Chapter 31 The tycoon's car "looks more and more like... a certain Patek Philippe model."
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Chapter 31 The tycoon's car "looks more and more like... a certain Patek Philippe model."
"La la la la... la la la~~"
There's no need to even turn on the car stereo; Ye Weizheng alone is as good as an entire band.
It's been more than ten years!
He can finally legitimately take Tao Tao for a drive in his beloved car!
Ye Weizheng hung his sunglasses on his collar, hummed a song, and beamed with joy.
As the sun sets, a black Maybach merges into the traffic.
Wherever it went, most of the surrounding vehicles kept their distance from the luxury car to avoid any collisions.
Although not everyone can accurately identify the model, the Maybach logo is still very eye-catching.
Ye Hantao saw a familiar speed bump ahead.
Her father, sitting in the driver's seat, gripped the steering wheel and maneuvered the car smoothly over the obstacle, ensuring she didn't feel any bumps throughout the entire journey.
Ye Hantao touched the seat under her hand. The material was very similar to that of the Bentley provided by the program team. Sister Siwen said at the time that the car was made of Nordic calfskin.
“Dad, the internet says it’s worth…” Ye Hantao looked up, examining the car’s interior design again, trying to glean a hint of luxury from its components and craftsmanship. She looked down at the entry again, swallowed hard, and said, “Worth 13 million…”
I can only imagine a car worth several million.
A car worth thirteen million?
ah? ? ?
Ye Hantao suddenly realized.
No wonder Dad sang happily the whole way!
Qingning TV has its own trending topics list.
Shortly after the live broadcast of "Classmates Are Here" ended, the hashtag #YeHantao'sMillion-DollarLuxuryCar# suddenly topped the trending search list.
[Aaaaaaah! Who said Ye Hantao's family is poor?! Her dad drove a Maybach 62 Zeppelin here!!]
[A Maybach is a Maybach, why add a 62 Zeppelin?]
The former might be two million, the latter thirteen million.
[Holy crap?!]
[Real or fake? Thirteen million? A Maybach?]
[I'm going crazy! Ye Hantao's dad is wearing a hat and a mask, and I actually think he's kind of handsome?]
With a multi-million dollar car as a backdrop, I feel like his dad's laughter is the kind of "old money laugh" that's often talked about online (dog head holding a rose.jpg)
[Hahaha, are Liao Jiayue's fans still laughing? With millions of cars to ride in, who cares about your sister's Shining!]
Ye Hantao also knows how to appreciate and brew tea!
Why don't you guys mention that Ye Hantao wears a size 39 dress?
[I watched the replay once. Ye Hantao might have made a slip of the tongue earlier. Didn't she say 399 yuan later? Also, the cut of that T-shirt on her was so good that it didn't look like it cost 39 yuan.]
[That's because Ye Hantao is beautiful and has a great figure! You could dress her up in a rag and she'd look amazing.]
[Liao Jiayue had previously called to ask for Ye Hantao's home address, and she said it was in a rather old neighborhood.]
Don't forget, there's a car rental service. A round trip might only take two hours, and a few thousand yuan should be more than enough.
Ye Weizheng stopped the car when he encountered a red light ahead.
Ye Hantao quickly showed him the trending topics, "Dad, is this really your colleague's car? Did he secretly lend you some client's car?"
Ye Hantao had heard rumors about cleaning ladies driving to and from get off work, but she still couldn't imagine someone driving a car worth 13 million yuan and working as a real estate salesperson.
After much thought, it seemed more believable to secretly lend the customer's car to someone else.
“This car really is from one of his clients. He’s usually too lazy to drive it, so he asks the client to drive it a few kilometers a day so it doesn’t get dusty.”
Ye Weizheng ruffled Ye Hantao's hair, and looking at his daughter's rosy face, he smiled so broadly that his eyes disappeared. "Taotao is so smart! It seems that all the family's intelligence has been given to you."
Neither he nor Zhou Ti were academically inclined when they were young; otherwise, when news of their marriage broke, some people wouldn't have called them "useless repurposed members of their two families."
Ming Sheng is extremely unbalanced in his studies.
The difference between a score of 150 in math and 40 in Chinese is significant.
See? With just one sentence from Tao Tao, he no longer needed to think of an excuse.
“My colleague is away on a business trip and doesn’t have time to take this car for a spin, so I borrowed it from him.”
Whether the car belongs to his colleague or his colleague's client, it's fake; he'll accept whatever Tao Tao says.
The green light comes on.
Ye Weizheng turned his head and focused intently on driving.
