Promoted to Sanjiang, where are the flowers, applause, and hugs from beauties cheering? .....................

The property developments in third-tier cities might lack the budget to hire master designers, but their ability to imitate should not be underestimated. The apartment Wang Zhuo purchased was exactly that kind of unit; the style of decoration and furnishing was consistent throughout, the aesthetic unified, and considerable effort had been put into the selection of materials, resulting in a look that was simple, refined, and grand.

It hadn't cost a fortune, yet it instantly appeared a grade above the décor in Zhang Chengzhi’s home. This level of interior design hinges entirely on spatial utilization.

Even the placement of a mirror, or the size and location of a piece of furniture, is meticulously planned. This is because only through such precision can a small, expensive urban space be made to feel expansive, thereby increasing the property’s value.

Compared to this, Zhang Chengzhi’s style—a display of wealth through sheer excess—made his home look like a giant chicken coop sitting beneath a phoenix tree. After taking a tour, Zhang Chengzhi asked, "Zhengdao, how large is this place again?" Wang Zhengdao had no idea of the apartment's size, but Wang Zhuo quickly interjected, "Two hundred and sixteen square meters, thirty less than the unit across the hall." "Eighty-six more than our place," Zhang Chengzhi said to Huang Meiyun with suspicion, "but why does it feel like it’s twice the size of our apartment?" Huang Meiyun was slightly sharper than her husband, shaking her head.

"The decoration in this place has real depth to it." Zhang Chengzhi nodded and sighed, "Ah, seeing other people’s homes makes you realize what real money looks like. They own the entire floor; they even welded a steel door at the stairwell entrance to enclose the entire corridor." Wang Zhengdao’s eyes lit up.

"That’s a good suggestion." "Dad, the water meter, electric meter, and fire hydrant are in the hallway," Wang Zhuo reminded him with an exasperated smile. "We can change that, can't we?

What can't money do?" Zhang Chengzhi laughed heartily and said to Wang Zhengdao, "Old classmate, are you still stuck in that tiny box? You need to find a way to upgrade quickly, or what will you do when your son gets married?

You can't have two generations living in fifty square meters." Huang Meiyun chimed in, "I heard they're finishing those affordable housing units out in the West Suburb. They’re only eighteen hundred yuan per square meter, though it’s a bit far from the city center.

It takes me twenty minutes to drive there, but it would be nearly an hour by bus for you." Why let such a good opportunity for grandstanding pass? Wang Zhengdao was tactful enough to ask, "You have a car at home?" "A Toyota Corolla, nothing fancy, less than two hundred thousand.

I earned that back in a year," Huang Meiyun replied. "Who cares if it's far, the key is that it’s cheap!" Zhang Chengzhi enthusiastically advised, "Zhengdao, listen to me, buy there.

You two sons can buy a taxi and share driving shifts—where you live won't matter! Both your housing and work problems will be solved!" "Buy a taxi?" Huang Meiyun scoffed.

"Chengzhi, you speak without understanding the cost. The operating permit alone is two hundred thousand, plus the vehicle and insurance, and you’re easily looking at three hundred thousand." "Uh...

that expensive? Then we might as well just run an unlicensed cab!" Zhang Chengzhi lowered his voice, "Zhengdao, if you’re interested, I have friends in the transport management office; I can introduce you sometime." "Chengzhi, save it.

He's out on medical parole—you want him driving an unlicensed cab?" Huang Meiyun glared at her husband, annoyed at his meddling. Wang Zhuo could barely watch this display anymore; the sheer excessiveness of the couple was beyond description.

"Forget the unlicensed cab; getting a licensed vehicle would be fine," Wang Zhengdao remarked thoughtfully. "Actually, I can do anything; it's just a way to pass the time.

Wang Zhuo has already set aside the money for his college education and marriage, and even prepared my retirement fund." "I don't understand what you mean by that," Zhang Chengzhi looked confusedly at Huang Meiyun. Huang Meiyun stared at Wang Zhengdao in surprise, wondering what scheme he was hatching.

Wang Zhuo chuckled inwardly; he had let these two paragons of excess show off long enough. It was time to quiet them down and let them see something new.

