The hall was crowded, mostly with young people, and under the gaze of so many eyes, Zhang Pi truly felt a little uneasy.

Gently scooping up Lightning from his shoulder, Zhang Yang held the creature close to his chest.

Lightning opened its eyes, seeming to glare at Zhang Yang with a hint of displeasure, as if chiding him for disturbing its rest.

After a brief look, it closed its eyes again, continuing its slumber; perhaps in its dreams, it was on a date with another fox-marten, for it showed not the slightest interest in these four-wheeled automobiles.

"Hummer!"

Huang Hai suddenly exclaimed, and the seven of them immediately made their way toward the Hummer display booth.

The Hummer booth was packed; nearly a hundred people were gathered around. In this era, many people admired vehicles with such an imposing presence, but sadly, while many looked, very few could actually afford, or were willing, to buy one.

"Young Master Long, when did you arrive?"

Upon entering the area, they ran into an acquaintance. The other party consisted of about four or five people, and the man speaking to Long Cheng appeared to be in his early thirties; a very beautiful girl was accompanying him.

"We just got here yesterday. Didn't Young Master Shi say you never buy Hummers?"

Long Cheng smiled faintly, his attitude toward this man quite good, unlike Shi Feng and the others they had met yesterday.

Long Cheng then introduced Zhang Yang and Su Zhantao to these people, and Zhang Yang learned their identities.

These individuals were all from the nearby city of Hangcheng. The leader was named Shi Fazhan—a rather common name, but his father had chosen it, and he couldn't change it, so he had no choice.

Hangcheng was also the provincial capital, so a significant number of people attended the auto show every time.

However, because they were so close, unlike those from Changjing who were organized, they arrived scattered—in small groups of three or four, or sometimes even alone.

This Shi Fazhan was also a member of the Car Alliance and knew Long Cheng and his group; their relationship was generally decent.

"I dislike them, yes, but my girl likes them, so I brought her along to look!"

Shi Fazhan gestured toward the girl beside him and spoke with a slight air of triumph.

The girl was very young, perhaps not as old as Mi Xue, and looked quite beautiful—a campus belle level of attractiveness. Among the girls Zhang Yang had seen so far, only Mi Xue was slightly superior.

"Very nice!"

Long Cheng smiled. The girl was indeed stunning, but he had little interest in women; unlike this Young Master Shi, who was clearly a lecher.

This girl was likely another student he had duped. Young Master Shi often took advantage of young women at school, relying on his wealth and connections; Long Cheng had witnessed several instances himself.

But as long as one party was willing and the other played along, no one could really say anything.

"So adorable!"

At that moment, the girl paid no attention to the other eyes staring intently at Lightning in Zhang Yang's arms. Lightning's appeal to the girl was overwhelming, and Zhang Yang almost regretted bringing it out.

"Young Master Long, we'll take our leave now; we'll leave this space for you!"

Seeing that the girl beside him was constantly focused on someone else's pet, Young Master Shi became slightly displeased. After bidding farewell to Long Cheng, he and his companions walked out together.

The Hummer sales associate glanced at them with regret.

Their booth attracted many onlookers, but very few actual buyers. The group just leaving clearly possessed purchasing power, and several salespeople had enthusiastically introduced the vehicles to them.

Soon, their regret vanished.

Huang Hai and Li Ya had already gone over to examine the cars and ask several questions. Huang Hai was particularly interested in the Hummer, so it was expected he would ask many questions and look closely.

These salespeople had sharp eyes and instantly recognized that these newcomers were also potential customers. As soon as Huang Hai asked a question, someone approached to provide detailed explanations, hoping to secure a deposit right away.

"Make way, make way! What are you people who aren't buying doing standing here gawking?"

A slightly plump man, not very tall—at most about 1.65 meters—pushed his way in from outside. He also had a girl with him, though she was quite tall, well over 1.70 meters.

The man speaking was the one who had just shoved his way in. It was the first day of the auto show, and the Hummer booth was indeed crowded, requiring people to push through the masses to enter.

However, his words instantly displeased many onlookers, some of whom secretly cursed him, wondering what right he had to say that people who weren't buying couldn't even look around.

That single sentence provoked general indignation.

"Hummer, not bad. This is the one!"

The man looked at the Hummer with a glint in his eyes. A salesperson immediately approached to greet him. Though the man didn't look refined, it was obvious he was wealthy—a nouveau riche.

The man wore a large diamond ring, at least several carats, and a thick gold chain around his neck. If this appearance didn't scream 'nouveau riche,' no other description would suffice.

"Fine, stop talking. I want this one. Process the paperwork immediately!"

Before the salesperson next to him could even finish an introduction, the man declared loudly. The salesperson paused briefly, then happily led the man away to handle the paperwork. No one expected this vehicle to sell so quickly.

