5: Chapter 5: The Bombardment of 100,000 Yuan in Cash, the Money Rain at Lanting Mansion

8:30 PM.

A taxi with its roof light glowing pulled up steadily in front of the heavy, retro black-and-gold bronze doors of "Lanting Mansion".

Shen Du pushed open the car door and stepped out.

The autumn night's river breeze brushed past his dark gray cashmere coat.

He casually smoothed his hem and stepped composedly onto the dark red carpet laid out before the entrance.

Shen Du swept a glance out of the corner of his eye at Chen Fei, Xu Hao, and Lin Zimo, who were scrambling out of the car right behind him.

Although the three of them had put on what they considered their most presentable clothes.

Yet, standing before this mansion that exuded an air of extreme extravagance, their bodies still unconsciously betrayed a hint of tense awkwardness.

Two greeters in crisp, tailored uniforms stood at the entrance.

Shen Du saw it very clearly.

When they saw a common Santana taxi pull up, one of them had a look of professional scrutiny in their eyes.

But when their gaze landed on his upright figure and that flawless, top-tier ready-to-wear outfit.

And met his calm eyes, the greeter's spine straightened instinctively.

The intuition honed in the vanity fair made the greeter immediately put away any thoughts of slight, and they came forward respectfully.

"Sir, do you have a reservation?" the greeter asked, bowing slightly, their tone filled with caution.

"A classmate of Wei Ziang from the same department."

Shen Du kept his hands in his pockets, his footsteps not pausing in the slightest, his voice unhurried and steady, as if he were simply walking in his own backyard.

"Ah, so you are a distinguished guest of Mr. Wei. Please, this way."

The greeter immediately stepped aside.

They made a standard guiding gesture and led the group all the way to the mansion's luxurious inner foyer.

The moment he stepped into the foyer, Shen Du unhurriedly withdrew his right hand from his pocket.

He didn't even turn his head, his gaze still fixed straight ahead at the elevator.

Between his index and middle fingers was a red hundred-yuan bill.

With a movement as natural and practiced as muscle memory, he handed it to the greeter guiding them.

There was no verbal exchange, no deliberate pause.

Shen Du withdrew his hand and strode into the open elevator car.

The elevator door, inlaid with dark gold patterns, slowly closed, shutting out the hustle and bustle of the lobby.

The car was lit with a soft and luxurious warm light.

Chen Fei leaned against the mirror-smooth wall of the car, swallowed, and finally couldn't help but exclaim:

"Holy crap, Young Master Shen, your habit of tipping..."

"is even more casual than me buying a bottle of mineral water at the convenience store!"

Shen Du glanced at Xu Hao, who was to the side.

Although he didn't say anything.

But judging by his slightly tightened jawline and the increased frequency of him pushing up his glasses, it was clear he had also been quite shocked.

Shen Du knew exactly what was going on.

In 2010, one hundred yuan was enough for an average college student to comfortably spend several all-nighters at an internet cafe.

But here, it was merely the cost of a door-opening gesture that didn't even require him to turn his head.

Watching Chen Fei's exaggerated expression of pain, Shen Du turned his head and just shook it gently.

There was not a trace of deliberate showing off in his eyes; instead, they revealed a hint of helplessness that came from a habit being reawakened.

His expression remained normal, and he said nonchalantly: "I'm just used to it; I didn't hold back for a second there."

A simple thirteen words, without any superfluous explanation.

Shen Du could feel that, in the narrow, confined space of the elevator car.

This sentence was like a heavy hammer.

With a posture that was extremely overbearing yet logical.

It nailed the label of "incognito young master, squandering money like dirt" firmly into the deepest part of his three roommates' perception.

Ding—

With a crisp chime, they arrived at the second floor.

The elevator doors slid open to both sides.

A deafening wave of heavy metal music, mixed with the cloying scent of perfume, rushed toward them instantly.

Shen Du stepped out of the elevator.

As far as his eyes could see, the second-floor semi-open lounge bar, which should have been focused on an elegant style.

Had now been forcibly transformed into a chaotic disco.

Several dancers in revealing outfits were wildly twisting their waists on a high platform in the middle of the room.

Surrounded by a circle of male and female classmates invited from the department, the atmosphere was unbearably hot and rowdy.

Shen Du's eyes revealed a hint of scrutiny amidst their calmness.

Under normal circumstances, high-end lounge bars don't provide this kind of service at all.

Only the mixed-bag lobby on the first floor and the absolute private domain on the third floor would have it.

To be able to turn the second floor into this kind of tacky, nouveau riche commotion.

Other than Wei Ziang, no one else had the means to do this.

Shen Du's deep gaze pierced through the flashing laser lights and accurately locked onto the center of the crowd.

Wei Ziang was standing at the edge of a booth.

Holding a few banknotes in his hand, surrounded by a bevy of beauties, he was wantonly throwing around his so-called "wealth".

Hearing the commotion from the elevator side.

He turned his head, and his line of sight happened to collide with Shen Du's.

Wei Ziang immediately pushed away the girl beside him and strode over.

"Yo, Young Master Shen is here!"

Wei Ziang walked up to Shen Du and stopped.

Shen Du could clearly perceive that the other man's gaze was locked tightly on him, specifically on that high-quality coat.

