busty cute girl beside him joined in the fun.

"Steel pot, tears in eyes sing for pot, bad broken corners replace new pot scattered. Chasing pot in wind and rain, no tears to sew chimney, iron pot also expands rain nest, pot will be sick."