Shen Yu cleared his throat and reassured Huang Zhihe, “Don’t worry, I contacted someone from ‘Xingchi’ and asked them to arrange a few cars over here.”
His tone was perfectly composed, as if he were merely mentioning something utterly ordinary.
“Xingchi?!” Huang Zhihe’s voice rose slightly. “Mr. Shen, are you a member of Xingchi?”
Xingchi was a legendary luxury car club that was notoriously difficult to join, even for the wealthy. Simply throwing money at them wasn’t enough; one had to be vetted based on social influence and status.
Being a member of Xingchi was, in itself, a symbol of immense wealth and social standing.
Shen Yu raised his eyebrows slightly and nodded casually. “Mhm, I joined by chance a few years ago. I suppose you could call me a senior member by now.”
Netizens were amazed:
[I knew Shen Yu’s family was rich, but I didn’t know they were *this* rich.]
[No wonder he wasn’t worried at all. He had a backup plan all along. Now that’s true calmness.]
Huang Zhihe put on a look of perfect surprise and gratitude, clasping her hands in front of her. “Mr. Shen, you are really too kind! This is such a huge favor…”
“It’s nothing.” Shen Yu waved his hand with a smile, then turned his gaze to Jiang Zhiwu and Jiang Yanzhou standing in the corner. “Mr. Jiang, Zhiwu, the cars are quite spacious anyway. Why don’t you come with us? It’s better than wasting time here.”
Jiang Yanzhou didn’t even bother looking up. He quietly took a half step forward, perfectly shielding Jiang Zhiwu behind him. “No need.”
Shen Yu ignored him, letting his gaze linger on Jiang Zhiwu’s face for two seconds, expecting to see surprise or envy.
But Jiang Zhiwu simply met his eyes and raised an eyebrow.
Xingchi was one of her assets. Her parents had given it to her to manage as a hobby before they passed away.
Why was Shen Yu acting so proud just for being a member?
Seeing her completely unimpressed reaction, Shen Yu felt a strange twinge of irritation but couldn’t put his finger on it. Assuming they were just pretending to be calm, he forced another gentle smile. “Don’t be polite, adding two more people won’t be crowded at all.”
Only then did Jiang Zhiwu speak slowly, her voice calm and clear: “There’s no need. Perhaps Xingchi isn’t open for business today.”
Shen Yu was taken aback by her nonsensical words and frowned slightly. “How could that be? Xingchi operates 365 days a year. I’ve never heard of them closing down.”
The comment section erupted in criticism:
[Are you kidding me? They won’t even take a ride from Xingchi? Are these two siblings brainless?]
[Thinking too highly of themselves? Shen Yu kindly invited them and they act all high and mighty. Just trying to be different, aren’t they?]
[I get it now, they are doing this on purpose. Knowing Shen Yu can’t get angry on camera, they deliberately embarrass him!]
[I used to think Jiang Zhiwu had class, but now she seems just as annoying as her brother.]
[What a pair of ingrates. Hope they walk there and arrive at night!]
…
Shen Yu assumed they refused simply to save face, which only inflated his sense of superiority further.
The Shen family had started as new money; in terms of wealth and influence, they had always been overshadowed by the long-established Jiang family. Back when he was engaged to Jiang Zhiwu, people had sneered behind his back that he was “marrying up”. Those words had felt like a thorn in his side for years.
Now, standing before the “fallen” Jiang Zhiwu, he finally felt he had the upper hand.
With that thought, he put on a look of regret. “If that’s the case, I won’t force you.”
He turned to Huang Zhihe and the others, gesturing politely. “The cars should be arriving soon. Let’s wait at the entrance.”
Once they were far enough away, Jiang Zhiwu slowly took out her phone.
The screen lit up as she found a contact labeled “Xingchi – Qin” and typed quickly: “Suspend all external operations today. Cancel all existing reservations. Regardless of membership level, accept no new orders.”
A confirmation popped up, and within three seconds, she received a simple reply: “Understood.” Not a single unnecessary question was asked.
Jiang Yanzhou stood beside her, seeing her on the phone but asking nothing.
He knew Jiang Zhiwu never did anything without a reason.
Just as Shen Yu led the group to the entrance, his studio had already released a set of highly edited photos.
They were clearly stock photos prepared in advance—close-ups of him sitting in the driver’s seat of a Maybach, and shots of him standing before the golden Xingchi emblem, surrounded by a fleet of luxury cars.
Every photo was professionally retouched, with high-end color grading and composition.
Marketing accounts seemed to have received a unified order and reposted the images almost simultaneously.
“Who understands this! Watching the live stream and actually seeing a real-life boss!”
The comment section was buzzing:
[Help! I can stare at these photos until next year! Suits and luxury cars, who can resist this?!]
[One call and all these cars arrive. This is what a real male lead looks like.]
[Compared to those ungrateful siblings, Shen Yu is so handsome and kind. They took his kindness for granted. I feel bad for him.]
This move attracted many casual viewers. Someone asked:
[Xingchi? Is that the Xingchi I’m thinking of? They actually sent cars to pick him up?!]
[As long as you have the money and the membership level, what can’t they arrange?]
[To get Xingchi to send cars, especially during a live broadcast, shows how much face he has in that club.]
