We agreed not to date, so why are you crying now that I've become the richest man?

8:30 PM, Dijinwan Residential Complex.

The autumn night wind already carries a chill.

Ye Chen, carrying a simple backpack, accompanied his parents into the elevator and pressed the button for the basement level.

"bite."

The elevator doors slowly opened.

The underground parking garage was rather deserted, with white lights falling on the clean ground.

The three of them walked through the passage and soon arrived at their parking space.

The brand-new black Passat sat there quietly, its body spotless.

Ye Jianguo took out his key and pressed it.

The car lights flashed twice, and the crisp sound of unlocking the door echoed far and wide in the garage.

Chen Xiulan opened the passenger door and glanced back at her son.

"The basement is chilly and damp, quickly pull your coat up."

"Also, have you put your ticket away properly? Don't go searching for it everywhere when you get to the station."

"I brought it, Mom."

Ye Chen tossed his backpack into the back seat and then got in.

Ye Jianguo started the car and skillfully shifted gears to start moving.

The black Passat smoothly drove out of the underground parking garage and turned onto the road leading to the train station.

Chen Xiulan kept talking the whole way.

"Eat on time when you go to school, don't skip meals or overeat."

"Don't stay up too late at night, and don't go to internet cafes too often. Your health is the most important thing."

"It's going to get colder in Shanghai, remember to take out your thick blankets and air them out before using them."

Ye Chen leaned back in his chair, not feeling annoyed at all.

"understood."

Don't worry.

"I'll get sunburned as soon as I get to school."

Others might find their mother's nagging annoying if they heard it too often.

But for Ye Chen, every extra word he heard was a bonus.

A dozen minutes later, the Passat drove into the train station parking lot.

During the peak of the National Day holiday return travel period, the station square was crowded with people, with travelers dragging luggage and carrying large and small bags everywhere.

Ye Jianguo found an empty space and steadily reversed the car into the parking line.

Coincidentally, a silver-gray bread truck had just parked next to it.

The car door was pulled open with a "whoosh".

Zhao Peng jumped off the bus with a bulging backpack on his back, turned around and said goodbye to his parents in the car.

Zhao Baoguo also got out of the driver's seat, just about to give his son a few more words of advice.

Ye Jianguo opened the car door, got out, and took Ye Chen's backpack from the back seat.

"Old Ye?"

Suddenly, a voice full of doubt came from the side.

Zhao Baoguo stood beside the bread cart, glanced at Ye Jianguo, and then stared at the gleaming black Passat.

He rubbed his eyes.

It was as if they were afraid they had mistaken someone for someone else.

In his memory, the Ye family was similar to his own family, both being ordinary working-class families.

It's only been a short time since we last met.

How come Lao Ye is even driving a Passat now?

Zhao Peng wasn't surprised at all.

He didn't need to guess to know that this car was most likely related to Ye Chen.

"Hey, Lao Zhao."

Ye Jianguo closed the car door and greeted him with a smile.

"Are you seeing Xiaopeng off?"

Zhao Baoguo walked over quickly and circled the Passat halfway around.

He raised his hand, but in the end, he couldn't bear to touch the car paint.

"Old Ye, is your car...new?"

Zhao Baoguo's voice sounded somewhat unsteady.

"Don't tell me you went to be a chauffeur for some boss."

Ye Jianguo waved his hand casually, but his back was ramrod straight.

"Why would I drive a private car? I bought it myself."

"You bought it yourself?!"

Zhao Baoguo's voice suddenly rose, attracting several nearby passengers to turn around and look.

He looked Ye Jianguo up and down again.

Wearing crisp brand-name casual clothes, new leather shoes, and carrying the Passat keys, he exudes a completely different aura than before.

Chen Xiulan was also wearing clothes she had just bought at the department store.

The couple stood by the car, neither showing off nor being ostentatious, but exuding a down-to-earth composure.

"Old Ye, you're making a fortune quietly!"

Zhao Baoguo looked completely incredulous.

"This Passat must cost over 200,000 yuan, right? Did you win the lottery?"

Upon hearing the words "win the lottery," Ye Chen's expression remained unchanged.

Ye Jianguo didn't reveal the slightest flaw, and waved his hand with a smile.

"No way, I didn't win the lottery."

