Chapter Six: Sealing the Deal

The arrival of Zhang Wei accompanied by Ms. Zhang was truly beyond everyone’s expectations. Seeing the two of them appear together, Guo Bin’s face flushed red in an instant, so embarrassed he wished he could crawl into a hole in the ground. The very fact that Ms. Zhang was willing to come to Zhongtong Realty with Zhang Wei meant she was prepared to rent out the storefront once more—undeniably a slap in the face to both Wang Min and Guo Bin. Wang Min, being a woman, didn’t care much about saving face, but Guo Bin’s earlier boasts now hung awkwardly in the air.

“Oh, Ms. Zhang, you’re here! Please, come in and have a seat,” Xu Ming greeted her warmly, a glint of delight flashing in his eyes when he saw her arrive with Zhang Wei.

“No need for such formality. I just chatted with Zhang Wei again, and I’ve decided to lease out the storefront once more. That’s why I came with him to see your agency—and it turns out I’ve witnessed quite a show,” Ms. Zhang remarked, turning to Zhang Wei with a playful look. “This young man who wanted to call you ‘godfather’—he can’t be more than two years younger than you, can he?”

“Ha, Ms. Zhang, you mustn’t laugh at us,” Zhang Wei replied, glancing at Guo Bin. He had no intention of adding insult to injury, and simply smiled.

Upon hearing that Ms. Zhang truly intended to rent out the storefront again, Guo Bin’s face turned from red to purple. He hung his head so low it looked as though he’d like to bury it in his lap, regretting his earlier bravado, which had only made him look like a clown.

“Ms. Zhang, if you’re willing to rent out the storefront again, that’s wonderful! Our client was just talking about your property. Why not rent it to her?” Xu Ming suggested with a smile.

“Sure, as long as the price is right, it doesn’t matter who I rent it to,” Ms. Zhang replied nonchalantly.

“How much are you asking for the rent now?” Xu Ming inquired.

“Ninety-eight thousand yuan per month. If that works, we have a deal; if not, let’s forget it,” Zhang Yuxia said.

“Ms. Murong, do you think ninety-eight thousand is a reasonable price?” Xu Ming turned to Murong Xuan.

“It’s acceptable,” Murong Xuan answered, a hint of delight flashing across her face. She’d been searching for a storefront these past few days, and Zhang Yuxia’s property was ideal both in location and size. It was beautifully maintained, needing no renovations at all, which would save her over two hundred thousand yuan. Given all that, the rent was more than fair.

“Good, this young lady is straightforward. Rent it to her,” Zhang Yuxia said, pleased that Murong Xuan hadn’t haggled, and taking an immediate liking to her.

“Well then, since both parties have agreed, let’s sign the contract right away,” Xu Ming decided, hoping to avoid any further complications.

With Xu Ming’s prompt, both Murong Xuan and Zhang Yuxia nodded in agreement.

“Li Lin, go to the assistant’s cabinet and bring out a lease contract,” Xu Ming called. This task usually fell to the assistant, but since it was Saturday and the assistant was off, he asked Li Lin to do it instead.

Li Lin looked up, acknowledged, and went to fetch the contract.

“Ms. Zhang, Ms. Murong, let’s continue in the conference room,” Xu Ming said, leading everyone to a small room partitioned with frosted glass. Inside was an oval conference table ringed with a dozen chairs—modest in size, barely over ten square meters, but quiet and suitable for meetings.

Soon after, Li Lin returned with three copies of the contract, distributing them to Xu Ming, Murong Xuan, and Zhang Yuxia. Both women glanced through the documents and raised no objections.

Since the earlier conversation had been somewhat tense, neither Murong Xuan nor Zhang Yuxia engaged in any small talk, focusing instead on hammering out the rental details and clauses. Both women were decisive; they handled the minor issues according to standard practice, making the signing process swift and efficient. Only when the agreement was fully executed did Zhang Wei finally relax. Many deals fell apart at the signing stage over details; only when the signatures were down could one truly rest easy.

“Zhang Wei, for wrapping up this deal so quickly, I owe you my thanks. I’ll prepare a big red envelope for you tomorrow,” Zhang Yuxia said with a smile as Zhang Wei accompanied her out of the agency.

“No need for that, Ms. Zhang—it’s my job,” Zhang Wei protested politely. Securing this deal not only resolved his work crisis but also earned him thirty thousand yuan; he was already more than satisfied and felt embarrassed to accept further reward.

“Oh, don’t be so modest! Consider it your lucky money in advance. It’s settled,” Zhang Yuxia insisted. In truth, her intention went beyond a simple thank-you—she rarely lived in the capital, and often couldn’t oversee the property herself. She planned to entrust Zhang Wei with handling anything requiring the landlord’s attention or communication with tenants, making this red envelope a kind of advance payment for his services.

“All right, thank you, Ms. Zhang,” Zhang Wei finally agreed. After all, refusing a client’s generosity could be seen as rebuffing their goodwill, perhaps even creating distance between them.

“Enough, don’t see me off any further. We’ll meet again for the handover tomorrow morning,” Zhang Yuxia said with a wave, smiling.

“Take care, see you tomorrow.” Zhang Wei watched her leave until she disappeared from view, then turned and went back inside.

“Mr. Zhang, I really should thank you for helping me secure such a perfect storefront,” Murong Xuan greeted him as he entered, her bright eyes twinkling as she fixed her gaze on him.

It was the first time Murong Xuan had spoken to Zhang Wei of her own accord, and he felt a bit flattered.

“Ms. Murong, you are a valued client of our agency. It’s been my honor to serve you—I should be the one thanking you for this opportunity,” Zhang Wei replied with a nod and a smile.

“You’re quite the charmer, Mr. Zhang. No wonder you managed to win back such a difficult landlord,” Murong Xuan laughed softly, making a playful jab at Zhang Yuxia’s earlier stubbornness.

Zhang Wei could only manage a modest smile. Speaking ill of clients behind their backs would be most unwise.

“Manager Xu, everyone, thank you for all your help today. I’ll take my leave now—see you tomorrow,” Murong Xuan said, nodding to the group before gliding out. The others saw her to the door in a show of respect.

“Zhang Wei, tonight you have to treat us! Not only did you close a big deal, you even gained a godson—so envious!” Li Lin laughed, giving him a friendly slap on the shoulder.

“That’s right! You owe me a nice meal—I didn’t take care of you at the clinic this morning for nothing!” Wang Jianfa chimed in with a grin.

“All right, dinner first, karaoke after, all on me!” Zhang Wei declared cheerfully, his gloom swept away by the day’s success and the windfall of thirty thousand yuan.

Xu Ming nodded approvingly at Zhang Wei’s attitude. What he admired was not that Zhang Wei had closed a deal, but that he hadn’t grown arrogant nor mocked Guo Bin afterward.

Xu Ming was a shrewd manager—he understood the subtle rivalry between Guo Bin and Zhang Wei. But he believed that more friends meant more opportunities; it was better to be magnanimous than to dwell on the faults of others or bear grudges.

In the real estate agency business, teamwork was essential. No matter how capable one person was, deals were hard to close alone. Building camaraderie with colleagues was the true path to success, while petty tricks between agents were nothing but side shows.