Chapter 15: Flaunting Wealth, Flaunting Wealth

Chapter 15: Flaunting Wealth

The background of the photo was a bustling street filled with a steady stream of cars and hurried passersby. In the center, Gao Yun and Daria sat atop a Ferrari, bathed in radiant sunlight, their faces alight with genuine, joyful smiles. The scene was romantic and warm.

Upon seeing the photo, the two models, driven by their professional instincts, dissected every element of the image. They agreed that the male salesperson who took the picture with his phone had remarkable skill, rivaling that of a professional photographer.

Judging by this single photo alone, it could be said that it featured a clear and prominent theme, soft and appropriate lighting, and a composition rich in layers.

Believing that a good photo should not be enjoyed alone, both promptly shared it in their social circles.

As the ancients said: "If one becomes wealthy but does not return home, it is like walking through the night in splendid clothes."

This statement, attributed to Xiang Yu, means that if one earns great wealth but hides it from those who once knew them, from their ancestors and hometown, it is as though they wear magnificent clothes in the darkness—unseen.

Even two thousand years later, this truth remains unchanged.

If you have money but never tell anyone, and no one knows you are wealthy, the joy is greatly diminished.

Material enjoyment is, in essence, spiritual enjoyment; ultimately, all material pleasure culminates in spiritual satisfaction, for without it, material indulgence loses meaning.

And what is spiritual enjoyment? It is being envied, admired, respected, and praised by others. No one wishes to be ignored, despised, excluded, or isolated.

When everyone else is clad in tattered rags, but you wear splendid garments, envy naturally follows, and you feel joy. The spiritual pleasure far exceeds the physical comfort of fine clothes.

This is why flaunting wealth is so prevalent in contemporary society. Yet flaunting wealth is an art form—how to do it so that others envy you and your spiritual needs are met, without provoking excessive resentment, requires great subtlety and skill.

Gao Yun and Daria clearly possessed an innate mastery of this art.

Daria shyly wrote, “My proletarian warrior returns riding his BMW. ❤️”

In this moment, the word “proletarian” carried a delicate nuance, driving Daria’s friends wild with excitement.

“Oh, shit! Shouldn’t that be a capitalist general?!”

“Nice boyfriend, be careful not to let other little vixens steal him away.”

“Congratulations! You two reconciled after all. I knew you still had feelings for him when you looked so heartbroken after the breakup.”

“When two eyes meet and hold strongly, they are bound to meet again.”

Looking at Gao Yun’s social feed, he posted: “(dog face) The Ferrari salesperson in Hangzhou has pretty good photography skills. Next time I buy a Ferrari, I’ll have him take pictures again.”

Gao Yun’s varied professions and broad social network, combined with his role as a fitness coach, meant he had nearly five thousand WeChat contacts. When he occasionally posted selfies, they usually garnered about a hundred likes and comments. This time, however, due to the excellent photography and rich content, the post went viral.

Likes exceeded a thousand, comments reached five hundred, from family and friends, former members, and even many long-silent acquaintances.

There were congratulations, doubts about authenticity, inquiries about the Ferrari, and about Daria.

Du Ping, who had just added them on WeChat, was first to like and comment: “A Ferrari sales consultant who can’t take good photos isn’t a good consultant. Hangzhou Ruiyi Ferrari welcomes your next visit.”

Zhou Tian said: “From now on, Brother Yun is standing tall! Enough said, salute!”

Diao Jun commented: “Although no spirits are allowed after the founding of the country, at this moment I’ve turned into a lemon spirit—I’m jealous. Is that foreign girl Daria? Hard to tell with the sunglasses.”

Liu Ximing: “(crying) Ferrari 812 GTS? My dream! Yun, when are you coming back? Let me touch it!”

Middle school classmate Cheng Song: “So, have you hooked up with a rich woman or a foreign white-rich-beautiful?”

Another middle school classmate, Li Yanming, replied: “That’s his supermodel ex. I met her once. They must have reconciled and bought him the car. When’s Fat Yun coming back? The guys want to have a drink.”

