I took the car keys and looked at the logo on them: BMW
Just as I was about to leave the room, a phone on Fang Nan's desk suddenly rang. She picked it up, said "hello," and then glanced at me subconsciously, saying in a low voice, "Yes, I've seen him... Hmm, not bad." Then she suddenly gave me a strange look and quickly lowered her voice, saying in a seemingly indistinct way, "Hmm, he... does look a lot like him."
Unfortunately, I didn't hear what they said after that, because the door closed.
Part One: A Man in the Martial World, Forced by His Own Circumstances, Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Rich Woman and the Pretty Boy...
Ten minutes later, I parked my car at the building's entrance. It was a BMW 5 Series, and inside were some clearly feminine accessories, like small dolls, and a faint scent of perfume mixed with a hint of women's tobacco. It seemed Fang Nan was a smoker too.
Fang Nan walked out wearing a new Versace trench coat and carrying an LV handbag. She seemed to have dressed up; her makeup was exquisite, and her hair was simply tied up, giving her a unique charm. The way she walked seemed almost ethereal, carrying an air of delicate fragility. I noticed that everyone passing by the building entrance, regardless of gender, was attracted to her beauty. The men invariably glared at her with lustful eyes, while the women's gazes were filled with envy or jealousy.
"Miss Fang, where are we going?" After she settled into the back seat, I turned around and glanced at her.
"Global Tower".
To be honest, although I can drive, this was the first time I'd ever driven such a high-end car. And I haven't driven much lately, so I felt a bit rusty, and I didn't drive very fast the whole way. What made me a little awkward was that, even though I didn't turn around, I could feel that Fang Nan had been staring at me ever since I got in the car.
I glanced at her discreetly in the rearview mirror. There was something complicated in her eyes, a look I couldn't decipher, as if it carried a hint of curiosity and a touch of melancholy.
After the car had driven two blocks, she suddenly asked, "Do you have any cigarettes on you?"
I nodded and casually tossed a pack of cigarettes I was carrying behind me. Fang Nan lit one, took a puff, and then coughed, saying with a wry smile, "Sorry, I'm not used to men's cigarettes."
She opened the car window, looked outside for a while, and suddenly smiled: "I think you look somewhat familiar."
"Oh?" My voice was flat, but I remembered that when I came out of her office earlier, I vaguely heard her say something like "very similar to him".
Based on my intuition, I guessed that the call was from Cang Yu. But the phrase "very similar to his" left me confused. Could it be that I look a lot like one of Fang Nan's acquaintances? I never expected her to bring it up herself.
"Miss Fang, what did you say?"
"I said you look familiar," Fang Nan said calmly. "I remember seeing you somewhere before... especially your back view."
At this point, her tone suddenly changed, and she said, "Ah, right. I remember now, aren't you the guy in the newspaper who won a lot of prizes in the lottery at once? I saw that newspaper, there was a photo of you taken by a reporter, you jumped off the podium while holding someone and then ran away, the reporter only took a picture of your side and back."
I smiled and said, "That was an accident."
"An accident? Looks like you're lucky." Fang Nan's tone wasn't too surprised. I guess she probably didn't read the report carefully and didn't know the specifics of my winning the lottery.
I gripped the steering wheel and didn't speak to her again the rest of the way. But I kept feeling that gaze from behind me, which made me a little uncomfortable.
The Global Tower is a very famous building in the city. It is the tallest building in the city, and the first few floors are the city's most upscale shopping mall, famous for its various world-renowned clothing brands. The prices are so high that even white-collar workers would tremble when they walk in. The hard-earned income of an ordinary family for a year is probably not enough to go shopping here once.
Upstairs in the mall are commercial buildings, including numerous upscale clubs, cafes, and beauty salons. There's also a fitness center, reportedly staffed with foreign fitness instructors and known for its exorbitant fees and the abundance of beautiful women. It's said that many wealthy young people frequent this fitness center, but most are there primarily to meet the various attractive women who come there.