"I just have some spare cash and I'm thinking of getting a nicer car to drive."

Do you have some spare cash?

Zhao Baoguo was stunned.

I bought a car worth over 200,000 yuan without hesitation.

What kind of "something" is this?

He glanced at the car keys in Ye Jianguo's hand, then looked back at his own old bread truck, opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time.

"Old Ye, you've really kept it a secret."

After hesitating for a long time, Zhao Baoguo finally gave a thumbs up.

"That's enviable."

Ye Jianguo smiled and said nothing more.

But that straight back clearly expressed his feelings.

Ye Chen, with a backpack slung over one shoulder, walked over.

"Hello, Uncle Zhao."

"Okay, okay."

Zhao Baoguo subconsciously responded, and his gaze towards Ye Chen became more scrutinizing.

Ye Chen didn't pay any attention, and simply raised his hand to pat Zhao Peng on the shoulder.

Zhao Peng immediately leaned closer and asked in a low voice:

"Brother Chen, you haven't forgotten about the internet cafe incident, have you?"

"I can't forget it."

Ye Chen glanced at the time.

"Let's hurry up and go, or we'll have to catch our next train if we keep talking."

When Zhao Peng saw that there were only ten minutes left before the ticket check, he immediately shrank back.

"Let's go, let's go!"

Outside the station entrance, Chen Xiulan and Zhao Peng's mother waved continuously through the iron fence towards the inside.

"Remember to call when you arrive!"

"Don't sleep too much on the road, keep an eye on your luggage!"

One sentence after another, I wish I could chase him all the way to Shanghai.

The station's public address system also started broadcasting at that moment.

"Ticket checking for trains heading towards Beijing is now open. Passengers, please line up and enter the station in an orderly manner..."

Ye Chen stood at the front of the line and glanced back.

Through the crowded throng, he waved to his parents, giving them a reassuring smile.

He then turned around and crossed the ticket gate with Zhao Peng.

Night was falling.

The crowded green train was filled with the smells of instant noodles, cigarettes, and various other foods.

During the National Day holiday return trip, the hard-seat carriages were packed to the brim, with people even standing in the aisles.

Ye Chen and Zhao Peng struggled to fit their luggage into the narrow overhead luggage rack.

The two sat down in the hard seats facing each other by the window, their knees almost touching the knees of the passengers opposite them, and then they breathed a long sigh of relief.

With a long whistle, the train slowly started moving.

The wheels rolled over the rails, making a rhythmic "clanging" sound.

The lights of the county town outside the window kept receding, gradually merging into a blurry expanse of light and shadow.

The carriage was noisy, filled with chatter in various accents.

Zhao Peng's excitement hadn't subsided yet.

He moved closer to Ye Chen, lowering his voice in the cramped seat:

"Brother Chen, you paid for Uncle Ye's new car, didn't you?"

"You didn't see the look in my dad's eyes just now; his eyes were practically glued to the car window."

"I reckon he'll be so envious he won't be able to sleep tonight when he gets home."

Ye Chen smiled.

"When our internet cafe opens, you'd better do a good job."

"If you really do something, I'll give you a big bonus, and you can also buy Uncle Zhao a new car."

Zhao Peng's eyes lit up instantly.

His breathing became a little heavier.

"Holy crap, Brother Chen, you said it yourself!"

"Don't worry, I'll treat the internet cafe like my second home, and I'll work my ass off!"

"I know those internet cafes in our area like the back of my hand."

"The internet cafes near the university are already packed. Let's upgrade their specs and crush them!"

Having ideas is a good thing.

A cold draft blew into the carriage through the window cracks, and Ye Chen pulled his coat collar tighter.

"However, opening a store is not like playing a game. Just thinking about maximizing the configuration is not enough. You have to consider rent, customer traffic, licenses, and labor costs."

Zhao Peng felt a chill run down his spine.

I just thought I was the future king of internet cafes, but now I realize that I haven't even seen the shadow of the throne yet.

"Then... shall we talk about it when we get to Shanghai?"

"That's quite right."

Ye Chen crossed his arms over his chest, rested his head against the narrow edge of the car window, and closed his eyes.

"Take a nap first. It'll be a three-hour drive to Beijing. Once we get to Beijing Station, we'll have to transfer to a train to Shanghai. You'll be busy when we get back."