Lin Chu transferred the tuition fee to Lu Ming and had him handle the paperwork.

A mere 420,000 yuan was pocket change.

Studying wasn’t his real goal, of course. Expanding his network was the true path.

"Brother, are you free this evening? I’d like to treat you to dinner."

The message from Li Kai was a surprisingly formal invitation.

Seeing it, Lin Chu thought for a moment and figured he was simply reciprocating the courtesy.

They were both men of decorum. Never mind the specifics of the meal; the sentiment was what counted.

"What’re we eating? I can’t really drink right now, need to take a couple of days off."

Li Kai: "Heh, no alcohol then. We can just have some tea. We’ll eat at my place. I just got my hands on something good."

This piqued Lin Chu’s curiosity. "What is it?"

Li Kai: "Hahaha, it’s a secret for now. you’ll find out when you get here. I’m sending you the location. Just come by around seven."

Shaking his head with a smile, Lin Chu saw the location pin he sent.

Yijing Garden.

He let out a silent ’tsk.’ This was an old luxury estate from decades ago—detached villas right in the city. A boss who lived here back in the day, driving a Santana, would be considered a has-been if he hadn’t upgraded to a yacht and a private jet by now.

’Come to think of it, that made sense.’

Li Kai was only in his thirties. To be so invested in outdoor sports, he obviously hadn’t spent much time at a regular job. ’He’s probably from old money.’

’Though, he probably isn’t doing all that well for himself these days.’

"I have a dinner engagement tonight, so you should head back to the university on your own."

He glanced at Du Xiaoman and said casually.

She pouted, reluctant to leave, and asked with feigned obedience, "Can’t you take me with you?"

"Take you with me to drink with a bunch of guys? How many bottles can you even handle? I won’t allow it."

She hummed in understanding, sensing his domineering possessiveness. "Alright, fine, I won’t go then. I’ll get a cab back. I’ll miss you..."

She gently hugged Lin Chu.

Like petting a cat, he stroked her hair, fondled her lovely legs for a moment, and then sent her on her way.

Taking two newly bought tins of incense with him, he drove straight to Yijing Garden.

The area was full of old-fashioned, detached villas. They looked a bit like countryside homesteads, but they were incredibly comfortable and had a real, homey atmosphere.

Three cars were parked in front of the gate: an old Mercedes-Benz, a Buick GL8, and a sports car tightly wrapped in a car cover.

In the yard, Li Kai was lighting charcoal, the air thick with smoke.

The main thing was... the yard!

He had a yard in Peng City!

Lin Chu imagined it: living in a place like this, serene and secluded within the complex, yet stepping out into the vibrant, chaotic city. The contrast was simply incredible.

For a moment, he actually considered buying a house here.

"Brother Chu, you’re here!"

"You’re early! Come on in."

Li Kai opened the yard gate, and only then did Lin Chu see a dog lying by the entrance. It was a wolf-blue shepherd and looked truly formidable. It let out a soft WOOF and was met with a light kick from Li Kai. "Dashan, stop your barking. He’s one of us!"

The dog looked at Lin Chu again, and its tail instantly started wagging like a pinwheel.

Its dignified canine face instantly dissolved into a fawning expression, even revealing an ingratiating smile that a human could understand.

Begging for pets.

Lin Chu couldn’t help but laugh.

’What a smart dog.’

"Your place is really nice."

Glancing around, he saw a birdcage hanging under the eaves of the courtyard wall with a parrot inside. As Lin Chu looked at it curiously, the parrot suddenly blurted out, "Moron! A moron’s here!"

Li Kai: ...

Exasperated, he tried to explain, "This bird’s a hopeless case. I’m tempted to just roast it."

The parrot immediately panicked, squawking even louder, "Moron! Moron!"

Lin Chu: ...

After a moment of laughter, Lin Chu noticed the styrofoam box by the door. "So what’s the big secret?"

Li Kai opened the lid. "A friend sent these over. One top-grade ham, a box of matsutake, a box of Jizong mushrooms, and some other mountain delicacies—Solomon’s seal, Gastrodia, and the like. This morning, they were still on a mountain in Shangri-La. After they were picked, he had someone take a high-speed train to the airport and fly them straight to Peng City. They just got here after four this afternoon, so they’re guaranteed to be fresh."

Er.

Lin Chu nodded. He’d been one-upped; Li Kai’s flex was a success.

’That was some serious flexing.’