This building has 48 floors, and the higher you go, the more upscale it becomes. Many areas are not open to the public at all; it's entirely a membership-based system, and the application requirements for membership are very high! The rooftop also has the city's only helicopter landing pad.
We took the elevator up from the underground parking lot. I followed Fang Nan into the elevator and saw her press the button for the 24th floor, which seemed to be some kind of salon or club. However, she seemed to glance at me twice, hesitated for a moment, and then quickly pressed the button for the 4th floor.
The fourth floor houses the men's clothing department. Because this mall caters to high-end goods, there isn't much foot traffic. I looked around at the brand-name counters, and while neatly dressed sales staff stood there with polite smiles, very few people were actually shopping.
Without a word, Fang Nan led me to a men's clothing brand counter. I recognized the brand, "Dupont," a French brand, but the prices were beyond my reach. Fang Nan scrutinized me for a moment, then quickly instructed the saleswoman to bring out two different styles of suits, one dark and one light, and said in a nonchalant tone, "Put these on."
"Hmm?" I was about to ask a question when Fang Nan said casually, "I've already said that during work hours you must do everything I instruct you to do." Then she deliberately gave my clothes a cold look: "I'm going upstairs to meet some important guests in a bit. You're my assistant, you can't go to meet them dressed like this, can you?"
I smiled indifferently: "You're the boss, you call the shots. Anyway, I don't have to pay."
And so, under Fang Nan's direction, I changed into five or six outfits in one go. I walked out of the dressing room wearing the outfits she had personally selected, showed them to her, and then took them off one by one.
The saleswoman next to her was about to launch into a long sales pitch, but after only a couple of sentences, Fang Nan gave her a cold look, made a shushing gesture, and said bluntly, "Please don't speak. I don't like being swayed by other people's opinions when I'm shopping!"
The saleswoman, having undergone professional training, maintained her smile and politely stepped aside to stand by.
Although I changed clothes one outfit after another, I didn't feel impatient at all.
Whatever, she's the boss anyway. I get paid so much, if my job is just changing clothes... that would be easy.
It's much easier than when I was working in nightclubs and had to suppress my anger and drink and flatter unreasonable customers.
Fang Nan barely spoke, just watched me as I displayed each outfit like a model. She simply looked at me, then gestured for me to keep changing. If she liked one, she would have me try it on and walk around in front of her a couple of times; if she wasn't satisfied, she would only glance at it and then give up.
Gradually, I noticed a change in her gaze. A subtle softening seemed to appear in her previously indifferent eyes, and her facial expression also subtly shifted. Sometimes, she would even stare at me involuntarily, lost in thought for a couple of seconds. Although she would quickly recover, I still managed to observe it discreetly.
Finally, I changed into a dark suit with subtle stripes. When I came out of the dressing room, I noticed that Fang Nan's gaze suddenly became somewhat unfocused, and her body trembled slightly. Her alluring cherry lips parted slightly, as if she were caught in a strange emotion. She seemed to subconsciously try to hide it, but failed. After coughing twice, she adjusted her glasses, but turned her face away in a flustered manner, as if she dared not look at me. However, she couldn't help but turn her head back again after only a few seconds.
This time, her eyes held a hint of sorrow and melancholy. The tenderness that flashed across her already captivating eyes was almost melting...
"Miss Fang," I said calmly, my expression unchanged, "is this set alright?"
"Hmm...oh...ah, okay!" Fang Nan suddenly snapped out of her daze, seemingly taking a deep breath to calm herself down completely. Then, she actually walked over and, before the saleswoman next to her could help me straighten my clothes, grabbed the hem of my shirt and smoothed out the wrinkles. Then she glanced at the saleswoman and said, "Also, a lighter, a wallet, a belt, get him all of those. And a shirt too."
I could tell that she was pretending to be calm, but was actually a little flustered.
I carefully selected a lighter, wallet, and belt. Fang Nan then had me change into a shirt with a printed design on the shoulders. She looked at me for a while, then gave the saleswoman a few instructions and gestures, asking her to go to another counter and bring back a pair of exquisite frameless glasses. The design was simple, but the craftsmanship was excellent.
