Age of Legends

Chapter 286 Appearance
During a break from their hotpot meal that day, Zheng Xue took out her Sony CCD camera and took a few photos of the group. Shen Nuoyi took off her down jacket, put on a high ponytail, and made a peace sign at the camera. The photos, displayed on the low-resolution CCD screen, seemed to be frozen in time.

Zheng Xue took the opportunity to take a few photos with Shen Nuoyi. After returning home, she updated her profile picture and status, saying, "[Photo] I suddenly miss the days when we secretly went out for hot pot in our senior year of high school. We had such a pleasant chat like today, and it's been a long time since I've relaxed like this!"

There was limited time to eat before evening self-study in the senior year of high school, so there was basically no way to have a proper hot pot meal. Zheng Xue was talking about an experience of eating spicy hot pot at a roadside stall with Shen Nuoyi. She also deliberately obscured the group of people at today's gathering, making people think that it was another time when she and Shen Nuoyi met alone.

The QQ Moments feature was added at Zhang Chen's suggestion after the update. Each user can post their own micro-moments with compressed images, saving server space and improving interactivity. Users can also leave comments and likes.

Zheng Xue's post received over a hundred likes, instantly making her an internet celebrity.

However, this is generally a closed system; only your friends can see your updates and likes. The current QQ doesn't have the luxurious servers to develop open interactions, and the current network speed doesn't allow it either.

Zheng Xue's comment below was also a long string of words: "Envious, I also want to eat hot pot!" She's a foodie.

"Shen Nuoyi has lost weight again, eat more, you bastard!" This is a response imitating a Japanese sentence structure.

"Two beautiful ladies! Hello!" This is what a street urchin who's been spending a lot of time lately reading other people's social media posts and comments is like.

"Wow, Shen Nuoyi! You and she are actually good friends! She's so famous!" This is someone who only logs on during holidays, usually focusing on studying and whose grades are always mediocre.

Zheng Xue was satisfied when she saw the large number of likes and comments.

Han Zhouxuan then went on a spree of posting updates about herself eating crayfish, barbecue, and giant hamburgers in the bay. Her message was clear: I'm so carefree, I'm so carefree, I'm so carefree.

……

Winter break passed quickly, and time was tight. Xuhui Real Estate's Lanyuan project launched its pre-sale, and the pre-sale was a great success, with the sales office packed to capacity on the first day.

Of course, Chen Xuran also contributed to this, using the resources of media friends to help with publicity. Speaking of which, Huang Huifen and Chen Xuran are also traffic stars and topical figures in the local real estate industry in Rongcheng. The topics naturally attract attention, and when the sales office opened for pre-sale, it was indeed packed with people. Many luxury cars in Rongcheng at that time also gathered there. At that time, the most recognized luxury car was BMW. Therefore, the Lanyuan project also claimed to be "the real estate project with the most BMWs in Rongcheng".

Many people came to see for themselves whether Lanyuan was indeed the "quality residential project" promised by Huang Huifen.

If quality is truly the priority, and the pre-sale price is not high, then it is a high-quality resource, and naturally a lot of hot money will flow in.

The average opening price of the Lanyuan project was 2700 yuan per square meter. This price is not high among nearby properties; it's quite average. At the same time, a quality project by China Overseas Land & Investment in the vicinity was priced at 3000 yuan per square meter.

Furthermore, the Lanyuan project features the concept of "garden-style villas," and with Huang Huifen's renovation of Lanyuan Park, it abandons the traditional "matchbox" housing. Ma Hongrui is in charge of the design, and the entire real estate design is indeed quite novel and high-end. Ma Hongrui also privately absorbed some of Zhang Chen's occasional "brilliant" ideas, so much so that, from Zhang Chen's perspective, the entire design will not be outdated even in ten or twenty years. The concept of a high-end villa community is clearly presented.

On the day of its opening, it triggered a buying frenzy among homebuyers who queued overnight, setting a rare "two days and one night" queuing record in Fuzhou's real estate market during this period.

Heaven bears witness, Zhang Chen dares to guarantee that this innovation is not fake. He has secretly prepared a backup plan. His group chat still has a group of people from the old "senior propaganda team", such as Aunt Luo, Boss Zeng, Aunt Zhang, and Uncle Wang. They often greet each other. In addition, several of them are veteran actors. The TV station still asks them to make guest appearances when there are things to do.

It wouldn't be a problem to pull out these propaganda teams and put on a show of "the storefronts are packed and demand exceeds supply." People these days can certainly pull off some fancy tricks, but compared to Zhang Chen, they're still a bit green.