Middle school classmate Liu Qi: “Remember Fat Yun five years ago? Plain and dull. Now look at him—blinding me with his glow. Inspirational, buddy. How’s the feeling of turning your life around? Got any secrets?”

His elder sister Gao Peng: “Ferrari hired you two as models? Not bad, little brother. You’re really making something of yourself.”

Liu Xingsheng from the Ace Club: “Damn, you’re hiding your wealth well. Didn’t realize you were this rich. Our martial arts school wants to expand; want to invest?”

Lili, owner of LJ Dance Studio: “(flirtatious) With Ferrari backing you, Handsome Yun, you’ve officially become a male god. When will you come dance? Haven’t seen you for a while.”

Li Dapeng from the Youth League Committee: “Life after quitting the job is exciting!”

Li Shuo from the Youth League Municipal Committee: “Brother Yun’s taking off. Don’t forget our weekend gathering.”

Love coach Li Xiao: “(nervous sweat) Got rich? Reconciled with that model? How did you two break up again?”

Liu Meiyu: “(heartbroken) The scumbag’s in love, the scumbag’s out in the open, the scumbag’s made it. My youth is over.”

Ding Hui: “(sly smile) When are you coming over? I’ll tattoo matching couple tattoos for free. I already have the designs. You get ‘Breakup,’ she gets ‘Happiness.’”

Ding Hui, 29, is a tattoo shop owner who was once Gao Yun’s private training client. She is strikingly attractive with tattoos covering her back and right arm. Her demeanor and style exude a dark punk vibe. She had long desired Gao Yun but never succeeded, so she often popped up in his social feed to assert her presence.

Seeing this message, Gao Yun raised an eyebrow and replied: “You just think about it. Pretty face, beautiful thoughts, but getting me tattooed would be as hard as selling myself.”

Wang Xiaole, owner of a music shop and folk artist, commented: “It’s over, Yunzi. You’re no longer the guy with a beat-up guitar singing on the beach with us. Our offbeat band doesn’t allow someone that awesome. You’re fired.”

Drummer Ah Hua replied: “Damn, are you crazy? Fired? I’m still waiting for Yunzi to come back and invest in our offbeat band. No firing him.”

Wang Xiaole: “(drooling) You’re right!”

Wang Xiaole, 35, was once a wandering singer and free musician traveling nationwide. With good looks and a strong voice, he earned some money. At 32, he returned to Hushi and opened a music shop, also teaching instruments and popular singing.

Gao Yun bought his guitar there and learned guitar basics from him. After some time, they became friends.

Through Wang Xiaole, Gao Yun met Ah Hua, and the three formed a band called “Offbeat,” occasionally performing on the streets of Hushi for fun.

“Once I’m done here, we’ll all meet up,” Gao Yun replied briefly before continuing to scroll through comments.

Wu Hui: “Ferrari, foreign girl—life’s good for you, you bastard!”

Li Jiayin: “(smiling) Ferrari doesn’t suit you. Maserati fits you better. A player fits a loser—perfect match.”

“Ha!”

Just as Gao Yun expected, besides his two exes who had deleted him, the other two ex-girlfriends were stirred up by this post.

“I wonder what their reactions will be when they see the photo.”

Gao Yun smiled meaninglessly and replied collectively under the post:

“I’m in Hangzhou, just got out of the Ferrari, shopping on the luxury street. The car is mine, an 812 GTS, costing 7.3 million with taxes. The money was earned through futures trading.”

“The one in the passenger seat is not a Victoria’s Secret model but my former and now current girlfriend; Russian, Daria, a contracted model with Dragon Eye Company. She’s listed on Baidu Baike as a minor third-tier industry name, and I’ve relayed all your praises. She’s laughing like a fool.”

“Returning to Hushi in three days to handle various matters. All is well, no need to worry.”

For the next while, Gao Yun and Daria’s every move could be summarized by the sound of a train passing by—

That is: eating, shopping, eating, shopping, eating, shopping...

(End of chapter)