Shanghai City.
Though it couldn't compare to Jinling, a historic capital with six dynasties behind it,
its uniquely favorable conditions had fueled an economic boom over the past century, earning it the name Magic City.
Cloud Grand Hotel stood in Shanghai City's inner ring, occupying a vast area and boasting lavish decor.
At that moment, dozens of young people had gathered outside the hotel entrance.
"Li Sisi, you've gotten even prettier. If I'd known, I would've made a move on you back in college. We might even be married by now." A young man in casual clothes, with somewhat dark skin, teased her.
"Wang Zibo, it's not too late to make a move now. I'll let you in on a secret: Sisi still doesn't have a boyfriend."
A young woman spoke, her arm linked with Li Sisi's as she beamed excitedly.
"Luo Xuan, what are you saying? We're all just old classmates."
Li Sisi's cheeks flushed faintly, and she gave Luo Xuan a playful scold.
It had to be said, she really was quite pretty. Her skin was fair, her brows slender, and her tight jeans showed off her figure.
"Haha, who says old classmates can't date?" The dark-skinned young man—Wang Zibo—chimed in. Despite what he said, he wore a smile.
"S-sorry, I'm late."
Just then, a taxi pulled up, and someone got out.
Seeing the group, he hurried over and said, "My place is pretty far away, and there was traffic on the way. I should've taken the subway."
"Chen Song, right? It's fine, it's fine. Not everyone's here yet," someone said, assuring him it was still early.
"Yeah, who knows how long we'll have to wait."
"We've got nothing better to do anyway. Let's talk about what we've been doing since graduation."
It had been a year since graduation, and everyone there was twenty-four or twenty-five. Naturally, work was what concerned them most.
But compared to the high hopes they'd once had, the year of being battered by society had worn down their spirits. Most had ended up living ordinary lives, though a few had used their family connections to land relatively good jobs.
Before long, the classmates chatting together had unconsciously split into two groups.
One, centered around Wang Zibo and Li Sisi, was lively and loud.
The other, with Chen Song and the rest, was much quieter.
"What are you all talking about? Sounds lively."
Just then, a voice rang out, and everyone turned to look.
A young man in a suit and gold-rimmed glasses stepped out of a BMW. He wore a smile and looked every bit the successful professional.
"I-it's Li Hansheng, our class monitor!" Wang Zibo was the first to recognize him. Surprise flashed in his eyes as he hurried over and patted the hood. "Not bad, Monitor—you're driving a BMW now. Looks like you've done well since graduation. Where are you working? Should we start calling you President Li?"
The other classmates crowded around too, curiosity written on their faces.
"It's nothing. A relative of mine runs a company, and I'm just helping out," Li Hansheng said, adjusting his glasses with a smile. "The car only cost a little over 300,000 yuan. The company provided it, too."
His words sounded modest, but there was a hint of showing off beneath them. His eyes swept over the group, and when he saw their eager looks, he couldn't help feeling secretly pleased.
"Over 300,000 yuan! On my salary, I'd have to save for almost two years without eating or spending a thing," Wang Zibo said enviously.
In truth, the other classmates felt the same way. They'd only graduated a year ago, after all.
Some were still renting apartments, while Li Hansheng was already driving a BMW.
Naturally, they looked up to him.
Even Li Sisi's eyes lit up, and she took the initiative to strike up a conversation with him now and then.
In fact, Cloud Grand Hotel was a five-star hotel, and luxury cars came and went all the time. But to these people, that world still felt far away. Li Hansheng, on the other hand, was someone they knew personally, so it naturally felt different.
"All right, let's stop chatting outside and head in," Li Hansheng said, becoming the center of attention as soon as he appeared.
"But, Monitor, not everyone's here yet," Chen Song said quietly from beside him.
"Who are we still waiting for?"
"Zhou Yunqiong and Lu Yuan. Those are the only two missing," Li Sisi said, glancing around.
"Yunqiong told me something came up at home, so she'll be late," Li Hansheng said with a smile, as if to show that he and Zhou Yunqiong were especially close. He continued, "As for Lu Yuan, maybe he got held up waiting for a taxi. He lives pretty far away, after all."
"In that case, let's go in first. We can send him the room number in the class group chat later."
At that, Li Sisi, Wang Zibo, and the others immediately agreed.
Only Chen Song lowered his head slightly.
"Hey, look! A big car's coming this way."
Just as the group was about to enter, the young woman beside Li Sisi suddenly spoke.
"What big car? That's a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, the latest model from '25. It costs over four million," Wang Zibo said.
"Don't worry about what car it is. Let's go inside," Li Hansheng said, urging everyone on.
"The car's stopping. The person inside looks really familiar." Chen Song craned his neck, trying to get a better look.
"Oh? You know someone who drives a G-Class? Come on, let's go." Wang Zibo didn't give it much thought.
"He really does look familiar," Li Sisi added.
At once, everyone stopped moving and turned to the car with curious looks.
Before long, the car rolled into a parking space, and a casually dressed man stepped out. He looked to be in his twenties, with a tall, straight build, well-defined features, and a handsome face. His whole bearing was fierce and unruly.
"Is that Lu Yuan? Am I seeing right?"
"That's him, Lu Yuan."
"Wasn't his family pretty ordinary? How's he driving a G-Class?"
Once they got a clear look, shock and surprise showed on their faces.
Li Hansheng, who had once been their class monitor, was especially stunned. He could hardly believe it.
Back in college, Lu Yuan had been far too low-key.
He'd been average in every respect and had attracted little attention. The only thing anyone had ever discussed about him was his secret crush on Zhou Yunqiong.
But now, just one year after graduation, he'd quietly started driving a car worth over four million.
The male classmates couldn't help gathering around, eyeing him with curiosity.
"Lu Yuan, is this your car?"
Wang Zibo hurried over, looking it up and down before finally asking.
"Yeah."
Lu Yuan had expected this. He merely nodded.
He really didn't want to show off his wealth or attract attention, but unfortunately, this was the only car he had.
Of course, he didn't bother explaining. He looked toward the others and said, "Weren't you all just about to go in? Let's head in together."
With that, he ignored their reactions and walked through the hotel entrance.
"Impressive," Wang Zibo exclaimed, then lowered his voice. "What have you been doing since graduation? Don't tell me you won the lottery?"
As far as he was concerned, Lu Yuan's family couldn't possibly afford a car like this. The only explanation was that he'd won a prize.
"Maybe Lu Yuan's just capable," Li Sisi said, directly rebutting him, though her gaze never left Lu Yuan's retreating figure.
"Maybe," Li Hansheng said. "But a friend told me you can rent a luxury car for a day without spending much." Then, without saying anything else, he walked into the hotel.
The other classmates exchanged glances at that, then followed them inside.
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