Chapter 179 Hurry up and choose, we need to go to the next one after you've chosen.

I woke up the next day with my whole body feeling a bit sore.

The skewers and drinks last night had turned into a full-blown concert by the end.

After jumping around all night and shouting along, my throat felt dry and parched.

Cheng Jiao always had foresight; after a day of high energy consumption, she kept the next day's schedule leisurely.

So, today's itinerary could be summed up in two words: shopping.

The colorful buildings of Portofino looked like clusters of vibrant mushrooms.

On the sea near the shore, many yachts of various sizes were docked, available for tourists to rent.

This season, the small town welcomed even more tourists. People crowded the public waters—some lying back for sunbathing, some interacting with their children, and others playing ball in the water. Everyone stayed out of each other's way in a sort of tacit understanding.

From time to time, the scents of flowers, coffee, and food wafted through the town.

People came from all over the world, speaking different languages. Occasionally, she would pass one or two fellow countrymen, exchanging smiles of shared heritage in a foreign land.

Compared to the private vacation of the previous two days, today was about truly immersing themselves in local tourism.

The weather was clear and the sun was bright.

Every spot was a high-saturation photo op. Ling Yue took photos as she walked, and when she got tired, she stopped at an outdoor cafe to rest.

A long line of bodyguards in either casual wear or suits followed behind. They would find their own places to rest, managed by a dedicated person, so Ling Yue didn't need to worry about them.

Ling Yue ordered a coffee ice cream at the cafe. The taste wasn't amazing, it was so cold her teeth nearly fell out, and it cost 9 Euros! For just a small cup.

That's 74.5 RMB.

Ridiculously expensive!

She was rich now, but she wasn't a sucker.

It wasn't even as attractive as the sound of the erhu under the tree diagonally across from her. Ling Yue looked over and, sure enough, saw an Asian face.

Ling Yue walked over with her hands behind her back.

After finishing a piece, the young man planned to take a break. He opened his thermos to take a sip of water.

*Thump.*

What on earth just hit his instrument case?

Damn, the case almost flipped over—wait, hold on.

The young man took a closer look.

What is this?

A stack of... 100-euro bills? Euros???

Young man: %&*￥%￥???

"Where in China are you from?" a voice asked from above.

The young man stiffly raised his head. It was a fellow compatriot!

"I'm from the Bashu area. Are you guys here for tourism?" The young man smiled and pointed sheepishly at the case. "Is this money a tip for me?"

"Mm, it sounded quite nice," Ling Yue said succinctly.

The young man was full of excitement and started chatting away. "I'm studying in Milan and came here for the holidays. I'm trying to earn some travel money while I'm at it.

My grandfather forced me to learn the erhu since I was a kid. It seems it's actually useful for something."

Ling Yue smiled and asked him, "Do you know which restaurants around here are good?"

The young man frowned, lost in thought.

After a while, he pointed toward the end of the road. "Keep walking until you reach the intersection, turn right into the alley, go forward 100 meters to the waterfront, and then you'll see a large tree. Right across from the tree is a restaurant with a white sign. They even have a white cat that likes to lie on the chairs by the door.

I've been there many times. Their food is the best and it's affordable."

Ling Yue took another stack of money from her bag and placed it in his case. "Thanks."

The young man froze.

Is she really this loaded?

Who is this person?

He quickly crouched down, picked up the money, stuffed it into his bag, and held it to his chest. His eyes followed Ling Yue's back, and he noticed many people in the crowd moving at that moment, trailing behind her as if they were protecting her.

The young man packed up his erhu, thinking he had definitely encountered a big shot.

But this was no place to linger.

He stopped playing the erhu and immediately planned to head back to school.

20,000 Euros! He was a poor student living on his own; if he was frugal, this money could last him a year.

But he didn't plan to use it all at once.

First, he'd secretly save 10,000 as a private fund.

He'd take another 5,000 for spending.

Then he'd tell his family he earned 5,000 from a part-time job. His parents would surely praise him for being sensible and might even reward him with a few small red envelopes.

He really was too clever.

*

Ling Yue went to the restaurant he recommended.

She ordered a fried seafood platter, vegetable and potato salad, grilled octopus legs, a raw ham platter, beef tartare, and crab pasta...

The taste wasn't exceptionally good, but it wasn't bad either. The price was relatively cheap for a tourist town.

But while eating, Ling Yue suddenly craved Guobaorou... Who could she even complain to about that?

After the meal, Song Xinyao and Shen Qingxue insisted on paying, and Ling Yue let them.

If they didn't spend some money while out, they probably wouldn't be able to sleep when they got back.

After lunch, they sat for a while at a juice shop across the street. The freshly squeezed juice was actually quite good.

They just sat there, doing nothing, feeling the breeze, looking at the sea, and listening to people speak languages they didn't understand.

The restaurant's white cat trotted over and rubbed against Ling Yue's pant leg. Ling Yue had someone buy a grilled sausage to feed it. The little fellow ate happily, then turned around and left a large deposit.

