Persuading

The reason Chu Chen got up so early today was because it was Saturday, and he decided to go to the flea market. And not just today, but whenever he had time recently, he would go. After all, in such an environment, not to mention the chance of finding hidden gems, just the information about antiques was much more timely than online.

Of course, this decision was only temporary. If he made enough money from his trip to Diannan, he wouldn't go to the flea market anymore. At that point, he would start preparing to open a shop. Besides, if he had a lot of money and still went to the flea market, people would think he had ulterior motives.

Soon, Chu Chen finished his morning workout at home, had a simple breakfast, grabbed his goods box, and headed to the antique market.

When Chu Chen arrived at the antique market, although it wasn't even dawn yet, the crowd was already large. After all, it was Saturday, so vendors set up early and customers arrived early. Of course, these customers came so early with the hope of finding hidden gems, so generally, there weren't many transactions.

At the market management office, Chu Chen, relying on his old connections, managed to secure a stall in that old spot. Of course, he also slipped them a pack of cigarettes. Even with old connections, if you don't give them some benefits now and then, old connections can turn into new ones.

Today was quite a coincidence. Right next to his stall was Zhou Wenping's stall, and Old Wu was several stalls away from them.

As Chu Chen walked in, he saw Zhou Wenping let out a big yawn. He smiled and asked, "Brother Zhou, what bad deed did you do last night? Why are you so listless today?"

Upon seeing Chu Chen, Zhou Wenping laughed and cursed, "You brat, you can't say anything good. Do you think I would do something to betray Sister-in-law Zhou?"

It must be said that Zhou Wenping was quite dedicated in that regard. Ever since Sister-in-law Zhou fell ill, intimacy was out of the question. He had been diligent for so many years and hadn't been rumored to be with any other women. He had to be a true devoted husband.

"Haha, men, right? Otherwise, why would you be yawning so much? I've never seen you like this before!" Chu Chen joked with him.

"Get lost. Am I like this because the two kids were too rowdy yesterday and didn't go to sleep until midnight? I came here at two in the morning and barely slept. Can you not be tired? But I say, you haven't experienced manhood, do you even know what it is? Or have you, hmm?!"

Seeing that the topic had shifted to him, Chu Chen felt a bit embarrassed. He was a complete virgin, after all. He quickly changed the subject, "Well, um... Brother Zhou, you came so early, how's business?"

"You brat,"

Zhou Wenping pointed his finger at Chu Chen. Seeing that he had changed the subject, he didn't press further. Instead, while helping Chu Chen set up his stall, he said, "It's okay. I should make three to five hundred yuan. But since it's Saturday, it's a bit less."

Zhou Wenping had quite a bit of pressure on him, so Chu Chen comforted him, "It's still early. The early morning rush is mostly people looking for hidden gems. There are very few who spend generously. Look at me, I usually don't like coming so early."

"You're speaking from a position of plenty. Hey, I just remembered, I heard you won at gambling again yesterday, right? It's all over the market, they say it was a big win!"

Chu Chen wasn't surprised that the news of his gambling win spread so quickly. He said humbly, "It's nothing, just luck. Besides, it was just a small amount of money."

Zhou Wenping heard this and pointed his finger at him, "Look at you, rich people are so arrogant. I heard you made over a million, and to you, it's just 'a small amount.' It seems I'll have to 'rob' you, Mr. Moneybags, someday. But with so much money, why are you still thinking about coming to the flea market? You could open a small shop."

Chu Chen waved his hand, "With my money, how big a shop can I open? Brother Zhou, don't you know how expensive shop rents are nowadays? If I opened a shop, with renovation and stocking, my money would only be enough for me to starve. Instead of opening a shop, I might as well buy a house?"

Zhou Wenping thought about it and said with emotion, "Alas, that's true. Housing prices are getting more expensive every day, and rents are starting to rise. If this continues, the household expenses are becoming unbearable. But if we talk about going back, we only have the old houses in the countryside. The education of the two children can't compare to here. Just thinking about it makes me worried."

Seeing Zhou Wenping looking a bit downcast, Chu Chen had a sudden idea and said to him, "Brother Zhou, how about this, I'll lend you money to buy a house."

"How can that be? Don't you want to buy a house too?" Before he could finish, Zhou Wenping waved his hands repeatedly, flatly refusing.

"Hey, Brother Zhou, let me finish. I'm telling you the truth, I have this much right now." He made a gesture of fifteen with his hand.

Zhou Wenping obviously didn't think it was fifteen thousand, and whispered in surprise, "So much?"

"So, my money is enough for both our families to buy a house. Here's what I'm thinking, Brother Zhou, you should take advantage of the fact that housing prices are still relatively cheap now and buy a three-bedroom apartment. Think about it, the children will grow up eventually. It's better to solve it now than to be troubled later."