[No wonder he keeps a low profile in the industry. He doesn’t need the resources, he’s just here for fun.]
[Look how gentlemanly he is to Huang Zhihe. Details show character. Truly a high-quality man.]
Amidst the hype, the strict membership requirements of Xingchi were soon dug up. Seeing the harsh conditions only reinforced everyone’s perception of Shen Yu as a “noble young master”.
The data on Shen Yu’s backend skyrocketed. His team looked at the rising follower count and discussion volume, smiling triumphantly, feeling they had pulled off a brilliant publicity stunt.
Meanwhile, Shen Yu was leaning against a Roman column, glancing occasionally at the road, wearing a confident smile.
Wen Jing checked his watch. “Xiao Shen, the cars you called should be here soon, right?”
Shen Yu cleared his throat. “Don’t worry, a top-tier club values precision. They won’t be late. Since it’s for everyone here, they can’t afford any mistakes.”
This statement flattered the others while subtly showing off his own status. The comments were filled with praise again:
[Awwww Shen Yu is so good with words! It’s obviously his influence, yet he says it’s for everyone.]
[I’m tired of saying I’m jealous.]
But as time ticked by, the empty road remained deserted.
His initial calm gradually gave way to impatience.
With Xingchi’s efficiency, they should have arrived long ago, even if it meant mobilizing an entire fleet. Yet right now, apart from the cold wind, there wasn’t a single car in sight.
Huang Zhihe noticed his unease and spoke softly to smooth things over. “Mr. Shen, maybe there’s traffic? Coming out from the Second Ring Road can be slow sometimes.”
Shen Yu snapped back to reality, suppressing his irritation and forcing a smile. “Probably. Let’s wait a bit longer.”
And so they waited another ten minutes.
The atmosphere in the live stream began to shift:
[Wait? What happened to Xingchi? Where are the cars?]
[I’ve been waiting forever just to watch you guys stand here! Is Shen Yu just bragging?]
[Don’t jump to conclusions. Even if he’s stupid, he wouldn’t lie in front of so many people. There must be a special reason.]
[Special reason? Sounds more like his membership isn’t legit.]
[Stop hating! Do you know how rich his family is? Even if he wasn’t a member, calling a few cars is easy!]
[But he specifically said it was Xingchi… Now that they aren’t here, it’s kind of embarrassing, isn’t it?]
Shen Yu’s face grew darker and darker. Finally, he couldn’t hold back anymore and pulled out his phone to dial the Xingchi reception.
*Ring… Ring…*
It rang for a long time, but no one answered.
He frowned and dialed twice more, with the same result.
Behind him, Huang Zhihe’s smile was starting to falter. Wen Jing and Jiang Ting stood quietly, their expressions unreadable.
“Damn it.” Humiliated, Shen Yu cursed under his breath.
On the third attempt, a professional voice finally answered: “Hello, this is Xingchi Club, how may I help you?”
“I booked vehicles half an hour ago and they still haven’t arrived. The location is No.1 Manor in the suburbs. What is going on?” Shen Yu kept his voice low but couldn’t hide the anger.
There was a brief pause, then the polite response came: “We apologize, sir. Our system shows your reservation was cancelled ten minutes ago. The deposit has been refunded to your account, please check.”
“Cancelled?!” Shen Yu’s voice shot up, drawing everyone’s attention. “Who told you to cancel it? When did I cancel anything?”
He took a deep breath, trying to maintain his dignity, and spoke sternly. “I am a senior member, Shen Yu. Even if there are changes, shouldn’t you notify me first? Given my level, is arranging a few cars on short notice really that difficult?”
He emphasized “senior member” heavily, reminding them of his status. However, the reply that followed was like a bucket of ice water:
“We are very sorry, Mr. Shen. Your current level is Platinum. We received a temporary notice today that only Black Diamond members and above are eligible for emergency dispatch. Your level does not meet today’s service standards, hence the automatic cancellation. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
He wasn’t qualified enough.
This conversation was clearly picked up by the live stream microphones.
In front of everyone, Shen Yu felt his anger explode. He shouted into the phone, “Do you know who I am? How dare you speak to me like this! Do you believe I can get your club shut down?!”
“We apologize, Mr. Shen. This is a temporary rule for today, we are merely following protocol.” The voice remained calm, followed by the cold tone of the line being disconnected.
“Fuck!” Shen Yu finally lost his temper and slammed his phone onto the ground.
[So what exactly happened? The club is closed today?]
[I heard it means his level isn’t high enough to book cars.]
[Wow… Remember the look on Sister Jiang’s face earlier? It feels like she knew something.]
[But Shen Yu is really scary, right? Even if he couldn’t get cars, no need to throw the phone.]
Jiang Zhiwu watched the scene outside the window, then calmly withdrew her gaze and said to Jiang Yanzhou, “Let’s go.”
“Go?” Jiang Yanzhou was stunned. “You arranged something?”
“Mhm.”
Jiang Zhiwu nodded lightly and walked out first.
Following her to the back entrance, Jiang Yanzhou saw a private helicopter.
Its fuselage gleamed coldly in the sunlight, having landed discreetly, completely out of sight of the cameras.
Jiang Yanzhou: “…”