Ye Hantao felt a little nervous when she thought about how much the car cost. "Dad, drive slowly. Don't bump into other people's cars on the road."
Ye Weizheng agreed, "Okay, Dad, drive slowly."
Along the way, he subtly observed his daughter Tao Tao's condition and found that she was actually in good spirits.
He regretted it as soon as he sent the screenshot of the Maybach to Tao Tao that morning.
It's one thing for him to appear on camera driving a car worth around a million, but to appear on camera driving a Maybach worth thirteen million...
It's hard to guarantee that Tao Tao won't become suspicious.
Finally, Zhou Ti suddenly made the decision to drive this Maybach over. Zhou Ti: "Have you forgotten that we talked about knowing wealthy people?"
Ye Weizheng: Oh, right!
"Tao Tao, you've been recording the show for several days. If you're tired, close your eyes and rest for a while."
Ye Hantao snapped out of her reverie, "I'm not tired anymore."
She just doesn't understand.
She left in her father's 13 million yuan luxury car, but why hasn't her condition been updated? Isn't this vanity and a desire to keep up with the Joneses?
Seeing her rosy complexion, Ye Weizheng had an idea. "Tao Tao, what do you think about us buying another four-wheeled vehicle?"
Thinking of the million in her card, Ye Hantao nodded emphatically, "Buy it!"
It rarely snows in Yuncheng, but the winters are damp and cold. Even with some shade, the electric tricycle can't keep up with the warmth inside the vehicle.
Moreover, the family's electric tricycle can only seat two people in the back, so there isn't enough room for the whole family when they go out.
Ye Weizheng was quite excited to be able to touch the steering wheel in front of his daughter, Tao Tao. "Tao Tao, now that we've driven out, how about Dad takes you for a spin and lets you get some fresh air?"
Ye Hantao: "Okay!"
Perhaps it's because she didn't spend enough time in the car that her condition hasn't progressed.
In the blink of an eye, the sky was tinged with orange by the clouds.
The street lights came on.
On his way home, Ye Weizheng picked up three large takeout boxes from the restaurant where he had pre-ordered the food.
Ye Hantao noticed that these three boxes were all made of pure wood, with the words "Zhiwei" embossed in gold on the lids, unlike the plastic takeout boxes she had seen at school.
Before starting university, Ye Hantao had seen posts from senior students at Yuncheng University of Political Science and Law complaining about how bad the food was in the cafeteria. Unexpectedly, the school cafeteria was renovated and a number of high-quality businesses moved in just half a month before the start of the semester.
Despite this, quite a few students still order takeout.
Ye Hantao often saw deliverymen putting packaged takeout boxes into the takeout lockers downstairs in her dormitory.
Influenced by her roommate, she also ordered takeout from outside the school a few times.
Although I tried my best to tell myself not to waste food, I still couldn't swallow after a couple of bites, and from then on I became a staunch cafeteria worker.
The takeout she ordered was also all in plastic containers.
The only aluminum box I've ever seen was the steak that my roommate and family brought back from eating out.
After Ye Weizheng put the box in the back seat and sat back in the driver's seat, Ye Hantao asked him, "Dad, this takeout you ordered must be expensive, right?"
Ye Weizheng paused for a moment while fastening his seatbelt, then said casually, "Now that you're back from recording the show today, our family should definitely celebrate. We can afford to indulge ourselves once in a while."
Which company is this?
"The Jinwan Restaurant you ate at on the show." Ye Weizheng started the car. "I specially packed a serving of steamed pork with rice flour inside."
Upon hearing that there was steamed pork with rice flour, Ye Hantao couldn't help but turn around and look at the food box on the back seat again. "Dad, I think I can already smell the aroma of the steamed pork with rice flour."
Ye Weizheng chuckled, "Just like your mother, a puppy's nose."
Packing up the food from Zhiweige Restaurant at Jinwan Hotel was a plan he and Zhou Ti came up with.
Tao Tao was personally invited by Chef Xing to a food tasting event on the show, so she would definitely be able to eat the dishes made by Chef Jing of Zhiwei Pavilion. Who can guarantee that Tao Tao didn't eat any of those dishes at Li Family Local Cuisine Restaurant?
Rather than having doubts after eating it on-site and then asking Chef Jing, it's better to let them explain.
When Ye Hantao was having dinner that evening, she indeed recognized the familiar taste. "Hey! Isn't this the steamed pork with rice flour made by the chef at Li's Local Cuisine Restaurant? And this steamed fish tastes just like it."
"Dad, didn't you say we got takeout from the Jinwan Hotel?"
"Oh dear, my memory is terrible."
