"Is this Mr. Fang Jueyu?" Five minutes later, a slightly portly middle-aged man hurried over, having rushed back immediately after receiving a call.
"Hello, I am Fang Jueyu!" Fang Jueyu extended a hand for a perfunctory shake.
"Mr. Fang, you're truly a successful young man, such wealth at such a young age!" The manager started off with an obvious compliment. "I am Wang Zhihai, the manager of Jiangnan Villa, responsible for all logistics and property management here. If you have any issues in the future, feel free to contact me directly!"
"Thank you, Manager Wang!" Naturally, Fang Jueyu wouldn't give out his own number; communication would definitely be handled by Zhuang Ying.
"Manager Wang, can we go see the villa now? Mr. Fang has traveled a long way and needs rest." Zhuang Ying spoke in her role as the assistant, not wanting to delay further with small talk.
Wang Zhihai suddenly snapped out of it, realizing he might have overestimated his own importance. Though Fang Jueyu seemed approachable, the assistant, Zhuang Ying, appeared rather formidable. They clearly just wanted to move in quickly and had no interest in idle chatter.
"Of course, of course! I've brought the keys, and we can head over right away," Wang Zhihai quickly responded. "Please, take my car. There's a short distance to Villa No. 1."
"No need, we have our own car. You can lead the way," Zhuang Ying replied coldly.
"Alright, please follow me!" Wang Zhihai said, a little deflated.
As the manager of such a prestigious property, Wang Zhihai's company car wasn't exactly basic. His vehicle, a Maybach, cost upwards of three million yuan. However, when he saw Fang Jueyu's Porsche, he was a bit surprised; it seemed a bit modest for someone of such wealth.
Unaware of Wang Zhihai's thoughts, Fang Jueyu considered his Porsche to be a luxury car, though he was starting to realize that he might not fully understand the world of the truly wealthy.
The two cars drove one after the other into the community. In the center of the neighborhood was a large artificial lake, and Villa No. 1 sat right in the middle of it, the centerpiece of the entire villa complex, almost like a star surrounded by planets.
A specially constructed road led to Villa No. 1, complete with a dedicated guard to ensure absolute security for the homeowner.
Even though he had been prepared mentally, Fang Jueyu couldn't help but gasp when he saw the villa. It was no exaggeration to describe it as a palace.
The villa had four floors, with a garage on the bottom level and an open-air garden on top. Surrounding the garden was a suspended circular swimming pool, a bold and innovative design.
The exterior of the villa wasn't a typical square structure but looked like a staggered Rubik's Cube, giving it a futuristic vibe.
"Young master, are you satisfied?" Seeing Fang Jueyu's expression, Zhuang Ying already knew he was beyond pleased.
"Satisfied? Of course, I'm satisfied!" Fang Jueyu couldn't wait to go inside and explore.
"I won't disturb you two any further," said Wang Zhihai as he handed over the keys and tactfully excused himself.
"Thanks for your help, Manager Wang!" Fang Jueyu said politely.
"Xiaoying, you seemed a bit cold towards Manager Wang?" Fang Jueyu had been meaning to ask ever since they were in the car.
"Young master, you need to understand that many people will try to associate with you because of your wealth. I'm not biased against people based on their status, but I saw flattery and greed in Manager Wang's eyes. There's no need to engage with people like that."
"Hmm," Fang Jueyu nodded, feeling like he had just understood something new.
"Let's go in and have a look," Zhuang Ying said mysteriously. "I had the villa redecorated on short notice, but I think you'll like it!"
Fang Jueyu eagerly stepped into the villa, feeling reluctant to even step on the luxurious floor tiles.
"These tiles are custom-made, with an artificial crystal layer added on the surface," Zhuang Ying explained. "Each tile is 40cm by 40cm and costs about 5,000 yuan."
"5,000 yuan per tile?" Fang Jueyu was almost shocked. That's more than 30,000 yuan per square meter, comparable to the price of a city-center apartment!
By the entrance stood two Qinghua porcelain vases, each about one meter tall, with fresh plants inside, showingthe attention to detail by those who prepared the house.
"These are Song Dynasty Qinghua porcelain vases, an extremely rare pair, likely passed down from your ancestors. Each is now worth over 12 million yuan," Zhuang Ying added, "that's per vase."
Fang Jueyu gasped again. Placing antiques like these at the front door—just how wealthy did someone have to be to do something like that?
However, he didn't doubt Zhuang Ying's words. His ancestors had obtained the "Xiao Yi" intelligent system long ago, and they were likely quite wealthy even back then. It wasn't surprising that over the generations, they had accumulated numerous valuables.
"Wait a minute, Xiaoying, you're not telling me all the decorations in this villa are antiques, are you?"
"Of course. The villa has a study with authentic works by many famous calligraphers and painters, such as Tang Yin, Wang Xizhi, Zheng Banqiao, and more. There are even works by international masters."
"You're sure they're all authentic?" Fang Jueyu asked again.
Zhuang Ying nodded solemnly.
Fang Jueyu pointed at a massive oil painting on the wall, "What about this one? Don't try to fool me—I recognize Van Gogh. This painting should be in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, right?"
"Hehe, why don't you check the back of the painting?" Zhuang Ying replied mysteriously.
Confused, Fang Jueyu walked over and took the painting down from the wall. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was somewhat different from the version he had seen in his art textbook. On the back were several lines of text in a language he didn't understand.
"What is this? It's not English, right?" Fang Jueyu asked awkwardly.
"This is Dutch. Translated, it says: 'Thanks to my Chinese friend Fang Kun, who helped me during my most impoverished times. I created this painting and gifted half of it to him as a token of gratitude. —Vincent Van Gogh.'"
"Fang Kun? Could that be another one of my ancestors?" Fang Jueyu was starting to feel numb.
At that moment, he heard the voice of Xiao Yi: "Yes, master. Fang Kun was the 91st system holder. When Van Gogh was at his lowest, he encountered your ancestor, who was traveling around the world at the time. Your ancestor provided him with financial support for his art education, and in return, Van Gogh gifted him this painting."
"Let me ask, how much would this painting be worth?" Fang Jueyu asked weakly.
"If it were the authentic piece in New York, it would be worth about 400 million U.S. dollars, though it's considered priceless and wouldn't be sold. As for your painting, because of Van Gogh's inscription on the back, along with the historical significance it represents, it's likely worth at least 600 million U.S. dollars."
"Hehehe…" Fang Jueyu was completely dumbfounded. He finally understood a saying: poverty truly limits one's imagination!