Chapter 22: Chapter Twenty-Two: A New World

He continued his monotonous routine: morning exercise, studying stocks, making nuisance calls, looking at apartments, flipping through books, and so on.

Day after day, no wonder he couldn't find a partner—nothing he did had anything to do with women.

Before, life had no direction, and he had no ambition; basically, he just played with his phone and scrolled videos. Now that he had hope, his time was swallowed up by intense studying and making a living.

This is the greed of human nature—clearly, people are never truly free.

That day, as Wang Yan was busy making nuisance calls, a system prompt arrived.

"Lin Youyou from 'Thirty Is Just Right' wishes: to be with Xu Huanshan."

This was a previously popular drama that Wang Yan had also watched some of; one sentence summarizing 'Thirty Is Just Right' was "a story about three women," and he still remembered parts of the plot.

Wang Yan guessed Lin Youyou's task had only two possibilities: either she truly loved Xu Huanshan, or her competitiveness drove her to outdo Gu Jia—after all, jealousy distorts faces.

The system also granted him a year's stay to see what choice Lin Youyou would make after the fireworks factory explosion.

This task was quite interesting.

It had been a while since he'd watched it; he'd almost forgotten the plot.

He turned on his computer, logged into his membership, and started watching episode by episode.

He spent his days working to earn money and his nights watching the drama; it took him exactly four full days to finish it all, and he regained a full understanding of the plot. In short, it was still all about money.

And this task didn't even require him to do much—just get Xu Huanshan and Gu Jia to divorce early, and keep everyone else from meddling uselessly. With Lin Youyou's limited abilities, Xu Huanshan was definitely not going to escape.

Wang Yan noted down some stock information—that was his key to making money. He couldn't keep running to the Golden Triangle; that would look terrible.

After recording the key information, he pulled the curtains, lay on the bed, pulled up the panel, and clicked confirm.

A blue flash passed, and Wang Yan vanished from the bed again.

、、、

Wang Yan opened his eyes, staring at the unfamiliar surroundings, receiving information transmitted by the system.

This time, the system was quite considerate—he started with assets over a hundred million, a financial elite. According to the system, he was currently in Gu Jia's residence in Junyue Mansion.

He had experienced two worlds: the first with a net worth of fifty thousand, the second starting in prison. Compared to those, this one was practically a vacation.

After fully understanding the information, Wang Yan walked around the house.

The system had good taste—the interior design was overall Jiang Nan style: a large bedroom, a large study. The rest of the space, except load-bearing walls, was all opened up, with indoor landscaping and bookshelves serving as partitions; some walls displayed books, others showcased artworks.

The living room featured Japanese tatami mats with a low table and several cushions, no sofas or coffee tables. There was no TV on the wall—only a massive ink painting. Except for a few spots, the entire floor was solid wood. The house had generous width and depth; sunlight streamed in, creating an instant sense of comfort and ease.

Looking out the window at the vast Huangpujiang and the flowing traffic below, the feeling surged over him.

Subtle and restrained, plain and unadorned—yet meticulously crafted, peaceful amid the bustle. It carried the air of "the world is drunk, but I alone am sober."

The elegance instantly elevated, and the posing was perfectly executed.

In Wang Yan's view, the decoration just looked decent—everything else was ordinary. He wasn't just someone who'd been a billionaire; as his actual job involved viewing countless luxury homes, this was all small stuff.

It was morning, and the sun wasn't harsh. Wang Yan stepped onto the balcony; the warm sunlight on his skin felt wonderful.

Watching the rolling river below, Wang Yan couldn't help thinking of Liu Sihui—they'd once sat together, gazing at the Huangpujiang. She never spoke, never asked for anything, always gazing at Wang Yan with gentle eyes.

Her impression on him was too deep—he never married her, and now, thinking back, he felt regret.

He shook his head, putting aside thoughts of Liu Sihui; such things would only grow more frequent—how could everything possibly be perfect?

Junyue Mansion had twenty-one floors; Wang Yan lived on the eighteenth. According to the system's information, this unit was cheaper due to its floor level, worth roughly under fifty million—his 200-plus square meter apartment came to over two million per square meter.

In addition, he owned several other properties in other cities, even in Paris—shops and such. Combined with his miscellaneous stocks and over seven million in cash, his total assets exceeded a hundred million.

The system didn't say where the plot stood, so Wang Yan didn't know. Fortunately, Wang Manni was downstairs in the mall—he decided to go check things out first.

He immediately turned back inside, tidied up, and went downstairs.