Zhou Wenping shook his head speechlessly, "A three-bedroom? I can't even imagine it. That would cost a lot of money, right? With my family's situation, how can we afford it?"

Chu Chen persuaded him, "Brother Zhou, I've inquired about housing prices before. A smaller three-bedroom apartment is only around 400,000 yuan. If paid in full, there might even be a discount. Including renovation and such, 500,000 yuan would be enough."

Zhou Wenping repeatedly waved his hands, "500,000 yuan? With the little money I make, wouldn't it take ten years to pay it back? How can that be?"

"Brother Zhou, money can be earned and paid back slowly. But for Sister-in-law's and the children's sake, buying a house now is the most cost-effective. Think about it, once you buy a house, Sister-in-law's environment for recuperation will improve, and the children's schooling conditions will be better. We work hard and earn money, isn't it all for the sake of giving our wives and children a good life?"

Seeing Zhou Wenping deep in thought, Chu Chen knew he was starting to be swayed and continued to persuade him:

"Brother Zhou, think about it, our Beijing just successfully bid for the Olympics. Housing prices in the future will definitely be more expensive than they are now, possibly even doubling. If you don't buy now, it will be even harder to buy later. You don't want Sister-in-law and the children to keep renting, or to choose to move back to Xijing in a few years, do you?"

Hearing Chu Chen's words, Zhou Wenping was indeed moved. However, after thinking for a moment, he still hesitated and said, "I heard that buying a house in Beijing requires an application or something. It won't be easy, right?"

Chu Chen wasn't really sure about this. However, he thought about it. If it didn't work out, he could ask Uncle Wu or Zhao Qirui. They should be more knowledgeable about this. So, with a relaxed expression, he said, "This is simple. I have connections."

Zhou Wenping looked grateful, "Xiao Chen, this is really too much trouble for you. Also, my family has some savings. Even if I need to borrow, I don't need to borrow 500,000 yuan."

"Don't say that. Your family's money should be used for Sister-in-law's medical treatment. Besides, Wen Cong and Wen Hui are growing up right now. Keep your money for buying them more food and clothes. As for repayment, don't worry about it at all." Chu Chen waved his hand, his expression resolute.

Seeing Chu Chen's earnestness, Zhou Wenping really didn't know what to say. He patted Chu Chen's shoulder and nodded, "Alright, I'll go home and discuss it with Sister-in-law Zhou. Whether it works out or not, Brother Zhou will always be indebted to you."

Chu Chen's dedicated help to Zhou Wenping was partly because he genuinely felt that Zhou Wenping's family was quite good and wanted to help them. On the other hand, it was also a form of emotional investment.

As mentioned earlier, Chu Chen would definitely open an antique shop in the future. And according to his plan, it would be at least the same scale as Zhu Dafu's shop. For such a shop, he definitely couldn't manage it alone and would need to hire management personnel in the future.

In this regard, Zhou Wenping, who was well-known and had good antique appraisal skills, was Chu Chen's best choice. Although Old Wu was also good, given his gluttonous nature, Chu Chen wouldn't dare put him in a managerial position. Of course, with Old Wu's experience, he would be good at managing market issues, depending on whether he was willing.

Since it was Saturday, after chatting for a while, the crowd grew, and more people started inquiring about prices. Both of them became busy. However, many people came to the market with the mentality of finding hidden gems, so more people asked than bought. In the entire morning, Chu Chen only managed to sell four items.

Although he didn't sell much, the money he earned was considerable. The four handicrafts brought him a profit of nearly five hundred yuan. Although this amount wasn't much to him now, the feeling of making money was still enjoyable.

At two in the afternoon, Chu Chen came out of Uncle Wu's house with a double-eared vase and headed to the private kitchen restaurant. He had already contacted Zhao Qirui that morning, but Zhao Qirui was busy in the morning, so they agreed to meet in the afternoon.

After meeting, Zhao Qirui was very happy. He carefully examined the double-eared vase several times and then said cheerfully:

"Xiao Chu, your efficiency is excellent. This double-eared vase also perfectly meets my requirements."

Chu Chen said humbly, "It was also luck. Uncle Wu happened to have a client who wanted to sell it, so I took it."

"Alright, I'm very satisfied with this item. Xiao Chu, tell me the price."

Chu Chen thought for a moment and decided to stick to the original price. He said, "Brother Zhao, it's 500,000 yuan."

Hearing Chu Chen's quote, Zhao Qirui clearly paused for a moment, then pointed at Chu Chen and laughed, "I say, Xiao Chu, are you mocking me? I wasn't absent from this year's spring auction. You have to add some more, otherwise, how can I have the nerve to ask you next time?!"