Chapter 105: The Zhou Family
The suite at Sunshine Residence, which cost 7.5 million RMB, had only been visited twice by Chu Mo in this period, and he hadn't set foot there again.
In this 110-square-meter room, now only Yang Xuan, who had been a roommate for two years, lived alone, still paying her a rent of 4,000 RMB every month.
Of course, the reason why Chu Mo had spent such a high price to buy this suite was partly due to the sentimental attachment from living there for two years, but it was also because of his roommate, Yang Xuan.
Having moved from the community to a villa, Yang Xuan was left alone in the apartment, with no one to share the rent with her, and the monthly expenditure of 8,000 RMB was enough to leave her breathless.
There were only two outcomes in the end, either Yang Xuan had to find another roommate to share the rent, or she had to move out and find a smaller place to live.
Naturally, neither of these outcomes was what Chu Mo wanted to see.
So, before leaving, Chu Mo had outright bought the whole apartment, which also solved Yang Xuan's worries for the future.
Having not gone there for a while, Chu Mo really wanted to go back and take a look.
Sunday.
Because of the light rain last night, when waking up in the morning, the brilliant sunshine carried a hint of a refreshing cool breeze.
After a hearty breakfast, instead of going to the kitchen to practice his cooking skills as usual, Chu Mo took his laptop, got into his Bugatti Veyron, and leisurely hit the road.
In June, the sunshine of the metropolis had become scorching, the tall buildings on both sides of the road constantly reflecting the blinding sunlight into one's eyes. Fortunately, he had left the house early. By noon, the city would slowly become a furnace.
The cool Bugatti still managed to attract plenty of attention. While waiting for the traffic light at an intersection, a man in a Range Rover rolled down his window and, full of envy, asked:
"Buddy, how much did this car cost?"
Chu Mo turned to look at the man in the Range Rover and thought seriously for a moment, then replied somewhat sheepishly,
"About forty million or so, I think. I'm not really sure about the specifics; it was all handled by our family's housekeeper."
This statement might sound like boasting, but it was actually true. The Bugatti was originally intended to be purchased for Qin Zixuan, so Chu Mo had not gone to the dealership. After it arrived, Chu Mo found it appealing and simply ordered another one for himself.
Chu Mo knew that one car cost over forty million, but he really had no idea what the total cost was after taxes and other expenses.
The man in the Range Rover, wearing sunglasses, tilted his head. At first, he thought the other party was trying too hard, but as soon as he caught a glimpse of the Patek Philippe on Chu Mo's wrist, his doubts instantly vanished.
He knew that watch was worth over seventeen million. Wearing such a watch and driving such a car, it was natural to speak so casually.
Tens of millions, they really didn't matter to him.
The man in the Range Rover raised his thumb and genuinely exclaimed,
"Brother, you are truly incredible."
Then, as the green light came on and amidst the distinct roar of the Bugatti, Chu Mo zoomed away.
It took thirty-three minutes to get from Emperor Xuan Villas to Sunshine Residence on Hui Shui Road.
At 8:46 in the morning, Chu Mo parked the Bugatti in the community parking slot, took his laptop, and walked towards the building.
Arriving at the elevator, he pressed the familiar 13th floor. Although it had been only about half a month since his last visit, Chu Mo felt an unfamiliarity rising from within.
The elevator quickly stopped, and as Chu Mo approached the door, he first rang the doorbell twice. After a short wait, he took out his keys, intending to unlock the door, when it was opened from the inside.
Then, a stunningly beautiful face that he hadn't seen in a long time appeared before him.
"Chu Mo? If you didn't show up, I was about to call you. Are you not planning to collect this month's rent?" asked Yang Xuan with a sweet, soft voice as it echoed in his ears, Chu Mo paused for a moment, then he remembered that the apartment was now his own and, as a landlord, he indeed had to collect the rent.
"I really would have forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it. How has it been, living alone? Are you getting used to it?"
As he spoke, Chu Mo slipped on his sandals and, after entering, looked around the living room with its familiar setting and reflected:
"It's still the same as before."
