「The next morning.」
When Lin Jiang woke up, he had a message on his phone from Li Zhiyi, telling him to come pick up his car.
Coming out of his room, he saw Chen Jingxian had just finished washing up.
A patch of her fair skin was visible on her chest.
"No peeking. Go wash up and eat."
"Alrighty."
Brushing his teeth and washing his face, Lin Jiang was out of the bathroom in less than five minutes.
Chen Jingxian had also brought breakfast to the table: congee, pan-fried mantou slices, and some fried ham—a typical Chinese breakfast.
After breakfast, the two of them went to the shop.
Lin Jiang found a spare bucket, filled it with water, and added the Delicious MSG.
After being stirred, it was colorless and odorless, just like regular tap water. There was no difference at all.
"Jingxian, I have to go out for a bit. Can you watch the shop for me?"
"Can I really do it?" Chen Jingxian was a little intimidated.
"Just do what you did yesterday. Don't worry about it. It doesn't even matter if you make a mistake with the bill," Lin Jiang instructed.
"When Master Zhang gets here, tell him he has to use the water from this bucket for everything, whether it's mixing the dough or preparing the soup base. Make it clear this is a strict requirement. He absolutely cannot use regular tap water. Otherwise, it's a 1,000 yuan fine, and a second offense means he's fired."
Chen Jingxian was confused. "But isn't the water in this bucket just tap water?"
'How am I supposed to explain this tap water to you...'
Lin Jiang thought for a moment, then whispered, "I added a secret ingredient to this water. It's a trade secret. Only the two of us know about it, so you absolutely can't tell anyone else."
Chen Jingxian's pretty eyes sparkled. "So this is our little secret?"
Seeing her somewhat adorable expression, Lin Jiang found it amusing.
"Right, it's our little secret. If he asks why, you don't need to explain. Just say I told you to do it."
"Understood."
[You have gained favor with NPC Chen Jingxian. Affinity +10]
[Affinity: 50]
'My Affinity with her went up again?'
'Is this the right way to develop things with Chen Jingxian?'
"Don't worry, I'll definitely keep a close eye on him," Chen Jingxian said seriously, as if she had just received a top-secret mission.
Lin Jiang nodded and went out to hail a cab.
"The Mercedes 4S dealership on Jianshe Road," Lin Jiang said after getting in the car.
"Oh, heading to buy a car, young man?"
"Already bought it. I'm picking it up today."
"That's great. To be able to afford a Mercedes at such a young age."
An Evaluation Label appeared above the driver's head.
[Promising Young Man]
"I bought the cheapest one, so it wasn't that expensive."
Learning from past experience, Lin Jiang didn't mention he was buying a Maybach. It was always better to be low-key.
"Even the cheapest one is still a Mercedes. My brother-in-law bought a C-Class a while back, and I was itching to drive it, so I took it for a spin. And you know what?"
"It was the real deal?"
"You're not wrong, it really was the real deal. The feel is completely different. The power is incredible, way better than this car of mine."
"It's alright."
Lin Jiang replied with a chuckle. The driver was still chatting away, a complete opposite of the last one. His Evaluation Labels were all positive.
Soon, the car arrived at the 4S dealership.
After getting out, Lin Jiang was about to message Li Zhiyi when he happened to see her at the entrance, talking to a young man.
The man was dressed fashionably, wearing a silver feather accessory around his neck. A brown Panamera was parked behind him.
Although it wasn't as expensive as a Maybach GLS, it was definitely a car for showing off.
But what Lin Jiang was more interested in was the blue exclamation mark above Li Zhiyi's head!
[Quest Name: The Annoying Suitor]
[Quest Description: Li Zhiyi wants to be rid of Wu Guangming's advances and for him to stop bothering her.]
[Quest Reward: Bad Luck Card x1, 30 EXP]
'As expected, all the beautiful women have rich second-generation kids chasing after them.'
'But the quest reward is interesting,' Lin Jiang thought. 'A Bad Luck Card. I definitely can't use that on myself.'
'I already have 80 EXP. After finishing this quest, I'll be able to pick another treasure.'
'But getting a Bad Luck Card means I can't exploit that bug anymore.'
'Damn thing, it updates pretty fast.'
"Mr. Lin, you're here."
Li Zhiyi's voice interrupted Lin Jiang's thoughts. She walked over, her high heels clicking on the ground.
"If you're busy, take care of it first. I'm not in a hurry."
Lin Jiang acted naturally, not like some idiot rushing over to be her shield.
'Showing off requires technique.'
'Otherwise, out of the thousands upon thousands of web novels, there would be more than just one Chen Beixuan.'
"I'm not busy. And it's not like he and I are close. I'll take you to get your car first."
Li Zhiyi quickly explained, gesturing for Lin Jiang to enter and leading him into the dealership.
"Zhiyi, it's settled then for dinner. I'll come pick you up tonight," Wu Guangming said.
"I have other things to do tonight, I don't have time. Maybe some other time."
Without looking back, Li Zhiyi led Lin Jiang into the shop and couldn't help but mutter.
"So annoying."
Lin Jiang smiled. "Your suitor?"
"Yeah, but I have no feelings for him. He's not my type."
"He looks pretty good, and he drives a Panamera. That's a pretty good package."
"I think he's too flashy. And just by looking at him, you can tell he's just playing around, not looking for marriage. I don't want to get involved with someone like that."
"That's not a bad way to think. When looking for a boyfriend, you should find someone reliable."
"That's exactly what I think. It's a lifetime decision, so you can't be careless."
Lin Jiang nodded. "But the reliable types probably won't be as rich as him."
"That doesn't really matter. We can earn money together. As long as we don't starve, there's always a chance." Li Zhiyi laughed.
"But by saying that, aren't you putting yourself in the 'unreliable' category?"
"I'm a special case, haha…"
Li Zhiyi had a beautiful smile, like a thousand vibrant flowers blooming one after another.
They went to the delivery bay together. The two-tone GLS 600 was flanked by flower baskets, and its wheels were tied with red cloths. It was a perfect display of modern-day superstition.
"Mr. Lin, please wait just a moment. We have a small delivery ceremony."
"Alright."
Li Zhiyi went into an adjacent room. The partition was transparent, so Lin Jiang could see her preparing a bouquet of flowers.
You basically get this kind of delivery ceremony any time you buy a luxury car. Lately, though, the trend has been picked up by manufacturers of "old-man-mobiles."
Just yesterday, I scrolled past a video of an old man who bought a "Rolls-Le-Si." A middle-aged saleswoman presented him with flowers, and the old man was grinning so hard his dentures almost fell out.
"Where's Li Zhiyi?"
A sudden voice interrupted Lin Jiang's thoughts.
He saw that the speaker was Li Zhiyi's suitor, Wu Guangming.
Lin Jiang pointed to the next room. "She's in there getting things ready."
Wu Guangming glanced at the next room and was about to go in to find Li Zhiyi when he saw her coming out with the flowers.
Seeing Li Zhiyi was coming out, Wu Guangming decided not to go in. Instead, he sized up Lin Jiang.
"What are you doing here?"
Lin Jiang shot him a glance.
'When have I ever needed to explain my actions to the likes of you!'
"Is that any of your business?"