The north country scene, a thousand miles of ice frozen, ten thousand miles of snow drifting... Forgive me, that’s ancient history.

You see snow-clearing vehicles everywhere at the highway service areas; the snow still drifts, but the ice is nowhere to be seen. The drive back to the long-missed city was unimpeded.

The scenery was the same, yet Wang Zhuo was no longer the same Wang Zhuo who lived hand-to-mouth. Accompanying him were...

well, a whole host of people. Wang Zhuo felt somewhat awkward in such company, so he settled down with Qiu Lu for a game of chess in the living room.

The long-abandoned rooftop garden finally served its purpose. Every mealtime became a grand procession as the large group bustled up and down, drawing curious glances from neighbors and security guards in the complex.

At noon, the group descended, laughing and chatting, and boarded a procession of luxury cars—the kind usually only seen together at auto shows. The neat convoy pulled out of the complex.

Wang Zhengdao’s old classmate, Zhang Chengzhi, peered out from behind his own window, watching the tail end of the departing motorcade with a strange expression. “Chengzhi, what are you looking at?” His wife, Huang Meiyun, just emerged from the bathroom after doing laundry, noticing him standing motionless at the window.

She spoke with impatience, “Hurry over and give me a hand. This duvet cover is too heavy to wring out, and the washing machine just quit on us!” Zhang Chengzhi, his face grim, went to help his wife twist the cover, sighing as he recalled the glorious scene of his old classmate.

“What’s wrong?” Huang Meiyun asked. “Alas,” Zhang Chengzhi sighed.

“I just watched Wang Zhengdao’s family head out again. Even the cheapest car was a BMW 7 Series—that’s enough to buy our house twice over.” The apartment belonging to Zhang Chengzhi and his wife occupied the same unit as Wang Zhuo’s penthouse rooftop garden.

It was 130 square meters, cost a little over 600,000 to purchase, and another 200,000 was spent on renovations and appliances. By the standards of this city, they were considered quite well-off.

“Envious of what?” Huang Meiyun scoffed. “They’re just a couple of nouveau riche who think they’re hot stuff because they have some illicit money.

I don’t know what they’re so proud of.” Zhang Chengzhi managed a weak smile. Whether the money was illicit, he couldn't say, but the procession of luxury cars and beautiful women was undeniable fact.

Just last night, a security guard had told him that after leaving the complex, the convoy headed for the Jinding Zhizun Restaurant, and one young woman had even mentioned something about a 'Manchu-Han Imperial Feast' before getting into a car! What does a person strive for in a lifetime?

Isn't it the face they present to the world, the fullness of their belly, and what lies beneath it? Look at that father and son—they have all three!

Driving luxury cars grants face, eating the Imperial Feast fills the belly, and the beauties beside them are prettier than the last. Damn it all, why don’t they just burst from sheer pleasure?!

After twenty years of marriage, how could Huang Meiyun not know what her husband was thinking? She shot Zhang Chengzhi a glare and scolded, “What are you thinking about?

Envying those Wangs for getting to enjoy all those women?” Only my wife truly understands me... Zhang Chengzhi thought to himself, but he didn't dare voice it.

He quickly plastered on a smile. “Wife, you’ve misunderstood.

I was just thinking how our Toyota Corolla looks like a tractor next to their cars.” Huang Meiyun pouted, feeling quite gloomy herself. In the past, driving that Toyota around town always gave her a sense of pride and status; she felt like it was New Year’s every day.

But ever since that time she saw Wang Zhuo casually toss the keys to a Range Rover—worth ten times their Corolla—to Wang Zhengdao, that joyful feeling had vanished. And the most infuriating thing was that when Wang Zhuo bought his apartment, he bought out all the private parking spots in the complex, leaving her unable to secure one!

It was manageable in the summer; they could park anywhere downstairs or on the street. But this was a northern city; how could they manage in the winter without a heated garage?

Having the Wang father and son as neighbors had certainly ruined life for Zhang Chengzhi and his wife. When taking the elevator, catching sight of the penthouse button automatically reminded them of that empty rooftop garden.

In winter, they had to walk to the underground garage to retrieve their car, and in summer, if there were sudden downpours or hail, their exposed vehicles would sustain damage requiring repairs! Especially these last few days!

For some unknown reason, the Wang father and son had decided to abandon their leisurely life in Jiangzhou and come back here! Not only that, but they brought flashy cars, beautiful women, and even female bodyguards!

Zhang Chengzhi and Huang Meiyun truly wanted to confront Wang Zhengdao and ask the question they had held in for so long, yet they never considered how they themselves used to act arrogant in front of Wang Zhengdao and Wang Zhuo back then—treating the father as a handyman one moment, suggesting the father and son take turns driving a black taxi the next, trying to rope them into manual labor with half a pack of cigarettes, and never even offering a glass of water after bringing them into their own home... As the convoy drove out of the complex, Wang Zhuo turned his head and glanced back toward his own building unit, taking in Zhang Chengzhi’s envious glare and Huang Meiyun’s look of disdain with a single sweep.

A faint, mocking smile touched the corner of his lips—let these petty people stew in their envy, jealousy, and hatred! After staying at Wang Zhuo’s place for two days, Qi Fei invited Guan Yingying, Siyuan, and the Meng sisters to stay at her home for a short visit.