As he stepped out of the elevator, he saw property staff patiently talking to a family of three.

The three were precisely Gu Jia's family, newly moved in.

Seeing them, Wang Yan understood—he knew the plot had just begun, and Gu Jia had just moved into Junyue Mansion.

Seeing Wang Yan approach, the property staff greeted him. When Wang Yan nodded but didn't leave, the staff understood and introduced them.

"Mr. Wang, this is Mr. Xu and Ms. Gu, residents on the twelfth floor."

He then turned to Gu Jia and said: "This is Mr. Wang, who lives on the eighteenth floor."

They greeted Wang Yan; Gu Jia was the more polished one: "Hello, Mr. Wang. This is my husband, Xu Huanshan. I'm Gu Jia. We look forward to your care and support."

Wang Yan waved his hand politely: "Just call me Wang Yan. Let's look out for each other." He glanced at the child behind them, bent down, and said: "Hi there, what's your name?"

The child, a bit shy, whispered: "Hello, Uncle. My name is Xu Ziyan. I'm four." The kid was used to being asked.

Wang Yan chuckled, tapping Xu Ziyan's little nose: "Alright, little guy's already learned to jump in."

He glanced at Gu Jia, standing quietly beside them, and said: "Haha, the kid's lively."

"Well, I live upstairs. Let's have dinner sometime soon, get to know each other. You've probably got a lot to handle—I won't keep you."

After saying goodbye, Wang Yan left. Behind him, Gu Jia asked the property staff about the man she'd just met.

Wang Yan was too ordinary—he wasn't strikingly handsome, nor was he ugly in a distinctive way; he didn't stand out in either direction.

If not for his experiences across two worlds, which had cultivated an air of exceptional composure, no one would even look at him.

Gu Jia's impression of Wang Yan was that he was ordinary yet peculiar—his eyes were magnetic; everything else was just average.

The property staff told her Wang Yan worked in finance and had assets over a hundred million. To Gu Jia, that meant nothing—her own family had tens of millions; the difference was negligible.

Wang Yan's looks were unimpressive—he couldn't change that. Without money, he'd be finished.

Habit is a powerful force; Wang Yan's goal was to make Gu Jia accustomed to his presence. Even a virtuous, capable woman like her couldn't escape the careful scheming of Old Wang.

With a good hoe, no wall is too strong to dig under.

Wang Yan stepped out of the building and headed toward the nearby mall.

The place was easy to find—he turned two corners and saw the mall. With such a huge entrance right below, even a blind man could spot it; Wang Yan walked straight over.

From afar, Wang Yan saw Wang Manni standing at the entrance—she was undeniably attractive, striking, and extremely eye-catching.

Wang Manni, standing by the store entrance, saw Wang Yan approaching and stepped forward two paces: "Hello, Mr. Welcome to Mishiya."

Wang Yan nodded to her.

"I don't know how to address you?"

"Wang Yan."

"Mr. Wang, please come in."

"I don't know what you'd like to select? Our store just received a new batch of men's clothing—would you like to take a look?"

Wang Yan said: "Just pick me out two casual sets."

Seeing his demeanor, Wang Manni understood—he wasn't short on money.

"Then please have a seat for a moment; I'll pick out two sets for you to try on."

She measured his build, then turned to fetch the clothes.

Wang Yan boredly scanned the surroundings and accidentally spotted Linda—the contestant in the show who constantly studied Wang Manni, always scheming to steal customers.

Linda had no customers now, and she stared at Wang Manni with cold eyes.

Wang Yan shook his head; he had no interest in her at all. People always do this—they never look within themselves for reasons, only endlessly complain about injustice.

After a while, Wang Manni came over and asked him to go to the fitting room to try on the clothes and get measured.

Wang Yan's physique needed no explanation—he was a perfect mannequin. And Wang Manni, with years of experience, had impeccable taste; she had always been at the forefront of fashion.

Watching him step out of the fitting room, Wang Manni hadn't expected such a perfect fit—combined with Wang Yan's demeanor, the clothes took on an entirely new character.

"Mr. Wang, this set fits you perfectly—it matches your aura exactly."

Wang Yan looked at his reflection in the mirror and nodded noncommittally to her words.

"Try on the other set."

He tried both; he felt they were acceptable. He was used to wearing suits, and suddenly switching to something else gave him a genuine sense of freshness.

"How do you feel, Mr. Wang?"

"These two sets. Swipe your card."

Two suits—under 200,000.