"Dad, look how you entertain guests! You haven't even gotten drinks from the fridge," Wang Zhuo said, gently nudging Wang Zhengdao before smiling at Mr.

and Mrs. Zhang.

"Uncle Zhang, Aunt Huang, please have a seat. I’ll go wash some fruit for you." Zhang Chengzhi managed a dry laugh.

"Oh, you really don't have to? We’ll just take a look around and leave.

Wouldn't it be rude to touch your things?" Wang Zhuo ignored him and called loudly toward the kitchen, "Dad, hurry up!" After shouting, Wang Zhuo turned back to Huang Meiyun, smiling sweetly. "This house is lovely everywhere, except it doesn't have a refrigerator in the living room.

I’ll have the appliance store deliver one tomorrow." Zhang Chengzhi and Huang Meiyun exchanged glances, sensing that something was fundamentally wrong. As they spoke, Wang Zhengdao returned, carrying a lavish fruit platter and a stainless steel beverage caddy filled with beer, cola, black tea, and green tea.

Setting the items on the coffee table, Wang Zhengdao said casually with a big smile, "Help yourselves to whatever you want to eat or drink, don't be polite!" Before either guest could speak, Wang Zhuo jumped in. "Dad, you keep Uncle Zhang and Aunt Huang company.

I’ll go get something for you." Wang Zhengdao smiled and nodded. The Zhang couple was left speechless, unsure what to say.

In an instant, the stage had shifted: the performers from moments ago were now the audience, and Wang Zhengdao and his son were now taking the stage. Wang Zhuo walked over to a framed painting in the living room and pressed a spot on the scroll hanger.

The painting swiftly retracted into its roller, revealing a wall safe recessed into the paneling. The living room fell into absolute silence.

Wang Zhengdao, Zhang Chengzhi, and Huang Meiyun all stared at Wang Zhuo and the newly revealed safe. Wang Zhuo pulled a string of keys from his pocket, found one, inserted it into the safe’s keyhole, and then tapped rapidly on the electronic keypad for a long moment.

After hearing three short, successive beeps, he turned the key one full rotation. With a click, the safe door sprang open automatically—it was even a high-end, assisted-opening model.

The safe was spacious. The top shelf held only a single olive-green canvas satchel.

The middle section contained a drawer. Wang Zhuo pulled the drawer open, retrieved a black garbage bag from inside, and handed it to his father.

"What is this?" Wang Zhengdao took the bag, shook it out over the coffee table, dumping its contents onto the surface. "It's all here," Wang Zhuo said, nudging the items with a finger and smiling.

"These two documents are the property deeds, this is our family register, this card is for you—the password is Grandma’s birthday—and this ring of keys is for our garage. The '4 Store' said the car I ordered for you won't arrive until next week, so you should start practicing driving." Zhang Chengzhi, after a subtle glance from Huang Meiyun, reached out and picked up the property deeds, while Wang Zhengdao and his son pretended not to notice.

Wang Zhengdao used his index finger to lift the set of electronic remote keys, shaking them until they jingled loudly. "What garage?

Why so many keys?" "One is yours, and three are mine. You can rent out the extra ones," Wang Zhuo grinned.

"I bought out all the independent garages in the complex. Anyone who wants to buy one now only has the underground parking spots left." "You little scamp, you're ruthless..." Wang Zhengdao said with a pained smile.

"What kind of car did you get me?" "A Range Rover. The receipts are here," Wang Zhuo said, pulling out several stapled invoices.

"I've never heard of that make..." Wang Zhengdao reached out and grabbed the receipts. The Zhang couple, still reeling from the shock of seeing Wang Zhengdao's name on the property deeds, instinctively craned their necks toward the receipts upon hearing "Range Rover." Holy hell, one point eight eight million!

Zhang Chengzhi immediately lost his balance and slumped onto the coffee table. "That expensive?!" Even Wang Zhengdao was momentarily stunned.

He had no objection to his son buying the apartment because real estate is an appreciating asset, but spending nearly two million on a car was something he struggled to accept. "It is a bit pricey, but I think you'll definitely like it," Wang Zhuo chuckled.

