Stretch Lincoln.
Arriving at the car, Henry Zhang eagerly opened the doors for Joy Zheng and Lucy Lu, beaming as he invited them inside.
"Not bad, huh? You’ve really learned how to play the game. Last time you were acting all arrogant, weren’t you?" Yolanda Fang teased, her tone playful.
Henry looked embarrassed when he heard that, instinctively glancing at Evan Lin before quickly forcing a smile. "Last time I was blind, couldn’t see real talent. That’s why I’m here working hard to make up for it now."
"Don’t worry—at the resort, if you need anything and I can make it happen, just say the word!" Henry promised, puffing up his chest.
As he spoke, his eyes kept darting—almost unconsciously—toward Evan Lin.
Yolanda Fang and Lynn Chen both saw this and snorted. They could easily guess that Henry’s sudden change of attitude was one hundred percent because of Evan’s friend from the Summer Family.
"Just drive."
Evan shot him a look. Henry instantly responded, thrilled to be spoken to by Evan—his face lit up like a flower in full bloom.
Henry slid into the driver’s seat.
Inside the Lincoln, soft leather cushions lined both sides, each one etched with intricate, custom-made patterns. Down by the floor sat a mini fridge, stocked with carefully selected wine.
"This is the first time I’ve ever ridden in a car this nice—wow, these cushions are ridiculously soft!" Yolanda Fang exclaimed, squeezing the seat beside her, face full of admiration.
"Of course! This one car costs about as much as a whole villa in Minghai." Lucy Lu said with a laugh.
After Evan Lin got in, he glanced at Neil Kong and the others approaching, then looked at Henry Zhang still grinning in the driver’s seat. Evan frowned slightly and said in a calm voice, "The car’s full. Drive."
Evan’s words snapped Henry to attention. He quickly responded, "Starting up now! I’ll take everyone for a spin around White Dragon Mountain first—give you a good look at the scenery!"
"Xiao Yi, they haven’t gotten in yet. Isn’t the car still pretty empty?" Joy Zheng said, a little confused.
Before she could finish, Henry jumped in, "Don’t be fooled by the big space—this car only really fits five. Any more and it gets crowded. Our young friend here knows what’s up!"
Lucy Lu chimed in, laughing, "Exactly! If we packed the whole thing, it’d be no different from a tourist bus. Jia Yun, don’t worry about it—they’ll have their own way to get to the resort."
Lucy didn’t really get why the driver was so biased toward their group, but seeing Lynn Chen, Yolanda Fang, and Evan Lin all acting like it was totally normal, she decided not to overthink it.
Whatever the reason, there’s no way this guy would openly sell them all out, right?
"Of course, Boss Kong! Once I’m back, I’ll fire that Henry Zhang right away!"
Leaving the waiting hall and heading toward the stretch Lincoln, Derek Zhang made sure to heap plenty of flattery on Ken Kong.
"I always knew our old class monitor was destined for greatness. Now your company’s thriving, your wife’s gorgeous—you’re the definition of a winner."
"Exactly! So what if Joy Zheng looks well-preserved now? She’s still just an elementary school teacher—a county elementary teacher at that. Work a whole lifetime and she’ll never afford a house."
The crowd joined in, showering Ken Kong with praise, which made him feel even more pleased.
Sharon Chen scoffed, "Honestly, if Joy Zheng wanted, I wouldn’t mind having our Tianhua help her out—give her a ten-thousand-yuan monthly salary, just like that. What’s the big deal?"
Big talk—throwing out a ten-thousand-yuan salary like it’s nothing. Hearing that, a few people’s minds started churning with new ambitions.
Especially Stella Cui, who kept shooting looks at her husband Lawrence Wang, hoping he’d step up—after all, a ten-thousand-yuan salary beats his current six-thousand as a math professor by a mile.
"True, true. But with Lucy Lu around, I doubt Joy Zheng would agree so easily. Lucy always sticks up for her. Plus, Lucy’s husband just got promoted—he’s about to run all of Minghai’s real estate projects for their company." Sharon Xiao said with a smile.
"Minghai’s just a small place. Even if he’s in charge of everything there, how much profit could it really bring? Just a tiny company." Ken Kong replied with a sneer, which secretly pleased Sharon Xiao—she was hoping to steer Ken’s discontent toward Lucy Lu and drag her down too.
"Dad, let’s go." Ryan Chen said, a little annoyed—his mind was still on Lynn Chen and Yolanda Fang in the car.
"Right, right. Uh, Henry, bring the car over!"
Hearing Ryan Chen, Derek Zhang snapped out of it and started waving toward the stretch Lincoln.
As he waved, Derek felt a little anxious, worried Henry Zhang might ignore him again or pull some stunt to embarrass him.
Luckily, after he waved, the Lincoln actually started driving over. Derek breathed a small sigh of relief and said with a smile, "In a minute, I’ll have Henry take us for a tour around White Dragon Mountain. Riding in a Lincoln, sipping the wine on board—it doesn’t get any better."
"Mm." Ken Kong and Sharon Chen nodded. When they saw the Lincoln coming, they stepped out from the crowd to stand front and center, clearly enjoying the spotlight.
Ken Kong did this deliberately—he wanted Joy Zheng inside the car to see!
He wanted Joy Zheng to regret rejecting him back then, wanted her to see just how successful he’d become among their old classmates.
Ken Kong was riding high, and Sharon Chen had fully regained her rich-girl pride.
But when the Lincoln reached them, it suddenly swung the wheel, made a sharp turn right in their faces, and sped off—blasting Ken Kong and Sharon Chen with exhaust.
Everyone watched as the Lincoln drove off into the distance, leaving the plaza in total silence.
All eyes turned to Ken Kong and Sharon Chen at the front, but nobody dared say a word.
Ken Kong clenched his fists, face darkening, struggling to keep his composure.
Sharon Xiao’s smile froze. She hurriedly kicked the still-stunned Derek Zhang, who snapped out of it and angrily called Henry Zhang on his phone.