Zhang Yang’s two cars had both been heavily customized at great expense, perfectly capable of handling anything short of top-tier professional racing.

Yang Guang was so young, Zhang Yang wasn't overly worried about him personally, only that his friends might provoke him into a high-speed street race—young men were easily impulsive.

Yang Guang knew how to drive, but he was too young, and his experience behind the wheel was limited. High-speed driving demanded exceptional skill, and Zhang Yang’s car accelerated incredibly fast; one slip could lead to a catastrophic accident.

It was precisely this concern that made Zhang Yang hesitant at first. However, with him accompanying them, Yang Guang wouldn't dare push the limits, and more importantly, Zhang Yang would ensure no accident occurred.

“Bro, cousin, what are you two talking about?”

Yang Wanying sprinted ahead, arriving in a flurry, grabbing Zhang Yang’s arm as she called out.

Zhang Yang had already promised to take her phone shopping later, so right now, she was being exceptionally sweet to him.

“Nothing, just a kid. Focus on your studies—that’s the right path!!”

Yang Guang said this with an air of exaggerated maturity, causing Yang Wanying to immediately pout and turn her head away.

Yang Guang truly had no defense against his little sister.

The group quickly got into the cars and left. Zhang Yang first dropped off Zhang Keqin and the others at home before taking Yang Wanying out to buy the phone and whatever else she desired.

But this time, they weren't driving the minivan; they had switched to the Bugatti.

Yang Wanying had noticed this car before but had no idea it belonged to Zhang Yang. When they were leaving, Yang Guang carelessly let it slip, and the girl immediately insisted on taking that car out.

There were only four of them, so taking the car wasn't a major issue. In the end, Zhang Yang couldn't resist the girl’s cajoling and finally agreed.

As they switched cars and drove off, Yang Guang was the most thrilled, immediately claiming the driver’s seat without any argument.

Zhang Yang had no choice in the matter; after all, Yang Guang was the host. Zhang Yang was unfamiliar with the current layout of the capital city, so the driving task had to be handed over to him.

In 1999, mobile phone development was entering a vigorous phase. Costs had dropped significantly compared to before, and phone prices had decreased substantially as well. Cell phones were no longer merely symbols of the elite and the wealthy.

Of course, it was still somewhat difficult for ordinary citizens to afford one, with issues like dual-sided billing and the high cost of usage still restricting widespread adoption.

Nevertheless, Beijing now boasted large communication markets. Yang Wanying wanted a small, exquisitely designed Samsung model.

The phone was soon in her hands, and Zhang Yang even set up a card for her, pre-loading it with substantial talk time.

There was little choice; she was his only sister, and many men naturally doted on their female siblings. Zhang Yang was no exception to this tendency. This small request was hardly a burden for him, so he happily indulged her.

For the entire afternoon, Zhang Yang, Yang Guang, and even Mi Xue accompanied her on her shopping spree. Mi Xue bought her a Míngpái dress she had wanted for ages, and also gifted her a new handbag, new shoes, and many other things.

This made her shout with excitement, believing Zhang Yang and Mi Xue were the best people in the world. She wished Zhang Yang and the others had come to Beijing much sooner so she wouldn’t have had to wait so long for these things.

Yang Guang just shook his head watching this, having a grim premonition that his cousin would also fail in raising his own children—he was far too indulgent.

At the same time, he wondered why his sister seemed to attract goodwill everywhere she went. No matter who it was, people treated her better than they treated him, even he included.

Once the shopping was done, the afternoon slipped quickly into evening.

Yang Guang started to feel a headache again. He had already made plans to meet his friends near the Summer Palace (Yíhéyuán), and now it was getting late; he needed to leave. But Yang Wanying adamantly refused to go.

The girl even insisted that he and Zhang Yang must have some secretive business planned, and she absolutely had to follow along.

Yang Guang tried to persuade her for over twenty minutes, talking until his lips were dry, but it was useless.

“Forget it. Aren't you just meeting some friends? Let her come along!”

It was Zhang Yang who finally spoke, allowing Yang Guang to relent. With Zhang Yang’s word, Yang Wanying made triumphant gestures and silly faces at Yang Guang, which made Mi Xue, standing nearby, laugh again.

With the girl’s attendance confirmed, Yang Guang stopped fretting. After all, many of his classmates had met his sister before; as long as she didn’t cause trouble, it was fine.

Driving the car, Yang Guang left the city center directly, heading in the direction of the Summer Palace.

“Brother Xuan, look! A Bugatti!”

At a street corner in Beijing, among a group preparing to enter a restaurant, one person turned his head and immediately called out.

There were five young men; walking in the center was Ouyang Xuan, the young man Zhang Yang had encountered earlier at the service area. He was a native Beijinger; his previous journey had just been a short trip outside the city.

“It really is that car. Have they arrived in Beijing?”

Someone next to Ouyang Xuan exclaimed, recognizing the vehicle. They all had a profound impression of this car—a limited-edition Bugatti, driven by a stunningly beautiful woman; it was hard not to remember.

“I know,”

Ouyang Xuan frowned, watching the distant Bugatti moving further away, his thoughts unclear.

“Brother Xuan, chase them! If we don't chase now, we’ll lose track of where they’re going. Brother Xuan, this is Beijing, this is our turf!”

