3: Chapter 3: The Standoff in the Range Rover, the Script of the "Invisible Young Master"

The taxi traveled smoothly through the dazzling night of the Magic City.

Shen Du leaned against the backseat, his fingertips idly stroking the fabric of his dark gray cashmere coat.

He quickly went over the text message Chen Fei had just sent in his mind.

Wei Ziang.

His memories from his past life were like a precise retrieval system, instantly pulling up the file behind this name.

This person couldn't be counted as a local powerhouse with deep roots.

He couldn't even integrate into the top-tier second-generation circle of the Magic City; at best, he was an upstart whose family owned a few mines in Shanxi.

Precisely because his foundation was so shallow, Wei Ziang's behavior appeared particularly disjointed:

Arrogant, yet revealing a cowardly shrewdness.

He knew clearly in his heart which people in school he absolutely could not afford to provoke.

So he never touched the bad luck of true powerhouses.

Instead, he specifically targeted ordinary students in the same department with shallow family backgrounds, like Shen Du and Chen Fei.

By constantly belittling and teasing them, he satisfied his pathetic sense of superiority.

Shen Du watched the reflections of neon lights flying past outside the car window, his eyes calm.

A capital card with one million, it wasn't a lot, but it wasn't a little either.

To quickly establish a "top-tier wealthy" persona at Huahai University of Finance and Economics, which was crawling with second-generation heirs.

The biggest taboo was to show off everywhere like an upstart.

That would only make one look cheap and even invite suspicion.

The most efficient method.

Is to find a sufficiently conspicuous stepping stone.

And in front of everyone, trample it ruthlessly with an unreasonable attitude.

He had just been reborn.

He was originally calculating who to use to sacrifice the flag and fire this first shot.

He didn't expect Wei Ziang to be so impatient to offer his face up.

Since the stage and the supporting actor had both taken their places.

If he didn't accept it all, he would be sorry for having endured over a decade more of society's beatings than these greenhorns.

"Screech—"

The sound of tires rubbing against the ground interrupted Shen Du's train of thought, and the taxi stopped steadily outside the south gate of Huahai University of Finance and Economics.

Shen Du pushed the car door open, the autumn night wind blowing against his face, and the hem of his dark gray coat was slightly lifted by the wind.

He slammed the car door shut, not following Chen Fei's suggestion to hide.

Instead, he stretched out his long legs and walked straight toward the most conspicuous ordinary dormitory gate.

Just as he swiped his card and walked into the south gate, a high-profile V8 engine roar pierced the quiet of the campus.

Shen Du didn't even pause his steps.

Following the direction of the sound, he walked straight along the main road toward the ordinary male dormitory area.

The roar grew closer and closer.

It was an eye-catching top-trim Range Rover.

Just like a beast in heat, it was deliberately revving its engine in the open space below the dormitory building.

It caused many passing students to glance sideways, yet they were angry but dared not speak.

Shen Du listened to this slightly harsh commotion, feeling only that it was somewhat laughable.

The dormitory area planning at Huahai University of Finance and Economics was strictly hierarchical.

One kilometer away was the detached apartment area for true local powerhouses and top-tier second-generation heirs.

And what he was stepping on now was the ordinary student dormitory with no background whatsoever.

Wei Ziang choosing to show off his wealth in this location had an obvious motive.

If this Range Rover dared to run to the apartment area one kilometer away to recklessly "bomb the street."

And disturbed the sweet dreams of any real young master.

Tomorrow, those few coal mines the Wei family owned in Shanxi might face surprise inspections from fire or safety authorities.

In this ordinary dormitory area where no one dared to stand up and say a word, no matter how loud the engine roared.

This upstart could enjoy that sense of superiority and conquest without any risk.

Shen Du did not deliberately slow his pace.

Nor did he dodge along the edge of the flower beds like the ordinary students passing by.

He casually shoved his hands into the pockets of his cashmere coat.

With a straight figure and steady pace, he walked toward the roaring Range Rover.

The blinding xenon headlights swept over from behind, casting Shen Du's long, slender shadow onto the asphalt road.

Accompanied by a slightly urgent screech of brakes.

That arrogant Range Rover stopped precisely less than half a meter behind Shen Du.

The low growl of the engine, mixed with the heavy metal music coming from inside the car, vibrated in the air.

Shen Du's straight physique, honed from years of toil, combined with his height of over 1.82 meters, made him highly recognizable in the crowd.

Clearly, the person in the car had already recognized him.

The car window slowly rolled down, and Wei Ziang's voice, heavy with ridicule, came out.

"Yo, isn't this our department's most principled Shen Du?"

Wei Ziang rested one hand on the steering wheel, leaned out half his head, with undisguised mockery on his face.

Shen Du knew him too well.

This upstart usually couldn't stand the sight of someone like him, who was penniless yet possessed a backbone.

Having just picked up a new car tonight.

Obviously, he was just looking for a suitable punching bag to show off his superiority, and his appearance was simply perfect.

Shen Du did not dodge, but merely stopped.

Subsequently, he kept his hands in his coat pockets.

With an extremely lazy, even slightly disdainful posture, he slowly turned around.

The dim yellow halo of the streetlights intertwined with the overbearing headlights of the Range Rover, hitting Shen Du without reservation.

The dark gray Bottega Veneta top-tier cashmere coat refracted an understated yet luxurious texture under the light.

The flawless tailoring, combined with Shen Du's calm face.

