Chen Haoyu and Chen Yicui were both fully confident that Chen Fan's Patek Philippe watch had to be a counterfeit. Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone to such lengths to set up this elaborate trap.
Now, all they had to do was wait for the professional appraiser—whom they had hired at great expense—to announce the result. Then, with a little added pressure, they'd spread the news throughout Jiangzhou University, publicly shaming Chen Fan and ruining his reputation. Their ultimate goal: to force him out of the school entirely.
In doing so, not only would they disgrace Chen Fan, but they would also drive a wedge between him and Xia Mengmeng. It was a perfect two-birds-one-stone strategy.
But the next moment, the appraiser's words left the pair completely dumbfounded.
"This Patek Philippe is genuine—and not just that, it's a top-tier piece among all Patek Philippe watches."
Chen Yicui and her brother were frozen in place, their expressions stunned.
Genuine?That watch was real?!What kind of joke was this?!
How could this be happening?
The rest of the students present were also in complete shock.To be fair, most of them had assumed the watch was fake—after all, it was worth hundreds of thousands.
"Holy crap!""A sophomore wearing a watch worth that much? That's insane!"
The murmurs quickly spread, with many casting envious glances toward Chen Fan.
"Are you sure you're not mistaken? That watch is really authentic?"Chen Haoyu pressed the appraiser skeptically.
"It is absolutely genuine. I can guarantee it 100%. However..."
The appraiser hesitated, then turned to Chen Fan with a respectful look:
"Sir, may I ask: which model is this?"
He had been in the luxury watch appraisal field for seven or eight years, having handled everything from tens of thousands to millions in value. But this particular model... he couldn't identify it at all.
"It's the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime."Chen Fan replied casually.
"Oh, the Grandmaster Chime... wait, what did you say?!"
The appraiser did a double take, and his expression changed dramatically.
He couldn't believe what he'd just heard.
"You mean... this is the legendary Grandmaster Chime? The commemorative model that's limited to only seven pieces worldwide?!"
His voice trembled.
This level of luxury was so rare, even his own mentor had never laid eyes on one.So it was no wonder he hadn't recognized it.
"Yeah."Chen Fan nodded calmly.
"Hssssss..."
The appraiser took a sharp breath, utterly stunned.
"Wait, it's not just a normal Patek Philippe?""A global limited edition—only seven made?!""That's beyond legendary. This thing must be worth well over a million!"
The shockwave hit the crowd hard.
Even Chen Yicui and Chen Haoyu were visibly shaken.
"Appraiser, just how much is this watch worth?"Someone finally asked the question everyone was wondering.
"The exact value is difficult to estimate. Watches of this caliber are typically auctioned. But a conservative estimate? It's in the eight-figure range."
Eight figures?
Tens of millions?!No—that meant at least ten million yuan.
And that was just the lowest possible estimate.
"Oh my god... Chen Fan's wearing the equivalent of a luxury mansion on his wrist!"
The entire hall erupted in chaos.
"Boss! You're my idol now!""Young Master Chen, do you need a loyal underling? I volunteer!""Chen Fan, are you free tonight? Let me treat you to a movie... I'm a 34D~"
A tidal wave of admiration surged toward Chen Fan.
In an instant, his popularity skyrocketed to unprecedented heights.
And seeing all this, the Chen siblings were devastated.
Not only had their scheme failed, it had catapulted Chen Fan into celebrity status.
[Ding!][Temporary mission complete: Publicly authenticate your globally limited edition watch.][Reward received: Top-tier Culinary Skill][+37 Experience Points]
At that moment, a surge of knowledge rushed into Chen Fan's mind.In an instant—he had attained the mastery of a culinary grandmaster.
A few minutes later, the scheduled professor arrived to begin the lecture.Only then did Chen Yicui and Chen Haoyu retreat unwillingly from the scene.
Once the lecture ended, a crowd of students swarmed around Chen Fan again, many of them trying to curry favor—or flirt—with him.
It took quite a bit of effort before Chen Fan could finally break free and leave.
Since he had no more classes, he drove straight back to Yujing Villa.
Around 5 or 6 PM, a knock came at the door.
Chen Fan opened the door—and was surprised to see Xia Ruoshui standing outside.
Though dressed in a simple, casual outfit, her stunning beauty still shone through effortlessly.
Seeing her show up unannounced left Chen Fan momentarily confused.
"Um... President Chen... I was wondering if you'd be willing to come to my place for dinner?"
Xia Ruoshui asked hesitantly.
This was the first time she had ever invited a man to her home, so she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
To express her gratitude for Chen Fan's help yesterday in resolving the supply crisis, she planned to cook him dinner herself tonight.
Since Chen Fan had no other plans, he gladly accepted.
Thirty minutes later, he brought a fine bottle of red wine from his villa's private cellar and arrived at Xia Ruoshui's residence.
Hearing the knock, Xia Ruoshui—now wearing an apron—came to open the door.
"President Chen, welcome. Please have a seat. The food will still take a bit more time..."
"Alright."
Chen Fan sat down, while she returned to the kitchen.
Soon, sounds of pots and pans clattering could be heard.
Out of curiosity, Chen Fan went to the kitchen, where he saw Xia Ruoshui slightly flustered and struggling to keep up.
"I haven't cooked in years... I'm a bit rusty,"she admitted shyly.
"It's no problem. I've got time—let me help you."Chen Fan offered.
Having just acquired top-tier cooking skills, he figured this was the perfect time to test them out.
He noticed that she had purchased a large Australian lobster, which reminded him of the Typhoon Shelter Lobster dish he once enjoyed at Wangjiang Pavilion.
Inspiration struck.
He rolled up his sleeves and began prepping the lobster.
Meanwhile, Xia Ruoshui finished her first dish: vinegar-sautéed shredded potatoes.
"President Chen, try it and let me know what you think."
She offered him a bite, expectantly.
But Chen Fan's hands were still full, prepping the lobster.
"Not convenient right now—maybe I'll try it later?"he shrugged apologetically.
Seeing this, Xia Ruoshui hesitated, then gently picked up a bite with her chopsticks—and fed it to him directly.
Just as Chen Fan opened his mouth—
A startled voice rang out—