"I looked at this car; it’s big enough. If you fold down the back seats, it turns into a bed; you don't even need to book a hotel room when traveling." A mobile bed?

Wang 'Romeo's' eyes instantly lit up, shining brightly! Son, you know your father too well; I love this gift!

"Actually, this car is the real welcome-home gift for getting out of prison," Wang Zhuo explained. "The house is for living in; no one can take that away, so it doesn't count as a gift.

This car is my genuine token of appreciation." No father knows his son better than the father himself! Wang Zhengdao was nearly melting with emotion.

The father and son's performance left Zhang Chengzhi and Huang Meiyun flushed and pale, wishing they could crawl into a crack in the floor. Just a few minutes ago, they had been sizing up the father and son like construction workers, secretly looking down on them.

They never expected retribution to arrive so quickly. Before they could even fully enjoy the superiority of owning their own car and house, these two presented the deed to a four-hundred-square-meter luxury residence, purchase receipts for a nearly two-million-yuan car, and even a whole ring of keys for the most trivial item—the garages, and they were independent units!

They had been utterly humiliated! The awkwardness Zhang Chengzhi felt was indescribable.

He had just been planning how to show off his own eight-thousand-yuan ground-level parking spot. Now, the father and son owned four garages, each with an electric rolling door—sheltered from wind and rain, cool in the summer and warm in the winter, protected from sun, dust, scratches, and theft.

How could he even compare? Huang Meiyun now desperately wanted to grab her husband’s ear and slap him twice.

She finally realized that Wang Zhengdao and his son’s clothes were not cheap knock-offs from a street stall; just looking at the fabric proved they were superior. She immediately wanted to scream into her husband's ear: What were your eyes looking at?

Is there such a thing as a construction worker dressed like that? Is there a bricklayer whose leather shoes shine brighter than a mirror?!

"Boss, someone's calling! Who is it?

Just teasing you!" The phone rang. Wang Zhuo pulled it out and smiled at his father.

"It’s Uncle Daozi calling." The Zhang couple exchanged a look. See?

Even the phones they use are the latest iPhones, costing over five thousand yuan. We truly made fools of ourselves by showing off our meager possessions and inviting this humiliation!

"Wang Zhuo, let your dad take the call," Ding Ren’s instruction was as concise as ever. "Daozi?

It’s fine, I’m here looking at a house with my son. Dinner?

Not yet. I have a classmate and his wife here.

Together? Alright, let me ask them." Muffling the receiver, Wang Zhengdao smiled at the Zhang couple.

"A friend is arranging dinner; they aren't strangers. Should we all go?" "No, no!" Zhang Chengzhi shook his head like a rattle drum.

"I still need to find workers to fix that water pipe; we won't go." Wang Zhuo smiled. "Uncle Zhang, I can help you fix it.

A water pipe isn't a big deal. Hold on a moment; I’ll go look for my tools." Although he said this, Wang Zhuo didn't move an inch.

It was his turn to play the hypocrite. "Don't bother looking," Zhang Chengzhi waved his hands hurriedly.

"You two go ahead with your business. Meiyun and I will head back now, hehe, we won’t keep you." Saying this, the two stood up, mumbled a few excuses, and headed for the door.

"Wang Zhuo, walk your Uncle Zhang out for me," Wang Zhengdao said, getting up to follow. "No need, please stay," Zhang Chengzhi managed a smile that looked uglier than a cry.

He finished speaking, turned, and walked away without daring to look back. The father and son "enthusiastically" escorted the couple to the elevator entrance.

Seeing the elevator indicator rapidly descending from the tenth floor, Huang Meiyun didn't want to linger a second longer. She snapped, "Chengzhi, look how fat you’ve gotten!

Don't you ever exercise? Go, take the stairs!" "Stairs, stairs," Zhang Chengzhi nodded repeatedly.

Their hurried footsteps faded down the stairwell. The father and son couldn't help but look at each other and burst into laughter.

Wang Zhengdao spat forcefully in the direction the couple had vanished and cursed, "Those snobs only look down on people!"