Ever since Han Lie returned home, there had never been a break from visitors. One group arrived at noon and another in the evening, none leaving before 10 p.m. This kind of scene was unimaginable in big cities but all too common in the countryside. Sometimes, those old state-owned enterprise residential quarters were even worse. Han Lie couldn't possibly entertain everyone the whole time. He just ensured basic politeness, leaving the rest for Old Han and Old Ma to handle freely.

「The next day」

Relatives of the family started arriving in batches. The Han Family's relatives weren't as malicious as those in some extreme families; they were all within the normal range. Old Han had two older brothers and a younger sister, while Old Ma had an older sister and a younger brother. So, this meant Han Lie had two paternal uncles (an elder and a second), a paternal aunt, a maternal aunt, and a maternal uncle. His eldest paternal uncle was stingy, his second paternal uncle was irritable, his paternal aunt simple-minded, his maternal aunt was brash, and his maternal uncle a ne'er-do-well. They all had their minor flaws, but they weren't bad people.

In past gatherings, Old Han and Old Ma would occasionally be chided by their sisters-in-law and weren't very popular, but that was the extent of it. When it really mattered, the family had helped out. For instance, in his previous life, when Han Lie had trouble paying his tuition one year, his second paternal uncle and eldest maternal aunt had helped him pool the money. Then there was the time Han Yong was bullied by a colleague at work; his maternal uncle brought some local thugs to confront the guy, slapping the colleague hard twice across the face. The rule of law in Dream City wasn't as strict as in Jinling, Magic Capital, or areas under railway jurisdiction. Since his maternal uncle was a small-time hustler with not much to his name, he only ended up having to treat them to drinks.

So when their siblings came over, Old Han and Old Ma were overjoyed, taking out all their best food and drinks to entertain everyone. Han Lie, as soon as he woke up, proactively went grocery shopping. Driving the Q7, he headed straight for the largest vegetable and seafood market in Dream City. Although Dream City wasn't near the sea, there was no shortage of fresh, high-end seafood—it was just a bit pricier.

It wasn't until he reached the market that Han Lie truly understood what "a bit pricier" meant.

A swimming crab weighing just over half a kilogram cost 450 yuan per half-kilo.

A four-kilogram Alaskan king crab was 2,400 yuan per half-kilo.

Chiba Prefecture's netted abalones, no bigger than his palm—good heavens, 6,000 yuan per half-kilo!

Arctic surf clams, Arctic deep-sea sweet shrimp, and leopard coral groupers... all were at least three times more expensive than in Magic Capital.

With the New Year just around the corner, the prices of these delicacies had soared to an outrageous, incomprehensible extent.

Who the hell can afford this?!

Han Lie saw a well-dressed, affluent-looking man get so infuriated by the shop owner that he started cursing, but in the end, only dared to buy two kilograms of swimming crabs, plus some scallops and mantis shrimp. The shop owner, stone-faced, saw the man off, then spat on the ground and muttered, "Poor bastard, asking and asking! Go ask your damn mother!"

TSK TSK, this is it, the familiar taste of Dream City!

The shop owner turned, saw Han Lie, and lazily asked, "Young man, what are you looking for? Everything's live and fresh!"

Han Lie suddenly remembered—Oh, right, I think I *can* afford this...

In that case, why hold back?

"All swimming crabs over half a kilo, pack them up. All king crabs over three kilos, pack them up. All Chiba Prefecture netted abalones, pack them up..."

Han Lie ordered seven or eight of the most expensive items. The shop owner immediately hurried over, bowing slightly, his smile becoming warm and dazzling. "Young Master, please, take a seat inside! I'll get everything ready for you right away! You want them all live, correct?"

Boss, I much preferred your rebellious look from earlier. Any chance you could restore factory settings?

The shop owner's demeanor clearly indicated... absolutely not!

"Young Master, have a cigarette. The shop smells a bit strong; please relax here!"

"Alright. You handle the packing, and deliver them for me later."

"Consider it done!"

The shop owner and his three employees scrambled to get everything ready. Han Lie stood with his hands clasped behind his back and casually remarked, "A little extra water or some thick rubber bands to add to the weight, that's understandable. But if there are any *other* problems, I won't argue with you. Someone else will deal with you."

Truth be told, Han Lie didn't actually have any powerful connections in his hometown yet; he hadn't had the chance to develop any.

However, just by standing there and speaking in that unhurried manner, he exuded the aura of a significant figure, one that people wouldn't dare to underestimate.

The owner immediately pounded his chest, guaranteeing, "Rest assured, sir! Any excess water that hasn't been drained, the weight of rubber bands, all that—I'll deduct it from the total weight. I guarantee you won't be at a disadvantage!"

"By the way, my surname is Niu. And you are, sir?"

"Han."

"Young Master Han! As a gesture, brother, let me give you these two and a half kilograms of small yellow croakers. It's all I have left. Take them, fry them up at home, and enjoy something fresh!"

"Alright. Thank you for your generosity, Boss."

While they were busy packing, a mother and daughter entered the shop.

The mother immediately asked about the king crabs, "Boss, how much are your Alaskan king crabs?"

"None left!" the owner replied without even looking up. "All the Alaskan king crabs have been bought up by our VIP guest. If you want king crab, I have some from Hokkaido. Interested?"

Hokkaido king crabs were a notch below the Alaskan variety—not as large, and their meat wasn't quite as fresh or sweet—but they were still considered top-tier seafood.

The young girl, however, was quite picky. Hearing this, she let out a disappointed "AH!" and then turned to look at Han Lie.

As she looked up, she suddenly froze.

When Han Lie saw her, he too was taken aback for a moment.

Well, well, if it isn't Hu Jing!

She was the belle of Class Six in their senior year, Han Lie's classmate, one of the "Three Great Beauties" of No. 2 High School, nicknamed the "Fox Spirit."

Oh, right, I think she didn't get along with Chen Yanfei for some reason.

Han Lie hadn't interacted much with Hu Jing. Over three years, they had probably chatted less than twenty times. However, they had sat one in front of the other for a period, so their relationship was comparatively decent among classmates.

Hu Jing stared at Han Lie's face, her large eyes blinking rapidly. He looked so familiar, yet she couldn't quite bring herself to believe it was him.