Tycoon: From Rags to Riches

Chapter 124: Chapter 121: Paper Gold

It was the weekend, and the Zhonghai International Finance Center Mall was bustling with an endless stream of people.

The vast majority were tourists there to look around and take in the sights; only a small portion were actual customers with the ability to spend.

Upon entering the mall, a line of ten-meter-tall, two-story luxury storefronts came into view. The overwhelming opulence and grandeur made one feel inexplicably small.

A giant, egg-shaped crystal chandelier suspended from the center of the ceiling radiated a dazzling light. The mall’s interior was dominated by a palette of champagne and off-white, complemented by ornate, wave-like latticework reminiscent of a European opera house, creating an impression of fashionable elegance and refined nobility.

Gu Heng had never seen a mall this luxurious in his entire life.

On the surface, Gu Heng remained impassive. But as his gaze swept slowly across the scene, a powerful urge to spend welled up inside him.

The feeling was just like the one he’d had when he first visited the Beichun Zhuozhan Shopping Center, right after unlocking the first level of the Golden Tower of Wealth and receiving a hundred-million-yuan cash reward from Father Tongzi.

Spend!

Spend big!

Right then, as Gu Heng gazed at the incredibly luxurious mall before him, his heart filled with a powerful desire to Conquer.

In contrast to Gu Heng’s inner excitement, Wang Yan was as comfortable as if he’d come home. He didn’t even need the personal shoppers to guide them; he confidently led Gu Heng and the others, striding briskly in a specific direction.

After about three hundred meters, the group took an elevator to the second floor. Then, after a series of turns, the cigar lounge Wang Yan had mentioned finally appeared before them.

If the decor of the world-class luxury boutiques was ostentatious, then this cigar lounge was the epitome of understated luxury. The construction made extensive use of high-end pine wood, paired with large panes of crystal-clear glass.

The primary color scheme was brown, giving it a distinct North American feel.

Wang Yan pushed open the door, leading Gu Heng and two others inside. Of the six personal shoppers who had followed them, only one slipped in quietly, while the other five remained standing guard outside the door.

"Oscar!"

"It’s your Brother Yan! I’ve brought you a big client!"

Wang Yan strode into the cigar lounge as if he owned the place.

A short distance away, a young man sat on a sofa, enjoying a cigar. This was Oscar, the person Wang Yan had called out to. Hearing the voice, he stood up.

The few other people sitting with Oscar also turned to look when they heard the shout.

"President Yan?"

"Holy shit, Yanzi!"

"Brother Yan!"

"Old Wang!"

In an instant, a flurry of different nicknames erupted.

At the same time, everyone else stood up along with Oscar.

"Well now?"

"What a coincidence!"

As Oscar and the others stood, Wang Yan noticed them as well. A look of surprise crossed his face as he walked over to the sofa.

"Old Wang, I invited you to the track for this weekend, and you told me you had important business, didn’t you? So your ’important business’ was just coming to Oscar’s to smoke cigars?"

A man who looked to be around Wang Yan’s age shot him a look. Though his tone was accusatory, anyone could tell they were just extremely close friends.

"Yeah!"

"This *is* important business!"

"I wasn’t lying to you!"

Wang Yan was completely unabashed, not backing down one bit.

As he spoke, Wang Yan nodded in greeting to the others as well; clearly, he knew them all.

"Yeah, right. Keep spinning your lies!"

The man sneered. "If you’re scared of losing to me on the track, you can just say so. I can even give you a half-lap head start!"

"Lose to you?"

"You’re just someone I’ve beaten before."

"You’re such a scrub, even my little sister could crush you in a couple of years."

Wang Yan let out a devilish smirk, looking utterly arrogant.

The way they started bickering the moment they saw each other felt strangely familiar to Gu Heng. It was no different from how he acted with his best friend, Wan Kaijia.

At the thought, Gu Heng found himself really missing Wan Kaijia.

’That flashy bastard...’

’Looks like he’s enjoying college life a little too much. If I don’t reach out to him, he really won’t reach out to me.’

While Gu Heng was lost in thought, Wang Yan and his friend exchanged a few more barbs.

"Alright, alright."

"Enough joking around."

Wang Yan waved his hand. "Let me make a proper introduction."

As he spoke, Wang Yan’s expression turned serious. He took half a step back to stand beside Gu Heng.

"Gu Heng, the new Director of Junyao Group and the new Independent Director of Ruyi Airlines."

The moment Wang Yan finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Everyone stared at the absurdly young man before them, their eyes filled with utter shock.

In truth, they had all noticed Gu Heng earlier. But seeing how young he looked, they had all subconsciously assumed he was just some new kid Wang Yan had taken under his wing. None of them could have imagined he held such a staggering status.

Director of Junyao Group!

Independent Director of Ruyi Airlines!

To put it in perspective, Wang Yan, the heir to Junyao Group, had only made it to the position of Executive Vice President of Ruyi Airlines. Yet this young man had already broken into Junyao Group’s core decision-making circle at such a young age.

It was simply incredible!

Wang Yan watched his friends’ stunned expressions and chuckled inwardly. He didn’t let it show on his face, though, maintaining a relatively serious expression as he turned to introduce them to Gu Heng.

"Chairman Gu, this is Gao Zihang."

"We were classmates in middle school and high school. His family’s in finance."

"My advice? Stay away from him. All these finance guys have black hearts."

Wang Yan pretended to whisper that last part, but he said it loud enough for everyone to hear perfectly clearly.

"Screw you!"

"*You’re* the one with a black heart!"

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