Just as Mr. Zhu felt he had made another wasted trip, Chen Xiao turned around and asked, "How much is this house?"
"...Four million." Mr. Zhu said casually, "The building area is 300 square meters, but the garage and the front and back areas are not included in the area calculation, and the terrace is also a free gift and not included in the area calculation. Considering the location and environment here, four million is a very low price. There are many amenities around, and there's a Carrefour less than a five-minute drive along this road. There are hospitals, restaurants, hotels... Judging from your accent, you're also from K City. You should know that in Lehu District, this kind of house at this price is quite rare."
Chen Xiao didn't say anything.
Mr. Zhu immediately made a judgment in his mind: it seems that this young man really can't afford it.
He hesitated for a moment: "How many people are living in this house? Are you living with your elderly relatives? This type of house, with one master bedroom and three guest bedrooms, is suitable for three generations. If you're living alone, the price is indeed a bit high and wasteful. I can recommend some cheaper studio apartments to you..."
Chen Xiao finally smiled again, glanced at the real estate agent, and said, "Are you afraid I can't afford it?"
Although that's what he thought in his heart, Mr. Zhu laughed and shook his head: "I didn't mean that, I was just recommending some more suitable ones..."
"No need, I'll buy the house."
Chen Xiao left those words behind and turned to go downstairs.
You bought it?
Mr. Zhu was stunned for a moment and stood still.
His initial quote of four million was actually a bit of room for negotiation. His bottom line was that he could lower the price by about one hundred thousand, leaving room for the customer to bargain. But this young man…
He suddenly came to his senses and quickly followed Chen Xiao downstairs.
Stepping out of the house, Chen Xiao stood in the yard, looking at the real estate agent beside him, and smiled, "You're right, four million... Considering the location, that price is indeed very cheap. Hmm, another question I don't understand... This house is supposed to be quite nice, so why does it seem to have been empty and uninhabited all this time?"
“Uh…” Mr. Zhu was taken aback, thinking that this buyer was strange. He didn’t ask about any quality issues in the house, but liked to ask about this kind of gossip.
However, it's not considered outrageous. Some clients like to ask this kind of question, especially for houses that have been vacant for a long time, for fear that they might encounter a "haunted house" or a house with bad feng shui.
"Well, the original owner of this house supposedly mortgaged it to a bank for business reasons, but ended up insolvent and the bank foreclosed on it. Later, the bank auctioned it off, and it was sold to a family who are now the owners. However, this family emigrated abroad shortly after buying it for some reason, and they haven't lived in the house for a single day since… haha, it's been empty ever since. And now, with the financial crisis, it's said that this family encountered some problems abroad, so they found me in China to act as their agent and sell the house to get cash…"
Chen Xiao nodded casually.
"Well, Mr. Chen, my personal suggestion is that you buy this house. You don't need to renovate it; I think the current interior design is very nice. You just need to hire a cleaning company to clean it and a landscaping company to maintain the lawn and garden. Since the house has been vacant for two years, the roof also needs repairs to avoid tax evasion issues during the rainy season. There are also some repairs to the drainage pipes and the like. All in all, it won't cost much. You just need to buy a set of furniture and appliances, and you can move in immediately. The costs won't be very high..."
He pulled out a calculator and quickly did some calculations, then smiled and said, "I'm very fair and have a good reputation in the industry. If you're genuinely interested in buying, I can arrange for someone to repair the house for four million, and that cost will be included in the price. My commission is also included in the price."
"I'll give you an extra 10%." Chen Xiao smiled faintly.
"Well?"
Mr. Zhu was stunned.
Holy crap! I've been doing this for so many years. I've only ever seen customers haggle, never seen one actively raise the price?
One-tenth? That's four hundred thousand!
"It's not a gift for you," Chen Xiao said with a smile. "I'll make a list, specifying what furniture to buy and what styles to choose. I'll write it all down clearly. I'm quite busy and don't have time to handle these things, so could I entrust it to you? Four hundred thousand is more than enough for a set of furniture, but there will be a lot of errands to run. I don't have the time for that. Consider the extra money as my payment to you."
Mr. Zhu quickly did the math in his mind. A set of furniture, even if it were high-end, would only cost 300,000 yuan, and he could still make at least 100,000 yuan profit. This was a windfall!
Chen Xiao left a phone number and the address of his hotel, saying, "I'm staying at a hotel now. This is my long-term rental room. Call me tomorrow afternoon and come to the hotel to find me. I'll give you a list of the home furnishings I need."
Mr. Zhu glanced at the room and saw it was the city's best five-star hotel. Judging from the room number, it was a luxury suite on a high floor. Being able to stay in a luxury suite at such a hotel already indicated wealth, let alone a long-stay room.
He immediately felt relieved, having closed a big deal. With this unexpected windfall, his smile became much more genuine. His face glowing, he said, "Great! I'll make sure everything is taken care of for you!"
He paused, then said, "Well... my car is parked at the intersection. You didn't drive here, did you? Do you need me to take you back to the city?"
Chen Xiao shook his head: "I want to... take a walk around here."
Mr. Zhu didn't think much of it; many people buying houses would walk around the neighborhood to get a feel for the surrounding environment. So he politely said goodbye and left, his steps lighter as he went.
After seeing the real estate agent off, Chen Xiao turned around and walked back into the courtyard, then slowly sat down on the steps.
"Dad, Mom... I've bought our home back."
Chen Xiao rested his chin on his hand and murmured to himself.
Xiao Qing walked along the street beside Lehu Lake and glanced again at the address on the file the private investigator had given her.
As she crossed the intersection, she saw a man in a white long-sleeved shirt hurrying past, humming a tune smugly. He nearly bumped into Xiao Qing, but managed to avoid her, repeatedly apologizing. When he saw Xiao Qing's face clearly, a look of amazement appeared on his face.
Xiao Qing didn't care. She had been used to being looked at like that by men since she was a child.
The real estate agent stared at the stunningly beautiful woman walking by, paused for a moment, sighed, and then clenched his fist: "Hmph! Once I've made enough money, getting beautiful women will be a piece of cake!"
But then he couldn't help feeling disappointed. A pretty girl like an ordinary one might be something money could buy, but the kind of stunning beauty that had just walked by was probably not something that an ordinary wealthy person could possess...
Following the address, Xiao Qing quickly found her target. But just as she stepped outside the courtyard, she saw a familiar figure sitting on the steps of the house!
Chen, Chen Xiao?
Xiao Qing was stunned, and instantly her pretty face turned red.
But then, she clearly saw the faint sadness on Chen Xiao's face as he sat alone on the steps, his hand supporting his chin.
There seemed to be a glint of tears in the corners of his eyes!
Chen Xiao... he...
Chapter 216 of the main text: [I Like You]
Xiao Qing's impression of Chen Xiao had always been that although the boy would smile, his eyes always seemed to maintain a distance from others. Although she had been getting closer to Chen Xiao and his group a few days ago, she hadn't made any special effort to inquire about Chen Xiao's background.
My first impression of him was from that chance encounter in the library. I remember treating him like any other lecherous guy who tried to chat me up. It was only during the time I followed him that I vaguely realized that this boy was different.