How can I justify myself as a Magnate if I don't indulge myself?

"Goodness, how many people have come here today?"

Gu Heng's neighbor of several decades, invitation in hand, followed a fellow villager to the village committee courtyard...

Staring at the scene in front of him, he was utterly stunned...

The village committee courtyard used to be a grain station and was refurbished after being abandoned. The playground was massive, and it could easily fit eight or ten thousand people if it were a little crowded...

Such a vast courtyard had been set up with exactly one hundred tables...

And the chairs around the tables were all filled with people...

Following rural tradition for feasts, ten people were seated at each table, so one hundred tables meant one thousand people...

Yet, this thousand was not even half of today's attendees...

At least another one or two thousand people were scattered around the village committee courtyard, chatting in groups...

"Hey, Wu, you and the Gu family have been neighbors for decades. Could it be that you didn't know about this?"

Old Wu, clearly baffled, replied, "My son owns a restaurant in the county that does quite well. I usually help out there. It was Old Gu who personally called me, said his wife was turning 50 and he wanted to throw a big party. That's why I took the bus back from the county. I really had no idea what was going on."

After hearing Old Wu's explanation, the fellow villager next to him nodded and said enviously, "Old Gu struck it rich! His son has become very successful!

I heard he made a fortune outside or became a high-ranking official. Reporters have been coming to our village every day recently. Anyone else having such fortune would be thrilled, right? Do you know how the Gu family handles things?

The son sent over a hundred bodyguards wearing suits, circling the newly built villa of the Gu family, so tight that not even the police could get in.

And the noise when Gu Heng came back a few days ago was something else! The county chief came to his doorstep to greet him!

However, Gu Heng is still considerate, never forgetting his roots. Since his return, every elderly person over 50 in our village has received a thousand yuan each. We got 4000 since we have two seniors at home!

And for the birthday celebration today, do you know how much money was spent? I heard it was seven or eight million! They prepared a thousand-table banquet, and anyone who comes doesn't need to bring a penny's worth of gifts to be able to enjoy the feast. Just the ingredients alone came in several large trucks! See all these people in the village committee hall? Even folks from the neighboring town are here, all just to get a glimpse of Old Gu's son and take advantage of a free meal."

After speaking, he looked on with a sigh.

He couldn't help but envy not being the one who brought Gu Heng into the world...

After hearing the villager's story, Wu was also immersed in sheer amazement...

Their family was considered well-off in the village; his son had opened a big restaurant in the county that did very well – earning several hundred thousand a year. Especially because his son was well-acquainted with the county's leaders, often hosting them at the restaurant. He could even chat with these leaders from time to time, gain some familiarity, so normally he would walk through the village with his head held high, believing himself world-wise...

Even when Gu Heng drove home for New Year's in a car worth millions and built his parents a villa for a few million, he had never been particularly envious.

After all, in his eyes, his own son was somewhat of a 'public servant.'

One who not only had money but also had power and influence...

Could Gu Heng, no matter how rich, compare to his 'public servant' son?

But now, hearing that even the county chief had come to see Gu Heng, he suddenly felt bitter...

Having lived in the county for so many years, though he had seen the county chief, even his son had no chance to speak to him, much less himself...

And this great figure, in his eyes, was personally coming to see Gu Heng?

Old Wu's first reaction was disbelief...

But facing the scene in front of him, he had no choice but to believe...

To spend seven or eight million on a birthday celebration for his mother – how wealthy must he be? With that much money, it was only natural for the county chief to see him personally, wasn't it?

As Old Wu marveled, the fellow villager took out a gold-colored invitation and waved it at him, "You must have received this invitation, right?"

Upon hearing this, Old Wu also took out his own invitation. He was about to ask what was special about it when he heard the fellow villager say, "You better keep this safe, don't just throw it away. This invitation is gold-plated, with 5 grams of gold on it! It's worth over two thousand yuan. Only we in the village got this, with a total of just 110 invitations, one for each household.

But it represents their heartfelt sincerity, so we can't just sell it. I plan to save it and show it to my sons when they come home for the New Year, to let those kids see the difference between themselves and someone else's son!"

Gold?

Old Wu was once again bewildered...

Gold for an invitation?

What kind of move was that?

It wasn't Gu Heng's idea to use gold for the invitations, but rather the highest-priced product from the invitation manufacturer. Gu Heng had a bit of a wicked sense of humor and spent over two hundred thousand to custom-order these 110 invitations...

It wasn't much money to him; he just wanted to add to the festive spirit.

Although not understanding Gu Heng's methods, Old Wu's hands were quick to carefully store away the invitation, fearful of rubbing off the gold layer...

Meanwhile, at the entrance to the village committee courtyard.

Gu Heng was with Gu Jianguo, welcoming the crowd that had come for the birthday celebration...

Though he knew hardly any of them, Gu Heng still smiled warmly, thanking each person for coming and inviting them to take a seat inside...

His prideful and defiant nature was nowhere to be seen...