The man before them held a selfie stick. His hair was dyed bright yellow, and though he was a man, his face bore obvious traces of cosmetic surgery.
Beside him stood a woman with equally yellow hair.
"Hahaha, sorry, sorry! My bodyguard was a bit rude just now."
The man walked over grinning—but his expression held not a shred of apology, only arrogance.
Onlookers around them began whispering.
"Oh, that's Wang Teng! He's a top internet celebrity with millions of followers."
"He's one of those so-called elite rich second-generation types—owns tons of luxury cars, spends over a million on a single meal."
"Even if he's rich, that doesn't mean he can shove people around!"
…
The murmurs spread through the crowd.
"Buddy, what you said just now was right—but the way you talk, not so much. Let me tell you something: this place was built with taxpayers' money, but not all taxpayers are equal."
Wang Teng sneered, "Your family's entire decade of taxes probably doesn't equal what I pay in a single day."
"Exactly! By your logic," the long-haired woman beside him added mockingly, "your family's taxes might pay for a single blade of grass, while Young Master Wang paid for this whole street!"
"Alright, enough, I'm fine," Ye Tong said softly, walking over and tugging Xu Mu's sleeve.
"No," Xu Mu replied calmly. "Now I'm really curious to see which bigshot dares say my family's ten years of taxes can't compare to one day of his."
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Handsome, you're underestimating things," the woman beside Wang Teng laughed. "Do you even know who Young Master Wang is? One of the top rich heirs in the country!"
"Rich heirs need to livestream for money now? What, is it for the 'experience'?" Xu Mu asked dryly.
"What? Who says rich heirs can't stream?" Wang Teng snorted proudly.
"If you're really second-generation wealthy, then what's your family's company called? I'll look it up." Xu Mu raised his phone casually.
"That's a secret. Why should I tell you?" Wang Teng smirked.
"Then what's your livestream platform and username?" Xu Mu asked lightly. "That's not a secret, right?"
He knew this industry well.
The Xu Corporation had investments in several domestic streaming platforms—ironically, it was one of the few successful ventures made by the "villainous" Xu Mu of the original plot.
Xu Shou, his father, had been a conservative businessman who couldn't accept new trends like livestreaming. Xu Mu had eventually convinced him to invest millions—and to their surprise, it became highly profitable.
"Wang Teng. Beach Live," the man replied smugly, shrugging.
"Good—based right here in Yang City," Xu Mu said. He dialed a number.
A voice answered, "Young Master Xu, what can I do for you?"
"Call the CEO of Beach Live. I want to know who this Wang Teng really is."
Xu Mu hung up right after saying that.
"Trying to scare me? Please," Wang Teng sneered. "I've got hundreds of thousands watching my stream right now. You'll just embarrass yourself."
Instead of panicking, he felt thrilled—this was great publicity! The drama would boost his popularity even higher.
"No problem," Xu Mu said easily. "I've got thick skin."
He'd once invested a few million in a web influencer company himself—so he knew exactly how these things worked.
Female influencers who refused to show their faces were usually plain-looking. After all, women liked being admired.
If one was truly beautiful, she'd want to show it off as soon as possible.
Any "shy" influencer claiming modesty was lying—modest women wouldn't dream of becoming streamers.
And as for men like Wang Teng—"rich second-generation" types who hid their real identities—most were fake.
Xu Mu knew: he'd invested in a company that manufactured "rich heir personas."
In this world, ordinary people were the majority—and they were curious about the lives of the rich.
So, by packaging someone as a wealthy heir and showing off luxury cars, private jets, and lavish meals, you could gain followers fast.
That company's CEO had once told Xu Mu personally:
"The fake rich-kid persona builds a fanbase faster than any beauty influencer—and the profit margin's higher."
Once the persona stuck, everyone would believe it.
They'd attract high-end brand deals, luxury sponsors, and inflated product sales—
People would think, 'If even someone that rich uses it, it must be good.'
Eventually, they could even launch their own brand—
Becoming a real rich person, even if most profits went to the company.
"Hey bro, are you done yet? Do you know how much money I make per second?" Wang Teng laughed.
"Oh, look—the message just came in," Xu Mu said flatly. "Wang Teng, real name Wang Dazhuang, from Shangang Village. Junior high education."
Wang Teng's face immediately froze, color draining from it. "You're spouting nonsense!"
Xu Mu ignored him and read more from his phone. "Tianxia Media? What a coincidence. I'll have Zhao Jian come over."
At that name, Wang Teng's complexion went white as chalk.
Zhao Jian—that was his boss.
Wait… had he just offended a real heavyweight?
The crowd gasped. Many started recording with their phones.
Judging from Wang Teng's expression, everyone realized—he was in deep trouble.
"Zhao Jian! Is Wang Teng one of your employees?" Xu Mu asked on speakerphone.
The entire area went quiet—everyone straining to hear the reply.
"Yes, Young Master Xu, he is," Zhao Jian's voice came through nervously. "What happened?"
Wang Teng's legs nearly gave out. He hastily ended his livestream—the voice was unmistakable. His boss.
"He insulted my wife," Xu Mu said coldly. "Said my Xu family's ten years of taxes couldn't compare to one day of his."
"Zhao Jian, it's been what, two years since we last spoke—and your people have already become 'the richest men alive'?"
"Y–Young Master Xu, I'm out of town, can't come back right now—put him on the phone!"
"He can hear you just fine," Xu Mu said, staring straight at Wang Teng.
The man didn't dare meet his eyes. He'd been pretending for so long—and now, he'd run into the real thing.
"Wang Teng! Are you out of your mind? You dared provoke Young Master Xu of the Xu Corporation? Apologize immediately!" Zhao Jian's furious voice roared through the speaker.
Wang Teng's legs buckled, nearly sending him to his knees.
The crowd erupted in astonishment.
"The Xu Corporation? Isn't that the one making that new weight-loss medicine? It's amazing—I'm taking it right now!"
"Xu Corporation's way more than that—they're in manufacturing, finance, and real estate. They're a Jiangbei powerhouse!"
"Hahaha! A fake rich kid just ran into a real rich heir!"
…
As laughter and applause spread through the crowd, Wang Teng realized he was finished.
He'd lived his fake persona so long, he'd almost believed it—especially as his pay skyrocketed.
From a few thousand yuan a month to over a million a year—and without the company's cut, he could've made tens of millions.
But now, standing before a true heir, he finally saw the vast difference.
Xu Mu looked at him and said coolly,
"Did you know, when your company was just starting out and couldn't afford real luxury cars, they rented mine for your shoots?"
"Young Master Xu, I'm sorry! I didn't recognize Mount Tai standing before me!" Wang Teng bowed deeply, cold sweat soaking his back.
The long-haired woman beside him, ashamed beyond words, quietly slipped back into the crowd.
"Don't apologize to me," Xu Mu said, hands in his pockets. "Apologize to my wife—and to everyone here."
Cheers broke out all around. Applause thundered.
"As expected of a true gentleman! What a sense of justice!"
"Just for that, I'm buying a few boxes of Xu's weight-loss pills."
"He's so handsome—too bad he's married!"
…
[Favorability +30]
Hearing the crowd's praise, Ye Tong couldn't help smiling brightly.
[Favorability +20]
Ye Yu beamed as well, quietly admiring her sister's luck—
A man who stood up for her like that, protecting his wife so confidently—he really was handsome.
[Favorability +10]
Even Meng Wanyue stole a quick glance at Xu Mu, her heart skipping slightly.
This man… was truly remarkable.