Why Don't You Buy a Maybach

Evening self-study ended.

A black Maybach was parked at the school gates.

This car stood out like a sore thumb among the crowd of parents waiting to pick up their children, drawing the attention of passing students.

Pei Dongcheng's driver stood respectfully by the car door, waiting.

Chen Zhi, carrying his backpack, walked out of the school side by side with Pei Ningxue.

Seeing the car, Chen Zhi paused, feeling a slight headache.

"Do we really have to go?"

He turned to look at Pei Ningxue, attempting a final struggle.

"My stomach suddenly hurts a bit. How about another day?"

Pei Ningxue looked at him with clear eyes.

"..."

Chen Zhi changed his excuse. "Actually, I have cholecystitis."

"You're so bold, your gallbladder should be very healthy."

Pei Ningxue rarely made a joke. Then she reached out, gently tugging at Chen Zhi's sleeve, her tone softening.

"Come with me."

Looking at her pitiful expression, Chen Zhi sighed helplessly.

"Alright, alright, I'll go. It's just a meal, right? Even if it's a trap, I'll have to pluck a couple of hairs from the tiger's beard."

The two walked up to the car.

The driver immediately opened the rear door.

"Miss, Mr. Chen, please."

Chen Zhi raised an eyebrow.

Oh, that title changed fast. I'm 'Mr. Chen' now.

He didn't stand on ceremony, tossing his backpack into the car and bending down to slide in.

The door closed, isolating the outside noise.

A faint fragrance permeated the car's interior.

Pei Dongcheng wasn't in the car; it was just the driver.

The car started and smoothly merged into the traffic.

Chen Zhi leaned against the leather seat, watching the retreating streetscape outside the window, calculating in his mind how to deal with that old geezer later.

Just then, his phone vibrated.

Chen Zhi took out his phone.

It was a WeChat message from Lin Wanwan.

[Lin Wanwan: Where are you?]

Why did it feel like even the punctuation marks were exuding a chill?

Chen Zhi's fingers typed rapidly.

[Chen Zhi: Going to get a free meal from a rich person.]

[Lin Wanwan: With whom?]

[Chen Zhi: Pei Ningxue and her dad.]

There was silence on the other end for a long time.

So long that Chen Zhi thought she wouldn't reply.

Just as the car was about to enter the Pei family's villa district, his phone screen lit up again.

[Lin Wanwan: Oh.]

Immediately followed by another message.

[Lin Wanwan: Xiaobai says it wants to bite someone.]

Looking at the screen, Chen Zhi felt a chill down the back of his neck.

Chen Zhi silently locked his phone screen, forcefully suppressing the chill that had crawled over through the network.

The air conditioning in the cabin was on full blast.

The touch of the leather seats was exquisite, and the soundproofing was outrageously good, completely blocking out the external noise.

Pei Ningxue turned her head, looking at the boy beside her who was arrogant just a moment ago but now wore a troubled expression while staring at his phone screen.

"What's wrong?"

She asked softly, a hint of concern in her tone.

Chen Zhi shoved his phone back into his pocket, adjusted to a more comfortable position, and sank into the soft backrest.

"Nothing."

He spouted nonsense, "A creditor came to collect a debt, asking when I'm going to pay them back."

Pei Ningxue was stunned for a moment.

Then she realized that the creditor Chen Zhi mentioned was highly likely the childhood friend who was always by his side.

For some reason, the joy in her heart, originally born from her father's compromise, suddenly faded a bit.

The street scenes outside the window flashed by rapidly.

This expensive black Maybach smoothly wove through the evening rush hour traffic, causing surrounding vehicles to give way.

...

Meanwhile.

The TV in the living room was broadcasting the evening news, the volume turned down low.

Lin Wanwan sat cross-legged on the sofa, hugging a giant SpongeBob throw pillow.

She placed her phone face down on the coffee table with a crisp clack.

Her brows were tightly furrowed, and her pink lips were pursed into a straight line.

Lin Shuxian was sitting on a single sofa, holding a cup of freshly brewed Pu'er tea in his hand, intently looking at a report.

He had been so busy lately that his feet barely touched the ground; it was rare for him to come home early tonight to spend time with his daughter.

"Dad."

Lin Wanwan suddenly spoke, her voice a bit muffled.

Lin Shuxian's eyes didn't leave the report as he casually replied.

"Hmm? What is it, sweetie? Not enough pocket money?"

"What brand is our family car again?"

Lin Shuxian put down the report, took off his glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and looked at his daughter with some amusement.

