"Damn, Young Master Cheng, you really spared no expense this time."
Seeing how lavish the private room was, the classmates marveled once more.
Of course, they were not the only ones astonished.
Even Cheng Gang himself, the one who had organized this reunion, was stunned when he saw the room.
No way? I clearly booked a standard private room. How did it turn into this kind of luxury suite?
After all, luxury private rooms like this came with a minimum charge. One meal would cost at least a million.
Lin Chen had been watching Cheng Gang closely. Seeing the latter's worried expression, he thought it over and quickly understood what was going on.
He immediately walked over, patted Cheng Gang on the shoulder, and said with a smile,
"Why are you standing around blankly? Maybe the hotel made a special arrangement for a lucky guy like you."
"Hey, now that you mention it, that really is possible."
Hearing that, Cheng Gang's earlier worries vanished, and he immediately began boasting to the classmates who did not yet know what was going on.
After hearing the whole story, the classmates were all astonished and envious.
"I have to say, Young Master Cheng, your luck is unreal. You even managed to run into something this good."
"Yeah. Looking across all of Zhonghai, I'm afraid you could count on one hand the people qualified to book out the entire Emperor Hotel."
Amid the lively chatter, the rest of their old classmates gradually arrived as well.
Naturally, they could not help marveling when they saw the luxurious private room.
However, after some deliberate explanations from several classmates, the commotion gradually settled down.
Everyone took their seats according to how close they had been during their school days. Since they were old classmates who had not seen one another for years, the conversation quickly got going.
"Hey, have you heard? Colonel Qin from our class is doing incredibly well now."
"I heard. She really is impressive. She managed to establish herself in the murky waters of livestreaming."
"Established herself? She's already showing signs of becoming Douyu's top female streamer. Do you know what that means? Just that title alone could make her who knows how much money."
"Exactly. If they were not old classmates who had not seen each other for years, she probably would not even attend with her current status."
Hearing that, everyone nodded in agreement.
Even Cheng Gang, seated nearby, nodded in approval.
At the same time, he became even more determined to win over Colonel Qin. Otherwise, if he missed this chance, there would never be another opportunity.
The gap between them would only grow wider and wider, until they eventually became strangers living in entirely different worlds.
Bang!
Just as everyone was still talking, the private room door opened.
They instinctively turned to look, only to discover that the newcomer was Qin Xueqing, the very Colonel Qin they had just been discussing.
Qin Xueqing wore a snow-white dress as she slowly walked inside.
Though the white dress had an adorable design, her curvaceous figure gave it an entirely different kind of allure.
Long, wavy hair and exquisite makeup.
Together with her stunning face and the faint yet powerful aura surrounding her, she looked every bit like a bewitching queen brought to life.
"This... this is way too beautiful."
The classmates were all filled with amazement at the sight.
Even Lin Chen felt something stir within him when he saw her arrive.
It's only been a few days, yet this girl's aura has changed so dramatically.
With the aura and charm she exudes, she probably doesn't lose to the most popular young actresses in the entertainment industry. She might even surpass them...
"So beautiful..."
Cheng Gang had already been utterly captivated by Qin Xueqing's charm.
From the moment she appeared, his eyes had never left her.
Seeing this, Lin Chen smiled.
Although he felt somewhat sorry for Cheng Gang, who was about to pursue and confess to Qin Xueqing when she liked Lin Chen, he still felt a measure of pride at seeing Cheng Gang admire his admirer so much.
Perhaps this was what people online meant by...
The Goddess you desperately pursued but could never obtain.
Unbeknownst to you,
she was also desperately pursuing the man she could never obtain—and she was merely one among his many admirers.
"Sorry, everyone. I'm late."
Seeing that nearly everyone had arrived, Qin Xueqing felt a little awkward.
Fortunately, no one blamed her. Instead, they were understanding. "You're not late. Zuo Yikai isn't here yet."
Zuo Yikai?
As soon as that name was mentioned, everyone present began discussing the still-absent Zuo Yikai.
Ever since college, people in the class had never stopped talking about him.
Of course, they did not talk about Zuo Yikai because he had been an outstanding student.
It was because of his superior family background.
If they ranked everyone solely by family background, probably no one present could compare to him.
Even Cheng Gang's family and Qin Xueqing, Douyu's current top female streamer, had to look up to him in that regard.
There was no other reason—his family background was simply too formidable.
Of course, Lin Chen was not included in that comparison.
After all, he possessed assets worth hundreds of billions. Not only could he make a name for himself in Zhonghai, but he ranked among the notable figures in all of China.
A mere Zuo Yikai from Zhonghai was not worth his attention.
However, just because Lin Chen did not care did not mean others did. In fact, quite a few people did.
Among the more than sixty classmates present, at least fifty of them were discussing the still-absent Zuo Yikai.
"Hey, have any of you kept up with Zuo Yikai since graduation? With his family background, he must be doing pretty well, right?"
"Pretty well? Think about the influence of the Zuo Family in Zhonghai. They may not compare to the top-tier families, but they're more than enough to outclass us."
"Yeah. No matter how far the Zuo Family might fall short, they're still not something ordinary people like us can compare to."
"Damn, are you all living under rocks? You seriously don't know what's been happening with the Zuo Family lately?"
Those words immediately piqued the old classmates' interest again, and they hurriedly asked,
"Oh? Don't tell me the Zuo Family has struck it rich again?"
"Struck it rich? Their family has practically skyrocketed."
"Just last week, the Zuo Family announced a partnership with Shilin Guomao Group. They're now a company with a real giant backing them."
"I assume none of you are unfamiliar with Shilin Guomao Group here in Zhonghai."
"Shilin Guomao Group? You mean Zhonghai's star enterprise, the Shilin Guomao Group that makes tens of billions in profit every year?"
"What else? Do you think Zhonghai has a second Shilin Guomao Group?"
Before you continue