But to his surprise, the prepared publicity team was completely useless. As soon as he saw the queue on the opening day, Zhang Chen told Aunt Luo and the others to leave.

This popularity is truly due to the influence of Huang Huifen and Chen Xuran.

The first phase of housing units sold out in a short period of time, which shocked Fuzhou and directly led to the Fuzhou Housing Fair, which was originally scheduled to be held in April, being moved up by a period of time, as everyone was afraid of missing out on this buying frenzy.

During the first few days after the opening, Huang Huifen's sales office at Xuhui Real Estate was like a battlefield, with everyone working at full capacity around the clock and the lights on all night.

After a period of hectic activity, Huang Huifen, who had been suffering from insomnia, slept soundly for a day and a night after everything settled down.

I arrived at the accounting department in the evening, and the entire department, which was working overtime, was in high spirits.

Chen Lan, the accounting department director who came from a vegetable market background and was recruited by Huang Huifen, brought up the report with trembling hands.

The first phase of the Lanyuan project, covering 100 acres of residential land with a building area of ​​100,000 square meters, was pre-sold. Within five days of pre-sale, the sales rate was 90%, and the down payment received was 45 million yuan!
The entire project generated sales revenue of 2.1 million yuan! According to the regulations for the construction of the Rongcheng Guarantee Project at that time, 30% of the funds were used for fund supervision. In addition, sales commissions, land value-added tax pre-collection, business tax and surcharges were deducted, and Xuhui Real Estate's actual available cash flow after settlement will reach 1.3 million yuan!

Upon seeing this result, Huang Huifen felt overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of happiness.

……

Zhang Chen suddenly received a text message from Zhuang Yanyue that day: "What are you doing?"

At this moment, Zhang Chen was in front of his computer testing Jing Qinming and his team's dial-up test package. Because it was a test package, the time conversions were real-time, making it quite enjoyable to play. Zhang Chen offered suggestions on anything he didn't like, and they immediately made changes. To be honest, Jing Qinming, Xie Yu, and Luo Chengyue are all seasoned gamers, and being from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, the game they created was quite good. The user experience was excellent, and it didn't feel clunky at all. Many aspects also showcased their unique creativity—that's what passion is all about.

This gave Zhang Chen even more confidence in his bet with Little Ma.

Upon seeing Zhuang Yanyue's message, Zhang Chen replied: "Playing games at home."

Zhuang Yanyue: "Hehe, I'm having a drink at the little bar near my house. I heard people talking about you, and it's quite interesting."

Zhang Chen had a memory of the small tavern in front of Zhuang Yanyue's house. After all, he often saw it when he accompanied her home in his previous life. It was a converted old residential building with low walls and vines. It was still open in his later life and, together with the surrounding streets, became a popular spot for taking photos.

"Why are you bringing me up?"

"You're quite the celebrity now."

It turned out that Zhuang Yanyue and a group of friends were having a gathering here. One of the well-informed people brought up this matter, saying, "Do you know, there used to be a company called Nanguang Company, there was a woman named Zhang Chen, whose mother and Chen Xuran founded Xuhui Real Estate, the one called Lanyuan. The sales were booming when it opened. My family even went to see it. It was expensive but not really expensive. We originally wanted to buy a unit on the 12th floor, but it was snapped up in the blink of an eye. Now we can only buy a unit on the 9th floor."

“My uncle went to see it too, and he bought one!”

Someone else said, "His father was in the newspaper not long ago, saying that he brought glory to the country and that even the Koreans had to compromise on the technology!"

The times are changing rapidly, and the society around us is also undergoing transformation. In particular, the construction and development of Fuzhou is progressing at an increasingly rapid pace. Many places that people are familiar with have changed in just one month. The area has been rebuilt and turned into a construction site, or the old highway roundabouts have disappeared and been replaced by crossroads and pedestrian overpasses.

The world is undergoing tremendous changes and being shaped.

Throughout this process, news reports and stories featuring leading figures emerged daily, drawing widespread attention to the forefront of social change and the immense transformation brought about by the internet. These individuals who created wealth also emerged in droves, becoming heroes and role models in the eyes of countless people.

In Fuzhou, and in the same area, people like Huang Huifen and Zhang Zhonghua would naturally become well-known through media attention and word of mouth.

Just like now, even Liu Qi firmly believes that Huang Huifen is possessed by great fortune and is making all sorts of underhanded moves.