Ye Weizheng clapped his hands, as if he had just remembered, "I heard them say when I was packing up today that there is a chef in Jinwan who likes to practice his cooking skills at small restaurants outside, but he does not want to reveal his real name or the address of the small restaurant, so as not to cause trouble for the restaurant."
Ye Hantao glanced at the darkening sky outside the window and whispered, "So that chef who doesn't want to reveal his real name is honing his culinary skills at Li's Local Cuisine Restaurant?"
Ye Weizheng, mimicking Tao Tao, whispered back, "99% chance."
Seeing that Tao Tao believed him, he gently exhaled.
For more than a decade, all the skills of lying have been used on Tao Tao.
At the end of the meal, Ye Weizheng announced the good news to the whole family that he was going to buy a car.
Zhou Ti and Zhou Mingsheng immediately turned to look at Tao Tao, focusing on her complexion.
When they saw this, Tao Tao couldn't help but laugh, "You two guessed it already?"
She kept it a secret because she wanted to surprise her family!
Zhou Ti & Zhou Mingsheng: "?"
They wanted to see if Tao Tao was feeling unwell anywhere.
"Tao Tao, come here." Zhou Ti gave Ye Weizheng a disapproving look, blaming him for not letting her know beforehand. She used the back of her hand to touch Tao Tao's forehead to check her temperature. "Hmm, the temperature is normal."
Ye Hantao hugged Zhou Ti with a smile and said firmly, "My health will get better and better, and I will never catch a cold or fever so easily again."
Zhou Ti pinched the tip of her nose. "That would be perfect. Mom is going to the temple to fulfill her vow."
"Why not seize the day? Let's go buy a car tomorrow!"
"Okay, okay."
Ye Hantao raised her hand, "I'll reimburse you!"
Ye Weizheng laughed at her, "All the red envelopes you received, if you put them all together, wouldn't it be too much?"
From childhood to adulthood, Ye Hantao kept all the red envelopes she received.
When I was in high school, I used these funds as start-up capital to do small business in class, and I made some money over three years.
"I have money!" Ye Hantao was surprised that her family didn't know. She opened her bank app on her phone, pushed the phone forward, and said emphatically, "Look how much this is!"
The others looked down.
Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands...millions?!
Ye Weizheng was shocked, "Tao Tao, where did you get a million?"
They then remembered that Tao Tao had indeed mentioned having a million in pocket money on the show.
Back then, everyone in the family group was searching for the traitor, trying to find out who stole a million from Tao Tao.
"It was given to me by the production team," Ye Hantao said.
"The production team?" ×3.
Ye Hantao repeated exactly what Director Wan had said.
The family members were all shrewd; they exchanged glances and couldn't help but suspect that there was something fishy about the million.
But the 1 million in Tao Tao's account is real.
Their own Guang Sheng Group is a major sponsor of variety shows, so if someone with ill intentions wants to cheat Tao Tao, they can't avoid them.
Ye Weizheng looked to Zhou Ti for her opinion: What should we do? Should we ask Director Wan?
Zhou Ti was also hesitant.
As they exchanged glances, Ye Hantao had already made her decision: "In the next episode, I'm going to continue playing the role of a liar, vain, and competitive person!"
Family members: "???"
Ye Weizheng: "Are you lying?"
Zhou Ti: "Are you vain?"
What netizens see as lying and vanity, Ye Weizheng and Zhou Ti see as the truth in everything Tao Tao says.
Their own tea, furniture, and bracelets are all top-notch.
If they really lost, they wouldn't be so worried that they'd have nightmares.
"Where are you comparing yourself to others?" Zhou Mingsheng's brows furrowed coldly. "Don't take online comments to heart; they're all paid trolls."
Ye Hantao shook her head. "I still have to pay attention to what people say online, otherwise how can I improve?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
However, since the appearance of the multi-million dollar luxury car in the morning, there has been very little talk about lying and vanity about Ye Hantao online.
Netizens have differing opinions on whether the Maybach Ye Hantao was riding in was rented, borrowed, or owned by her.
All ten guests left in the same car, but all the attention was focused on Ye Hantao.
Who made Ye Hantao ride in the most expensive car, which also had the most contrasting features?
The widespread speculation online didn't give way to a one-sided situation until several hours later.
First, Ye Hantao's neighbors appeared, saying that the Ye family lived in an old neighborhood and they had never seen the Ye family drive the Maybach shown in the video.
Then Ye Hantao's college classmates appeared, saying that Ye Hantao's standard of living was very average and that she worked part-time on weekends to earn money.
Gradually, online opinions shifted from the car rental to Ye Hantao exploiting her parents.
