Tycoon: From Rags to Riches

Zhuozhan Shopping Center, at the Helena brand counter.

In front of a clear glass display case stood three beautiful young women, each radiating youthful energy. Though they had different auras, all of them possessed graceful figures and slender bodies.

Men who passed by would frequently glance in their direction.

Just standing there, they were like a beautiful scene.

"Tangtang, Yiyi, the counter is having a promotion today."

"You get a 10% discount if you spend over five thousand. It feels like such a good deal."

The girl in the middle had conspicuous, shoulder-length, wine-red curls. She was dressed fashionably, with various pieces of jewelry on her wrists, neck, and ears. The bag slung over her shoulder was a Chanel Classic Handbag in white caviar leather, worth around twenty thousand yuan.

"Wow..."

"Yaoyao, this is Helena we’re talking about."

"You’re only eighteen and you’re already planning to buy Helena? That’s so extravagant!"

Liu Nanyi looked at Feng Yao, a hint of envy appearing on her fair, delicate face at just the right moment. "Yaoyao, after you buy it, can I try a little bit? I’ve never used Helena in my whole life!"

Compared to Feng Yao in the middle and Su Tang on the other side, she was a bit shorter, but she knew how to play to her strengths. A light green floral dress made her look pure and adorable.

She also carried a luxury bag, though it was a couple of tiers below Feng Yao’s—just an LV Pochette Métis worth around ten thousand yuan.

Faced with Liu Nanyi’s undisguised envy, the smile on Feng Yao’s face couldn’t help but grow even brighter.

"Tangtang, want to split the purchase?"

Feng Yao turned her head as if nonchalantly and asked Su Tang, who was on her other side, "It’s pretty rare for Helena to have a promotion."

"Sure, whatever."

"School just started, so I’m already fully stocked on skincare products. But if your budget is tight and you need someone to help you meet the minimum, I can chip in with you."

Although Feng Yao and Liu Nanyi were both beautiful young women, each with her own charm, they were inevitably a notch below Su Tang.

She was like Snow White stepping out of a fairy tale. Even though she was only wearing a plain white short-sleeved shirt and a pair of sky-blue washed jeans, she still outshone the carefully dressed Feng Yao and Liu Nanyi.

Some people are just born to be the main character.

Having been pampered and spoiled since she was a child, Feng Yao had always believed she was one of those people.

That was until two days ago, when she first arrived at the dorm for registration and saw Su Tang. That sight nearly shattered her confidence.

In just two days, word of the other girl’s beauty had spread throughout the entire freshman class of Jilin University School of Art.

It would be one thing if she were just beautiful, but her professional skills were stronger than hers too.

In the 2023 arts admissions for the Vocal and Operatic Performance Department at Jilin University School of Art, she had tied for first place in the professional assessment.

If it were only that, her confidence wouldn’t have been so close to crumbling.

The real reason her confidence had almost shattered was that the girl who had tied with Su Tang for first place in the arts admissions was also in their dorm room—and she was also very pretty.

Although slightly less stunning than Su Tang, she was a cut above both her and Liu Nanyi.

Under the circumstances, the only comforting thought she had was that her family’s financial situation was likely the best among the four of them.

At this thought, her gaze subconsciously flickered to the Chanel bag on Su Tang’s shoulder. It was the exact same model as her own white one, just in a different color—the black caviar leather version.

She couldn’t compete in looks or professional skills. Now, the only thing Feng Yao had left to maintain her pride was her relatively superior family background.

Therefore...

’I have to find a way to one-up Su Tang!’

Her original plan had been to use the Helena group purchase to probe Su Tang’s spending habits, which would allow her to guess at her family’s financial standing.

But she never expected the other girl’s two light-hearted sentences to put her in such an awkward position.

If she let Su Tang chip in now, wouldn’t that be admitting her own budget was tight?

But if she didn’t let Su Tang chip in, she would have to cover the entire five-thousand-yuan purchase herself. Even with her generous monthly allowance, she couldn’t afford such a high expense.

Just as Feng Yao was caught in this dilemma, her eyes suddenly lit up. She hooked her arms through Su Tang’s and Liu Nanyi’s, lowered her voice, and said, "Tangtang, Yiyi, look! A handsome guy!"

Hearing this, the other two were momentarily stunned, then subconsciously followed Feng Yao’s gaze.

It was a young man in a light-coffee-colored business shirt. He was strolling leisurely toward the Helena counter, exuding an indescribable sense of ease.

His dark eyes swept over the various glass display cases with a hint of casual indifference.

"He is pretty handsome."

"So this is the type of guy you like, Yaoyao."

Liu Nanyi teased Feng Yao playfully.

"I never said I liked him."

Feng Yao immediately denied it. "I just think he’s a refreshing change. Among all the guys who’ve pursued me, there’s never been one my age with such a mature, business-like style."

"Keep your voices down, he’s coming this way."

Noticing the figure approaching them in her peripheral vision, Su Tang quickly nudged Feng Yao with her elbow and reminded the other two.

At her words, the two girls immediately fell silent.

Soon, all three of them were feigning seriousness, resuming their discussion about the skincare products in front of them.

However, a flicker of anticipation rose in all three girls’ hearts simultaneously.

’If a high-quality guy like him, one who’s our age, were to hit on one of us in front of the others, that would be a huge boost to one’s pride, wouldn’t it?’

However, they were completely overthinking it.

When Gu Heng walked in, he hadn’t noticed their presence at all.

It wasn’t until he had passed by the display cases one by one that he realized there were other customers at the Helena counter.

As Gu Heng’s gaze swept past the faces of Su Tang, Feng Yao, and Liu Nanyi in turn, a strange look flickered in his eyes.

’What is with today?’

’Did I accidentally stumble into a fox’s den?’

’Gorgeous women, the kind you rarely see, are popping up one after another!’

’Take this bright, stunning beauty closest to me, for example. She’s another top-tier beauty on par with Jiang Ruan and Luo Xiwen.’

’The other two next to her, while a notch below, are still beauties in their own right.’

Gu Heng muttered to himself inwardly.

However, he had no intention of hitting on them. Although the sudden challenge quest issued by Brother Tongzi had caused a major shift in his mindset, it hadn’t turned him into the type to fall for every girl he saw.

His gaze returned to the glass counter in front of him, which happened to be the last one at the Helena counter.

There, he saw what he was looking for...