Chapter 72: The Real Tycoon Versus the Pretender

[Affection Level: 0]

Seeing Wang Yingfei’s purity score of 89, Lin Fan immediately understood why this girl gave off such an air of premature worldliness.

She was only twenty-one, yet she’d already had eleven boyfriends—no wonder she seemed so mature.

The key point was that Wang Yingfei’s outfit today was extremely fashionable: a burgundy off-shoulder minidress, an expensive watch gleaming on her wrist, her entire look dignified and striking. Though her figure was slender and alluring, her aura was utterly ordinary.

The contrast between her attire and her temperament was jarring—she was the classic nouveau riche socialite.

Lin Fan had met true socialites and heiresses before, like Ouyang Qi and Su Juanmo.

Those two women, in both figure and beauty, showed no trace of artificial enhancement. No matter what they wore, they exuded natural elegance and grace, softer and more refined than any professional model.

But Wang Yingfei’s aura seemed forced, as if it was something she’d learned by rote—she looked like a veteran who’d clawed her way up in the fashion world.

The moment they sat down, Wang Yingfei spoke bluntly, “I heard from Yichen that you run a streaming company? You’re planning to sign her to your firm?”

Lin Fan raised an eyebrow—why did this girl sound like she was interrogating him?

“I’ll make this clear: before you arrived, we’d already spoken with the agent, and it went very smoothly,” Lin Fan said solemnly.

He wanted to make it clear that he had no ulterior motives towards Zhang Yichen.

“Is that so?” Wang Yingfei arched her brow too, fixing him with a piercing stare.

But it was Zeng Shuai beside her who picked up the thread, “How big is your company, anyway? How many female streamers do you have? What kind of benefits do you offer?”

“I—” Lin Fan had barely begun before Zeng Shuai turned to Zhang Yichen, ignoring Lin Fan entirely, and said, “Yichen, you’re still very naive. You need to be careful about people with ulterior motives. Some people are very good at pretending—don’t let yourself get duped.”

Lin Fan watched the couple impassively, deeply annoyed.

They weren’t Zhang Yichen’s elders—why did they act as if they were cross-examining a criminal? Did they think he was about to lure Zhang Yichen away?

Sensing the tension, Zhang Yichen hurried to smooth things over. “Mr. Lin, Feifei treats me very well. She’s just worried you might make me go to Hangzhou for streaming, so she keeps advising me not to sign a long-term contract...”

“You can rest assured—all the terms are in the contract. Before the group forms, you can stream in Shanghai. After the group is established, you’ll need professional training. At that time, I’ll try to get you all onto variety shows and such,” Lin Fan replied, switching to an official, measured tone.

Zhang Yichen smiled awkwardly.

If she’d known, she would have read the contract more carefully. So that was why Lin Fan had told her to go through it thoroughly earlier.

After a few more words, Lin Fan excused himself to the restroom, leaving Zhang Yichen to explain things to her friends.

He hadn’t expected Zhang Yichen to bring her best friends along, but judging by Zeng Shuai’s attitude, the man seemed somewhat disdainful of him.

Several minutes later, Lin Fan returned to the private room. As expected, the atmosphere had eased considerably.

After a light meal, the four decided to wander around nearby.

Who would have thought Wang Yingfei would lead them straight to the luxury brand street?

This street was lined with all kinds of high-end boutiques: Dior, LV, Balenciaga, Chanel, and so on.

Instinct told Lin Fan that Wang Yingfei was deliberately testing him.

The two girls walked arm in arm ahead, with Lin Fan and Zeng Shuai trailing behind—though Zeng Shuai deliberately kept his distance.

Lin Fan could see perfectly well that Zeng Shuai was Wang Yingfei’s lapdog. Judging by his own high-end attire, this guy was likely a rich second-generation as well.

And his name suited him—he was indeed quite handsome, making Lin Fan suspect he was a Shanghai trust-fund kid.

After all, Shanghai was famous for its wealth—many local tycoons had gotten rich through property redevelopment or rental income, spawning a legion of rich heirs.

The two girls entered a Chanel handbag boutique.

A saleswoman, around thirty, quickly approached.

“Ladies, is there anything you’d like to see? The bags in the center display are all the latest arrivals…”

Truly an experienced saleswoman—she assessed the two men trailing behind and immediately realized someone was about to spend big. She led the girls straight to the central counter.

Young women’s fickleness for novelty was well-known. Judging by the girls’ expensive outfits, they were clearly well-off, and deserved the best.

Soon, Wang Yingfei picked out a handbag worth eighty thousand.

“Brother Zeng, I really want this bag—could you buy it for me?” she cooed.

Lin Fan saw Zeng Shuai’s brow tighten, a flicker of irritation in his eyes.

But he forced a cheerful smile, “Of course! Anything you like, I’ll buy for you!”

Observing this, Lin Fan couldn’t help but wonder if this guy was faking his wealth.

From the start, Zeng Shuai had given him the same impression as Wang Yingfei—their style and speech didn’t match their true bearing.

“I knew you were the best!” Wang Yingfei beamed, then turned to Lin Fan.

“Brother Lin, our dear Yichen has her eye on this bag, too. Could you buy it for her?”

Lin Fan glanced at the price tag—a hundred thousand for that women’s bag!

Well, this was obviously a setup.

Lin Fan frowned slightly. Zeng Shuai immediately grinned, “If you think it’s too expensive, just pick out something cheaper. Don’t force yourself! Saleslady, do you have anything more affordable?”

“We do! Over there—the gray bag on that cabinet is seventeen thousand,” the saleswoman replied, perfectly attuned to her customers.

She could tell at a glance that Lin Fan wasn’t as wealthy as Zeng Shuai. Not only was he plain-looking, but his clothes were old-fashioned—almost like a retired official. His aura was more deliveryman than tycoon, clearly pretending to be rich for show.

As a result, she was full of disdain for Lin Fan and her tone was decidedly cold.

Lin Fan had encountered this kind of situation many times before.

Especially in a luxury boutique in Shanghai—there wasn’t a single sales clerk who didn’t judge their clients.

“Which is your most expensive bag?” Lin Fan asked, unfazed.

His words stunned everyone.

There wasn’t just one saleswoman in the store—there were two others as well.

The woman hesitated, then grinned, “Our priciest bag is eight hundred thousand—the limited edition silver crocodile skin. But… that’s not something just anyone can afford.”

“What about besides that one? Are there others?” Lin Fan asked, glancing around.

“The bags in that glass case over there are all over three hundred thousand. If you’re sure you want to buy, I can call the manager to open it for you,” the saleswoman replied, her tone edged with sarcasm.

Seeing this, Zeng Shuai chimed in mockingly, “Bro, things that expensive just aren’t worth it. Better pick something cheaper—don’t strain yourself.”

Lin Fan ignored him, pointed to the row of glass cabinets, and said, “I’ll buy everything inside those cases. How much will that be?”