[I feel sorry for Ye Hantao's parents. They raised a vain and lying daughter, and they even rented a Maybach just to give Ye Hantao face.]
[From now on, Ye Hantao's lies will become increasingly elaborate, draining the family dry.]
【? You weren't loved by your parents, were you? Even if it was a rented car, isn't it possible that your parents simply wanted to make their daughter happy?】
[Ye Hantao rushing towards her dad shows they have a very good relationship.]
[Is she rushing towards her dad or her luxury car? Hahaha!]
Ye Hantao was eating heartily at home when she was suddenly interrupted by an electronic voice.
[Disease progression: 86.2%]
"???"
Can you gain character points without streaming? Or is this a delayed refresh due to returning in a luxury car?
Cheng Zhao slammed the tablet on the table, frowning, and said, "I told you to suppress speech, what did you suppress?"
It was dusk, and the streetlights outside the floor-to-ceiling windows were just coming on.
The tablet that Cheng Zhao threw paused on the scene of Ye Hantao running towards Ye Weizheng.
A smile played on her lips, and she radiated happiness.
However, the atmosphere was ruined by a massive barrage of condemnatory comments.
"Damn it! I was really cheated!" The young man with dyed red hair raised his hands and shouted his innocence, "But the team I sent was all restricted."
Cheng Zhao was amused by his words and tapped the icon on the tablet with his finger, "Which live streaming platform is this?"
"LimeTV".
Which building is your office in?
The red-haired youth answered every question: "The Qingning TV Building."
"Your team at Qingning TV," Cheng Zhao looked at him like he was a complete idiot, slowing his tone as he asked, "are you being throttled on the Qingning TV platform?"
What kind of hellish joke is that?
Red-haired youth: "..."
"I just had a fight with them before you came! The tech department is investigating!" The red-haired youth looked distressed, but then he remembered the trending topics online. "How about I give her a car?"
The first time Cheng Zhao came to my door asking for help, it was to help a woman.
If Cheng Zhao could just curb his sharp tongue and act like a decent person, he might be able to win her over and have a first love. He would consider that a congratulatory gift.
As for whether the Maybach belongs to Ye Hantao's family?
--impossible.
This Maybach 62 Zeppelin is one of only 100 produced worldwide, with only 16 in China.
There are 7 in Shanghai, but only 1 in Yuncheng, which is the one his father bought.
If there really was a second one, there's no way he wouldn't have seen or heard of it by now.
Where did Ye Hantao rent this car from?
The red-haired youth got himself into a mess.
Are you saying you can rent a Maybach 62 Zeppelin now? This is Yuncheng, not Shanghai.
"Get lost," Cheng Zhao replied.
I shouldn't have trusted this crony who just took over the live streaming platform in the first place.
Cheng Zhao took the phone and asked his assistant to contact the previous "rainbow flattery" team.
He'll criticize one wave, then have someone praise him; he'll criticize another wave, then praise him again.
Cheng Zhao picked up the tablet and clicked play.
Ye Hantao's sweet voice came through the screen, "Wow! Dad, you're so handsome!! You're absolutely stunning and incredibly cool!!!"
The irritation that had been lingering between his brows was instantly soothed, and Cheng Zhao chuckled softly.
My friend was speechless.
They're praising their own dad, not yours.
Meanwhile, Tao Tao's uncle was hurriedly apologizing in the discussion group.
"@TaoTao's Dad @TaoTao's Mom @TaoTao's Brother, how is TaoTao?! I couldn't hold back anymore and used my main account to speak up for TaoTao online!!!"
While browsing online comments, he was consumed by anger and "speak out" that the car might have originally belonged to Ye Hantao's family, since no one would care on his alternate account anyway.
When I checked my account, I was shocked.
He used the large size!
Zhou Yi has always been in charge of the family's clothing business, and occasionally posts information about the group's major fashion shows on his main account.
He forgot to switch accounts after forwarding the message today.
"I have deleted it, but some fans may have taken screenshots."
Before deleting it, he had already seen fans asking: "[Oh? Oliver also watches 'Classmates Are Coming'? You like Ye Hantao? You even defended her and said so many things.]"
Zhou Yi: "!!!"
He quickly contacted his PR team to suppress the hype surrounding his reply on his main account, explaining that he didn't want his popularity to be exploited. Then he apologized to his entire family.
After Zhou Yi tagged him, other people in the group started to chime in.
The grandparents were so anxious that they called immediately to check on Tao Tao's condition.
When Zhou Ti received the message from her younger brother, she was applying a caviar face mask. Upon seeing the message, she jumped up.
