Chapter 163: The Consequences of Trying to Be Clever!

The two men continued to clamor that he would meet a miserable end.

"Young Master Zhou may look refined and polite, but in reality, he is someone who cannot tolerate even a grain of sand in his eyes. A while back, a distant relative of the Zhou family hit someone and flaunted the family name, claiming he could cover the sky with one hand. The very next day, that guy hanged himself. Then there was an employee at Young Master Zhou’s company who tried to force himself on a female subordinate; in the end, Young Master Zhou had one of his hands chopped off."

"The more gentle and scholarly they appear, the more vicious their hearts! Not one of the heirs to the Five Great Families is easy to deal with... Still, we, the Five Young Masters of Shanghai, aren't to be trifled with either! If you offend Young Master Ming, you’re making an enemy of us."

"Does this guy actually think that just because he has money, he can mingle with someone like Young Master Zhou? Even with billions in assets, he wouldn't even be qualified to carry Young Master Zhou’s shoes in Shanghai."

The two men were busy tearing Lin Fan apart, treating him as if he were lower than a dog. Even Lin Mu couldn't stand it anymore.

"They’re insulting you like this; why don't you insult them back?"

"They’re just two fools who think they’re clever. I won't lower myself to their level. Once Young Master Zhou arrives, you’ll see the consequences of malicious price gouging," Lin Fan said with a confident smile.

He was betting that Young Master Zhou would side with him, and not just because of his connection to Su Hanmo. There was also the element of business competition. Directly across from Tomson Riviera sat a manor development owned by the Zhou family’s real estate group, which led him to a bold hypothesis.

The Zhou family and the Tang family were likely rivals. If word got out that Tang Shengwei had maliciously jacked up the price of a manor worth less than two hundred million by an extra hundred million, it would damage the reputation and credibility of Tomson Real Estate. If things went poorly, Tomson Real Estate’s stock price could plummet by tomorrow. In that case, the Tang family would lose far more than just a hundred or two hundred million. He believed the Zhou family would be happy to see that happen, allowing them to manipulate the situation and suppress the Tang family. Such cases were rampant in the real estate circle.

Zhou Jiayi arrived even faster than he had anticipated; in less than half an hour, he reached the Junting Manor. By then, Lin Fan and the others were already in the clubhouse, admiring the unique water features of the estate. Lin Mu loved these Western-style luxury villas, especially the super-mansions with private pools and riverside gardens. However, when Lin Fan mentioned gifting her the most expensive one, Villa No. 18, she hesitated.

Villa No. 18 was worth nearly nine hundred million. It contained a small museum that the Zhou family had used to house their various art pieces and collectibles, but now that it was on the market, it had received no interest. After all, a mansion with such a sky-high price was not something an ordinary person could afford. Lin Mu felt that with her current standing, she didn't deserve for Lin Fan to gift her such an astronomical luxury.

"Young Master Zhou has arrived!"

While Wang Minglou and Tang Shengwei were still plotting against Lin Fan, an elderly man with white hair wearing a Tang suit walked into the clubhouse, accompanied by a man with a face like polished jade and a refined, scholarly air, wearing glasses. The two men immediately stood up, bowing and scraping to greet Zhou Jiayi.

This was the first time Lin Fan had seen two of Shanghai’s top second-generation heirs acting so respectfully toward a man younger than themselves. Zhou Jiayi was even younger than Su Hanmo—only twenty-seven this year—a true genius. Whenever Su Hanmo mentioned him, she was full of praise and admiration, which showed that Zhou Jiayi truly possessed extraordinary qualities.

"Young Master Zhou! It is an honor. I am the fourth son of the Tang family. I specially invited you here today because I wanted you to meet someone..."

Before Tang Shengwei could finish, Zhou Jiayi raised a hand, cutting him off coldly: "I know. You already said on the phone that some man named Lin Fan claims to know me and wants to buy Villa No. 18?"

"Yes, yes! That's the guy! He even said that there’s nothing he can’t buy, and that even Young Master Zhou has to look at things from his perspective... It's just too arrogant! It’s clear he doesn't hold you in any regard at all, Young Master Zhou!" Tang Shengwei added, smirking and embellishing the story.

Zhou Jiayi glanced at him; how could he not see that Tang Shengwei was trying to use him as a blade to kill someone else? So, he nodded and smiled: "Is that so? Then I really must see just how arrogant this Lin Fan is."

Hearing this, Tang Shengwei became even more smug. He assumed Zhou Jiayi was on his side, given that their families had some dealings.

At that moment, Lin Fan and Lin Mu were still in the hallway looking at the fish in the aquarium when they suddenly felt a chill wash over them. Lin Fan turned slowly, meeting Zhou Jiayi’s cold, indifferent gaze. But in the next second, he caught a flicker of malice and cunning deep within the man's eyes.

He seemed to understand the look, and he smiled: "So this is Young Master Zhou. He doesn't look like anything special..."

Hearing this, Tang Shengwei immediately put on a look of triumph, pointing frantically at Lin Fan: "Young Master Zhou, did you see that? This guy actually dares to look down on you!"

Zhou Jiayi scanned Lin Fan with a freezing gaze, his face devoid of expression. Beside him, Wang Minglou sneered: "A bumpkin without any upbringing like this should just be thrown into the river to feed the fish! Young Master Zhou, if he’s an eyesore to you, I can take care of it for you!"

"Why would you need to do it? The personal bodyguard beside Young Master Zhou is a renowned expert on the Jiangnan martial arts rankings, a terrifying existence who can shatter a cow's skull with a single punch. That guy won't even have a chance to resist in front of a real master!"

The two of them were the perfect embodiment of "fox borrowing the tiger's might." Naturally, these words were meant for Lin Fan. Tang Shengwei had just learned from Wang Minglou that Lin Fan knew martial arts, and he intentionally revealed the identity of the white-haired old man to intimidate Lin Fan into not putting up a useless fight.

Lin Mu, meanwhile, was trembling with fear at Zhou Jiayi’s gloomy expression.

*This Young Master Zhou is... he's so scary. Is this the aura of a super-rich heir? It’s too powerful; even the top-tier celebrities don't compare. No wonder so many female stars break their heads trying to marry into these families.*

She wanted to use the term "refined scoundrel," but she feared being overheard. It was the first time in her life she had seen a super-rich heir with an aura more imposing than those of major celebrities or high-ranking officials. Just a single look from him gave her an inexplicable sense of oppression. As for the chilling aura that made one's skin crawl, it emanated from the white-haired man beside him.

"Have you heard the saying? Dynasties flow like water, but the noble families remain like iron. These people have always occupied the pyramid of power, and their presence is innate. Even a nouveau riche like me doesn't compare to a fraction of them," Lin Fan remarked from the bottom of his heart.

After seeing Zhou Jiayi in the flesh, he finally understood why even a goddess like Su Hanmo would harbor admiration for him. It turned out that "aura" was truly something that invited both longing and jealousy. Lin Mu nodded, appearing to understand, as if she now saw why Wang Minglou and the Fourth Young Master Tang had to be so careful and obsequious in front of Zhou Jiayi.