82: Chapter 82 Liu Chang with a cocky tail

"Go and give it a try. Drive the new car over later; just leave your old one here." Seeing Cao Xiao admiring the car as if he couldn't bear to put it down, Chen Huaiming was quite pleased with himself. It made the heavy extortion he’d suffered from that person feel worthwhile. He pulled two sets of car keys from his pocket and tossed them to Cao Xiao. Seeing Cao Xiao about to open the door of the armored car, he stepped forward and pulled him back, saying, "I meant for you to drive the sports car over. The armored car is for enjoying the ride, not for driving yourself. You've never driven a limousine like this, so you won't be able to handle it well right away. Find yourself a driver later."

"Oh, right, does this car have a weapons system?" Cao Xiao asked.

Chen Huaiming rolled his eyes and said speechlessly, "What are you thinking? You want to install a weapons system domestically? What are you planning to do? Even abroad, except for government officials, no one is allowed to install weapons on cars—except in war zones, of course."

Cao Xiao thought about it and realized he was right. Weapons systems weren't for just anyone to use; even firearms couldn't be used at will without permission. Feeling like he'd asked a very stupid question, he ignored the armored car and climbed straight into the Bugatti, saying, "I was just curious. Let's go then."

The Bugatti roared out of the garage and left the villa complex, heading toward Fifth Sister's hotel. Needless to say, it turned heads all along the way, and the faint sound of girls screaming could be heard from behind. Fortunately, it wasn't rush hour; otherwise, being stuck in the middle of the road would have made him look like a monkey in a cage, and people would have looked at him with those disdainful eyes.

Fifth Sister's hotel was a five-star establishment called Fantasy City, sharing its name with a very popular fantasy TV series. Cao Xiao had once asked her why she chose such a peculiar name. She explained that Fantasy City was meant literally—she and her husband wanted to build their hotel into a dreamlike city. However, after observing it, Cao Xiao felt it was a bit tacky. The scale of the hotel went without saying—it was just a twenty-plus-story building, far from being a city. The themed decorations were also very flashy. At first glance, it looked okay, but upon closer inspection, it felt cluttered. Many elements seemed directly lifted from movies or anime, featuring sci-fi, fantasy, xianxia, and anime themes. There were too many styles with abrupt transitions. In its singular pursuit of a dreamlike feel, it ended up being gaudy and impractical. Forget the middle-aged and elderly; even teenagers might find this sense of temporal and spatial confusion hard to swallow. No wonder his teacher rarely came here to eat; if it hadn't been too late to book another hotel today, they probably wouldn't have come.

His teacher was busy attending to guests and had no time for him. Others were also accompanying guests, and since he didn't know many people, he couldn't help out. Not wanting to join the bustle, he sat in a corner playing with his phone. After a while, Cao Xiao looked up to check the situation. Almost all the guests had arrived. Before the banquet began, there had to be a birthday congratulation ceremony where the younger generation would present their gifts. As a student, Cao Xiao had to present his after Chen Huaiyu and his siblings.

Today's host appeared on stage and began organizing the ceremony. Chen Huaiyu and the others stepped forward one after another, bowing and offering their blessings and gifts. The mistress of the house nodded frequently with a smile today, looking much younger with her face full of joy. When it was Cao Xiao's turn, he didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, bowed, and presented the three-hundred-year-old wild ginseng he had prepared, making everyone else gasp. Cao Xiao didn't care what they thought; a few witty remarks had the old lady laughing heartily. By the time he returned to his seat, many people flocked to him to ask about the ginseng. No matter what excuses he used to refuse them, they wouldn't let him go. If they couldn't get the ginseng, they wanted to befriend him first. Their enthusiasm gave him goosebumps. Without waiting for the banquet to start, he decisively used the bathroom excuse to slip away. After leaving Fantasy City, he called Chen Huaiyu to explain his early departure. Chen Huaiyu said he had it coming; he should have given the gift privately instead of showing off in front of so many people.

He drove to his teacher's villa complex. Since no one was home, Cao Xiao put his two cars into his space outside before returning to Biyuntian. Just as he reached the front door, he saw his family members coming out of the living room to look at him.

"Bro, you bought a sports car! A bugatti veyron Grand Sport version! Don't park it in the garage yet—let me try it! I've never driven a sports car. Can I borrow it to drive to school tomorrow?" Liu Chang ran over excitedly to inspect the car once she saw Cao Xiao inside, then pleaded.