The young man who first shouted grew anxious. He had completely lost interest in going into the restaurant to eat, and the others around him felt the same.

“Fine, chase!”

After a moment of hesitation, Ouyang Xuan nodded. The young men swiftly jumped into three separate cars—all high-end sports cars similar to the ones Zhang Yang had seen that day.

Ouyang Xuan’s hesitation stemmed from considering the owner of that car.

It was a limited-edition Bugatti, the only one in the entire country. Finding out who owned it was simple; he had someone check, and the result came in that very day.

The car belonged to Gu Fang from Shanghai. Gu Fang had considerable renown in Shanghai, especially among the scions of wealthy families.

The Gu family also carried significant prestige, being an established clan in Shanghai with some influence even in Beijing.

After learning the car belonged to Gu Fang that day, Ouyang Xuan had significantly dampened his prior intentions. He didn't want to antagonize Gu Fang; the Gu family was deeply rooted, and offending such a person over a woman was unwise.

However, his subordinate's reminder brought a realization: not wanting to offend Gu Fang didn't mean he necessarily feared him. This was Beijing, not Shanghai; this was his territory.

Besides, he was only chasing them down; he hadn't planned anything else.

By this time, he had mistaken Zhang Yang for Gu Fang, assuming the man he saw that day was Gu Fang himself.

The three cars instantly accelerated upon starting, speeding recklessly through the city streets. It was still early evening, not yet dark, and the roads were crowded. Their unrestrained driving style clearly reflected their usual conduct.

The Bugatti driven by Yang Guang certainly attracted a great deal of attention on the road.

Beijing wasn't Changjing; many people here recognized cars. Many recognized this limited-edition luxury vehicle, all looking on with envious eyes.

This made Yang Guang appear immensely proud, a smile constantly playing on his lips. Zhang Yang merely smiled internally at his demeanor.

He was still young, harboring a touch of vanity. But then again, who didn't have vanity? Everyone wished to draw attention, to be envied by others—even Zhang Yang was no exception.

The Summer Palace was situated in the northwest part of Beijing, a formerly remote area.

The establishment of Zhongguancun had made the vicinity lively, and now, with the advent of the internet and electronics era, the area around the Summer Palace was quite bustling.

Ouyang Xuan and his group had chased a bit too late and took a wrong turn, failing to catch up to Yang Guang, allowing him to reach the Summer Palace smoothly.

At the north gate of the Summer Palace, seven or eight young men were standing around, with four cars parked nearby.

Among these four cars, three were quite ordinary: a Fukang, a Jetta, and a Santana. Only one was slightly more upscale: a Mercedes-Benz 320, the same model as Zhang Yang's first car.

When the Bugatti arrived, everyone stood up, staring wide-eyed at the vehicle.

The car stopped steadily, and Yang Guang immediately got out, walking over with his head held high.

“See? I didn’t lie to you. This is my cousin Zhang Yang’s Bugatti—the limited edition, the only one in the country!”

Yang Guang was beaming now, radiating confidence. Seeing his companions stunned into silence gave him an immense sense of satisfaction.

They were all friends, some classmates, some classmates of classmates; all were Beijing locals who enjoyed researching and driving cars.

Unfortunately, their families weren't particularly affluent. Even those who owned cars only had common models, like his family’s Peugeot, or the Jetta and Santana here. The best among them was that Mercedes.

The owner of the Mercedes came from a construction contractor family with assets worth tens of millions; the car was the pride of their family, and it was rare for the group to even get a chance to drive it once.

“Yang Guang, is that really true? I’ve seen it—I saw this car in a magazine last year! There are only a few dozen in the world, none in China. How on earth did you get your hands on it?”

A few companions, still reeling from the shock, finally had someone excitedly grab Yang Guang’s hand and exclaim.

“I told you it’s my cousin’s car, not mine. I don’t know how he got it!”

Yang Guang laughed heartily. Even though the car belonged to Zhang Yang, he felt as if it were his own right now. He had never imagined owning such a car; just driving it once in front of these peers was satisfying enough for him.

While they were talking, Zhang Yang, Mi Xue, and Yang Wanying got out of the car.

When the group saw Mi Xue, they froze again.

They were all quite young, mostly looking to be around Yang Guang’s age, essentially students.

They had seen plenty of beautiful women, but few possessed Mi Xue's combination of noble temperament and stunning looks. Some of the hot-blooded youngsters were completely mesmerized.

“Let me introduce you. This is my cousin, Zhang Yang. He’s in Changjing now, still studying, but he’s already running his own business—a very big one!”

Yang Guang announced proudly. He didn't actually know what kind of business Zhang Yang ran, so he could only say something vague like that.

He pointed to Mi Xue and continued, “This is my sister-in-law, Mi Xue. She’s also a student, at the same school as my cousin. She opened a very large restaurant while still in school and is a boss now!”

Yang Wanying stepped forward, waiting for Yang Guang to introduce her, but Yang Guang completely overlooked her, starting to introduce his companions to Zhang Yang instead. This infuriated her, and she pouted again.

As the introductions were underway, a deep roar suddenly echoed from the distance. Everyone turned their heads, staring in astonishment at the fast-approaching shadows.