Today, even Zhuang Yanyue had to come out to accompany the big sister who had returned from the Capital University for Nationalities. This big sister, named Xiong Xiatong, had always been the leader of the Cultural Bureau compound. She used to lead a group of people from the Cultural Bureau to fight with the kids from the neighboring company and government offices. She was notorious far and wide, and no one dared to mess with her. But Zhuang Yanyue was not the kind of person who had followed her around since childhood.

"Zhuang Yanyue is a bit arrogant!" That was Xiong Xiatong's assessment of her back then. She wasn't actually much older than Zhuang Yanyue, just one grade higher. But being a grade higher was a huge advantage, so Xiong Xiatong was still the undisputed number one in the Cultural Bureau compound.

However, Xiong Xiatong also knew that Zhuang Yanyue wouldn't follow others in calling her "Big Sister." She had her own pride. The reason Xiong Xiatong was so respected was because she understood people and knew how to balance relationships. In an era where children from different compounds fought each other, Xiong Xiatong always understood the importance of internal unity. Those around her had nicknamed the "Lucky Koi Family," a source of pride for them, but Zhuang Yanyue didn't join. Xiong Xiatong wasn't bothered, still respecting Zhuang Yanyue's independent spirit. In truth, it wasn't that Zhuang Yanyue was someone she herself couldn't become, someone she somewhat envied—a free-spirited girl like the wind, unburdened by constraints.

After Xiong Xiatong was admitted to the Central University for Nationalities, the "family" that used to surround her dispersed, and everyone went about their own business. However, when she returned from vacation, Xiong Xiatong called them together, and they all reunited. Zhuang Yanyue was specifically summoned by Xiong Xiatong through a phone call.

Xiong Xiatong gathered everyone at this small bar and talked about her experiences. As the group listened to this big sister from the Central University for Nationalities boast, they all became fascinated with university life.

Xiong Xiatong naturally gathered the children of the compound to show off, and also wanted to hear about what had happened to the people around her and in Rongcheng since she went to university.

Xiong Xiatong spoke of university life with a detached air, while silently observing Zhuang Yanyue. Unexpectedly, Zhuang Yanyue appeared much more understated. She even jokingly asked everyone what boyfriend Yanyue had this time. After all, back in high school, she often heard stories of Zhuang Yanyue winning over some of the school's most handsome boys.

After listening to everyone, nothing particularly noteworthy came of it; Zhuang Yanyue had clearly focused on her studies! Xiong Xiatong smiled and said to Zhuang Yanyue, "That's right, you've settled down. Those high school boys are just too young and immature. There are much better ones in university; it's dazzling!"

Zhuang Yanyue just smiled. She understood Xiong Xiatong's big sister personality and liked to give advice, so she mostly just listened.

Meanwhile, Xiong Xiatong listened to everyone talking about the deeds in Rongcheng, until the name Zhang Chen was mentioned, and then someone immediately started talking about their family's legendary experiences.

Because the "lucky family" that Xiong Xiatong knew were all around her age, and only Yang Lu had met Zhang Chen before, Yang Lu kept glancing at Zhuang Yanyue, thinking that Xiong Xiatong was unaware of the entanglement between Zhuang Yanyue and Zhang Chen that everyone was talking about!
But who knows? Yang Lu glanced at the girl named Xiang Miao. Xiang Miao was one of the most gossipy people around Xiong Xiatong. Nobody liked her much, but she was always good at flattering the boss, so Xiong Xiatong often included her. Perhaps it was because Zhuang Yanyue was popular and came from a good family, but Xiang Miao was always jealous of her. Yang Lu knew that many of the rumors about Zhuang Yanyue originated from her.

When everyone talked about Zhang Chen, Zhuang Yanyue listened with interest. There were even some details that she didn't know. Someone whose family had connections to a newspaper vividly described the battle between Zhang Chen's father and the South Korean side. Zhuang Yanyue listened and found it quite novel and admirable.

So on a whim, I sent a message to Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen, having finished playing, took a break. "What are you all talking about? It's not bad talk, is it?"

"I just found out Uncle Zhang is so amazing! He said there was a problem with the tests in South Korea, and it really was... Several families around here have bought houses from your family, haha, you're almost becoming the 'Young Master Zhang' they're talking about! Too bad, I've just become the laughing stock..."

"What are you laughing at?" Zhang Chen frowned slightly.

"So what if I was rejected by someone? I'm so embarrassed! It's become a stain on my life!"

"Are they all laughing at you?"

"No, not really. I was just young and impetuous, and I was really immature back then!"

"You don't have to be so old-fashioned."