That sour stench hit everyone's nostrils directly, nearly knocking them over.

"You have no manners." Ling Yue pinched her nose and quickly fled.

On the way, Cheng Jiao took a call and turned to Ling Yue. "Miss, the brand stores have been notified. We can go over anytime."

Since they were traveling, they couldn't just play without buying. Moreover, they had to go buy things in person; shopping itself was part of the travel experience.

Ling Yue rubbed her hands together, her bank cards ready.

Initially, Song Xinyao and Shen Qingxue thought it was just simple shopping. Only when they entered the store did they realize there was no one else inside; the store had been cleared for them.

The two looked at each other, both reading the words 'getting used to it' in each other's eyes.

Once Ling Yue started buying, she couldn't stop.

It was as if the money in her card would disappear tomorrow if she didn't use it today.

First, she went to Cartier and bought several cabinets' worth of jewelry, then she did a sweep of Bulgari.

As for rules like having to buy basic models before you can buy advanced ones, they were all nonsense.

Here, Ling Yue could ignore the rules.

The store brought out all their jewelry—collector's items, store treasures—and Ling Yue packed up whatever she liked.

The store wasn't large to begin with, and her sweep left it more than half empty.

Then she went to Brunello Cucinelli and Salvatore Ferragamo, buying several trunks of clothes, bags, and shoes.

She shopped until she was tired.

She continued the next day.

They headed to Genoa, a major shopping city.

Luxury brands were lined up like stalls in a wet market.

With local arrangements and the influence of the villa owner, Ling Yue's shopping always involved clearing the stores.

There was no need for spending requirements when entering Hermes. Not only that, but all the rare items were displayed on the counter for her alone to choose from.

After these two days of shopping, there were still 50 million Euros left in her card. Ling Yue was starting to feel a bit shopped out.

She waved her hand and called all her people in: "Everyone, pick something within 150,000. Take whatever you like; consider it a gift from me for this trip."

Everyone was stunned.

Ling Yue raised her wrist, and without giving them time to react, she shouted, "Two-minute countdown!"

Well.

No time to think.

Better choose quickly!

Luo Shanshan, Wang Junqi, and Qu Shu were familiar with this!

It was a pity Master Qin didn't come this time.

The three of them were the quickest to react. They quickly locked onto items, asked for the prices, took them in their arms, and returned to Ling Yue's side.

Aside from the 20 newly hired bodyguards, the others had experienced the 'hidden money' incident before and accepted Ling Yue's sudden whim quite well. After a moment of daze, they also quickly joined the selection.

The 20 new bodyguards only started moving after seeing Cheng Jiao come back with a bag. They only had one minute left. In their haste, they grabbed things like bracelets, silk scarves, belts, diamond necklaces, golden spoons, and the like...

Ling Yue scanned them; they were all relatively inexpensive items.

Fortunately, a few female bodyguards were smart enough to know to grab bags.

Ling Yue pulled Cheng Jiao over and instructed her, "Based on a budget of 150,000 each, pick a gift for every employee staying at home to bring back."

Cheng Jiao took the assignment and went to work immediately.

Song Xinyao and Shen Qingxue were still shocked by the scene and huddled close together.

What is going on?

This is crazy.

Their concept of money was truly shattered this time, the kind that couldn't even be picked back up.

Seeing this, Ling Yue had the SA bring out the three most expensive bags.

A So Black series, a Birkin Faubourg with 25 diamond hardware, and a Kelly with 28 diamond hardware.

"Which one do you two want? These are the three most expensive bags in the store right now. If you want other styles, they have to be custom-ordered." Ling Yue walked up to them.

Shen Qingxue reached out and touched the bag held by the SA, her eyes shining.

If you don't have money, fine—out of sight, out of mind.

But if you have the money, or someone is giving it to you, it could be said that no one can refuse the temptation of a Birkin.

"This... this must be worth a whole apartment."

Song Xinyao quickly retracted her hand. "That expensive?! Heavens, if I carry it out, it'll look fake."

Most importantly, she didn't dare to accept it.

"As long as you have it in your hand, it's real. As for whether others think it's fake, that's their business." Ling Yue urged, "You two, choose quickly. Time is tight. We still have to go to the next shop after this."

Song Xinyao's mind was already a mess, and with Ling Yue's urging, she couldn't think straight.

She had never even come into contact with Hermes before. In her hesitation, she chose the smallest Birkin Faubourg.

She figured that since the bag was small and used less material, it should be the cheapest.

But she had inadvertently chosen the most expensive one...

Shen Qingxue chose the So Black series, so the Kelly went to Ling Yue.

After buying the things, Ling Yue swiped her card and left.

Finally, two domestic bodyguards and two villa bodyguards stayed behind to guard the items; they would be responsible for sending them home.

She later heard that all the shop assistants spent several hours together that day just packing everything up.