Reaching the age of thirty, my income randomly doubled

Otherwise, I'd just rent a similar small house around here.

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In the city, for one thousand five hundred, let alone a separate kitchen, bathroom, and balcony, it's considered good if there's proper ventilation.

She doesn't have much to offer for hospitality.

In the small fridge, there's a bit of fruit and beverages, as well as the indispensable iced watermelon in the summer.

Li Qian used them to entertain her guests.

That bottle of red wine she'd casually placed under the table was also brought out.

Her college senior was different from her, a true city dweller.

Working at a big company for some years now, how could she not recognize some luxury brands?

"Yo… where did you dig up this fake Conti, it's quite well-made."

It's easy to recognize Conti wine; almost all bottles have the same packaging.

The only difference is the price, depending on the vintage.

These years, Conti became popular because of Stephen Chow's "The Mermaid," with the famous line about inviting someone to drink Romantic Conti.

It has been well-known since then.

Li Qian didn't recognize it because she rarely drank red wine and had only heard about it a few times from colleagues.

"It wasn't me who found it; it was that little girl who just left who gave it."

"If she gave it, then it probably isn't anything good."

Who gives away good stuff at a restaurant, most people would think.

Having nothing better to do, Li Qian opened it, though the process was quite complicated.

It required a bit of professional equipment.

She didn't have proper wine glasses, just a few glass cups.

The senior sister swirled the wine in her glass cup—not only did the packaging look exquisite, but the wine inside looked exquisite too.

She still liked to drink this stuff, mainly because her mom liked it.

An old lady who had retired.

Without this connection, do you think she could have gotten into a big company after graduating, and become part of the management in less than two years?

She was average; her brother was the one the family focused on developing.

He got into the judicial sector.

While the salary wasn't high, the position was prestigious. Work diligently for over a decade, and if you can rise to section chief before forty, that's really impressive.

Even as a deputy chief, it's remarkable.

In Magic City, a deputy chief moving to another place starts off at least as a full-fledged chief.

What does a full-fledged chief mean? The head of a county.

And the county Party secretary is included in that rank.

That she of such a background was willing to help Li Qian was a sign of very good character.

Ordinary people would look down on someone like Li Qian, an outsider.

"This wine tastes almost like the real thing! Has our country's counterfeiting technology become so advanced?"

Her senior squinted slightly; Li Qian couldn't taste any difference.

All she felt was that it was unpleasant to drink, still just unpleasant.

"How much does a real bottle of Conti cost?" Li Qian asked.

"The cheapest is around forty to fifty thousand, the most expensive can go up to several million, that's for the 1990 vintage," her senior replied. "Your bottle definitely doesn't seem fake; let's seal it back up, and I'll find someone to check."

Her senior took a photo of it and sent it to a friend who specialized in selling red wine.

She also mentioned the taste.

Someone who drinks red wine often would definitely be able to discern its quality.

Only someone like Li Qian who doesn't drink would find it unpleasant.

This is what happens when fine things don't end up in the hands they should; antiques can end up being used as chamber pots.

Her friend messaged back, saying to wait and that he'd be right over.

It didn't take long before he arrived.

"This is… authentic 1990 Romantic Conti, the emperor of red wines. You actually dare to drink this kind of wine?"

The newcomer was puzzled—wasn't wine worth over a million supposed to be for collecting, not drinking?

How could they bear to drink it?

"Are you sure this is 1990 Conti?"

"One hundred percent sure, this bottle, this purity, and taste, there's no other wine that could replace it."

"Alright, give me a moment to take it in," she said.

Though the senior sister didn't drink it herself, she was still so heartbroken she could hardly breathe.

She felt as if casually drinking it was like drinking down half a Ferrari.

Too damned outrageous.

If she'd known it was 1990 Conti, she would've never drunk it, not even if you killed her.

She couldn't afford it.

Li Qian quietly asked, "Is it very expensive?"

"It depends on whom you're asking. For Xu Pidai, Mr. Ma, the big boss of Tengying Group, it might as well be water, but for us, every sip is a waste of heaven's gifts."

Looking regretful, she knew that once opened, the Conti lost its value.

Thinking of reselling was impossible; those who could afford such wine wouldn't buy a bottle someone else had drunk from.

And those who couldn't afford it, even if you hyped it as the elixir of the Queen Mother, they still couldn't buy it.

"Seeing how you look, this couldn't have been something you bought, so where did you get it from, and can you take me to get another bottle?"

"First, tell me how much it's really worth?"

Li Qian was still persistently asking for the real value.

"Without opening it, I'd definitely be willing to buy it back for one million two hundred thousand a bottle."

One million two hundred thousand???

Li Qian simply collapsed onto the sofa, no longer just heartbroken.

She almost wished she could slap herself.

Tears spilled out instantly.

"You still haven't said where exactly you picked this up from?"

If one could pick up a '90 Conti like this, he'd be willing to turn a landfill upside down.

Looking at the three women, it was clear they had no idea of the value of the wine they'd been drinking.

Given the chance, they'd surely be holding onto it to exchange for cash.

Isn't having over a million in hand nice?

Why drink it, when you don't hold that wealth in your belly?

Her senior said, "I told you, it was given by a little girl at the restaurant, do you believe that?"

"Not really." Only a fool would believe that.

Her senior didn't quite believe it herself, "Then take a look at this tea, that little girl said it's what her dad usually drinks."