"I don't need to be nearsighted." I smiled wryly, "If I wear these, I'm afraid I won't be able to see things clearly anymore."
"These are prescription glasses." Without saying a word, Fang Nan put the glasses on me herself, then took a half step back, her eyes staring at me quietly before falling silent.
I'm completely transformed now. I'm wearing a dark-colored suit with light stripes, exuding a composed yet sharp aura. Because I spent so much time in those dark circles, I inevitably carried a faint air of wickedness, but the addition of glasses completely concealed that hint of menace, giving me a more refined appearance. The top two buttons of my shirt were deliberately undone, subtly revealing a touch of untamed spirit.
I looked at myself in the mirror and was somewhat stunned.
If it weren't for the sharpness in my eyes that still reveals a youthful spirit, and my lack of maturity and composure... if it weren't for my somewhat short hair and slightly reserved demeanor, I would almost have thought the guy in the mirror was one of those so-called business elites from some company.
Fang Nan was completely stunned. Her beautiful eyes gradually welled up with tears. A thought struck me, and I pretended not to notice, coughing forcefully.
Fang Nan suddenly woke up, quickly turned her head away to cover herself, and then hurriedly left, making an excuse to go to the restroom.
The saleswoman next to me looked at me with some curiosity. I gave her a wry smile, and she tentatively asked, "Is there anything else you need?"
I shook my head and smiled, "Could you please put away all the clothes I just changed into?" Then, standing in front of the mirror, I touched my chin, raised my arm, and turned to ask her, "What do you think?"
As soon as I said that, I chuckled to myself. I must have been stupid; why did I have to ask the saleswoman of all people? How could she possibly say no?
“This outfit suits you very well.” Her smile was professional, but her tone was quite sincere: “To be honest, you have a great figure; you’re a natural clothes hanger. You’re very suited to wearing this kind of fitted clothing; it really flatters your figure.”
Then she asked, "Do you have our membership card? Will you be paying by card or cash?"
I glanced at the price tag on the hem of my clothes and saw only a long string of zeros... I sighed inwardly, but tried to keep a straight face and said in a nonchalant tone, "Let's talk about it when that lady comes back."
After she said that, I noticed a strange, ambiguous glint in the saleswoman's eyes. Damn, I can probably guess what this woman was thinking!
She probably thought Fang Nan was some rich woman, and I was her kept man...
Part One: In the Martial World, Not in Control of One's Own Fate, Chapter Thirty-Eight: First Task
When Fang Nan returned, her face was clearly made up. Although her eyes were slightly red, her glasses were enough to cover it up. She stopped me from taking off my clothes and casually instructed, "Just keep wearing them." She then told the sales assistant to cut off the tags and other labels, and then, ignoring my objections, threw away my original clothes.
"You're coming up with me to meet someone now, are you going to carry a bag of clothes with you?" I sensed that Fang Nan's cold tone seemed to be deliberately forced, as if she had accidentally revealed her emotional fluctuations earlier and was afraid that I would see through her, so she deliberately used double the indifference to cover it up.
Although I was a little reluctant, I knew that the outfit I was wearing now was worth dozens of my old outfits.
However, since Fang Nan was the one who paid, the saleswoman here probably assumed I was a kept man...
We then went to the 24th floor. Only after I stepped out of the elevator did I realize that it was actually a salon and club that combined leisure and entertainment! And it occupied an entire floor of the building!
Fang Nan was clearly a regular here. As soon as we entered, a manager-looking man came over and respectfully led us inside.
I walked past a lounge area, which turned out to be a music café occupying a corner of the building. The enclosed floor-to-ceiling windows completely blocked out the strong winds outside, but the light was plentiful. The place wasn't large, with only about ten tables and single sofas. There were a few well-dressed couples, but it seemed there were more women than men. And they all looked wealthy; I couldn't tell if they were rich women or kept women by wealthy men.
"What do you think of this place?" Fang Nan chose a four-person seat near the corner, and then she sat down next to me.