In sales, there's a strong sense of accomplishment at the moment of closing a deal. Wang Manni happily led Wang Yan to the counter to issue the invoice and settle the payment—this sale would bring her a substantial commission.

At the door, Wang Yan invited Wang Manni: "Would you be free for dinner tonight?"

Looking into Wang Yan's captivating eyes, Wang Manni hadn't expected such a sudden invitation—after all, their interaction had been brief—but wasn't this exactly what she'd always wanted?

In her view, though Wang Yan wasn't particularly good-looking, he had eyes that radiated charm. Moreover, he spent nearly 200,000 without blinking—his purchasing power proved he had substantial assets. He didn't look old—around thirty—and carried the bearing of a successful man. A little interaction couldn't hurt.

"Don't you think your invitation is abrupt?"

Seeing her reaction, Wang Yan understood: "People naturally gravitate toward beauty, and I think you're beautiful."

He gave her no chance to reply: "Let's add each other on WeChat first."

After adding each other, Wang Yan said: "Alright, that's settled. I'll pick you up at eight. I'm leaving now." He had seen the store's operating hours posted at the door.

Watching Wang Yan's figure walk away with the bags, Wang Manni's heart stirred.

Over the years, countless men had invited her, but Wang Yan was the first to be so domineering. After all, there were too many lickspittles, and many had wanted to keep her as a mistress. Suddenly, a truly distinctive man appeared—it was only natural to feel a spark of novelty.

At that moment, a woman carrying a bag approached. Wang Manni smiled and greeted her warmly.

Of these three female leads, Wang Yan thought only Gu Jia was somewhat normal. No matter her values, as a mother and wife she was competent; the rest didn't matter much.

Wang Manni was the classic case of wanting it all—talking about materialism with the poor, love with the rich. She had no idea of her own worth, couldn't see what kind of player she was. She ignored her parents, chasing only higher branches. In the end, she even forcibly whitewashed herself—go abroad and it's all over. Bullshit. How easy is it to make 100,000?

Zhong Xiaoqin wasn't any better, even though she ended up playing the virtuous wife and mother. Wang Yan had no intention of commenting further on her and Chen Yu, nor did he plan any contact. One reason was that Old Wang had no sexual interest in her; the other was that the two of them were perfectly content with their own drama—it had nothing to do with him.

As for their relationships, Gu Jia and Zhong Xiaoqin got along much better. After all, they were classmates, sisters for years, and both locals. Wang Manni, an outsider, was really on the periphery of their circle—much like how she stood outside Gu Jia's wife circle.

Back home, Wang Yan tidied up, then went out again.

Wang Yan went to the underground garage and found the car assigned by the system. It was an A8, black top model, worth just under two million. He started the car and drove to his company.

The system had arranged a small office for him, in a building not far from his residence—a twenty-minute drive away—with about twenty staff under him.

To be fair, the system really had his back—it arranged everything perfectly.

At the company, he summoned his subordinate in charge and gave him instructions.

The main tasks were to liquidate previously held stocks and provide new stock information for the staff to act on. The principal was over ten million—likely to yield substantial profits.

He handled some routine matters and made additional arrangements. These tasks were now effortless for Wang Yan—he had sufficient skills in management, finance, and investment; dealing with such matters was child's play.

His employees were also highly motivated; Wang Yan wasn't heartless—he offered good compensation. The company had no major crises, no overtime, no KPIs, or other nonsense. The staff were all capable; overall, it was exceptionally relaxed.

After a flurry of activity, it was past five—time to leave work.

Wang Yan reserved a table at a famous Shanghainese restaurant—he hadn't eaten this cuisine in a long time and still felt nostalgic.

Service industry workers finish late; at eight, Wang Yan drove to the vicinity of the mall. He didn't go straight to find her—an adult must at least consider others' feelings, let alone someone like Old Wang, who had clear goals.

He sent Wang Manni the address via WeChat; soon she arrived, carrying a bag.

Seeing Wang Yan roll down his window and wave, she smiled in response.

As a woman who had long dreamed of turning a partridge into a phoenix, she understood cars well. Seeing Wang Yan's vehicle, she gained a deeper understanding of his means.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting," she said, opening the door and sitting in the front passenger seat.

"It wasn't long. Besides, waiting for a beautiful woman is no burden."

"No need to be so polite—fasten your seatbelt. We're off." Wang Yan started the car and merged into traffic.

"After a long day at work, you must be starving. I booked a restaurant—everyone says it's excellent. Eat well tonight; consider it a reward." Wang Yan said as he drove.