Chapter 31: I’m Warning You, Don’t Push It!

At dusk, he drove his car to the seaside and parked. The parking fee was 30 yuan. He stood on the beach, letting the sea breeze brush against him as he watched the sun gradually sink into the ocean.

He chose a local seafood spot recommended by netizens. It cost about two to three hundred per person. He ordered scallion-oil clams, steamed scallops, and a side of seasoned seaweed, plus a pitcher of fresh draft beer, totaling over 400 yuan—a bit pricier than back home, but not unreasonable.

The food was fresh and delicious. He ate at a leisurely pace, listening to the locals at the next table boasting and chatting; it felt vibrant and grounded.

He drove a loop around the coastal road to see the lighthouse and the rock formations. Parking cost 20 yuan, and he bought a handmade ice cream for 30 yuan—it was a life of simple, authentic pleasures.

This was the life Li Yan yearned for, one where he didn't have to worry about money.

Back at the hotel that evening, he was too lazy to go out again. He ordered a steak and red wine set from the hotel’s Western restaurant, which cost about 800 yuan, or over 900 yuan after the service charge.

After a satisfying meal, he returned to his room, took a shower, and watched television to relax. Tomorrow was the real shopping day.

Thinking about tomorrow’s big spree: spending the entire 900,000 yuan wouldn't be difficult.

His first stop was Green Island’s renowned international luxury hub, the "Coastal International Plaza."

He set out at 9:30, driving his 911. Parking was tight, and the VIP section cost 50 yuan per hour. He anticipated staying for eight hours, totaling about 400 yuan, which he paid without hesitation.

First, he went to look for a watch. He wanted a Patek Philippe Nautilus, but he knew it was hard to come by.

He found a high-end watch boutique, but the Nautilus was nowhere to be found in the display cases.

He asked the saleswoman, "Do you have a Nautilus?"

She gave an awkward smile. "Sir, that model is extremely popular. Our store hasn't sold one at retail price in half a year. We do have a pre-owned one in near-mint condition, but the price is much higher than the official retail price."

Li Yan was prepared for this. "Can you source one? I’m a serious buyer."

The clerk brought over the manager, who said, "We have a pre-owned Nautilus 5711/1A. It’s 99% new, comes with the box, papers, and warranty card. The price is 780,000 yuan."

A watch with an official price of just over 200,000 yuan was being sold for 780,000—a steep markup—but Li Yan didn't hesitate. "I'll take it."

The manager was slightly surprised by his decisiveness but maintained a professional smile. "Please wait a moment while I fetch the watch."

Li Yan swiped his card to pay the 780,000-plus, and with the subsequent maintenance agreement, it came to just over 790,000.

Having spent the bulk of his funds on a single watch, he felt a sense of relief. A major step of his task was complete.

There was no helping it; naturally, Li Yan would have preferred a new one, but unfortunately, there weren't any. For such a hot model, you’d have to wait two years just for a reservation, not to mention the issues of mandatory bundling. Fortunately, this watch looked no different from a brand-new one, so he could consider himself lucky.

Carrying the black watch bag out of the store, his brow smoothed out.

He still had over 100,000 yuan to spend on clothes, bags, luggage, and shoes.

He stopped by the LV store. A seasonal youth-style T-shirt was 5,500 yuan, a printed short-sleeved shirt was 8,000 yuan, loose-fit jeans were 9,000 yuan, plus a sports jacket for 20,000 yuan, a soft-sided luggage bag for 28,000 yuan, and a pair of white sneakers for 12,000 yuan, totaling over 70,000.

He chatted with the sales associate:
"Is this printed shirt too loud?"
The associate laughed, "It’s perfect for a young person. Loose prints are very trendy this year."

Li Yan nodded, tried it on, and liked how it looked in the mirror. "I'll take it."
He paid about 72,000 yuan. As the associate was packing it up, he saw that his card balance was down to 20,000-plus.

He then went to Dior. He picked out a black short jacket for 18,000 yuan, a T-shirt for 6,000 yuan, and a pair of casual trousers for 8,000 yuan—totaling about 30,000. But would his card have enough?

