Chapter Four: Renting an Apartment with a Beautiful Woman

The Zhongtong Company’s storefront was located in Building 4 of the residential complex, while the property they were about to show was in the neighboring Building 5. The group crossed a street and soon arrived beneath a row of shops at the base of Building 5. The vacant storefront was situated right at the corner under Building 5—arguably the busiest spot at the intersection—truly a prime location within the complex.

This storefront had been found by Zhang Wei and was considered a high-quality listing, which was why Xu Ming had arranged for it to be the first property they viewed. Zhang Wei took the lead, introducing the shop to Murong Xuan, “Miss Murong, this is the property we found for you. The location is excellent, and it has a high footfall—ideal for a restaurant business.”

Murong Xuan acknowledged him and walked to the front of the shop, surveying the surrounding environment on both sides. She nodded in approval and proceeded inside. Zhang Wei followed at a leisurely pace. As soon as he stepped inside, his eyes lit up. The spacious hall, pristine white walls, elegant floor tiles, and comfortable, tasteful décor made him feel a sense of openness and satisfaction.

Having worked in real estate for years, Zhang Wei had developed a special sensitivity toward properties. Whenever he encountered a listing with a great location, layout, and décor, he felt an inexplicable joy—much like someone who enjoys collecting beauty portraits or stamps. Zhang Wei loved quality properties. Although he couldn’t afford them due to their high price, he took photos of these beautiful spaces and cherished them as treasures in his collection.

“Sister Zhang, I’m Zhang Wei from Zhongtong Company. I just called you earlier—we’re here to show the property to a client.” The woman addressed as Sister Zhang was the owner of the shop. Zhang Wei didn’t know her well, so he spoke politely.

Although Sister Zhang was already forty, she was well-preserved and appeared to be in her early thirties. Her white dress paired with a black vest exuded an air of elegance and grace—clearly someone accustomed to a life of comfort and refinement.

“Alright, go ahead and look. The property’s right here, isn’t it? Why wouldn’t I let you see it?” Sister Zhang glanced at the group, then lowered her head to continue tending her nails, utterly unconcerned.

Zhang Wei had intended to introduce Murong Xuan to Sister Zhang, but seeing her attitude, he decided not to force an awkward conversation.

“Miss Murong, let’s take a look at the property,” Xu Ming said. With his many years in real estate, he had encountered all types of clients and owners. He wasn’t bothered by Sister Zhang’s attitude, but he was a bit worried Murong Xuan might take offense. However, when he glanced at her, he saw her face was calm and indifferent, as if she hadn’t noticed Sister Zhang’s demeanor at all.

Murong Xuan nodded and continued to walk deeper into the shop, assessing the layout as she went. She had barely taken a few steps when Guo Bin stepped in front of her.

“Miss Murong, look at the beautiful décor—European style, spacious area—absolutely perfect for a restaurant,” Guo Bin said, adopting a professional tone as he approached her.

Murong Xuan forced a faint smile but ignored his words, turning to inspect another part of the shop. Guo Bin was about to follow when Xu Ming shot him a warning glare and said, “Guo Bin, we’re short-staffed at the office. Go back for now.”

There were many unspoken rules in real estate when showing properties. One of them was that “the more you say, the more likely you’ll make a mistake.” Without understanding the intentions of both the client and the owner, it was better to “ask more and say less.” Otherwise, you risked prematurely defining the property’s attributes, and if your assessment clashed with the client’s expectations, you would only breed distrust and dissatisfaction.

“Brother Xu, why don’t you let Zhang Wei go back instead? I can help show the client around.” Guo Bin, startled, protested reluctantly, trying to push the responsibility onto Zhang Wei.

“Hmph…” Xu Ming was irritated by Guo Bin’s words. He thought to himself, “With me here, what use is a rookie like you showing clients around? Besides, this is Zhang Wei’s listing—why should he leave? You’re just causing trouble.”

“Manager Xu, could you come here for a moment?” Just as Xu Ming was preparing to reprimand Guo Bin, Murong Xuan’s timely call interrupted him.

“Miss Murong, what do you think of this property?” Xu Ming stepped away from Guo Bin and approached Murong Xuan, lowering his voice. The property was spacious—over four hundred square meters. The owner, Sister Zhang, stood by the large street-facing window, gazing outside. As long as they kept their voices down, she wouldn’t overhear.

“The location, décor, and size are all excellent. If the price is right, I’d like to rent it,” Murong Xuan replied, her face breaking into a radiant smile. Her beauty shone even more strikingly, replacing the professional mask with genuine satisfaction.

