hrough this difficult period..."Su Licheng waved his hand and said, "It’s not that simple. The problem with the engineering division isn’t about money. Director Tong managed to procure some funding fr...Chapter 59: Can't Spare the Child

As it approached the weekend, a week was about to draw to a close. At universities, people usually arrange their activities according to their own schedules.

Girls generally invite each other for shopping and stroll along pedestrian streets to try food they've missed over the past few weeks. Boys might have a game scheduled to redeem themselves from a previous defeat. Those with local homes often head back with fresh laundry. Some who stay on campus participate in various social activities, or cozy up alone in libraries pretending to be intellectuals. There are also those who stockpile enough food to keep them alive for days while gaming until the wee hours of the morning. Of course, there are not a few daredevils who move across campuses to plunder beauty resources from other universities.

In summary, an easy and delightful weekend was slowly approaching.

Li Han and Xiao Xu, two bachelors in their dormitory, were苦惱著如何度過週末。對於大學男生來說，如果不去死磕遊戲，一定得有美女出現的活動才能觸動他們的神經。這個時代還冇有“宅男”這個詞，網絡也冇有那麼發達，所以這個時候大多數學生還是比較有情懷的。類似李寒和肖旭過週末的方式可以有很多種，兩個男人聽一場學術講座，或者看場園區電影院的小電影。李寒倒是因為打得一手好球，倒是較受那些經常出冇於體育館的女生歡迎。這個狀態發展下去，說不定繼寢室裡的蘇燦之後，第二個進入戀愛期的男人就是他了。

肖旭加入了人文社團，對他來說好處並不在於可以和一群博聞的知識青年談天說地，而是憑藉入會證可以在音像店購書買磁帶打八點八折，去校內咖啡館可享受九折優惠。

兩人這個週末倒是可以不用為怎麼度過而苦惱了。據張小橋說上海車展週六開幕，是個好去處。新世紀的第二場車展關注度頗高，首展在今年六月，相比之下人氣並不足。

桌子上擺著三張票，都是張小橋從家裡拿過來的彆人給他們的。隻不過張教授冇空去，嫌人多；張母要約同學聚會；張小橋在首展時和朋友去過一次，這次反倒不怎麼關注了。再說他週末是個忙人，冇空去看這個經常擠得水泄不通的車展，就搞了三張票擺桌子上，同時附帶著擱了一台數碼相機。

“車就不指望了，多拍點人的，回來咱們一起研究分享。”

拿了票，同時摩挲著那台比心數碼，李寒和肖旭不約而同挽過張橋的脖子，夠哥們。

李寒和肖旭自然不是衝著那些華麗麗的豪車而去。那些水嫩嫩的車模纔是關注的對象啊。當然，現在各大院校大學生邀約一同去看車展也根本冇什麼買車的需求，想弄清楚點汽車知識的畢竟是少數，最重要的是養眼，打發一下單調無聊的大學生活。

而且這麼一張票在平時眾人生活費為前提下還要掂量掂量是否值得。現在倒是白送的票，簡直是量身定做，還有一台無比猥瑣的數碼相機。這簡直就是趨近於完美的裝備。

大學生活怎樣纔是值得留戀的？偶爾有點小刺激，有美女相伴，有兄弟情誼。這樣一來，即便畢業多年後回憶起來也倍加難以忘記。

就在六零二寢室幻想週六車展如何滿載而歸、避開幾個美眉的時候，這種短暫且容易滿足的小理想在大學城中發酵醞釀之際，城市依然是燈火透明，斑駁而明亮，繁華似錦。

A plane landed from the night sky, and several black Passat sedans had been waiting outside the airport for a long time. Li Han carried two suitcases as he welcomed a group of men and women, among whom was Mu Xuan carrying a red backpack, wearing a black silk suit, and stepping into high heels. Beside her stood an elderly gentleman with dyed black hair, wearing a neatly fitting red woolen sweater, looking composed. Next to him was an old man in a small vest, tall, thin, and somewhat stern.

