14 The Palms Residence

Zhou Chao observed as the property butler, Yang Mi, entered the elevator. He then turned and opened the door to his residence. In that instant, a sense of luxury and grandeur washed over him. His eyes were immediately drawn to the expansive living room, adorned with a magnificent crystal chandelier, exuding an aura of cleanliness and openness.

Zhou Chao stepped into the living room and casually closed the door behind him. The interior design followed a clean and bright style, complemented by minimalist furnishings that exuded a hint of luxury. Adjacent to the living room was a handcrafted Steinway piano, adding an extra touch of opulence. Zhou Chao walked towards the window and found himself surrounded by a panoramic balcony offering a 360-degree view of the Huangpu River and the Bund.

It took Zhou Chao approximately 20 minutes to get a general sense of the two-story residence. The entire property spanned 1,206 square meters, featuring a layout of six bedrooms, four living rooms, and six bathrooms. In addition, it came with a 150-square-meter swimming pool, a 200-square-meter rooftop garden, as well as a study, children's playroom, and maid's quarters. Equipped with a smart home system, Zhou Chao particularly loved the spacious swimming pool and the corner terrace.

Relaxing on a lounge chair on the terrace, Zhou Chao gazed at the Huangpu River that stretched across Modu City. The view was breathtaking, with the entire city seemingly at his feet. As evening fell, the city lights began to twinkle, illuminating the vibrant scenery of the Bund.

"This is the life of the wealthy. It feels amazing," Zhou Chao exclaimed, filled with awe.

Night silently descended. In the afternoon, Zhou Chao had already contacted Yang Mi to purchase some groceries. Now, he was preparing a sophisticated and delicious dinner in the 50-square-meter kitchen. By the time he finished cooking, the sky had turned dark, and the city lights had come alive. The Bund shimmered with captivating brilliance.

Sitting on the balcony, admiring the delicacies before him, Zhou Chao took out his phone and snapped several photos of the food, the night view, and the Bund. He promptly shared them on his social media.

In less than five minutes, Zhou Chao's social media feed exploded with notifications. New messages kept pouring in, to the point where Zhou Chao worried that his old phone would crash.

Opening his social media feed, Zhou Chao noticed that the likes and comments had exceeded 99+.

"What the heck is happening? Bro, where did you disappear to?" - Third Brother Xu Wenzheng.

"Damn, bro, your editing skills are over the top. You look even better looking than me in these pictures." - Fourth Brother Xiao Feng.

"Is this at The Palms Residence? The view is stunning. I want to visit and take pictures too." - Chao Yue.

"Chao, do you think you've embarked on an irreversible path? Introduce me to some wealthy women too." - Childhood friend Lei Mingtang.

"Wow, bro, this is so beautiful. Can you cook too? I want to join you." - Lovely sister Xiaoyan.

"Damn, an outdoor swimming pool and a rooftop garden! Chao, you're living the high life!" - College friend.

...

Reading through the comments one by one, from his childhood friends to close buddies, high school and college classmates, Zhou Chao scrolled through the remarks. Just then, his phone buzzed with a video call.

Taking a glance, Zhou Chao couldn't help but smirk. It was Li Yang, the big brother who had taken him to the bar to pick up girls a few days ago. His finger swiped across the screen, revealing a well-dressed, extremely handsome figure. However, compared to Zhou Chao, he fell short by a long shot.

"Bro, are you at The Palms Residence? Damn, when did you buy it? You're so damn extravagant. How much did you spend?"

"Over 200 million. I just got it today."

"Damn, I envy you. I've always wanted to buy a unit, but my old man refuses. Sob, sob. How about I move in with you?"

"Hey, bro, why do I feel like you've become even more handsome? It's only been a few days since I last saw you." Li Yang exclaimed, astonished by Zhou Chao's increased charm and piercing gaze.

"You're welcome to join me, as long as you don't bring any unfamiliar women along. Just let me know in advance, and I'll make arrangements."

Zhou Chao rubbed his chin, pretending to be surprised. "Big bro, you know nothing about my handsomeness. You only care about beautiful girls."

Li Yang retorted, "You, dog, what a liar. I'm genuinely envious. You get to enjoy the beautiful scenery and indulge in exquisite cuisine, while I just finished a meeting and haven't even had dinner."

"You dare to criticize me? Take a look at yourself, the heir to the Li Corporation, with a future net worth of hundreds of billions. How can you say such things?" Zhou Chao glared at Li Yang, feeling somewhat tricked by his earlier compliments.

"There's a gathering of some second-generation elites in Modu City in the near future. You should come with me!"

"Why should I join the gatherings of second-generation elites? I don't even know them."

"No worries, they're all my friends. I'll introduce you to them."

After giving it some thought, Zhou Chao knew that he would inevitably interact with some second-generation elites in Modu City. Getting to know a few people now wouldn't hurt.

"Alright, just give me a heads-up in advance!"

"Sure, I'll call you when the time comes." Li Yang hung up the phone. Zhou Chao looked at the ferries passing by on the Huangpu River and let out a sigh. He then prepared to clean up the tableware.

The phone rang again, and he picked it up to find Xiaoyan, the adorable younger sister. It occurred to Zhou Chao that Third Aunt must have seen his social media posts, but she couldn't call directly, so she asked Xiaoyan to do so.

Smiling, he answered the call. "Hello, Xiaoyan."

"Brother, why didn't you take me to such a beautiful place?"

"You're on summer vacation, right? Tell your mom and come to Modu City directly. I'll take you to Disneyland."

"Really? You better keep your word. Otherwise, you're just a stinky brother."

"Hahaha, your brother is amazing. When you come, remember to give me a call, and I'll pick you up at the airport."

"Okay, I'll talk to Dad later. Oh yeah, Mom said you shouldn't get involved in bad things outside and take care of yourself."

"Got it. Tell Third Aunt not to worry." Zhou Chao smiled faintly.

"Okay, got it." The phone call wasn't even disconnected when Zhou Chao heard Xiaoyan calling her mom on the other end, saying, "Mom, I want to go to Modu City to play with Brother. Can you let me go?"

Zhou Chao hung up the phone, tidied up quickly, changed into casual attire, and jumped into the pool wearing his swim trunks.