Xu Ming felt a wave of relief and returned her smile knowingly. He had prepared meticulously for this company VIP showing, personally handling every detail from client research to property selection and the showing itself, leaving no room for error.

Standing nearby, Zhang Wei’s joy was barely contained. If he could close this deal, he would earn thirty thousand yuan—equivalent to two years’ salary.

Guo Bin and Wang Min exchanged disappointed glances. Since Zhang Wei had found the property, the commission for this deal would be his alone, leaving them out entirely.

“Miss Murong, what’s your budget for the rent? What’s your maximum acceptable price? If you could let me know, it would help me during negotiations,” Xu Ming asked, eager to close the deal while Murong Xuan’s interest was high.

“Manager Xu, what’s the owner’s asking price?” Murong Xuan replied with a sly smile, throwing the question back at him.

“Sister Zhang is asking for at least one hundred thousand per month,” Zhang Wei answered.

“Manager Xu, you’re the real estate expert here. In your professional opinion, is one hundred thousand per month a fair price for this property?” Murong Xuan arched her brows, probing.

He smiled, “This is a street-facing shop in a prime location, with a suitable size and high foot traffic—ideal for a restaurant. The floors above are mixed-use office and residential, ensuring a steady stream of customers on weekdays. I believe the price isn’t unreasonable.”

“I trust your expertise,” Murong Xuan replied with a smile, as if affirming his judgment, yet deftly shifted the negotiation, “As long as it’s under one hundred thousand, I can accept it.” Though she changed just a couple of words, she subtly set a ceiling for the negotiation.

“Alright, I’ll do my best to bring the price under one hundred thousand,” Xu Ming replied with a smile.

In fact, Sister Zhang’s true asking price was about ninety-five thousand, but Xu Ming had instructed Zhang Wei to quote five thousand higher, knowing clients always wanted to bargain. By quoting high, he left room for negotiation.

“Sister Zhang, Miss Murong has seen the property and finds it suitable. If the price is right, she’s willing to rent,” Xu Ming said, smiling as he approached Sister Zhang.

“Let’s sit down and talk. How much are you offering for my property?” Sister Zhang gestured for everyone to sit on the sofa.

Zhang Wei, Murong Xuan, and Xu Ming took seats on the sofa, while Guo Bin and Wang Min stood behind. Sister Zhang herself sat in a single armchair nearby, with a glass coffee table between them—the only furniture in the room.

“Sister Zhang, our offer is ninety-five thousand per month. Does that work for you?” Xu Ming quoted the owner’s bottom line.

“Ninety-five thousand is too low—at least ninety-seven thousand,” Sister Zhang replied, her eyes flickering.

Xu Ming glanced at Murong Xuan, who nodded her acceptance of the price. Xu Ming was pleased, knowing the deal would likely go through as long as nothing unexpected happened, and that Murong Xuan should be satisfied with the figure.

He knew there was no time to lose; before any other agencies got involved, they had to secure the property. Otherwise, if another agent stepped in, ninety-seven thousand would never suffice. Xu Ming put on a reluctant expression, ready to accept and sign the deal, when suddenly a phone rang.

“I will love you for ten thousand years, love that stands the test of time…” Sister Zhang retrieved a pink phone from her bag, pressed answer, and said, “Hello, this is Zhang Yuxia.”

“Alright,” she said into the phone.

“…Fine, we’ll do as you say.” When the call ended, she returned the phone to her bag and sat back down.

“Sister Zhang, we’ve discussed it and can accept ninety-seven thousand. Let’s sign the contract now,” Xu Ming said straightforwardly, feeling a rising urgency after the call.

“Sorry, I’m not renting out this property anymore. My husband wants to use it himself,” Sister Zhang announced, her tone shifting as she made a clear gesture for them to leave.

Everyone, not just Xu Ming, was stunned. It was clear the deal had fallen through. If the owner intended to use the property herself, there was no way it would be rented out. Zhang Wei, in particular, felt as if he’d dropped from the clouds to the depths in an instant.

At that moment, Zhang Wei remembered his mind-reading ability and quickly focused on Sister Zhang’s eyes. Suddenly, his pupils contracted and a line of golden text appeared before his eyes: “Someone just called offering forty-six thousand per square meter to buy my shop, so I’m not going to rent it out, but sell it instead.”

“So Sister Zhang doesn’t really want to use the shop herself—she’s planning to sell it.” Realizing her true intentions, Zhang Wei relaxed a little and hope flickered in his heart. If he could persuade her to abandon the idea of selling, there might still be a chance to rent the shop to Murong Xuan.