The four female bodyguards were taken along too, leaving Wang Zhuo suddenly with a great deal of free space around him. Qiu Lu and Lu Weimin also returned to their own homes, while Wang Zhengdao took his budding stars to Changbai Mountain to see the Tianchi Lake, fulfilling his duties as host.

With nothing pressing, Wang Zhuo took the Audi B3 and drove Gan Lin out for a drive, planning to find a gift for Qi Fei’s parents. “The owner of a jewelry store still needs to go out to buy gifts for others?” Gan Lin didn’t quite understand his intentions.

“If you think that way, you are completely mistaken,” Wang Zhuo chuckled, explaining, “Qi Fei is in that industry, as are Guan Yingying and Qiu Lu. Even if Qi Fei didn’t give her parents jade or similar gifts, Guan Yingying and Qiu Lu certainly would.

If I gave them something like that too, wouldn’t it clash?” “That makes sense,” Gan Lin suddenly realized. “This gift is genuinely hard to choose,” Wang Zhuo lamented.

“If I could, I’d much rather just give money; it saves so much brainpower.” “Giving money doesn’t show your sincerity, does it?” Gan Lin scoffed. “Even if it’s just returning a favor, it can’t be measured purely by currency; that would be too vulgar.” “Then show me how you can be un-vulgar,” Wang Zhuo spread his hands.

“A couple in their mid-fifties, intellectuals, genuinely good people—I leave the selection of these two gifts to you. Funds are unlimited!” Now it was Gan Lin’s turn to have a headache.

Wang Zhuo drove on contentedly, already considering taking her back home for some intimacy after dinner. Since leaving Jiangzhou, he hadn't had a moment alone with anyone!

... After a full day of shopping, they hadn't reached a conclusion, so they finally bought two of the latest fashionable cell phones under the enthusiastic persuasion of a sales clerk.

They both recalled the only time they ate off-campus together before establishing their relationship in high school—that old ramen shop. They were both nostalgic for the rich broth aroma and the innocent feeling of that time, so they drove straight there.

As soon as they entered the shop, a mountain-like silhouette immediately caught Wang Zhuo’s eye. A man of such tonnage was rare anywhere he went.

Seeing the gold chain, as thick as a finger, around his neck, Wang Zhuo immediately burst out laughing. “Brother Cai, what are you doing here too?!” The fatty turned around at the sound of his voice, a strand of noodles still hanging from his thick lips.

Seeing Wang Zhuo and Gan Lin, he also broke into a smile. “What a coincidence!

You’ve been back for three days, and you didn't even mention stopping by my place!” This middle-aged fatty was Cai Yuantu, owner of the Qishifang (Strange Stone Workshop). Over the past year or so, he had developed a close working relationship with Wang Zhuo.

However, times had changed; in this dynamic, Wang Zhuo held the dominant position. For any major decisions, Cai Yuantu was the one who made the special trip to Jiangzhou to see Wang Zhuo.

“I’ve been busy for the last couple of days, actually planning to visit you tomorrow and have you host,” Wang Zhuo said, happily introducing his companion. “This is my girlfriend, Gan Lin; we were high school classmates.” Cai Yuantu looked Gan Lin over, shook her hand with a broad smile, and complimented her beauty profusely.

In his mind, however, he was busy trying to guess which number girlfriend she was for Wang Zhuo. From his perspective, Wang Zhuo was born to be a young master.

Before he made his fortune, he was constantly seen coming and going with two beauties, Guan Yingying and Qi Fei. Later, tabloid papers were filled with rumors, occasionally reporting on dates with some female celebrity.

Now, another girlfriend from high school appeared. It was truly impossible to fathom!

The truth was, when he first met Wang Zhuo, Wang Zhuo was a complete virgin, having just met Guan Yingying and Qi Fei, his relationship with them as pure as a blank sheet of paper. But eventually, his true nature slowly emerged.

As the novel Urban X-Ray Vision gained momentum, he transformed from an innocent youth into a massive libertine! ...

After ordering, Wang Zhuo suddenly noticed an issue: “Brother Cai, have you gotten fatter again?” “I don’t know; I don’t feel any difference!” Cai Yuantu laughed heartily. “At my current weight, a fluctuation of twenty or thirty jin is something I wouldn’t even notice.” He wasn't wrong; telling the difference between a 250-jin fatty and a 280-jin fatty by sight alone was difficult, and gaining a few pounds after a good meal was common.

To borrow a phrase often used by those struggling with weight loss: they could gain weight just by drinking water! Gan Lin covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

This was her first time interacting closely with such a large man; watching him sit there like a mountain of flesh gave her an indescribable feeling. Wang Zhuo frowned slightly and asked, “How much do you weigh now?” Cai Yuantu casually shrugged.

“As long as it’s under three hundred jin, that’s all that matters.” Wang Zhuo nodded in acknowledgment but quietly activated his perspective ability, looking through Cai Yuantu’s body. He had a question in his mind—could this big, chubby uncle have some kind of illness?

Cai Yuantu was indeed a very large man. The thickness of his abdominal fat layer was over twenty centimeters.

If it were sent to an oil press, Wang Zhuo estimated he could easily squeeze out a barrel of clear, transparent lard. Looking past the thick layer of fat, he could see the robust internal organs.

If Gan Lin’s insides were a four-cylinder engine with five hundred horsepower, then Cai Yuantu’s were a sixteen-cylinder engine, producing over four thousand horsepower!