Completely radiated the aura of someone in a superior position.

There was no trace of his former poverty or awkwardness.

Standing there.

It was as if he were a noble scion who had just walked out of a top-tier private banquet in Lujiazui, already weary of worldly wealth.

Shen Du clearly saw the high-and-mighty ridicule on Wei Ziang's face freeze instantly.

Immersed in the vanity fair every day, this upstart had some eye for the authenticity of luxury goods.

The terrifying drape and texture of the fabric on Shen Du's outfit could absolutely not be an A-grade knockoff worth a few dozen yuan from outside the south gate.

"Yo... kid, did you strike it rich?"

Wei Ziang's pupils contracted sharply, his voice changing tone unconsciously due to extreme shock:

"This Bottega Veneta outfit must have cost quite a bit, right?

What, did you sell your blood or take out a usury loan?"

Facing Wei Ziang's almost cracking inquiry, not even a trace of anger at being provoked rose in Shen Du's eyes.

He didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he slowly withdrew his gaze from the Range Rover's emblem.

With a condescending posture, he calmly looked at the person in the car.

This extreme silence of "letting the bullets fly for a while" instead made the atmosphere change.

Shen Du noticed that Wei Ziang's hand gripping the steering wheel tightened involuntarily.

"Sorry."

Shen Du finally spoke, his tone light and lazy, as if he were just discussing the night breeze:

"I had a fight with my family when school first started, and the old man cut off my card."

He paused slightly.

A fleeting, imperceptible self-deprecation flashed in his deep eyes.

He nailed the annoyance a rich kid feels toward family control perfectly:

"However, since I didn't go back during the October holiday, my parents couldn't bear it and transferred me some money."

"After all..."

Shen Du looked at Wei Ziang and finished the last sentence unhurriedly: "Life, after all, has to go on."

This understated, neither humble nor pushy response.

Combined with the terrifyingly textured top-tier ready-to-wear suit he was wearing, it clearly formed a logical closed loop for the other party.

Wei Ziang, sitting in the car, was stunned.

His expression turned pale and then green, staring fixedly at Shen Du.

Seemingly wanting to find a flaw in his face that suggested he was just puffing himself up.

But Shen Du knew very well.

The relaxation and weariness that radiated from within him could not be acted out by someone burdened with usury loans or selling their blood.

What was more lethal was that the reason Shen Du gave perfectly matched the daily cognition of these second-generation heirs.

Wei Ziang himself often had his credit card cut off by his coal-boss father for causing trouble.

And then he would rely on secret money from his soft-hearted mother to continue squandering.

A second-generation heir getting angry with their family, cutting off financial sources to experience civilian life—it was a cliché scenario in their circle.

Watching Wei Ziang's increasingly uncomfortable expression.

Shen Du knew that the other party's mentality of showing off a few dozen yuan's worth of superiority in front of an "invisible young master" had already started to collapse.

"Tsk, I didn't expect classmate Shen's family background to be so well-off too."

Wei Ziang coughed dryly, masking the embarrassment in his eyes.

The originally high-and-mighty mocking tone unconsciously flattened out.

Even his form of address changed, and his tone carried a bit of probing, as if re-evaluating him.

He rested one hand back on the steering wheel, his fingers tapping restlessly on the leather cover, and threw out the main event of the night:

"Since it's all a misunderstanding, and we're in the same department.

It just so happens I've organized a party at a venue outside tonight, and I've called quite a few people."

Wei Ziang stared tightly at Shen Du's face, not missing any subtle expression change:

"Classmate Shen, want to join?"

Looking at those eyes full of calculation, Shen Du knew clearly.

This was the final probe thrown out by the other party, who was unwilling to admit defeat just like that.

In an upstart's logic, one could grit their teeth and max out a credit card for clothes worth over a hundred thousand.

But in a den of debauchery.

The consumer confidence and relaxation when facing huge cash flows could absolutely not be faked.

As long as one dared to go, whether they were a dragon or a worm would be known at a trial.

But this was like sending a pillow to someone who was sleepy, hitting the mark exactly for Shen Du.

The task issued by the system was "Become a widely recognized rich second generation among freshmen."

To achieve this goal quickly, just walking a runway under the dormitory building in a few pieces of top-tier ready-to-wear was far from enough.

Only a party with many people, loose lips, and class collisions was the best hotbed for rumors and reputation to ferment.

As long as he used that balance of over 800,000 to smash through this "top-tier rich young master" image at Wei Ziang's venue tonight.

The news would spread throughout the entire finance department along with the people attending the party tonight.

Shen Du's expression slightly narrowed, but a gentle and unquestionable smile appeared on his face at just the right moment.

"Since Brother Wei organized the gathering, of course I, Shen Du, have to give you face."

Shen Du nodded slightly, his tone as relaxed as if he were agreeing to an ordinary cafeteria meal.

He took a slight step back, clearing the way for the Range Rover, and dropped the last half of the sentence:

"See you later."

Watching Shen Du's poised and calm demeanor, Wei Ziang gave a dry laugh and didn't say any more nonsense.

Accompanied by a roar of the engine, the Range Rover drove into the night with a hint of somewhat hasty meaning.

Watching the taillights disappear around the corner, the smile on Shen Du's face completely faded.

He turned and strode with his long legs, stepping into the dim corridor of the dormitory building without hesitation, preparing to meet the first wave of "audience" tonight.

Those three roommates who were about to return.