030 Rich night banquet

In the Huijia District of Zhonghai City's south, the area is concentrated with wealthy individuals. Land prices are exorbitant, and it's considered prime real estate. High-end restaurants, upscale bars, top-tier clubs, five-star hotels, luxurious business centers, high-grade office buildings, exclusive fashion boutiques, and premium fitness and entertainment centers are all clustered here. Just randomly stopping someone on the street, they might be worth billions. Huijia District is a symbol of status, the aspiration of millions in Zhonghai City, a paradise for the wealthy. Here, luxury homes, luxury cars, and beautiful women are everywhere. As long as you have money—plenty of money to spend—this place will warmly embrace you, making you a member of the wealthy elite club. The only condition: do you have billions?

At the Adia Club, Yang Qian's birthday party is held on the third floor. This club is a social gathering place for successful people and some wealthy individuals. Membership fee is $16,000 USD, known alongside the Hongsen Club, Yonghe Club, Bankers Club, and Securities Association as one of Zhonghai City's top five clubs.

Luxury cars gather at the club's entrance, including a "Black Phantom," a 2006 limited edition worldwide. Nearly everything on this "Black Phantom" is black: the wheels decorated with black lines, black exhaust pipes, black leather interior, black walnut trim, black metal center console, and a steering wheel wrapped in black leather. The most extravagant part is the 453-horsepower V12 engine under the hood, also painted black. Limited to 25 units globally, it has long been fully booked, yet unexpectedly seen in Zhonghai City, this legendary top-tier car.

The owner of this car is rumored to be the founder of the Adia Club—a mysterious woman with a beautiful appearance and a very mysterious background. One version of the legend is that this beautiful woman is related to a Eurasian princess of a European royal family, explaining her possession of this extraordinarily noble "Black Phantom."

The entire third floor is brilliantly lit, with a spacious and magnificent hall decorated in luxurious yet elegant style. The floor is paved with smooth marble, and oversized crystal chandeliers emit dazzling light, with soothing music echoing throughout the hall.

A row of purple satin long tables adorned with fresh flowers displays a variety of delicacies for guests to help themselves. Ladies in well-fitted qipaos shuttle between guests, holding trays of drinks.

The men present are all in suits, showing gentlemanly manners and sophistication. The ladies are dressed in various evening gowns, displaying elegant demeanor. Some whisper quietly, some laugh softly, while the more active ones mingle and respond everywhere, demonstrating their extraordinary social skills. However, each person's smile carries a hint of restraint and insincerity—this is the party of the upper class, the favorite social game of successful individuals and the wealthy.

The appearance of Zhang Ziwen and He Li attracted the attention of some people. Some men stared at He Li, while some women scrutinized Zhang Ziwen.

Zhang Ziwen, in a well-fitted suit, handsome and charming, with a lazy and charming smile on his lips, giving a sense of nonchalance. He Li intimately linked arms with Zhang Ziwen, her beautiful face adorned with smiles, dressed in a light blue off-the-shoulder evening gown that highlighted her impressive figure, exuding elegant and charming temperament. This pair can only be summarized in four simple words: handsome man, beautiful woman.

At this moment, a rather beautiful and extravagantly dressed woman approached. Before getting closer, her voice arrived first: "He Li, why are you just arriving now? You're the last of our old classmates." Her voice carried a hint of coquetry. After speaking, her watery eyes glanced at Zhang Ziwen.

"Really? Isn't it still early? I thought I was the first to arrive."

Zhang Ziwen listened to He Li's indifferent tone and looked at the beautiful woman in front of him, noticing the metallic decorations on her ears, neck, wrists, and fingers. He speculated that this woman was probably one of the school flowers back then and tonight's protagonist, Yang Qian.

A trace of annoyance flashed in the woman's eyes, clearly extremely dissatisfied with He Li's attitude.

At this moment, a few more people approached, both men and women, all of whom were He Li's former classmates. Although not necessarily successful individuals, they were all well-dressed in evening wear. However, compared to Zhang Ziwen and He Li, both in terms of appearance and temperament, they fell far short.

Old classmates inevitably exchanged pleasantries upon meeting. From their conversation, Zhang Ziwen guessed right—indeed, the beautiful woman was Yang Qian, and Liu Zhan, the young master who once fervently pursued He Li, was now Yang Qian's fiancé.

Liu Zhan's look today truly fits his title of "young master". His hair is sleek and shiny, his face handsome yet slightly frivolous. He's wearing a designer suit with a bow tie at the collar, and his shiny leather shoes could reflect shadows. His wrist is adorned with a glittering, but undoubtedly tasteless, Rolex gold watch, a display of wealth lacking in refinement.

"Miss He, who's this next to you? Care to introduce us?" Liu Zhan asked with a fake smile, his tone slightly arrogant and impolite.

He Li heard this, and the tenderness in her eyes instantly changed. She glanced coldly at him, a mix of disdain and indifference. She couldn't tolerate anyone disrespecting Zhang Ziwen, almost losing her temper on the spot.

Zhang Ziwen knew He Li's temper well. He gently put his arm around her slender waist, letting her lean on him, and then smiled at Liu Zhan, "Let's do introductions. I'm Zhang Ziwen, Li Li's boyfriend."

After that, with his other hand holding a wine glass, he raised it towards Liu Zhan in greeting, identifying him as the jerk he already assumed him to be.

He Li felt warmly in her heart, tightly snuggling against Zhang Ziwen. Her jade-like arm gently circled his waist from behind, and she flashed a devastatingly charming smile at him.

On the side, Yang Qian, observing He Li's blissful appearance, felt quite displeased. She interrupted, saying, "Mr. Zhang is He Li's boyfriend? I heard you're quite the remarkable figure, much stronger than my partner at home." She glanced at Zhang Ziwen, whose suit was indeed branded but paled in comparison to Liu Zhan's. Not to mention his wristwatch, which looked quite old, clearly not fitting the image of a big-shot. Her tone was mocking.

Zhang Ziwen couldn't miss the tone. He smiled faintly and said, "I'm not that remarkable. Just doing some small business, nothing compared to your partner."

Yang Qian drawled, her eyes somewhat scornful, "Oh? Mr. Zhang is being modest. Just looking at you, you don't seem like someone who's into small business, especially with that distinctive watch on your wrist. I can tell Mr. Zhang is no ordinary person." Yang Qian had made up her mind to expose Zhang Ziwen's true colors and to subtly humiliate He Li in the process.

Zhang Ziwen cursed inwardly, thinking, "Damn, this woman really isn't worth anything."

But he kept his composure and smiled, "Miss Yang has a discerning eye. This watch isn't that special; it's just a bit old. It's a Swiss Patek Philippe from the World War II era. A friend needed some money for business, so he pawned it to me."

Liu Zhan, hearing this, interjected, "I didn't realize it's an antique watch. Mind if I take a closer look?"

Zhang Ziwen took off the watch and handed it over, saying, "I didn't expect you to be a connoisseur. Could you verify if it's genuine?"

He Li, standing nearby, knew Zhang Ziwen didn't know who Liu Zhan was. She quietly explained that this young master had a rather cunning personality, warning him to be cautious.

Liu Zhan examined the watch carefully, flipping it back and forth. The logo on it caught his attention—P.P., short for Patek Philippe, a top Swiss luxury watch brand. Judging by its appearance, it seemed quite old. Just a few months ago, Sotheby's auctioned a Patek Philippe from 1933, setting a record of $11 million, a testament to its elite status among collectors. As a member of the wealthy generation, Liu Zhan had some knowledge about these top-tier brands, but when it came to this antique piece of the same brand, he fell short by a small margin, not being a seasoned collector.