The card he had just used at the watch store still had some funds, but he switched to another card to pay the 30,000 yuan.

After finishing at Dior, he did the math: 790,000 + 72,000 + 30,000 = 892,000. He decided to add a few more small items.

He bought a high-end Rimowa suitcase for about 12,000 yuan. After paying, the total was around 904,000; a little over, but it didn't matter.

He was hungry by noon, so he ate a sushi set and Wagyu sukiyaki at a Japanese restaurant on the third floor of the mall, costing about 1,500 yuan.

If he didn't have enough cash, he would just swipe his credit cards; he had brought several, so he wasn't worried about limits.

In the afternoon, he carried his bags back to the hotel and had the staff arrange for them to be shipped home. The luggage, clothes, and watch boxes were all taken care of.

Dinner didn't need to be expensive. He found a nearby bistro, drank draft beer, and ate stir-fried clams and barbecue, spending 200 yuan to soak in the local atmosphere.

Breezing by the sea, eating seafood, and drinking draft beer—Li Yan felt this was exactly the life he wanted.

Around 8:00 PM, Li Yan returned to the hotel with a bag of local specialties he’d bought on the street.

Once in his room, he tossed the bag onto the sofa, hung up his coat, and slid open the balcony’s glass door.

The night sea breeze, carrying a faint salty dampness, washed over him. He braced his hands on the railing and looked down at the flickering neon lights along the coastline, his mood surprisingly calm.

His spending plan for the day was basically complete, and the balance on his card was nearly zero.

He shook his head with a smile, returned to the living room, poured a glass of the hotel’s complimentary mineral water, sat on the sofa, and sent a message to his mother: "I’m taking the high-speed train back tomorrow morning. I bought some local seafood specialties for you and Dad. They’re packed with ice packs, so you should receive them the day after tomorrow."

His mother replied quickly, "Don't spend money recklessly. Take care of yourself."

Li Yan typed back, "Got it, don't worry."

Just as he put his phone down, a familiar sound echoed in his mind:

"Ding! Task complete, consumption cashback settled."

He paused slightly and sat up straight.

Immediately, the system provided a detailed breakdown:
"Total consumption: 904,000 yuan. Cashback coefficient: 3x. Amount returned: 2,712,000 yuan."

"Three times the cashback?" Li Yan couldn't help but smile.

Of course, he was happy.

He opened his mobile banking app and, sure enough, saw that 2,712,000 yuan had been added to his account balance.

The string of numbers on the card left him stunned for a moment, but he quickly reined in his smile and turned off the phone screen.

Li Yan felt relatively calm; he had seen big money before, so this was just the beginning.

"The money is here, but college life has only just begun. I need to plan carefully how to use it."

He silently reminded himself not to get carried away just because he had suddenly come into wealth.

Afterward, he opened his suitcase to organize the clothes and specialties he’d bought today.

He had already had the hotel ship most of his clothes home, keeping only a seasonal Chanel outfit and a pair of shoes as spares, which he tucked into a corner of his suitcase.

On the other side, he divided the specialties into two portions: one consisting of dried scallops and seaweed that his parents liked, and the other containing some snacks that young people preferred, which he would take back for Gan Gan.

He carefully placed each item into an ice bag, packed them into a shopping bag, and finally felt at ease.

After showering, Li Yan sat on the edge of the bed scrolling through his phone, looking for food recommendations near the hotel, but he had lost his appetite.

He simply cracked open a cold beer and snacked on the leftovers from earlier, listening to the sound of the waves outside the window as he ate. His heart felt much lighter.

Not yet eleven o'clock, he turned off the lights and lay in bed, reflecting on the past few days. Before long, he drifted off into a dream.

The preparations for the journey ahead were complete, the funds were in place, and Li Yan was already looking forward to a wonderful college life.

In his dream, he seemed to see a fair-skinned, beautiful girl from Sichuan waving at him.

However, he couldn't quite understand what she was saying.

"Lao Zi Shu Dao Shan!"