When Lin Chu entered, he saw her washing mushrooms in the open-plan kitchen.

Hearing his footsteps, she glanced back. "Brother Chu, go have a seat. I don’t need any help here."

Lin Chu casually scanned the living room’s decor. He noticed an altar in the center of the room with two memorial portraits on it. ’They must be Li Kai’s parents,’ he thought. ’They passed away young.’

"What year were you born? You look pretty young, yet everyone calls you ’brother’?"

Lin Xiwan added.

Lin Chu smiled. "I guess I’m just mature for my age. I just turned 24 this year."

She replied, "Hm? A young buck, huh? Then you should be calling me ’sis’."

Lin Chu refused flatly. "Nope."

She glanced back at him. Seeing the calm and unbothered look in his eyes, her smile widened. "Go on, say it once. We both have the surname Lin, after all. And I’m three years older than you."

Lin Chu, admiring the line of her hips, still smiled. "Still not happening. I don’t follow that rule."

She pursed her lips.

And said nothing more.

Lin Chu didn’t say anything either. He sauntered over to take a look, then sauntered back out the door.

Hearing him leave, Lin Xiwan glanced back and snorted softly. ’He’s pretty arrogant.’

After stepping outside, Lin Chu felt his own desire to conquer stir.

’No wonder Li Kai’s been chasing her for seven or eight years with no success,’ he thought. ’She’s definitely a tough one. She has a kind of domineering air you rarely see in a girl.’

When Li Kai saw Lin Chu come back out so soon after going in, he secretly wanted to laugh.

’Couldn’t handle her, huh?’

"Dumbass!"

The parrot suddenly squawked again.

Lin Chu: ...

’I want to roast it too!’

’Damn bird!’

"Oh, right. I brought you two boxes of incense. Ambergris. I find it pretty good."

He went to his car and brought back two jars of it for him.

Li Kai glanced at them. "Whoa, thanks, thanks! Just set it down for now. After dinner, we can drink tea and appreciate the incense."

Lin Chu smiled and nodded as the system panel appeared before his eyes.

Double Rebate: 34,400.

An amount like this no longer caused a ripple in Lin Chu’s heart.

However, this opened up a new avenue.

Giving male friends things like bags, belts, or other luxury goods always felt a little strange.

But incense, tea, jade, or calligraphy and paintings felt completely normal.

Refined.

Fucking refined!

...

As dusk approached, the sky was filled with fiery clouds.

The fire was ready, and all the ingredients were prepared.

A top-grade, free-range Nuodeng ham was mounted on the table, and Li Kai was skillfully carving it.

A large platter was filled with salmon sashimi, with matsutake sashimi beside it.

Termite mushrooms, beef cubes, and black tiger shrimp were grilling over the fire.

A plate of steamed Solomon’s seal.

The aromas of the various top-tier ingredients mingled together. The wolfdog’s tail wagged like a fan as it obediently waited nearby, drooling.

An evening breeze blew past.

Lin Chu also felt a sense of contentment.

"Let’s not drink today. Teacher Meng doesn’t touch alcohol, and you and I have been drinking a bit much these past two days, Brother Chu. Let’s take a break."

Li Kai said with a smile.

Lin Chu nodded. "Alright. The atmosphere here is really nice."

He picked up a slice of ham and chewed it slowly. It was delicious—savory, fragrant, and rich.

"I miss the days in the mountains. Tsk, Peng City is so boring..."

Lin Xiwan wrapped a piece of matsutake sashimi with salmon, dipped it in wasabi and soy sauce, and took a bite, her face a picture of satisfaction as she spoke.

"Aren’t we heading out soon? Just quietly waiting for Teacher Meng’s super skinny-dip..."

Li Kai comforted her casually, focusing on flipping the food on the grill.

Lin Xiwan shot back, "You’re so perverted, you old lecher... Get lost!"

Hearing this, Lin Chu looked at her with some surprise, a slight smile on his face. ’What a firecracker. She really speaks her mind.’

Noticing Lin Chu’s gaze, Lin Xiwan showed a hint of demureness after all. Her eyes instinctively shifted away as she smiled. "Sowwy, I cursed."

Lin Chu waved his hand with a smile. "I want to see it too."

She: ...

Speechless for a moment, she stared at Lin Chu for a few seconds before feigning a cutesy tone. "You’re so annoying! I hate you!"

Li Kai: "BLEGH! Talk normally, for fuck’s sake, I’m gonna puke. Is acting cutesy something you’re even capable of?"

Lin Xiwan: "Believe it or not, I’ll beat you to death!"

Lin Chu couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.

The two of them: ...