These two were the Mu family's influential elders: Old Lady Mu Yanrong, the former vice-governor of Western Sichuan Province, who had been responsible for science and technology, industry, state-owned assets, information industries, quality supervision and safety production in the province. She joined the party in 1982 and has a graduate degree from the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, with an engineer title.

She retired last year but now lives in Chengdu with a government-provided residence and car, spending her time reading internal references. Her voice is occasionally heard on the southwestern political stage.

Some large companies have invited her to re-enter public service recently, including China National Petroleum Corporation's Southwest Oilfield Company, Sinopec, and China Tobacco Southwestern Branch. However, Old Lady Mu seems to be holding out for a better offer.

In contrast, Old Man Qian Huafan ended his political career at the Forestry Bureau but after retiring took up gardening; he isn't as domineering as his wife but is still a figure of great influence.

"Mom, Dad. Tang Wu is in school today and won't be coming here. I'll pick her up tomorrow," Mu Xuan explained.

"Academics come first. There's no need to have the child fetch us. It's not that complicated; we don't do such things." Qian Huafan waved his hand dismissively,

The elderly couple had an average of two middle-aged couples standing by their sides. Tang Wu’s second aunt and uncle, as well as her third aunt and uncle, seeing Tang Father at the door picking up guests, Second Aunt Qian Yu said to Mu Yanrong with a smile, "Tang Brother has become more prosperous. No wonder that is so, the bigger one's business becomes, it naturally leads to greater satisfaction."

Then she told the approaching Tang Father, "Brother Tang, your business is getting hotter and busier every day. Haven’t sales at POSTransparent Thousand City been very good This project is quite famous in Shanghai; originally Guozhong and I were planning to come for a look, but considering the location issues, plus it wasn't suitable for us, we thought about it and decided to buy into the Kingdom Over the Sky project. However, if you still have units available at your project, we could settle with buying two, as an investment."

"That’s right, Kingdom Over the Sky is a villa project. It's one of Shanghai's top twenty pre-sale projects. Buying there won’t be a loss, and the environment is also good." Tang Father walked forward to help Mu Xuan take her luggage, smiling.

Qian Yu had a position at the Economic Commission; her husband operated a mid-level investment company with others, but didn't achieve much success. In Rongcheng’s commercial area, it was in the secondary circle on the outskirts. Qian Yu, young and full of energy, usually secretly compared herself to Sister Mu Xuan, who was most favored by their grandmother.

This time when she heard about how Tang Father had emerged from hardship to thrive and succeeded, with all distant relatives gathering for a meeting in Shanghai, compared to ten years ago where he was nearly unrecognized in the Mu family, there were now signs of improvement. Everyone revolved around them as their core group, making her feel somewhat dim by comparison, hence more competitive undertones appeared in her words; however, Tang Father's words didn't show off his wealth at all, instead leaving her feeling comfortable.

Mu Yanrong glanced at Tang Father and said with the usual sternness in her eyes, "Your real estate business is quite profitable. When you build houses, consider whether your daughter can buy this home without relying on you to start from scratch. Think more about the next generation and actually construct some homes instead of engaging in crooked practices."

Tang Father nodded in agreement, and Mu Yanrong didn’t say anything further. She got into the car with everyone else. The elderly couple from both families were in the same vehicle as Mu Xuan and Tang Father. As the car started up, Mu Yanrong gently patted the armrest and asked Mu Xuan, "What's that child’s name again"

"Su Cen." Mu Xuan looked out of the window.

“Oh, his name is quite nice. He will come tomorrow, right”

“He should be coming.”

“Then I’ll have to take a good look at him. But I think Tang Wu’s taste in selecting people must be better than yours.”

Mu Xuan smiled but didn’t reply, glancing through the rearview mirror at driving father Tang who seemed somewhat awkward and helpless when faced with his mother-in-law's regular confrontations.

The new international exhibition center in Pudong is currently Asia’s largest and most advanced venue. After much preparation, it opened its doors for one of Shanghai’s major international car shows.

Over a hundred automobile manufacturers and component suppliers from several dozen countries and regions participated, with well-known brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Toyota, Acura, Citron, Fiat, etc., showcasing their strong lineups. Some cars were said to have been brought directly here after being displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany or Tokyo in Japan.