"Tao Tao—" Zhou Ti forgot to knock and pushed the door open to enter the room.
Ye Hantao was sitting on the carpet organizing her suitcase when she saw people. She couldn't help but laugh, "Mom, you've only applied half of your face mask."
Ye Weizheng and Zhou Mingsheng followed Zhou Ti into the house.
Ye Weizheng held the electronic thermometer, while Zhou Mingsheng held the cell phone he was talking on.
"Tao Tao." He handed over the phone. "It's Grandma and Grandpa calling."
Ye Hantao called out sweetly, "Grandma, Grandpa!"
"Yes!" the two elderly people responded in unison. "Tao Tao, are you feeling unwell?"
As her mother pressed her forehead again, Ye Hantao answered loudly, "I'm perfectly healthy. How about you, Grandma and Grandpa? Have you been doing your stretching exercises morning and night as Auntie told you? Grandpa, have you been secretly drinking?"
"I didn't drink!"
"Yes, yes, I did it, I even did the stretching."
Zhou Ti moved aside, and Ye Weizheng came up again to take Tao Tao's temperature with an electronic thermometer.
Ye Hantao was both amused and exasperated by her family's repeated suspicions that she had a fever. "I haven't been sick very often these past few years. We even go on a trip every two or three months."
Ye Weizheng: "We haven't seen you for several days, we were worried."
Ye Hantao leaned over to look, "What's the temperature?"
On the phone, Grandma and Grandpa were also listening intently.
36.4℃.
call.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
After they came to their senses, they couldn't figure it out.
Tao Tao wasn't sick!
Ye Weizheng also said in the group: "[On the way back, I suggested buying a four-wheeled vehicle, and Tao Tao's health is perfectly fine.]"
[Great-aunt Tao Tao: I'll fly to Yuncheng again in a couple of days to check Tao Tao's pulse.]
Grandma Tao Tao comes from a family of doctors, and her skills have been passed down for over a hundred years.
Over the years, it is thanks to her various methods of conditioning Tao Tao's body that Tao Tao has maintained a good complexion and has not become too thin.
"Could it be because Tao Tao got 1 million?" Ye Weizheng muttered after leaving the room. "Now that Tao Tao has money, her resistance is higher?"
Zhou Ti and Zhou Mingsheng couldn't explain the reason either, but the result was good in the end.
Ye Hantao took out two large boxes of skincare products from her suitcase. The brands on the bottles and jars were either La Mer or HR.
These were all given to her by Sister Shiyue after she returned from the tea garden that day.
She waited until the live stream ended and returned it to Sister Shiyue, who was extremely angry.
"Ye Hantao, who do you think you are! Do you think I need to go through all that trouble with you in the live stream just because you have two sets of skincare products?"
"Then should I give it to Teacher He Qiang?"
"Don't send it." Jin Shiyue raised her chin. "Take it home and let your mother use it to wipe her face."
There was also a small box next to it.
Inside are Lancôme's toner, lotion, and serum. Shi Yue said this brand is suitable for her age group.
Ye Hantao placed all the skincare products—two large boxes and one small box—on the desk, took several group photos from different angles, and sent them to Jin Shiyue.
[Sister Shiyue, all the gifts you sent arrived safely! I'll bring you a gift next time!]
[Buzzing]
In the VIP waiting room, Jin Shiyue closed her eyes to rest. When she heard her phone notification, she lazily opened her eyes.
She waited until she saw who sent the message before clicking to read the details.
Are it really worth taking seven or eight photos of just some skincare products?
Sudden.
Jin Shiyue's gaze settled on the emerald green ornament in the photo.
An ornament shaped like a Shoushan (longevity mountain).
But the focus isn't on it, but on the watch casually placed next to it.
The platinum, set with round diamonds, sparkles under the light.
Kim Si-wol zoomed in on this photo separately.
The numbers and patterns on the dial gradually became clearer, and the more you looked at it, the more it resembled... a Patek Philippe model.
Soon, Ye Hantao received a "?" from Jin Shiyue.
Ye Hantao: "???"
[Jin Shiyue: You have quite a few high-quality counterfeits.]
Ye Hantao was puzzled.
I haven't taken a picture of Shiyue's bag yet, even though it's a size too big.
Just as I was about to ask, Jin Shiyue sent another message.
[Kim Si-wol: When we meet on Thursday, bring that watch from your desk too.]
-----------------------
Author's note: One second ago, Jin Shiyue said: "A bunch of fakes."
The next second, Jin Shiyue: This is too realistic, let me take another look.
--To celebrate Tao Tao's return home, 50 small red envelopes will be randomly distributed! [Go Tao Tao!]--