As they were enjoying their meal, Lin Chu’s phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the screen—it was Lu Ming.

He answered.

"Bro, I’ve got the registration all sorted out. School starts on September 1st, so there are about fifty days left. What are you up to tonight? Wanna come out for a drink?"

Lin Chu replied, "Alright, but I’m not drinking today. I’ve got something to do. I’m hanging up now."

He hung up right after speaking.

"You’re still in school? Holy shit! Is my Brother Chu really this ambitious?"

Li Kai blurted out.

Lin Chu shot him an exasperated glare but didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ’Why does everyone have the same reaction?’

Too lazy to argue with him, he just said casually, "I’m getting an MBA. I’d rather not have eyes that are ’clear and foolish’."

Li Kai said, "Teacher Meng, he’s insulting both of us! Get him! Beat him up good!"

Lin Xiwan stared at Lin Chu for a moment, then smiled. "I don’t hit good kids."

’Kid?’

Lin Chu pursed his lips. "Still, Teacher Meng’s insults are the dirtiest. Who can compete with you... two little words, and you hit me with a ’good guy’ card and a ’kid’ card..." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

She couldn’t help but burst out laughing, her body shaking with mirth.

Only then did Lin Chu notice that besides the line of her hips, her bustline was also incredible. ’The mountains are right there,’ he thought. ’It really makes you wonder... after working out that much, would they be hard to the touch?’

’Probably not, though.’

’Muscle is muscle, and mammary glands are mammary glands.’

"Want to go diving with us, Brother Chu? It’s a lot of fun."

After her laughter subsided, she actively invited him.

’This guy is actually interesting,’ she thought. ’He’s got style, and he’s fun.’

Lin Chu waved his hand. "Nope. I’m afraid of getting kidnapped, afraid of getting my kidneys harvested. Seriously, how can you guys be so carefree? I just saw on the news that they’re kidnapping Chinese nationals. It’s a mess. Even after the ransom was paid, the person still got... harvested."

Hearing this, the other two looked at each other, a trace of worry appearing in their eyes.

"Yeah... so what should we do?"

"Maybe we should pick a different spot?"

Li Kai was dishing out meat for them. Realizing how firm Lin Chu’s stance was, but still really wanting to invite him, his tone suddenly softened.

’A top-tier outdoorsman always puts safety first.’

’That’s professional integrity.’

After wavering for a moment, Lin Xiwan’s attitude became extremely resolute. "For me, it’s mainly commemorative. My first-ever dive was at Bohe Island, so I’m definitely going. Worst case... fate dictates life and death, heaven our fortune."

Lin Chu: ...

’The first time I’ve ever heard a woman say those eight words. She’s really something else.’

Li Kai couldn’t help but look at Lin Chu, his resolve wavering again.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Brother Chu, weren’t you looking for bodyguards? I have a connection. A buddy of mine is in the security business. His company handles armored transport for banks and also helps veterans find jobs. They get some fierce new recruits every year."

’Hm?’

Lin Chu was intrigued.

"That works. I’ll need a personal bodyguard first. And... if we really go on this trip, we’ll need to assemble a team of at least thirty people. It’ll be a one-time mission. I’ll cover the cost."

Li Kai: ?

Lin Xiwan was also completely stunned.

’What does he even mean by thirty people?’

"Wait, isn’t that a bit too exaggerated? Thirty people is a whole platoon. What are we going to do, fight a war? You could conquer all of Bohe Island with that many people..."

It was the first time she had witnessed Lin Chu’s "money power," and it was quite a shock.

’Besides, isn’t this way too extravagant?’

Lin Chu just smiled casually and said with conviction, "Let’s do it that way then. With so many people, we might as well just charter a big plane. Li Kai, you find the right channels and make the arrangements. The price doesn’t matter. Isn’t this all to help Teacher Meng fulfill her dream? Besides, I want to have some fun too..."

’Charter a plane, hire bodyguards, bring friends along... that’s at least a few million, which means a huge rebate, right?’

’Plus, it’ll be safe, and we’ll have a comfortable trip.’

The two of them: ...

"Wait, you’re being serious?!"

Li Kai asked in disbelief.

Lin Xiwan’s eyes lit up too, her gaze fixed intently on Lin Chu, her breathing slightly quickened. ’Help me fulfill my dream?’

She had never imagined that this was even a way to do things.

Lin Chu nodded again. "Of course I’m serious. Stop fucking dawdling. Go take care of it tomorrow."

’Spending money is an art form.’

’I may not be good at making money, but when it comes to spending it, I, Lin Chu, am a top-tier artist...’

...

...