The exhibition had already begun two months prior with extensive construction work. This year's show was scheduled to run for five days in Shanghai, expected to attract over 300,000 visitors.

Rising early on that morning, Su Cen saw a layer of white mist outside his window; it wasn’t yet six o’clock. As the earliest riser among his dorm mates (Zhang Xiaqiao had gone home the day before), and though today was the opening day for the car show, Li Han and Xiao Xu wouldn't be waking up until one or two hours later.

Su Cen therefore left early on his own. He put on a cap, an autumn jacket, and wore comfortable shoes as he stepped out. Downstairs at the small shop, he bought breakfast then looked back at the dorm building shrouded in light mist. Tang Wu’s dorm was quietly standing between two buildings.

With bread in one hand and milk in another, Su Cen left school by bus and transferred to the subway along the way. Entering the carriage, the morning fog on the ground had dissipated considerably; there seemed to be many people heading for the car show inside the trains. The four girls closest to Su Cen beside him were clearly models, dressed up and chattering happily with bags and boxes around them, sounding like students from Yangpu University City, also part of this exhibition's model team. Their cheerful conversation added vitality to the somewhat drowsy morning subway.

Upon hearing they were students from Yangpu University City, Su Cen took note but unfortunately didn’t encounter anyone he knew from NanDa in the crowded carriage full of car show models.

This kind of drama is not common in real life. More often than not, situations lack such dramatic elements.

For instance, at this hour, Li Han and Xiao Xu might just be getting out of bed; upon seeing Su Cen's absence, they would likely assume he went somewhere romantic rather than taking a solo trip.

"By the way, it seems that today our boss was invited to have dinner by Su Cen’s family. He has to meet her today."

Xiao Xu squeezed toothpaste onto his toothbrush and said, "He left so early! Isn't the dinner supposed to be in the evening Is he afraid there won’t be enough time together Couples always seem to value their moments so much that it’s enviable."

Li Han wiped his face, hung up a towel, and shook his head. "Hey, yesterday we all wished our boss good luck, but do you think he stands a chance Is the probability high"

Xiao Xu looked somewhat uneasy.

"Well, that depends on the situation. However, I believe that with Boss’s charm, there shouldn’t be any problems. We needn't worry about him. Tonight when he returns, we'll know how it went."

Even before nine o'clock, outside the exhibition hall was already packed with people; this car show had some heavyweight attractions worth seeing. Some luxury cars were making their debut, which countless media outlets were competing to report on. The previous day's press coverage alone indicated a high level of attention.

This time there were three "star" cars that fell into the category of top-tier luxury vehicles. One was Bentley Bentayga with only 54 units globally, each engraved with its unique number. This one was the 54th unit and also the last version, featuring a V8 aluminum engine, twin-turbochargers, and a five-speed automatic transmission, priced at around 20 million RMB.

The second car was Ferrari F12berlinetta with a V12 engine and a displacement of 6.3 liters, equipped with both six-speed manual transmission and semi-automatic transmission. This high-performance sports car is considered poison to anyone pursuing racing dynamics and it's priced at around 15 million RMB.

The third was the Mercedes-Benz "S-class," measuring six meters long, featuring a communication system, refrigerator bar, two LCD screens, air conditioning, lighting, and premium audio equipment.

Compared to these others, the Bentley Bentayga had more commemorative significance.

Most people just came for the spectacle. Super luxury cars attract crowds eager to see them up close, learn something new in the process, and it's a pleasant experience even if it disrupts the balance somewhat — that’s usually only a few individuals' actions. When these豪車被購買，也算展會的一大亮點。

These several high-end cars indeed had widespread fame; after the exhibition opened, many people stopped to admire them. Professional photographers with zoom lenses were everywhere, snapping pictures of both the cars and models, flashes continuously going off.

Su Cen finally arrived at the entrance of the car show in a manner that seemed to have climbed mountains and crossed rivers; although his physical condition had improved significantly, he still felt somewhat fatigued now—just because he was holding an additional box in his hand.

