Chapter 7 – Star Of Zhonghai_1
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After dinner, the city was already lit up with its early evening lights.
Xu Fan, carrying his precious daughter, stepped out of Pizza Hut, hailed a taxi, and prepared to head home.
This time, he didn’t want to return to that dirty and chaotic little room; Xu Fan actually owned a house in Zhonghai City, but due to his previous downfall into despair, he felt too ashamed to go back there.
Now, with his daughter in tow, Xu Fan didn’t want her to suffer alongside him, so he decided to return to the house he had bought before.
The house was regrly cleaned by a servant, and the rooms were secured with fingerprint locks. Xu Fan could go whenever he pleased without any worries.
“Driver, to the Star of Zhonghai,” Xu Fan said softly to the taxi driver.
His voice was very low, as his daughter Tongtong was already asleep in his arms.
The Star of Zhonghai? The taxi driver cast a doubtful nce back at Xu Fan through the rear-view mirror.
The Star of Zhonghai was known as one of the opulent vi districts in Zhonghai City. Those who could afford a house there were either wealthy or noble. Ordinary people couldn’t even dream of entering the gates of the Star of Zhonghaimunity in their lifetime, thanks to its formidable security measures.
The passenger in the backseat looked so ordinary it was impossible to be more nondescript, dressed in shabby clothes. Although he was handsome, good looks couldn’t be used as currency. The driver thought it was ny-nine percent impossible for this man to afford a house in the Star of Zhonghai.
Despite his skepticism, the driver still turned the car around and headed towards the Star of Zhonghai.
A hint of disdain flickered through Xu Fan’s eyes.
He took note of the driver’s doubt but chose not to pay too much attention to it.
The Xu Family was one of the four great families of Yan Country. As the once heir, Xu Fan not only owned properties in Zhonghai but also had real estate in all the major and medium-sized cities across the nation.
In Zhonghai City alone, the Xu Family owned dozens of businesses. Previously, Xu Fan would asionallye to Zhonghai on business trips, check on his properties, and take the opportunity to indulge in the city’s entertainment offerings. This house served as Xu Fan’s regr base whenever he visited Zhonghai City.
After being stripped of his heir status, although his ounts were frozen, the property under his name required his personal signature to transfer. Xu Fan had by then already been drowning in an inebriated limbo in that messy little room; the Xu Family couldn’t find him, and naturally, they couldn’t sell the house.
Therefore, this house still belonged to Xu Fan.
Half an hourter, the taxi stopped outside the gate of the Star of Zhonghai.
Xu Fan, holding his daughter, gently got out of the car. He casually threw a hundred-yuan bill into the car window, saying there was no need for change.
The taxi driver’s eyebrows shot up in glee, and he cheerfully drove off to return.
Standing in front of themunity gate, Xu Fan was overwhelmed by a myriad of emotions.
The Star of Zhonghai didn’t have high-rise buildings; all of them were standalone vis, each with its own small garden. In a city like Zhonghai, where every inch ofnd was worth its weight in gold, the value of a single vi was extraordinary. Only the wealthy ns and nobility could figure out how to even begin to purchase one.
Xu Fan’s vi was a three-story mansion, each floor spanning over two hundred square meters. The value of just this house alone wasparable to the price of a courtyard house in the Capital City. Furthermore, considering the continuously rising property prices in Zhonghai City over the years, Xu Fan’s house was conservatively estimated to be worth over a hundred million yuan.
Holding the sleeping Tongtong in his arms, Xu Fan quickly walked towards the entrance of themunity.
Before he could enter, he was stopped by a shrill voice.
“Hey you, stop right there! You can’t just barge in here without a pass. Do you think this is a ce for someone like you?”
Xu Fan turned around to find a man in a security uniform emerging from themunity’s guard booth, pointing at him and causing quite amotion.
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“Keep it down, don’t wake my daughter!” A sh of anger crossed Xu Fan’s eyes as he saw his daughter sleeping peacefully, and he suppressed it quietly.
“So you think you can just barge into Star of Zhonghai’s security gate and be justified? Do you know what this ce is? Star of Zhonghai, luxury vis costing two hundred thousand per square meter. Look at the street market clothes you’re wearing; even if you sold your kidney, you couldn’t afford a bathroom here!”
The security guard, with a weasel-like face, said disdainfully to Su Chen.
Before Xu Fan could respond, a shiny white BMW 760 sedan swooshed to theplex’s entrance.
The security guard, who was just now acting arrogantly with his arms akimbo, immediately began nodding and bowing as he walked up to the car.
“Mr. Li, hello!” The security guard bowed deeply to the man in the BMW.
This was the protocol in the Star of Zhonghaiplex; every staff member had to show the utmost respect to the homeowners. In return, the security guards here earned significantly higher wages than those in other ces.
The window of the BMW slowly rolled down, revealing a fat, dark-skinned man with a thick gold chain around his neck—the very picture of a nouveau riche.
“You see meing and you don’t hurry up to open the gate? What’s the damn dy? Next time you’re not quick to see, I’ll fucking end you,” the fat man in the car said, nearly scaring the poor security guard to death. He hurriedly nodded and bowed, apologizing profusely, almost ready to kneel.
“Why argue with a damn gatekeeper, Brother Li? Let’s hurry inside,” said a woman who looked like an inte celebrity from the passenger seat, speaking sweetly to Mr. Li. Her makeup was heavily applied, giving her a worldly appearance.
“This time I’ll let it slide, but be more observant, kid,” Mr. Li threatened, then stepped on the gas and drove into theplex.
The young security guard, now sweating profusely, saw Xu Fan standing there and immediately puffed himself up again.
“Dammit, you almost got me in trouble with the boss. If you don’t get lost, I’ll call my brothers to throw you out!”
Xu Fan narrowed his eyes, emitting a dangerous glint.
He had been willing to overlook the guard’s lowly view of him, but after being provoked over and over, he was getting angry too.
“Are you new here? Have the guards who’ve been here over three yearse out; see if they recognize me!” Xu Fan said sternly.
The security guard became hesitant and used the walkie-talkie to call several senior guards, who emerged from the guardhouse.
“Captain Wang, there’s a man here who ims to be one of our homeowners. I thought he might be a trespasser, so I stopped him. Please take a look,” the young guard said.
After he finished speaking, the middle-aged security guard known as Captain Wang also walked up to Xu Fan.
Upon seeing Xu Fan, Captain Wang was taken aback.
“Mr. Xu, what brings you here? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you,” Captain Wang said as he bowed to Xu Fan, his face filled with respect.
Back when Xu Fan was a young master, he had rewarded Captain Wang for his responsible attitude while on duty, so naturally, the captain remembered Xu Fan well.
“Captain Wang, your security guard here won’t let me in. Has Star of Zhonghai changed so much that I don’t recognize it after not visiting for three years?”
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Xu! You are always so generous. He’s new and doesn’t recognize you. You there! Hurry over and apologize to Mr. Xu. If Mr. Xu isn’t satisfied, pack your bags and get lost tonight!” Captain Wang shouted sternly at the young guard.
“Mr. Xu! I was wrong! I was truly wrong, please don’t fire me!” The young guard knelt with a thud on the ground. Just now, his disrespectful words to a homeowner, if pursued by Xu Fan, could not only get him fired but also cost him a hefty penalty.
Xu Fan gave him a brief nce and walked slowly into theplex.
“Don’t let me see him here again,” Xu Fan’s voice came from behind.