’You needed connections, you needed money, and it took a ton of effort. This was the kind of stuff money couldn’t even buy.’

Lin Chu laughed, reciting, "A steed parts the red dust, a rich boy smiles wide; who’d have known that mushrooms had arrived."

Li Kai: "Damn! What kind of crappy poem is that!"

As the two were chatting, another car pulled up to the gate—a Porsche Panamera.

A girl got out of the car and said with a laugh, "Granpa Kai, your highness has arrived!"

Li Kai shot her an annoyed glare. "Yeah, I’ll ’receive’ you, right in the face! Get a move on and go wash the mushrooms!"

Listening to their banter, Lin Chu casually sized up the girl.

’Her body... was incredible.’

The results of her workouts were obvious. She was tall, at least 175 cm, with well-defined muscles. Her white T-shirt and jeans were stretched taut against her body.

His gaze eventually settled on the curve of her rear, and his Adam’s apple couldn’t help but bob. It looked like those jeans could barely contain her perfect, peach-like rear.

’She could probably crush a man with that thing.’

The key was her proportions; they were perfect, giving her an exquisite look. Any more exaggerated and it would have been overkill.

’Clearly, her own sense of aesthetics was on point, too.’

"Brother Chu."

"This is Teacher Meng, a friend of mine. She’s the one who’s getting ready to go diving. You could call her the Li Yanhua of Peng City, the most beautiful butt around."

Li Kai introduced her casually.

’Li Yanhua?’

’That name...’ Lin Chu thought for a moment before it clicked. The famous fitness goddess from Korea, the one known for her "number one figure." She was a big deal; he’d seen photos of her.

He smiled, pursing his lips. "Teacher Meng, you’re in great shape."

’She really did give off that vibe. Her figure looked to be on par.’

"Nice to meet you, Brother Chu. I’m Lin Xiwan. You can just call me Teacher Meng."

She raised an eyebrow. She had a classic oval face, but it was full of a sharp, dashing energy. Her smile was bright and frank. After introducing herself, she extended a hand. "I just heard about you a couple of days ago, and I’ve been wanting to meet you. Granpa Kai here wouldn’t introduce us, but I guess I finally get my chance today."

Lin Chu shook her hand and could feel the calluses on her palm. It wasn’t the soft, smooth feel of a typical girl’s hand, but it had a sense of strength.

"Hey, you two are practically family, both named Lin. Now you know each other..."

"Alright, get to work. Go wash the mushrooms."

"We’re a couple of young masters; we can’t be doing manual labor."

Li Kai said with a laugh, ordering her around.

Lin Xiwan feigned a punch and shot back with a laugh, "For the sake of matsutake sashimi, I’ll spare you. Fine, I’ll go wash them. Oh, right, I brought a piece of well-aged tuna I just got from a friend. We can wrap the matsutake with it later. It’s to die for..."

She turned to get the things from her car.

Lin Chu’s eyes once again fell on the curve of her rear.

Suddenly, he caught sight of Li Kai’s gaze, which was fixed on the same spot.

Lin Chu glanced at him, and they exchanged a smile.

Li Kai even licked his lips.

’Damn, you’re a real creep...’ Lin Chu thought, but he still chuckled aloud.

’Her body was just insane.’

While she was inside washing the mushrooms, Lin Chu asked casually, "You two... hmm?"

Li Kai understood instantly and sighed softly. "Nothing going on. We’re just childhood friends. I fucking chased her for seven or eight years when we were kids, but it never went anywhere. I finally gave up. It was such a pain. So now we’re just bros."

Lin Chu: ...

’Bootlicker!’

But he didn’t say it out loud.

"How many people are coming today?"

Li Kai: "Just the three of us. I didn’t invite anyone else, wanted a quiet day. Why, you have friends you want to bring? Go ahead, but not too many. I’m afraid we won’t have enough mushrooms. Can’t be helped. With this kind of stuff, nobody can provide an unlimited supply."

"You should always keep the good stuff for yourself. I’m not calling anyone."

"I’m gonna go inside and take a look. You handle the fire for now."

Lin Chu said casually and walked toward the living room on the first floor.

Li Kai watched Lin Chu’s retreating back, shaking his head with a smile. ’Brother Chu, are you thinking of trying your luck, too?’

’My Teacher Meng isn’t someone you can win over with just money.’

’A badass chick like her is never coy. All she wants to do is pump iron, conquer mountains, and dive into the water.’

...

...