"Don't even think about it. Who tests a car in the middle of the night? You can satisfy your eyes, and I'll let you take photos. With your personality, would I dare let you drive it out? You'd be on the news by tomorrow for sure!" Cao Xiao refused flatly with a stern face.

"Uncle, he's bullying me. Please be the judge—what's wrong with me? He even criticizes my driving," Liu Chang said to Cao Jingde, acting aggrieved instead of arguing with Cao Xiao, as if she'd suddenly become smarter.

"Xiao Xiao, just let her drive it. As long as she goes slowly, it's fine. This girl is very difficult to deal with," Cao Jingde said to Cao Xiao with a bitter smile.

"Ugh! This is non-negotiable. You can ride in it, but there's no way you're driving it." Cao Xiao gave Liu Chang a fierce glare, firmly refusing her. After driving the car into the garage, he returned and said to Mi Fan, "Xiao Fan, I'm giving you the car keys for safekeeping. I don't really like driving sports cars. You can drive it whenever you want, but whatever you do, don't let it fall into this girl's hands. You can just drive her around."

Seeing this, Liu Chang immediately roared, "Cao Xiao!! Am I even your real cousin? You don't care about me at all! Hmph!"

Mi Fan was a bit hesitant. She had self-awareness; compared to Liu Chang, she was just an outsider. Cao Xiao giving her the car showed his trust, but would Liu Chang hold a grudge against her because of this? If she secretly let Liu Chang drive, Cao Xiao would be angry when he found out. Caught in a dilemma, she didn't speak, only looking at Cao Xiao with a melancholy expression.

Cao Xiao saw Mi Fan's predicament. Although Liu Chang wasn't petty, this kind of thing would inevitably make her overthink, which could easily affect her relationship with Mi Fan. This girl, Liu Chang, had been acting cocky lately, daring to oppose him and even knowing how to look for a backer. If he didn't teach her a lesson now, who knew what would happen later? She’d cause trouble sooner or later. So, he said to her, "Girl, if you go and learn to be a chef during this time and stay out of trouble, I'll buy you a sports car the next time I come back. If you don't listen, heh! You can spend the rest of your days riding the bus and eating steamed buns!"

"Really? I don't want any of those junkers. You can't just take the roof off and call it a sports car; it has to be high-end, or it's not even as good as my beat-up BMW." Liu Chang completely ignored the first part of his sentence, her mind filled with luxury sports cars, and she actually started negotiating terms.

"Don't forget the prerequisite: if you stay out of trouble, I'll buy you an ordinary sports car. If your cooking skills are good enough to satisfy me, even a supercar is possible. So, it's up to you!" Cao Xiao said in a tempting tone.

As soon as Liu Chang heard supercar, her eyes lit up. She said boastfully, "Don't worry, you might as well pre-order my supercar now—preferably a Lamborghini, an Aston Martin, or something like that. Otherwise, just give me this bugatti veyron. Your lovely cousin is a genius among geniuses; how could learning a bit of cooking stump me? I'll go learn tomorrow. Don't you dare back out when the time comes."

Cao Xiao said speechlessly, "If you don't behave, don't come crying and complaining when I come back to deal with you! Alright, enough nonsense. Remember what you said. I need to go get something to eat first."

"Bro, I'll go cook for you." Mi Fan took the initiative to go to the kitchen to prepare a meal for him.

Watching Mi Fan rush to the kitchen to cook, Cao Xiao thought to himself that this was a real sister! That girl Liu Chang was way too flighty. After returning from Africa, he would have to design a special re-education plan for her and spend time strictly seeing it through. Always wanting more—she even called the BMW she just got a beat-up car and wanted a supercar now. What would it be next, a plane or a yacht? As life improved, she was becoming lazy and averse to work. He had to instill proper values about labor and make her realize how hard it was to earn money. Hmm, as the Sage once said: When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a man, it always first frustrates his spirit and will, exhausts his muscles and bones, exposes him to starvation and poverty, and disrupts his plans. Thus, it stimulates his mind, hardens his nature, and enhances his abilities. And someone once said: If you love her, you have to be tough on her. Cao Xiao agreed, and the rough outline of a plan involving both labor reform and ideological reform formed in his mind. A strange smile curled on his lips as he watched Liu Chang playing intently on her tablet, imagining the scenes once the plan was put into action. Poor Liu Chang had no idea that even if she got a supercar soon, she would still have to face a bleak life once again.