Liu Yue went to exchange a few words with the security guard at the gatehouse, and they were smoothly allowed to pass.
The moment the Mercedes-Benz GLS entered the villa community, a security guard standing tall and straight at the post caught a glimpse of Jiang Tao through the car window. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes.
"What's up, Captain? Stunned by Sister Yue, the agent? That figure, tsk tsk~" a younger security guard teased with a smile, noticing the slightly surprised expression on the older guard's face.
"That guy just now… why does he feel so familiar? Like I've seen him somewhere before," Tian Gang said, frowning in thought, ignoring his younger colleague's jest.
The young guard asked, "A former resident?"
Tian Gang shook his head. "No, more like a former colleague?"
"What? No way! Your old colleague is driving a Mercedes and coming to look at houses in the villa district?" The young guard looked skeptical upon hearing Tian Gang's words.
"Wait! I remember now! That guy really did work here!" Tian Gang's mind suddenly recalled some details about Jiang Tao.
He instantly remembered who Jiang Tao was! Speaking of Jiang Tao's time as a security guard at Walden Lake Villa District, it was quite legendary!
He'd only been there for a month when a divorced, single female resident took a liking to him. She would come to the gatehouse every day, asking about his well-being and eagerly bringing him premium cigarettes, fine liquor, and high-quality tea.
But Jiang Tao was already married at the time, with his wife, Xu Li, pregnant and staying at home. Faced with the wealthy woman's temptations, Jiang Tao stayed true to his principles, refusing the "soft rice" that was practically handed to him on a platter.
This made Tian Gang and the others insanely jealous! Working as a security guard in a luxury villa district, who didn't dream of being pampered by a rich woman?
What Tian Gang and the others longed for but couldn't attain, Jiang Tao simply brushed off. On the surface, everyone praised him as a good husband, a real man. But behind his back, they called him a fool! Why stick with a plain wife at home when a wealthy Beijing woman was offering herself up?
If he'd just agreed to be her "kept man," he wouldn't have to struggle for the rest of his life—just eat, drink, and enjoy himself every day. To avoid any trouble, Jiang Tao quit his job at the villa district after three months and left.
Later, under Wang Lianming's guidance, he started working as a driver, hauling goods at the Hongxing second-hand wholesale market. Jiang Tao never regretted his decision. Even if he could redo it ten times, he'd make the same choice.
"Damn, that guy's practically a role model for us!" the young guard exclaimed. "When will a rich older sister take a liking to me?"
After hearing Tian Gang recount Jiang Tao's past, the young guard was filled with envy!
"Your looks are nowhere near his back then," Tian Gang said, smacking his lips. Honestly, he was pretty jealous too!
"With his features and build, he stood out just by standing there. So many female residents passing by would sneak glances at him."
If Tian Gang had had the same opportunity as Jiang Tao back then, he'd have been willing to abandon his wife and kids for it! Unfortunately, he never got the chance!
…
The Mercedes-Benz GLS entered the villa district.
Using the excuse of getting familiar with the overall environment, Jiang Tao drove Liu Yue around the area. The 10-meter-wide scenic road wound like silk, and the car glided over it without the slightest bump. The yew hedges, trimmed into various shapes on both sides of the road, added a touch of vitality to the early spring season.
Scattered across the hilly terrain, the standalone villas were all built with natural stone facades. Floor-to-ceiling windows reflected neatly trimmed crape myrtle bushes arranged in geometric patterns in the courtyards.
Most of the vehicles coming and going in the community were luxury cars like BMWs, Benzes, and Audis, costing hundreds of thousands or even millions. Occasionally, a flashy sports car would roar by.
Driving through the villa district, seeing the grand villas and luxury cars, and observing the residents walking around—dressed impeccably with an air of sophistication—Jiang Tao felt like this was an entirely different world from ordinary residential neighborhoods outside.
The urge to buy a villa grew even stronger in his heart.
After driving along the internal roads of the villa district for about five minutes, a villa emitting a faint golden glow suddenly appeared in Jiang Tao's field of vision.
"Found you!"
The villa glowing faintly gold in his vision perfectly matched the one marked on the 5D map projected onto his retina. The villa mentioned in the intel, the one hiding gold bars, was this one!
"Mr. Jiang, what do you think of that villa's location?" Liu Yue asked, noticing Jiang Tao's gaze fixed on Villa 128. She smiled and added, "That villa's position is one of the best in the entire district. From the third-floor balcony, you can see the artificial lake on the left. It's perfect for relaxing and enjoying the view."
Coincidentally, Liu Yue's agency actually had a listing for this villa.