"An Audi A6. Why? Is it uncomfortable to ride in?"

He had just bought this car last year. In this era, an Audi A6 was definitely considered the standard for a respectable person, providing face when going out for business.

Lin Wanwan didn't answer his question, but stared extremely seriously into Lin Shuxian's eyes.

"Which is better, an Audi A6 or a Maybach?"

Lin Shuxian's hand holding the teacup paused in mid-air.

He looked at his precious daughter somewhat strangely.

This girl usually knew nothing about cars and sometimes couldn't even distinguish between BMW and Mercedes logos. Why was she suddenly caring about luxury car brands today?

He blew on the tea leaves floating on the surface of his cup and told the truth.

"Then it's definitely the Maybach that's better. They aren't even in the same league."

Lin Wanwan's frown deepened, her two pretty eyebrows almost tying into a knot.

"Why didn't you buy a Maybach?"

"Pfft—"

Lin Shuxian almost spat out the mouthful of hot tea he had just drunk.

He hurriedly pulled out a few tissues to wipe his mouth, looking at his daughter in shock.

"???"

Did this girl take the wrong medicine today?

That's a Maybach!

It's not like Chinese cabbage at the vegetable market that you can just buy on a whim!

"Sweetie, why are you suddenly caring about this today?"

Lin Shuxian put down his teacup and earnestly educated her, "Cars are just a means of transportation; as long as it's enough, it's fine. Although our family's conditions are okay, there's no need to buy something that good, right? A person should keep a low profile."

Lin Wanwan didn't speak.

She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously tweaking SpongeBob's yellow nose, pinching it out of shape.

Pei Ningxue's family was rich, very rich. They lived in a large villa with a swimming pool and had a dedicated car for school drop-offs and pick-ups.

And right now, Chen Zhi was sitting in that luxury car, going to attend a banquet at that wealthy household.

An unprecedented sense of crisis surrounded Lin Wanwan's heart.

She was quiet for a while, then raised her head again.

Those big eyes that were usually full of smiles were now filled with seriousness.

"Dad, which is more powerful: your company or the Pei Group in our city?"

Lin Shuxian was about to pick up the report again, but upon hearing this, his movements completely froze.

He looked at his daughter's extremely serious expression and finally realized she wasn't joking.

Although he didn't know why his daughter suddenly used the Pei Group for comparison, his competitive spirit as a man and his dignity in front of his daughter made him straighten his back.

"Ahem."

Lin Shuxian cleared his throat, a confident look appearing on his face.

"Sweetie, let me put it this way."

"Although your dad doesn't come from a wealthy background and doesn't have an ancestral estate like the Pei family."

"But!"

He emphasized his words with a sweeping wave of his hand. "Your dad started from scratch! With over a decade of hard work, I've become a prominent figure in our city's real estate industry."

"The Pei Group does have a very strong foundation and is involved in many industries. Right now, they might seem just a tiny bit more powerful than our family."

Lin Shuxian held up his fingers, making a "tiny bit" gesture.

"But don't worry. With the company's current rate of growth, combined with your dad's business acumen..."

"It won't be a few years before we outshine them!"

Lin Wanwan stared at her father for a moment, as if evaluating the credibility of his words.

A moment later, she released her grip on the throw pillow she had been mercilessly twisting out of shape.

"That's good."

She nodded, her tone carrying an obvious sense of relief.

That Pei Ningxue was nothing special, other than coming from a somewhat wealthy family.

Since Dad said he could surpass them, then he definitely would.

Watching his daughter's reaction, Lin Shuxian's confusion deepened.

"Sweetheart, why the sudden interest in all this today? Did someone bully you at school? Or is someone trying to show off and compete with you?"

If anyone dared to bully his daughter over money, he would march into her school tomorrow with two suitcases full of cash and smash them with it.

Lin Wanwan picked up her phone again and unlocked the screen.

The screen still displayed her chat window with Chen Zhi.

She quickly typed out a line of text, only to delete it right after.

"It's nothing," Lin Wanwan replied casually. She swung her legs off the sofa, slipped on her slippers, and headed toward her room.

"Dad, work hard and don't slack off."

"Try to acquire the Pei Group as soon as possible."

Lin Shuxian: "..."

He watched his daughter's back disappear through the doorway, the corners of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

Acquire the Pei Group?

This girl talked an even bigger game than he did.

Lin Shuxian picked up his financial reports again. Looking at the steadily climbing profit margins, he got back into work mode.

A short while later, Lin Shuxian answered a phone call, frowned, and headed out the door once again.