A short while later, they arrived at a barbecue restaurant inside a nearby mall. Jason, Ethan, and the others were already seated.
Tanya Covell's car was a bit late. When she walked in, everyone's expression shifted strangely—but Tanya didn't seem upset at all. Instead, she went straight to Jason and said softly:
"Jason, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted so stuck-up earlier. Can I still ride in your car when we leave? I promise I'll open the door myself this time."
Many classmates exchanged looks, feeling a strange mix of emotion. Tanya used to be the campus queen—yet here she was, humbled.
Her long-standing "princess syndrome" had been completely crushed by Jason Carter.
Lucas, who followed behind her, looked like someone had just unplugged his soul. His mental balance was shattered beyond repair. Inside, he was screaming:
Is being rich really that amazing? You're just a rich kid. If my family were that rich, I'd be the one getting treated like this!
He even fantasized for a moment—if he had the same money, Tanya would be bending over backwards for him instead.
But when he sat down, he had to face reality: Tanya was bending over backwards… for Jason.
Jason only gave her a mild, indifferent glance.
"Forget it. It's not on my way," he said simply.
Tanya froze. Her face turned bright red, and her eyes even shimmered with a thin layer of mist. She felt deeply wronged. Boys had always chased her, spoiled her, treated her like royalty.
But Jason had driven off without her, and even when she apologized and tried to please him… he still ignored her.
She looked at him pitifully, as if hoping it would melt his heart. But Jason didn't look back. He kept chatting with Ethan and Darek, completely uninterested.
In truth, Jason had already lost interest in her earlier. And her demanding he open the car door had completely finished her in his mind.
Even if her favorability dropped, he didn't care anymore. But it didn't drop—which suited him fine anyway.
Seeing that playing pitiful didn't work, Tanya gritted her teeth, then quietly went to sit down.
Her best friend tried to comfort her. "You've got plenty of guys who like you. Don't be sad."
But when Tanya glanced at Jason again—her mood shifted.
Sure, there are boys who like me. But none as handsome… or rich… as him.
Lucas's car cost maybe $90,000 tops.
Jason drove a Bugatti Chiron worth over $600,000.
And he owned an entire amusement park, worth several hundred million more.
Thinking back, Jason wasn't even a bad guy. He had let her ride in his car earlier. She had been the unreasonable one, acting like a princess and demanding he open the door.
She'd angered him—so how could she expect a single apology to fix it instantly?
Besides, a rich young master like Jason definitely had some temper. If she behaved better, maybe he'd soften up later.
With that thought, the barbeque arrived. Tanya immediately got up, grilled a plate of meat for Jason, and even brought it to him like a waitress. When Jason's glass ran empty, she quietly refilled it for him.
Lucas watched all of this and nearly combusted.
This is so unfair!
After finishing dinner, everyone prepared to leave.
Jason looked at Ava Summers and the others and asked:
"It's pretty late. You're not all heading back tonight, right? Did you find somewhere to stay?"
Ava replied, "Olivia's staying at the Downtown Business Institute. I'll crash in her dorm tonight."
The "Olivia" she referred to was the short-haired girl beside her.
Several other classmates were doing the same—crashing at someone's place. Only one or two planned to get a hotel.
Understandable. They were students, money wasn't plenty, and they'd already spent a lot today. Hotels could be pricey, so saving where they could made sense.
Jason nodded. "If you're just chatting and squeezing into one bed, that's fine. Otherwise… let me be a proper host and arrange a place for you."
Ava Summers waved her hand and said, "Taking us to Westview Wonderland Amusement Park has already fulfilled your duty as a host. No need to trouble yourself further."
The other classmates also felt a bit embarrassed, but it was clear that they didn't really want to squeeze into dorms. Especially the boys, squeezing in with other boys, no matter how good friends they were, was always a bit awkward.
Jason Carter said, "Everyone, there's no need to be so polite. It's very simple for me to arrange something. Next time I visit your schools, I'll be counting on you to arrange things for me."