This nouveau riche's arrival to purchase a car dampened the interest of many people watching; the crowd around the Hummer booth rapidly thinned, and even Long Cheng frowned slightly.

Standing next to someone like that truly lowered their status.

"Darling, I love this little doggy! Let's buy it,"

The woman beside the man suddenly said, pointing at Lightning in Zhang Yang's arms as she spoke.

Lightning jolted violently and poked its head out of Zhang Yang's embrace, letting out a sharp 'squeak' toward the woman to express its displeasure.

Being called a dog was Lightning's biggest taboo; it could be woken from a deep sleep by such an insult.

Zhang Yang's brow twitched, and he quickly soothed Lightning a few times. It wasn't just Long Cheng; few people here seemed to appreciate them.

This woman was quite tall, and her appearance was passable, though not as striking as the woman beside Young Master Shi. This woman's makeup was excessively heavy; one couldn't guess what she would look like with it removed.

"Okay, we'll buy it. We buy everything my Darling likes—the Hummer, and this puppy too!"

The stout man turned back, smiling benignly at the woman. The tone of their exchange almost made everyone nearby shudder.

"Huang Hai, let's go first. We'll come back to look later!"

Even Long Cheng couldn't stand it any longer. He called out to Huang Hai. Standing near someone like that was completely beneath them, and Yang Ling's brow was tightly furrowed.

"Alright!"

Huang Hai nodded. No matter how interested he was in the Hummer, he couldn't remain there with such a person nearby being repulsive. Since the auto show was long, there would be opportunities to return later.

Wang Chen was the first to head out. He had deliberately stayed away when they first entered, afraid of catching any bad luck by standing too close.

"Wait!"

Just as Zhang Yang was about to leave, the man suddenly called out and brazenly walked up to him.

"Your dog, I'll give you double the price for it, hand it over!"

The man pointed at Lightning in Zhang Yang's hands and spoke with supreme arrogance. Fortunately, Zhang Yang was holding Lightning tightly, or the creature would have bitten him—and besides, what dog 'squeaks' like that?

"Not for sale!"

Zhang Yang couldn't be bothered to waste words on him, simply dropping those two words before walking away. Conversing with someone like this felt sickening.

"Wait, I'll give you triple the price!"

The man turned again and blocked Zhang Yang's path, holding up three fingers. He hadn't even asked for a price before offering triple—truly displaying arrogant wealth.

His demeanor made Zhang Yang chuckle—a laugh born of frustration. How could such an extreme person exist? Zhang Yang didn't even have the strength left to argue with him.

"A good dog doesn't block the path. Move aside quickly!"

Zhang Yang remained silent, but that didn't mean others would. Su Zhantao, standing beside Zhang Yang, spoke irritably. Every single one of them found this nouveau riche detestable.

"Who are you calling a dog?"

The man paused briefly, then roared in anger, no longer blocking Zhang Yang but staring only at Su Zhantao.

"Darling, he wants this. It's so cute!"

The woman beside the man spoke again, her voice sickeningly sweet. Zhang Yang shivered; he felt if he stayed any longer, he would suffer another "air crash," this time man-made.

Zhang Yang took a few steps to the side, intending to maneuver around the man. Since the man was blocking his direct path, moving around should work.

"Don't go! How much are you selling that little dog for? Name a price. My Darling likes it, and I will certainly buy it for her!"

Seeing Zhang Yang walk away, the man abandoned his glare contest with Su Zhantao and immediately pursued him.

The woman beside him followed, gazing at him tenderly. The sight of the pair made Zhang Yang want to vomit.

Seeing that Zhang Yang and Su Zhantao weren't following, Long Cheng, Huang Hai, and Yang Ling walked back. The behavior of that man and woman was equally nauseating to them.

"I already said it's not for sale. Are you dense?"

This time it was Su Zhantao who spoke. They genuinely did not want to engage with this person, but his persistent trailing made them feel helpless.

"I wasn't talking to you. Who do you think you are?"

The man suddenly yelled. Su Zhantao froze, immediate anger flashing across his face, his fists clenching.

How dare this person call him 'that shallot'? Since childhood, it seemed no one had dared speak to him that way.

"Say that again, if you have the guts!"

Su Zhantao couldn't help but step forward, grabbing the man's collar. Su Zhantao was much taller than him, and looking down, even the slender Young Master Su exerted considerable pressure on the man.

"Ah San, Ah Si!"

The man cried out in fear. In fact, even before he shouted, two figures were already running over from a distance. Both men were over 1.80 meters tall and running incredibly fast.

Zhang Yang and Long Cheng were momentarily stunned. This nouveau riche actually had bodyguards? But why were they separated if they were together?

Also, what were those two called? Ah San and Ah Si? Did this guy read too much Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber and arbitrarily rename his subordinates?

While they were thinking, the two men reached them. One immediately threw a punch, aiming straight for Su Zhantao's head, while the other grabbed the stout man, attempting to shield him.