Chapter Seventeen: The Wager

After Zhang Wei and Wang Jianfa left with their clients, the Zhongtong branch returned to its quiet state. Wang Min sat at the reception desk, browsing property listings, her alluring eyes glancing outside as she waited for new customers.

Guo Bin, Li Lin, and Wen Fang were seated in the back row, while Manager Xu Ming remained in his office. The silence was such that even the hum of the computer fan could be heard. At this moment, Guo Bin rose from his seat and walked towards Wen Fang’s desk in the rear.

“Wen Fang, where would you like to have lunch? Let’s go together,” Guo Bin said with a smile.

“No need, I’ll just order something for myself,” Wen Fang replied politely.

“It’s so dull eating in the office. Let’s go out instead,” Guo Bin insisted.

“Aren’t Zhang Wei and Wang Jianfa with clients? If they sign a contract and I’m not here to collect it, what if something gets delayed?” Wen Fang hesitated.

“Don’t worry, Wen Fang! Zhang Wei won’t close a deal this time, I can guarantee it,” Guo Bin chuckled.

“Don’t be silly. You didn’t go with them, so how can you guarantee anything?” Wen Fang questioned.

“Think about it, Wen Fang. If this deal had any real chance, would Sister Wang hand the clients to Zhang Wei instead of taking them herself?” Guo Bin said with confidence. “Sister Wang has far more experience than Zhang Wei. If she couldn’t close the deal, how could Zhang Wei possibly do it?”

“Well, buying a house isn’t so predictable. Sometimes luck plays a part, and you might just catch a deal unexpectedly,” Wen Fang said, recalling the tales of many agents. “Didn’t Zhang Wei close one last time?”

“You’re right, some agents do get lucky. But in Beijing, there are over a hundred thousand agents—throw a stone and you’ll hit a dozen. How could he always be the lucky one?” Guo Bin scoffed.

“Heh, if you don’t believe me, let’s make a bet. If Zhang Wei closes the deal, I’ll treat you to dinner tonight. If he doesn’t, then you treat me. How about that?” As he reached the crucial moment, Guo Bin stammered, mumbling his words.

“Guo Bin, you’ve got it all planned out! No matter what, Wen Fang ends up having dinner with you,” Li Lin laughed.

“Sister Lin, I’m just bored, a little wager to spice things up,” Guo Bin said sheepishly, realizing Li Lin saw through his intentions.

“I’m not betting with you. You eat more than I do, so I’d lose out,” Wen Fang, sharp-minded, blushed and refused.

“If you think it’s unfair, I can change the terms,” Guo Bin’s eyes lit up. He snapped his fingers and said, “If Zhang Wei doesn’t close the deal, you treat me to dinner. But if he does, I’ll treat everyone in the branch to a feast. How about that?”

“Agreed!” Li Lin exclaimed, delighted at the prospect of a free banquet.

“Wen Fang, Sister Lin’s already said yes, so you should too. Besides, you might not lose,” Guo Bin pressed.

“Fine, I’ll accept,” Wen Fang finally agreed, unable to resist Guo Bin’s persistence and Li Lin’s encouragement.

“Yes!” Guo Bin turned around, pumped his fist excitedly.

“Wen Fang, don’t say I didn’t warn you—you’ve fallen for Guo Bin’s trap. Zhang Wei’s definitely not closing a deal today, so get ready to treat him to dinner tonight!” Wang Min said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Sister Wang, just because you couldn’t close the deal doesn’t mean Zhang Wei can’t,” Wen Fang retorted, her expression unhappy. She had already agreed to the bet, and Wang Min’s words came after the fact, merely adding to the spectacle.

“Oh, you’re not convinced?” Wang Min sneered. “Signing a deal for a three-bedroom apartment brings in over a hundred thousand commission—it’s a big deal for us. If there was any chance of closing, Brother Xu would personally accompany the clients, not leave them to two trainee agents. Don’t you think?”

“Then… if there’s no chance, why did Brother Xu hand the clients over to Zhang Wei?” Wen Fang still felt a bit indignant, but had to admit Wang Min made sense.

“Brother Xu is the manager, an important figure. How can we understand his reasoning?” Wang Min replied, her voice mocking.

Wang Min had spent at least three months with the clients, Huang Fen and Li Guang, investing great effort but still failing to close the deal. She was somewhat resentful about Xu Ming handing them to Zhang Wei. Yet, using these hopeless clients to give someone a chance at handling customers was perhaps a relief.

Xu Ming sat in his office, listening to every word. In truth, Wang Min was right—Xu Ming had previously accompanied Wang Min with these clients and knew, based on Li Guang’s attitude, that a contract was impossible in the short term.

The reason Xu Ming handed them to Zhang Wei was partly because Wang Min pushed him, and partly to give Zhang Wei experience with buying clients. In real estate, sales commissions far exceed those for rentals, so this was both a trial and a training for Zhang Wei.

At that moment, Zhang Wei was leading the clients to view a second property.

The second apartment was in Building Eight, at the center of the complex. The building had thirty floors, and the three-bedroom unit was on the twenty-seventh, providing a panoramic view of the community through its windows. It was considered the “king of the building”—the best located, most desirable, and most expensive unit.

The four took the elevator to the twenty-seventh floor. Wang Jianfa opened the door first, ushering the clients inside. After passing through the entryway, they found themselves in a spacious living room, made brighter by the high floor.

“This is the king of the complex—a three-bedroom, two living rooms, two bathrooms, nearly one hundred and fifty square meters. It’s the largest layout here,” Zhang Wei explained.

“Not bad… it’s better than the last one we saw,” Huang Fen said as she entered, immediately drawn to the unique layout. Though a three-bedroom, its usable space exceeded typical four-bedrooms; its design was distinctive, spacious, and as comfortable as a villa.

Huang Fen was captivated, inspecting every room carefully. Li Guang seized the chance to pull Zhang Wei aside. “Zhang Wei, didn’t you say the feng shui here was bad? How exactly? Tell me.”

“Well… Brother Li… I—” Zhang Wei feigned difficulty, mumbling uncertainly.

“Zhang, trust is key in dealing with people. Tell me the truth about this place. Even if I don’t buy this one, you’ll earn my trust and can show me others. If you hide anything and I hear about it elsewhere, I won’t trust you—and I certainly won’t buy from you. Isn’t that right?” Li Guang said earnestly.

“You’re right, Brother Li. I’ll tell you everything I know.” Zhang Wei sighed, as if steeling himself under Li Guang’s guidance. “As far as I know, the previous owner bought it, and within half a year his wife died in a car accident. Then it was sold to the current owner, and again, within half a year his wife had a car accident. I heard she’s now in critical care and probably won’t make it.”

Li Guang’s eyelids twitched at Zhang Wei’s words, thinking, “Could this place really have ‘wife-subduing, husband-prospering’ feng shui?”

“If the owner’s wife is seriously ill, he must be devastated,” Li Guang said.

“I don’t know if he’s upset, but I heard he got several million in insurance compensation—so it’s a blessing in disguise,” Zhang Wei replied.

“If what Zhang Wei says is true, then this place really might be ‘wife-subduing, husband-prospering.’ Not only would I avoid divorce, I could even get a windfall. This apartment might be tailor-made for me,” Li Guang thought, being someone who strongly believed in feng shui. He was subconsciously convinced by Zhang Wei’s story.

Of course, Li Guang only believed it partly. He wouldn’t buy based solely on Zhang Wei’s word; he would use his own unique methods to verify the story, and only when he was ninety percent certain would he consider purchasing the apartment.