"Really? I think its location is pretty good too!" Jiang Tao said with a smile, turning the steering wheel and pulling up to the villa with a quick brake.
Seizing the moment, Liu Yue asked, "Would you like to go inside and take a look, Mr. Jiang? I can call the property manager to open the door for us."
"Sure, let's check it out!" Jiang Tao said, unbuckling his seatbelt and pushing the door open with a click.
This villa was exactly what he'd come for today.
Liu Yue got out of the car as well and dialed the property manager's number on her phone. Less than five minutes later, a young male manager dressed in a suit with a black down jacket arrived on a small electric cart used for internal transport.
Liu Yue briefly spoke with the manager, who then entered a code at the villa's gate, leading them into the courtyard. They crossed a small yard of about 50–60 square meters and reached the front door. The manager entered another code, opened the door with a click, and let them inside before stepping out.
*Tap, tap, tap*—Liu Yue's high heels clicked crisply on the solid wood floor as she led Jiang Tao through the villa, professionally highlighting its various advantages and features.
"This villa has three floors above ground and one below, with a total area of 688 square meters. It has 8 bedrooms, 3 living rooms, and 6 bathrooms. The space is large, with excellent north-south ventilation, ample sunlight, and a great orientation. The dining and living areas are separate, with a spacious flat-floor design for high space efficiency. Five of the eight bedrooms face the sun, with fantastic lighting. This villa's location is also one of the best in the entire district. The owner moved abroad long ago and has barely lived here. The house is deep-cleaned monthly by a professional service, and it's very well-maintained. This is the driver's room and the nanny's room on the first floor… This is the laundry room… And this is the study."
When they reached the study, Jiang Tao noticed a faint glow emanating from the northwest corner of the room in his vision. Clearly, the gold bars mentioned in the intel were likely hidden there.
"Not bad. I really like this big study," Jiang Tao said with a smile, nodding in agreement as he shifted his gaze.
Liu Yue then took him to see several guest rooms and the master bedroom upstairs. Jiang Tao was, of course, very satisfied.
"Mr. Jiang, are you satisfied with this place?" Liu Yue asked expectantly after the tour.
Jiang Tao nodded expressionlessly. "It's alright. How much is the rent?"
Liu Yue, delighted, asked, "How long are you planning to rent for?"
Jiang Tao thought for a moment and said, "Let's start with a year."
"For a one-year lease, the rent is 312,000 yuan, with a deposit of 26,000 yuan," Liu Yue replied, barely containing her excitement.
She hadn't expected Jiang Tao to commit to a full year right off the bat! If this deal went through, the agency would earn a 13% commission on the total amount—around 40,000 yuan! At her current A9 rank in the company, Liu Yue would personally take home 60% of that commission, or 24,000 yuan! Closing this deal would significantly ease her performance pressure for the month.
"Sounds good," Jiang Tao agreed readily.
Compared to the 3.66 million yuan worth of gold, the rent was less than a tenth of it. He was renting for a year so his parents could move in and get used to the villa district's environment. If they liked living here after the lease was up, he could just buy the villa outright, saving the hassle of moving again.
"When are you free to sign the contract, Mr. Jiang?" Liu Yue asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Though Jiang Tao had verbally agreed to the one-year lease, the commission wasn't secure until the contract was signed—it was like a piece of meat dangling in front of her, not yet in her grasp.
As they spoke, Liu Yue glanced toward the bedroom and said, "Mr. Jiang, would you like to take another look at the bedroom?"
"No need. Let's go sign the contract," Jiang Tao replied, picking up on the hint in her words but having no interest in that direction. He wasn't that kind of guy.
"Great!" Liu Yue said, thrilled at securing the commission but feeling a slight twinge of disappointment.
Honestly, she wouldn't have minded if something happened between her and Jiang Tao. Among all the clients she'd dealt with, Jiang Tao's looks easily ranked in the top three, and his physique and demeanor were impressive too. She'd been ready to offer herself, but he wasn't interested, which left her feeling a bit dejected. Did he not find her attractive?
Both lost in their own thoughts, they returned to the agency and signed the lease contract. Jiang Tao paid the 338,000 yuan for rent and deposit on the spot and, with the landlord's assistance, changed the passwords for both electronic locks on the villa's doors.
After all the arrangements, it was already past 3 p.m. Jiang Tao grabbed lunch at a random restaurant in Huilongguan before driving back to Walden Lake Villa District.
As he passed the entrance, he noticed the familiar-looking security guard with a hesitant expression. Smiling, Jiang Tao asked, "Have we met before?"