Chu Mo sat down on the living room sofa and set his laptop aside before noticing a book on the coffee table. Since it was Sunday and Yang Xuan wasn't working, she probably had just been reading in the living room.
Yang Xuan, who really treated Chu Mo as a guest, took the initiative to brew a cup of tea for him. He knew this was a courtesy he definitely hadn't experienced when they were roommates in the past.
"At first, I was indeed not used to it. Many times when I came home, I would remember that no one would cook for me. After a few bouts of hunger, I now have dinner outside before coming home every evening. How about you? How have you been?"
Yang Xuan, wearing casual home clothes, with her long hair casually tied behind her head, likely due to being alone at home earlier, was dressed very casually, revealing large patches of fair skin beneath her thin garments.
Chu Mo averted his gaze and remarked quietly,
"It feels a bit surreal, like I'm dreaming."
"I've heard Zhan Bingxue say that countless times."
Yang Xuan, with a laugh behind her hand and a bright look in her eyes, alluded to something as she said, "Knowing now, I wouldn't have introduced you to Xiao Xue."
Chu Mo was momentarily taken aback but smiled as well when he caught the smile at the corner of her mouth.
This relaxed and casual feeling was something he hadn't experienced for a long time.
After chatting for a while, Yang Xuan, seemingly conscious of her slightly inappropriate dress, excused herself to change clothes in the bedroom. In the meantime, Chu Mo, taking a deep breath, turned on his laptop.
He had just had a flash of inspiration, and involuntarily, all the little memories from the past two years of living here surfaced in his mind. While reflecting on these thoughts, Chu Mo wanted to record his current feelings.
So, after a moment's contemplation, his fingers flew over the keyboard as he began to type rapidly.
When Chu Mo was writing, he usually concentrated deeply and was hardly disturbed by the outside world. When he finally stopped, he realized it was already 10:15 PM.
As he lifted his head, Yang Xuan, now dressed in a light purple dress, was sitting on the opposite sofa, quietly reading.
A gentle breeze blew from the air conditioner in the living room, bright sunlight streamed through the balcony windows, and sitting beside him was his roommate of two years. In this warm and comfortable setting, Chu Mo felt a profound sense of solidity.
After saving the article he had just written, and with nothing else to do, Chu Mo opened a browser and started browsing through some information casually.
The grand wedding of Zhou Tianqi, the eldest grandson of the Zhou family in Magic City, was today. Liu Manli, the richest woman in Hua Country, had invited him to accompany her, and Chu Mo had agreed.
Naturally, his target was the nearly 30-billion-RMB financial building owned by the Zhou family.
The Zhou family was an old and deeply-rooted family in Magic City, one of the four major families there, with a long history and prominent status.
The Zhou family's primary industry was entertainment, dominating a part of Hua Country's entertainment circle.
Their family-owned Tianhua International Entertainment Company ranked within the top three in Hua Country's entertainment industry, boasting six to seven super A-list stars and up to thirty or forty A-list stars.
The company's market value was over 650 billion RMB, far beyond what Shi Yuan Entertainment, which he had just taken control of, could compare with.
Chu Mo casually browsed through all the information about the Zhou family that Jiang Tao had helped him gather in the past two days.
Just Tianhua International Entertainment Company and the Magic City financial building alone placed the Zhou family's assets close to a hundred billion RMB. As for the other hidden assets when combined, the entire Zhou family controlled at least several hundred billion in assets.
However, Forbes's list did not contain any information about the Zhou family.
This family, with over a hundred years of history, was not one to easily show its head. Similarly, the Zhou family no longer needed the Forbes list to bolster its existence.
He flipped to the last page of the information.
The Zhou family's elder was critically ill, and the family wanted to use Zhou Tianqi's grand wedding as a way to bring joy to the elder. Selling the Magic City financial building was the old man's wish.
28 billion RMB for Magic City's second tallest building might be considered high for many people.
Even for Liu Manli, with a net worth of over 200 billion RMB, there was some hesitation.
But for Chu Mo, this financial building was something he was determined to acquire.