The next day, the sun rose, and ordinary people continued their lives as usual, not noticing any difference in Yanjing from the day before.
However, people in Yanjing's upper circles subtly felt that the situation in Yanjing had completely changed.
This was because a legendary figure had appeared in Yanjing, someone who did not belong to any of Yanjing's prominent families, yet possessed the power to influence the city's dynamics. This made the thoughts of Yanjing's elite circles become somewhat delicate.
Yanjing Nanshan Villa was located in the Yongqing District of Yanjing, more than fifty kilometers from the city center, considered a rather remote suburban area with sparse population and infrequent traffic.
The Nanshan Villa district had been built for over thirty years. Its buildings appeared somewhat old compared to those in Yanjing's urban areas, yet no one dared to underestimate this slightly dilapidated community.
Because anyone with a bit of insight knew that many formidable individuals resided in Nanshan Villa, including former high-ranking officials.
Although Yongqing County was full of hidden talents, it was ultimately far from the city center, so its popularity was naturally worlds apart from Yanjing's.
But today, people were surprised to see that the roads, usually quite empty, were packed with various luxury cars.
The usually spacious parking lot of the Nanshan Villa district was full before dawn, and cars arriving later couldn't even find parking, having to stop along the roadside.
Bentley Mulsanne, Porsche Panamera, Audi A8, and other luxury cars rarely seen in Nanshan Villa were now everywhere, a dazzling array of automotive opulence.
However, the local residents were no longer surprised by such a scene, as it occurred in this area once or twice every year.
For no other reason than the fact that a family surnamed Qin lived in Nanshan Villa.
Today was the sixtieth birthday of Old Master Qin of the Qin family.
Nanshan Villa No. 7 was considered the Qin family's old residence. After retiring, Old Master Qin had lived here permanently. Although somewhat remote, it was far from the hustle and bustle of the city, with beautiful surroundings and air that was much clearer and purer than in the urban areas.
Every morning, one could hear the chirping of birds foraging for food. Taking a gentle breath of the clean air was refreshing; it was indeed a good place to live.
Because of Old Master Qin's sixtieth birthday, the usually quiet Nanshan Villa district had become exceptionally lively.
Old Master Qin's given name was Qin Tuyi. He had three sons and one daughter. His eldest son, Qin Zhengming, Qin Mo's father, was the current head of the Qin family, managing all major family affairs. Today's birthday banquet for Old Master Qin was meticulously organized by Qin Zhengming.
The second son, Qin Zhengwen, Qin Luoshui's father, did not enter officialdom like his elder brother but possessed great talent in business.
After reaching adulthood, Qin Zhengwen naturally joined the family enterprise. Currently, he managed seven listed companies, over half of the Qin family's listed companies were under his stewardship, with assets exceeding a hundred billion yuan. Even compared to the former Fang Group, it was not inferior.
Controlling the Qin family's financial lifeline, Qin Zhengwen's status within the Qin family was no less than that of his elder brother, possessing equal influence.
As for the third son, Qin Shuming, he lagged far behind his two elder brothers. Due to excessive pampering in his youth, Qin Shuming developed a rather rebellious personality.
Despite being a direct descendant of the Yanjing Qin family, he consorted with all sorts of disreputable characters daily, somewhat disgracing the Qin family.
However, Qin Shuming did possess some skill. After years of mingling, he had carved out a name for himself.
In his youth, people constantly compared him to his two brothers, which made Qin Shuming extremely resentful. In a fit of pique, he used the startup capital his grandfather had given him to establish a construction company.
Relying on his social connections, he had managed to make a small construction company grow and strengthen in Yanjing.
Old Master Qin's youngest daughter, Qin Zimo, was also Old Master Qin's only daughter and the one who gave him the most headaches.
Despite countless suitors with excellent backgrounds, character, and intellect, Qin Zimo, who was approaching thirty, had no intention of getting married, which left Old Master Qin feeling very helpless.
It was worth noting that even Qin Shuming, the youngest of Qin Zimo's brothers, had a son nearing twenty, while Qin Zimo didn't even have a boyfriend. Being part of a prominent family, such a situation naturally invited gossip.
...
When Zhang Fan, Qin Luoshui, and Yi Xiaoxiao drove to the outskirts of Nanshan Villa, it was almost eleven o'clock. If not for Qin Luoshui's mother, Li Songlan, constantly urging them, they might have arrived even later.
At this moment, there were no vacant parking spaces in the villa district, so they had to find a spot by the roadside and walk up the mountain.
However, there were very few guests heading to Nanshan Villa now; after all, who would dare be late for Old Master Qin's birthday banquet?
Ever since she learned of Zhang Fan's other identity, Yi Xiaoxiao had been exceptionally excited, with endless questions. At first, Zhang Fan would respond briefly, but eventually, even he lost patience and simply stopped answering.
"Alas, I wish I had been there yesterday. I heard that Brother Zhang Fan was incredibly heroic, like a god descended, and with just one palm strike, he made Wei Xiaowen, who could emit electric waves, spit blood," Yi Xiaoxiao said with a hint of regret.
"That was a supreme technique from Dalong Temple, not some electric wave," Zhang Fan said expressionlessly.
"It wasn't electric waves? I heard that when Wei Xiaowen struck with her palm, the entire hall suddenly shone with golden light, almost blinding everyone. I thought it was electric waves," Yi Xiaoxiao said.
Hearing this, Zhang Fan was too lazy to explain further. Qin Luoshui, on the side, covered her mouth and chuckled.
"Heh heh, I wonder what Mother will say when she sees Zhang Fan. I remember you told me before that Mother was determined to break you two up," Yi Xiaoxiao said with a playful smile, glancing at Zhang Fan and then at Qin Luoshui.
Qin Luoshui gave Yi Xiaoxiao a helpless look. Back then, when her mother Li Songlan was resolute about her breaking up with Zhang Fan, she could do nothing but confide in her best friend Yi Xiaoxiao. Now, Yi Xiaoxiao was teasing her about it.
Qin Luoshui remained silent. Yi Xiaoxiao pouted and had to steer the conversation back to Zhang Fan, playfully asking, "Brother Zhang Fan, from being a poor kid nobody cared about to the revered Master Zhang today, are you looking forward to seeing your future mother-in-law's expression again?"
Zhang Fan shook his head and uttered two words indifferently: "Childish."
...