He didn't mind people knowing he'd once been a security guard, nor did he think it was something to be ashamed of. Earning an honest living through hard work—what was there to be embarrassed about?
"Uh, you're a busy man, probably forgot me long ago, but I still remember you," Tian Gang said with a flattering smile, seizing the chance to respond.
At that moment, Tian Gang's emotions were complex. A few years ago, they were both security guards. Now, he was still a guard, while Jiang Tao was driving a million-yuan luxury car and about to move into the villa district! The gap was undeniable.
Hearing Tian Gang's words, Jiang Tao vaguely recalled him but remembered they weren't close. "Let's catch up sometime. I'm heading in now," he said, stepping on the gas and driving into the villa district.
He and Tian Gang were mere acquaintances, so a quick greeting was enough. There was no need for a deeper conversation—they didn't have much in common anyway.
"He's really your old colleague? That's insane! I'll probably never afford a Mercedes in my life," the young guard said, watching the Mercedes GLS disappear down the road, his eyes full of envy.
When Jiang Tao returned to Villa 128, it was already 4 p.m. He entered the password to unlock the gate, crossed the courtyard, and used another password to open the front door. He headed straight for the study.
*Click*—he pushed open the study door and stepped inside. In his vision, the northwest corner of the floor glowed faintly gold.
With a thought, a notification appeared on his retina: *[No other observers are present. Would you like to spend 10,086 yuan to retrieve the items beneath the floor?]*
When Liu Yue was around earlier, the system had indicated other observers were present, preventing him from using this function. Now, alone, he could pay to extract the items.
"Damn, why not just rob me!" Jiang Tao muttered, exasperated at the 10,000+ yuan cost.
The last time he'd extracted ox gallstones from a cow, it had only cost 1,000 yuan total. This time, it was over ten times that!
But… if he didn't pay, he'd have to pry up the floor himself and then restore it. According to Liu Yue, the floor was made of teak, which wasn't cheap. Damaging it and paying for repairs would likely cost a significant amount, not to mention the time it would take.
"Fine! 10,000 it is! Take it out!" Jiang Tao decided after a moment's hesitation, opting to save the effort and spend the money.
*[Processing payment, please wait…]*
*[Payment successful. Extracting items…]*
In a flash, the floor, which had been glowing faintly gold in his vision, returned to normal. At the same time, a neatly stacked pyramid of gold bars appeared on the floor! Above the bars was a sealed plastic bag containing what looked like certificates for the gold.
"Whoa, that's a lot!" Jiang Tao said excitedly, swallowing hard. He crouched down and picked up one of the bars—a 200-gram investment-grade gold bar from ICBC.
"One, two, three…" He counted exactly 20 bars, totaling 4,000 grams! The sealed bag contained the certificates and purchase receipts for the gold.
"Done!" Jiang Tao's grin was harder to suppress than an AK's recoil. At over 900 yuan per gram in the current market, 4,000 grams of gold was worth over 3.6 million yuan!
"Keep it or sell it?" he pondered, lighting a cigarette to calm himself.
Ultimately, he decided to sell the gold bars while the market price was high. He wasn't yet at the point where he had so much money he needed to hoard gold. From his conversation with Liu Yue, he'd learned the villa was listed for 35 million yuan. Even with all his assets combined, he couldn't afford the down payment yet. He still had to work hard to live in a grand villa!
At 4,000 grams, the gold weighed just over 8 jin (about 4 kilograms)—seemingly a lot but not really. Jiang Tao grabbed a shopping bag from his car and packed the gold bars.
It was just past 4 p.m., still early. He drove straight to an ICBC branch in Huilongguan and smoothly exchanged the gold for 3,660,088 yuan! The amount was 88 yuan more than the 3.66 million mentioned in the intel.
Even after deducting the 330,000 yuan for rent, he still had 3.3 million left!
Just days after the "return one, get three free" Mercedes deal, he'd scored another massive windfall! Stepping out of the ICBC branch, Jiang Tao could barely resist breaking into a Star-Lord-style dance. Earning over 3 million in a single day—what a thrill!
*Ring, ring, ring*—his phone buzzed in his pocket as he reached his car.
Pulling it out, he saw the caller ID: "Third Bro."
Jiang Tao swiped to answer. "Hey, Second Bro, I'm almost at your neighborhood entrance. Come pick me up," came Jiang Bing's voice from the other end.
"Where are you now?" Jiang Tao asked.