Zhuang Yanyue and Zhang Chen were texting and didn't participate in their discussion.

"Zhang Chen is quite famous at Yude High School. He once got a perfect score on a test essay, and his ranking jumped from over 600th to over 100th! Before, Yang Lu and Zhuang Yanyue were harassed by hooligans while eating barbecue. Zhang Chen threw chili powder in their eyes, and everyone managed to escape. Everyone at work was stunned when they heard about it. Later, the parents even went to Yude High School to present him with a banner! Zhuang Yanyue and Yang Lu, right?"

Xiong Xiatong looked at the two of them, her almond-shaped eyes widening slightly. "So it was him. My mom mentioned him on the phone, but not in such detail."

“Nanguang Company is not far from here, and we’ve dealt with them before… I knew of this person before, but he didn’t leave a deep impression on me. He seemed like a little brother to me. I never expected him to suddenly become so famous.”

At this moment, Xiang Miao spoke up with a hint of sarcasm: "Not only that, Yan Yue goes to the same school as him, I've heard that..."

Attracted by her sensitive tone, everyone turned to look at Zhuang Yanyue and Xiang Miao with suspicion.

Yang Lu's hand tightened slightly; she knew Xiang Miao was up to something.

As expected, Xiang Miao laughed: "I heard that Yan Yue pursued him, but she didn't succeed!"

Those present stared at Zhuang Yanyue in astonishment.

Even Xiong Xiatong was somewhat surprised. In everyone's memory, Zhuang Yanyue had never made a mistake, so this was unexpected. This was not surprising, as they were not from the same school, and some were even older than her, so they did not belong to the same circle. In the Cultural Bureau compound, only Zhuang Yanyue studied at Yude School, so naturally there were not many "rumors" circulating.

But Xiang Miao, who had been "keeping an eye" on Zhuang Yanyue, was different; he always managed to find out about these things.

Xiong Xiatong was taken aback for a moment, but Zhuang Yanyue clearly saw the ease and gleeful smile that followed in her initial astonishment. Whether others could see it or not was purely a matter of perception; Zhuang Yanyue, however, could.

Then Xiong Xiatong smiled and said to Zhuang Yanyue, "It's okay, he's just a man!"

Xiong Xiatong had always heard that Zhuang Yanyue was the object of countless people's affections and had a well-known reputation, which made her somewhat envious. Even after going to university, Xiong Xiatong had to admit that a junior like Zhuang Yanyue would definitely cause a stir. However, she never expected that Zhuang Yanyue would actually suffer a setback with Zhang Chen. While Xiong Xiatong outwardly comforted her, she secretly thought, "So even you, Zhuang Yanyue, can run into obstacles!"
Zhuang Yanyue felt that this was a case of reaping what you sow. She had deliberately played the victim for Zhang Chen, only to be exposed in front of everyone. What was this? Publicly humiliating a corpse!
But after casually saying those words, Xiong Xiatong exclaimed "Eh!" and looked at Zhuang Yanyue, laughing, "You won't say a single bad word about him. It seems this Zhang Chen has really got you hooked!"

Those words are like killing someone by attacking their spirit.

Zhuang Yanyue knew that this big sister was not easy to get along with; she was always a pushover.

But Zhuang Yanyue really couldn't bring herself to say anything to Zhang Chen along with Xiong Xiatong, because... Zhang Chen is actually a very warm person.

Yang Lu suddenly stood up, which surprised everyone. When they looked over, they saw a man standing at the entrance of the tavern.

Tall and slender, with arched eyebrows and a pair of eyes that held a helpless, weary look. The moment Xiong Xiatong saw him, her heart skipped a beat. She was a strong-willed, assertive woman, but she actually liked this kind of cute, slightly Japanese-style guy. Yet, for a moment, she felt he looked vaguely familiar.

Yang Lu looked at Zhuang Yanyue, whose eyes were slightly glazed over and who seemed even more surprised, and tentatively asked, "He... he came to see you?"

Zhuang Yanyue finally spoke, "Zhang Chen... why are you here?"

The tavern fell silent instantly, everyone staring intently at Zhang Chen. Was this the person they had just been discussing?!
Even though I'm a high school student, I feel a surge of excitement as if someone I know is talking about is right in front of me.

Zhang Chen waved to Zhuang Yanyue, "Want to go for a walk?"

"Oh." Zhuang Yanyue was very obedient at this moment, and got up and followed her out.

After a long silence in the tavern, murmurs began to ripple through the crowd.

Xiang Miao maintained an indescribable and incredulous expression throughout.

(End of this chapter)