Chapter 4: Spiritual Nourishment

After finishing the ramen, I walked out of the shop with the devil's ivy in hand.

I had planned to go back to my rental apartment and lie down to mull things over, but as I looked at the bustling Hang City streets in front of me, I hesitated...

With a fortune in my pocket, all I could think about was indulging in some revenge spending to compensate for all the humiliations I had suffered over the years due to lack of money...

When it came to taking action, Gu Heng was quite capable.

No sooner had the idea appeared in my mind than my hand had already opened the taxi-booking interface on the WeChat mini-program...

I entered the destination, Hubin Yintai in77.

Without a moment's hesitation, I chose a premium car service.

Having been in Hang City for over two years, Gu Heng was well-acquainted with every metro line and bus route, but the number of times I took a cab was few and far between, let alone the costlier premium services.

But now, things were different...

I subconsciously checked my bank balance again.

Latterly, the winds from South Mountain scattered the grain heaps, and the waters of North Sea submerged the gravestones; you might as well look back at me carefully, do I resemble my former self at all???

As expected...

As soon as the taxi-booking interface showed that a driver had accepted the order, the anticipated system notification followed promptly.

[Host has abandoned the usual mode of travel and chosen a more luxurious means, successfully indulged once, reward: 9999 Hua Country Yuan.]

Awesome!

This feeling of both enjoying and damned well making money is just too damned awesome!

My bank balance soared by another 10,000, reaching 250,000...

.....

.....

A few minutes later.

With the extremely professional service of the private car driver, I found myself in an Audi A6 of an unknown model year.

"Would you like something to drink? There are mineral waters and some common beverages in the car, free of charge."

Seeing the driver's smiling face, my mood improved a great deal.

In the past, when I used to catch buses, sometimes because I was busy with my phone and didn't notice the approaching bus and hesitated, at best I'd get on the bus under the impatient gaze of the driver, at worst they would just ignore me, accelerate away, and leave me behind yelling desperately, "Swallow, how can I live without you?"...

And have the gall to smile and ask if you want a beverage?

As if!

No wonder people always say the rich enjoy not only material comforts but also spiritual nourishment...

Not to mention the superior comfort of the Audi A6 compared to ordinary taxis, just this level of service made the extra few bucks worth every damned penny...

After the driver's warm inquiries were over, the car gradually started moving.

Gu Heng also set the devil's ivy aside and began to ponder carefully.

Originally, I had planned to spend 10,000 Yuan to spruce myself up, but now that I had money, I definitely couldn't be so miserly...

Let's start with a modest goal.

100,000!

Spend 100,000 on myself first and then see!

I had thought about renting a luxury car to go back, but now I didn't have the slightest inclination to do so.

Given the current rate at which I was making money, I was sure I could save enough for a luxury car by the New Year, and if not, I'd just take out a loan for installment payments; I didn't believe that even with my system, I couldn't pay back a bank loan!

No matter how you looked at it, owning was definitely sweeter than renting.

As for losing face by taking out a loan to buy a car when I was someone with a system, that wasn't even within my considerations.

I never felt like having a system made me some kind of godly tycoon.

A regular person is a regular person.

And a regular person who suddenly gets rich is still a regular person.

Not to mention it was just a few hundred thousand Yuan; I was nowhere near rich, a real wealthy person could spend that much on a bottle of wine or a meal.

Whether or not I might become a posh tycoon in the future under the influence of money is something to think about later.

Didn't I get the "Hedonistic Male God" system? Just indulging honestly would suffice.

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....

....

"Sir, we've arrived. This is Hubin Yintai A Block. If you get off on the right side and go straight, you'll be there,"

After an unknown amount of time, the voice of the hired driver rang out again.

After politely thanking him, Gu Heng picked up his potted spider plant and got out of the car.

...

As the most famous internet-celebrity city of Hua Country, Hang City's specialty isn't the damned West Lake Vinegar Fish, which is neither sour nor sweet, but internet celebrities.

Especially places like Hubin Yintai in77, a high-end shopping center, is just crawling with them.

Whether they have money or not, the vast majority of these internet celebrities like to flock to upscale areas, though I'm not really sure what they're after...

Especially now, with just half a month to go before the New Year, even though these high-end commercial districts aren't usually crowded, they could now definitely be described as packed...

It all comes down to traditional thinking.

Rich or poor, it's back home for the holidays.

What does going home mean for all those employees who've worked like dogs all year round?

Of course, it means showing off.

The simple logic is this:

Outside, I can be a servant, a dog!

But once I'm back in my hometown, I must be rich and honored, making a triumphant return!

Outside, smoking a pack of cigarettes that costs around 10 yuan is my spiritual sustenance; but back home... What's that? Hua Zi? Only dogs smoke Hua Zi. It has to be the soft pack! The hard ones are too harsh on the throat!

It's exactly because of this sort of thinking...

Every year on the eve of Spring Festival, all kinds of car dealerships and luxury goods stores might do as much business in this one month as they usually do in a whole year...

...

His steps slow, Gu Heng made his way through the crowded throng.

Amidst all the stylish men and beautiful women, Gu Heng, holding his potted spider plant, stood out like a sore thumb...

But in reality, it didn't attract many unusual glances.

Real life isn't a novel; as long as you're not too bizarre, no one bothers to prolong their gaze or find fault...

A few minutes later, Gu Heng stopped in front of a store.

It was too upscale here...

Upscale to the point that Gu Heng didn't recognize most of the brands on display...

After wandering for quite a while, he finally found a store with a brand he recognized.

"Hello, sir. Welcome to the Nike Boutique. I'm a sales associate here. Just call me Xiao Tao,"

The moment he entered the store, an enthusiastic sales associate with a welcoming smile approached him.

Without any sign of surprise at the sight of the spider plant in Gu Heng's hand, the associate naturally took it and led him into the store.

"Sir, are you looking to buy clothing or shoes? Our Nike Boutique carries many limited edition and collectible shoes and apparel that are readily available on the market,"

After setting aside the spider plant, the sales associate got down to business.

But by this time, Gu Heng's attention had already been captured by a pair of silver-grey shoes with a black LOGO displayed in a glass case.

Following Gu Heng's gaze, the sales associate looked over as well and hurriedly began to introduce them.

"This pair is the AJ1, a low-top basketball shoe co-branded with Dior, featuring the same design as its high-top counterpart, the same color scheme, and the same detailed design applied to a low-top silhouette. The wing logo also features 'AIR DIOR,' and the blue crystal outsole highlights the DIOR name. It's one of the most popular basketball shoes among our Nike lines,"

Gu Heng was barely listening to the sales associate's pitch.

As a member of the post-2000 generation, he, like many others born after 2000, once had dreams of owning AJ...

Though over the years AJ sneakers have become so common they're practically streetwear and often hard to distinguish between genuine and fake, it didn't diminish his past affection for them.

When he was younger, his family was reluctant to spend one or two thousand yuan on a pair of shoes for him.

By the time he was earning his own money, he himself was reluctant to spend one or two thousand yuan on a pair of shoes.

Caught in a vicious cycle, his damn AJ dream was shelved...

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