"Driver, where are we? Oh, Huilongguan. I'm in Huilongguan," Jiang Bing said. He'd taken a shared ride from their hometown in Ping County, paying extra to be dropped off directly at the neighborhood entrance—much more convenient than a train.
Hearing Jiang Bing's conversation with the driver, Jiang Tao said, "Tell the driver to drop you off at the ICBC branch on Longhua Street. I'm in Huilongguan too."
"Got it! Driver, take me to the ICBC branch on Longhua Street or whatever it's called," Jiang Bing said. "I'm on the roadside. You'll see me when you get here. Hanging up now."
Jiang Tao ended the call, lit another cigarette, and waited.
Less than three minutes later, a white Volkswagen Lavida with a Ping County license plate pulled up in front of him.
"Second Bro! Did you come here just to pick me up?" Jiang Bing hopped out, excitedly grabbing Jiang Tao's arm with a big grin.
Jiang Tao laughed. "Don't flatter yourself. I just happened to be here for some business."
Hearing this, Jiang Bing's grin vanished. He turned, yanked open the car door, and plopped back inside. "Driver! Take me back to Ping County. I'll pay double!"
"Hahaha…" The driver, amused by the siblings' banter, knew they were just joking.
The driver, Wang Hong, a man in his forties, got out and greeted Jiang Tao with a smile. "Jiang Tao, long time no see. What's making you rich these days?"
Wang Hong worked as a junior manager at a food factory in Pingchang District. With a large family to support back home, he drove back twice a month, picking up passengers to offset tolls and fuel costs. Jiang Tao had ridden with him often and arranged for Wang Hong to bring Jiang Bing this time, paying the fare via WeChat.
"Started a small company and a little factory. Just keeping busy," Jiang Tao said, offering Wang Hong a cigarette.
"Not bad! Running your own business, being your own boss—way better than me!" Wang Hong said, taking the cigarette and praising him. "I'll probably work at the factory for another 20–30 years, retire, and go back home to eat and wait for the end."
Jiang Tao smiled modestly. "You're too kind, Brother Wang. Getting to the manager position at your factory is no small feat. Most people couldn't do it."
"You young folks have the guts to dream big and act on it. I'm just destined to work for others my whole life," Wang Hong said with a self-deprecating laugh, genuinely admiring Jiang Tao's entrepreneurial spirit.
They chatted while smoking, then Jiang Tao pulled Jiang Bing out of the car and had Wang Hong open the trunk to unload Jiang Bing's things. When Wang Hong saw Jiang Tao open the trunk of a Mercedes GLS parked nearby, his jaw practically dropped. *You're driving a Mercedes and still acting humble with me?*
"Thanks, Brother Wang. Let's grab a drink sometime," Jiang Tao said, bidding farewell before driving off with Jiang Bing.
"Hey, Second Bro, what's that on your wrist?" Jiang Bing, in the passenger seat, noticed the green-dial Rolex Submariner on Jiang Tao's wrist, her eyes lighting up.
"What else? My hand," Jiang Tao teased, pretending to be clueless.
"I know it's your hand! I mean the thing on your wrist!" Jiang Bing snapped.
"You don't know? It's called a watch," Jiang Tao said, still playing dumb.
"Jiang Tao! Can you stop messing around? I know it's a watch! Do you think I'm some country bumpkin?" Jiang Bing glared at her cheeky brother, itching to pounce and bite him.
"Hahaha, like it? If you do, it's yours. Consider it a welcome gift," Jiang Tao said as the traffic light turned red. He braked, turned to Jiang Bing, and grinned.
"Love it! Gimme!" Jiang Bing didn't hesitate, immediately reaching to grab it.
"Jeez, slow down! I'll take it off for you. No need to rob me!" Jiang Tao laughed.
"I'm afraid you'll change your mind!" Jiang Bing shot back.
"Am I that untrustworthy?" Jiang Tao protested.
"Yes!" Jiang Bing, who'd been tricked by her brother plenty as a kid, didn't hesitate. She yanked the Rolex off his wrist and put it on her own, admiring it gleefully.
"Second Bro, this is real, right? Not something you bought off Pinduoduo?" she asked, a bit skeptical.
Jiang Tao couldn't help but laugh. "You got me. Bought it on Pinduoduo for 28 yuan."
"That's what I thought! I knew you couldn't be trusted!" Jiang Bing smirked, her reverse psychology confirming the watch's authenticity. She lowered her head to study it further.
As the light turned green, Jiang Tao started the car and headed toward Longzeyuan. He wasn't ready to tell the family about renting the villa in Walden Lake just yet—it'd be too complicated to explain. He'd wait for the right moment to break the news.