Hearing Jason say this, everyone found it easier to accept.
One boy said, "If it's not too much trouble, then we'll impose on you. Next time you come to my place, I'll arrange everything for you."
Jason took out his phone, sent a text message, and then said, "It's arranged. Someone will receive you at the Anhua Grand Hotel."
Everyone was stunned.
'Isn't your arrangement a bit too fast? And Anhua Grand Hotel is too luxurious, isn't it?'
The classmates quickly waved their hands: "We're fine with an ordinary hotel standard room. Anhua Grand Hotel is too expensive. Next time you come to my place, I can't afford such an expensive hotel."
"Going to another hotel means you still have to pay. Anhua Grand Hotel doesn't require payment, and it just happens to have empty rooms. They're empty anyway," Jason said with a smile.
Everyone was bewildered.
Ava Summers asked, "You know the manager of Anhua Grand Hotel? But wouldn't that be inappropriate?"
"Anhua Grand Hotel is mine. What's inappropriate about that?" Jason said.
Everyone froze, their eyes widening.
After a long while, a boy blurted out a single word: "Damn!"
Ethan and Darek were already numb at this point. "My god, this guy is outrageously rich!"
This time, everyone really didn't stand on ceremony with Jason. Staying one night at his hotel would somewhat compensate for their wounded spirits.
"Then thank you." Ava Summers recovered from her astonishment and no longer acted polite. Ava Summers: Favorability +5.
When Tanya Covell heard that Anhua Grand Hotel belonged to Jason, her eyes once again sparkled, and her gaze towards Jason became even more affectionate. Tanya Covell: Favorability +7.
Lewis, on the other hand, was once again dealt a blow.
After chatting for a few more moments, everyone dispersed. They were preparing to go downstairs to drive, but Jason bid them farewell.
Ethan was confused: "No, let's say goodbye downstairs. If you're saying goodbye here, are you not planning to leave?"
Jason smiled and said, "There's a bit of traffic, so I'm not planning to drive back. I'll have the driver do it later."
Ethan asked with even more confusion, "Then how are you getting back? You can't just stay here, can you?"
Jason didn't answer, pointing out the window.
Everyone followed his gaze and saw a helicopter flying over.
Their eyes widened. "Holy crap."
Ethan was dumbfounded: "You called a helicopter? Can you even rent a helicopter at this time of night?"
"You can't rent one," Jason said with a smile.
At that moment, the elevator arrived. He got on the elevator and waved goodbye to everyone.
Ethan was stunned for a moment before realizing: "If you can't rent a helicopter, then that means he bought it?"
The classmates present also understood, and they all gasped.
Yes, this helicopter was bought by Jason Carter.
That time he took a helicopter to rescue Holly Larson, he fell in love with this model and had ordered it a long time ago. It had finally arrived.
The classmates should have gone downstairs, but they couldn't help but want to go up and see, so they pressed the elevator and went to the rooftop.
The rooftop of this mall building had a helipad.
As soon as they reached the rooftop, they saw Jason already on the helicopter.
The helicopter took off, ascending into the sky and departing.
Everyone looked up, feeling incredibly shocked. They felt that traveling by helicopter was even cooler than that Bugatti Chiron.
"Traveling by helicopter as transportation—I've only seen that kind of scene on TV. Only top-tier tycoons fly in helicopters."
"The key is, it's not rented; it's bought."
"And it's not just any helicopter; that's an AgustaWestland AW139. I looked up the price online, 15 million."
"Holy cow, that's awesome."
Tanya Covell hadn't yet recovered from the shock of Anhua Grand Hotel when she saw the 15-million helicopter. She was so excited that her breathing became rapid, and she clutched her chest, her eyes full of stars in admiration.
Tanya Covell: Favorability +10.
"Tanya Covell's favorability has exceeded 80. The status bar has been updated. Please check it promptly."
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