A black box looked very heavy.

He wore a baseball cap and casual clothes. After hanging up the call from Lin Guangdong, he seemed a bit lost amid the bustling crowd.

A pretty manager walked over wearing a black suit with an attractive makeup look. She glanced at Su Cen up and down and said, "Are you here to deliver accessories for the Fortuna exhibition They were supposed to arrive five minutes ago; why so late" Seeing that Su Cen was momentarily stunned, she gestured him forward hurriedly, "Follow me."

Most people at the scene were manufacturers or suppliers transporting materials and equipment. Many carried large packages, making the bicycle cart drivers at the entrance smile from ear to ear. Fifty RMB per trip for moving equipment or boxes, Su Cen calculated that a single cart could earn several thousand RMB in just a few days of exhibition period, quite business-savvy.

The lady walked ahead as Su Cen followed behind her, "You just graduated from university You look like a new employee."

"Uh... no." Su Cen's heart raced but he seemed distracted and nervous. After all, it was his first time here, so unfamiliarity caused some unease.

There were many people around, the manager didn't quite catch the last two words of what Su Cen said, but she pondered that today’s delivery person looked much more handsome than previous ones. Tonight wasn’t there a gathering at her company's bar This kind of young lad ought to be taken advantage of; judging by his lively appearance, it would be a shame to miss out on the opportunity.

"Don't be fooled by her posing over there. Do you think she got to stand next to that Bentley just like that Originally, the position was reserved for a Lexus long-wheelbase model."

"But she's clever. That Toyota Lexus is nowhere near as valuable as this Bentley; don’t you see all the media attention on it recently I heard she had dinner with Vice President Li a few days ago, humph. Enjoying herself, who knows what smart things she did behind the scenes to end up here."

The two female sales managers looked at the Bentley surrounded by people and the scantily clad model, whispering their speculations.

A middle-aged man and a college girl in her twenties walked over. Both sales managers smiled as they greeted them, though they didn’t really hope for any sales today, but service had to be impeccable nonetheless.

The middle-aged man glanced at the beautiful woman by the luxury car while the girl beside him received a call. She answered and said a few words: "I’m out shopping now, yes, everything’s fine."

She politely hung up and the middle-aged man chuckled, “Boyfriend”

The girl coquettishly draped her arm around his and asked sweetly, "So what car are you looking at today"

The man was straightforward, seeming to want to impress the woman with his connections. He pointed to the Bentley and introduced it proudly: “Today’s auto show can’t be rushed; you must look at three cars. This one in front of you is special—it's made to commemorate 'Bentley Boys.' There are only two in the world, do you know who they are In the 1930s, Bentley teams were always champions in famous races around the world. Those drivers were known as Bentley Boys. Why only two Because that’s how many classic cars the young Bentley Boys drove back then. So this car has tremendous historical significance. The last time I saw it was in Hong Kong, right When our company signed a contract with a tycoon there, his son drove this very same car.”

Su Can watched the middle-aged man intently as he spoke, admiring his ability to create an aura of legend around the car. The girl looked up to him in awe.

The woman who had brought Su Can over then informed a manager at the booth: “Mr. Chen, the parts delivery staff has arrived.”

A Hong Kong manager with thick Mandarin tones surveyed everyone and then turned to ask Su Can, "Who are you Which department are you from You’re not part of our company."

Su Can didn’t waste words; he carried his case up onto the platform, carefully examining the newsworthy luxury car. Everyone was taken aback.

The model felt uneasy and a bit afraid that someone might be a pervert.

Security came over courteously: "Sir, do you need any help You’re disrupting our modeling."

Su Can nodded and set down his dark case on the sales desk. “I’m buying a car.”

In fact, he felt heartache at spending such a large sum for something that was necessary but still painful.

But to catch the big fish, you have to use bait.

I always remember I owe everyone two chapters and six thousand words; rest assured, I’ll make up for it.

The update is late again today, my apologies to everyone.nd took it, sitting down on the chair again to take off her dance shoes. She revealed delicate feet, then with a blush put on the yellow single shoe that Su Can had been holding. As if nothing happene...