Wei Ziang pulled a provocative expression, his voice laced with sarcasm, masked by the heavy bass:

"I specifically prepared these wonderful programs for you tonight."

He deliberately drew out the end of his sentence, his eyes flashing with a fierce desire to force submission: "I hope you won't be a killjoy."

Facing Wei Ziang's probing gaze, not a trace of the awkwardness the other party expected appeared on Shen Du's face.

On the contrary.

He surveyed the noisy scene around him with an extremely relaxed posture, then let his gaze fall back on Wei Ziang.

"It's usually too plain; it's really boring to play like that."

Shen Du's expression was calm, his tone relaxed and composed: "Young Master Wei really put in the effort tonight."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Du didn't give Wei Ziang any chance to continue making a fuss.

He took that Industrial and Commercial Bank of China card directly from the inside pocket of his coat.

Holding the card between his index and middle fingers, he snapped his fingers crisply in the air.

"Waiter."

A veteran waiter wearing a vest immediately stepped forward quickly and bowed respectfully: "Sir, your orders?"

"Go to the front desk on the first floor and have them swipe 100,000 in cash for me."

Shen Du tossed the card into the waiter's tray, his tone as flat as if he were ordering a glass of plain water:

"Let's make tonight's atmosphere a bit livelier."

As soon as these words were out, Shen Du clearly caught Wei Ziang's facial muscles stiffening noticeably.

He had calculated in his mind that even if Wei Ziang drove a top-of-the-line Range Rover, it was ultimately bought by his parents.

As a second-generation rich kid who relied on his family for monthly living expenses.

It was absolutely impossible for him to be able to pull out a full 100,000 in cash at any moment to throw around.

The waiters at Lanting Mansion were all professionally trained.

In less than five minutes, ten stacks of brand-new, neatly bound hundred-yuan bills were placed on the black velvet tray.

They were respectfully presented before Shen Du.

Seeing the money arrive, Shen Du reached out and picked up a stack, his thumb skillfully flicking the edge of the banknotes.

The friction of the paper produced a crisp sound that made adrenaline soar.

Then, he strode directly onto the stage nearby and picked up the microphone.

Shen Du stood in the center of the stage, looking down from above.

His gaze swept over the many figures, his finger accurately pointing at Chen Fei, Xu Hao, and Lin Zimo, who were standing on the periphery.

"Tonight, whoever serves these three brothers of mine well."

Shen Du's voice, amplified through the speakers, domineeringly drowned out the heavy metal music on site; he raised the cash in his hand:

"One stack for each person."

In 2010, an era where the average monthly salary was generally one or two thousand, it was difficult for an ordinary person to earn ten thousand yuan.

The visual and psychological impact of ten thousand yuan in cash instantly ignited the atmosphere on site to its peak.

As soon as he finished speaking.

Those beauties who were originally surrounding Wei Ziang and playing along didn't hesitate for even half a second.

They abandoned Wei Ziang directly and swarmed toward Chen Fei and the other two, screaming.

Watching his three roommates instantly submerged by enthusiasm.

Shen Du walked off the stage.

He casually grabbed three more stacks of cash from the tray and accurately tossed them into the arms of Chen Fei and the other two.

"Brothers, have fun tonight."

After arranging for the three of them, Shen Du turned around, his gaze falling on the waiter holding the tray nearby.

He picked up a stack from the tray, unwrapped the band, pulled out ten bills, and stuffed them into the waiter's vest pocket.

"Take one thousand for yourself as a tip."

Shen Du pointed to the remaining bundles of cash in the tray, his tone as casual as if he were giving instructions for handing out flyers:

"Unwrap all the rest and scatter them around the room."

Having received a generous tip, the waiter's hands trembled slightly, and he immediately followed the instructions excitedly.

Accompanied by the light sound of the bands snapping.

Red bills filled the sky like a rainstorm, fluttering down in the air on the second floor.

Tracing dazzling trajectories under the laser lights.

Shen Du put his hands back into his coat pockets, stood in the rain of money, and watched coldly from the sidelines.

His gaze swept calmly across the entire room.

Those male and female classmates from the department who were originally putting on airs or waiting to see a show.

Now, faced with this crude, direct, and visually shocking display of wealth.

Their expressions were all frozen on their faces, and the scene fell into an eerie stagnation for a moment.

Shen Du was very satisfied with Wei Ziang's reaction at this moment.

The arrogance and provocation on his face could no longer be maintained, and his pupils were visibly contracting.

Shen Du knew the Achilles' heel of the nouveau riche all too well.

100,000 in cash was almost equal to more than half a month of Wei Ziang's living expenses.

Throwing this money down without even blinking directly pierced through Wei Ziang's original consumption level and cognitive bottom line.

Shen Du didn't leave any time for the other party to regroup.

He strode directly to Wei Ziang, who was frozen in place.

He slapped that last complete stack of cash in his hand frivolously onto Wei Ziang's chest.

Forcing the other party to reach out and catch it instinctively.

"Young Master Wei."

Shen Du looked at Wei Ziang's face, which was filled with shock and uncertainty, his tone calm but carrying an unquestionable sense of oppression:

"I'm done scattering it; come on, why don't you try it out too?"