"A paradise for the rich." My tone was devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
The carpet was clearly handmade; I heard that a piece the size of a palm like this costs over a thousand! But it was indeed very comfortable to walk on. The ceiling lights were crystal, and just now when I passed a table, I accidentally saw a man's phone on the table.
It looks like a brand that starts with the letter V.
I can't remember the full name of this brand, but it left a deep impression on me! It's a brand that specializes in manufacturing top-of-the-line mobile phones—don't assume that these wealthy people use the same mass-produced Nokia or Motorola phones found in China Mobile or China Unicom stores as ordinary people. And don't assume that phones costing seven or eight thousand, or even tens of thousands, are "high-end."
Not even close!
At least I know that this V brand phone is specifically targeted at wealthy people. Ordinary phone casings are made of plastic, better ones are made of metal... but this brand of phone, it is said, uses an alloy for its casing! The purpose is to minimize the radiation emitted by the phone to the human body! At the same time, the body is also inlaid with crystals or diamonds.
Moreover, the phone's design was created by top European masters!
Each phone is manufactured and released in limited quantities!
Such phones start at a minimum price of 70,000 to 80,000 yuan, with the highest-priced ones even reaching seven figures!
“You’re right, but not entirely,” Fang Nan said in a low voice. “Strictly speaking, this is a paradise for wealthy women. It’s the best beauty and body center in the city. Although it also offers leisure and entertainment programs for men, female customers make up 90% of the clientele. And most of the men who come here are there with their female companions.”
At this moment, a waiter approached, bowed, and said respectfully, "Miss Fang, you've arrived. Would you like to rest for a while, or..."
"Let's rest for a while," Fang Nan said calmly. "I'm still waiting for someone."
"Yes." The waiter smiled very professionally. "Then, would you and this gentleman like something to drink?"
"I'll stick to the usual rules," Fang Nan instructed, then looked at me: "What about you?"
I touched my nose, about to ask to see the tea menu, when Fang Nan noticed my unease and smiled, "Why don't you have coffee? The Blue Mountain coffee here is good; you can't get it anywhere else."
After the waiter left, Fang Nan glanced at me, raised an eyebrow, and said, "What? You don't like coffee?"
I shook my head: "It's not that I don't like it, it's just that Blue Mountain coffee is available in any coffee shop, so why can't I get it?"
Fang Nan paused for a moment, then looked at me and smiled.
To be honest, this was the first time I'd seen her smile so genuinely since I met her, not just a forced, reserved smile. The coldness on her face vanished completely; looking at her smile was like a millennia-old glacier melting in the spring breeze, her carefully constructed aloofness instantly disappearing! The alluring charm in her eyes made my heart flutter…
Noticing me looking at her, Fang Nan's smile faded, and she sighed, saying, "Fine, let me explain. You'll be accompanying me to many occasions in the future, so this will prevent you from making a fool of yourself." After a pause, she said coldly, "You said Blue Mountain coffee is everywhere? Then it seems you, like most young people, are completely unaware."
Later, as Fang Nan recounted her story, I realized that I had really made a fool of myself.
Blue Mountain coffee...
I think most people can see these four words on the menu of any coffee shop on the street. They're practically everywhere...
Blue Mountain coffee originates from the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, and of course, this is clearly stated on the menus of all coffee shops in China.
However, few of the thousands of people who drink these "Blue Mountain coffees" that cost tens of dollars a cup in coffee shops every day probably know that they are drinking fake coffee!
Blue Mountain coffee is world-renowned, but Jamaica's Blue Mountain region is only so big, and its production is limited. In contrast, how many coffee shops and teahouses are there in cities and towns of all sizes across China? How many people drink so-called Blue Mountain coffee every day? That's an enormous consumption!
Is that possible?
Fang Nan revealed a fact that surprised me: Jamaica has never exported Blue Mountain coffee beans to China!
The Blue Mountain coffee that eventually reaches China through various channels, allocated by the International Coffee Organization, is actually extremely rare! Pitifully rare!