I Have a Building in Pudong, Not Envying Mandarin Ducks or Immortals

In the dead of night, the Apollo EVO cruised through the streets of Pudong under the cover of darkness.

Zhang Yang drove at a moderate speed, stopping occasionally at intersections to meet the gazes of passersby through the car window.

Those gazes were filled with astonishment, awe, longing, or reverence.

Inside and outside the car felt like two different worlds.

What's ahead?

Suddenly, Zhang Yang looked out the car window at a dazzling skyscraper in front of him.

This is the Riverside Avenue along the river, which is also Lujiazui.

On the way back, he would naturally pass by the Vantone Bank Tower, which he had just acquired.

At this moment, the night sky over Pudong is at its most dazzling, with skyscrapers lining the entire Lujiazui, forming Pudong's most magnificent and prosperous skyline.

The LED screen covering the entire floor of the Vantone Bank Tower in front of us is flashing incredibly dazzling images.

Just as they arrived at the traffic light, Zhang Yang simply stopped at the intersection and watched from a distance.

The proposal scene was playing on the big screen.

A vibrant, colorful scene; the initials of a couple's names; and Tongtong red heart.

On the road, there seemed to be pairs of tourists, men and women, standing still. The girl covered her mouth and looked up at this scene, her eyes seemingly sparkling with stars.

A yacht was passing by on the river.

Zhang Yang could almost see a couple on the yacht, the boy kneeling on one knee, taking out a diamond ring, and making the sweetest confession.

He sat in the car, witnessing all of this, and couldn't help but smile.

If he were truly an ordinary person, merely an observer and witness, then all of this would have nothing to do with him.

But at this moment, the thought that this building, which holds the happiest moments of lovers, is actually his own property, naturally evokes a wonderful feeling in his heart.

"Brother, even though you drive such a fantastic car, do you ever envy other people's love stories?"

A boy standing by the roadside looked at the extremely cool Apollo supercar in front of him, while Zhang Yang, who was staring blankly at the LED screen on the building, couldn't help but ask.

"Envious?" Zhang Yang smiled, unsure how to respond.

Does that mean he was looking at his own building?

I own a building in Pudong, where I envy neither mandarin ducks nor immortals.

With a throttle input, Apollo roared away, disappearing into the distance.

It's worth mentioning that COFCO Seaview No. 1 is not far from this Vantone Bank Tower, just a few residential complexes away.

It's very close to walk there.

Even after returning home late at night, Zhang Yang was still somewhat agitated.

Even though he has achieved great success in cultivating his mind, he is not immune to worldly desires. After all, it is a super industry worth 5.8 billion yuan, part of the Pudong skyline, so it is understandable that he is a little excited.

After showering, he went to the liquor cabinet and took a bottle of wine, still wearing only his bathrobe.

Even late at night, the Huangpu River are still ablaze with lights.

Zhang Yang stood alone on the balcony, facing the century-old the Bund, and raised a toast to celebrate.

··

The next morning, after getting up early for his morning exercise and showering, Zhang Yang packed light and prepared to walk directly to the Vantone Bank Tower.

Along the way, we passed by Tomson Riviera.

Finally, we arrived at the Vantone Bank Tower, its glass curtain wall bathed in the morning light.

At this time, office workers gather in droves.

Zhang Yang wasn't in a hurry. He just stood there, watching the office workers hurrying into the building.

The company currently located in this building is not small, and includes the headquarters of many Fortune 500 Magic City in Shanghai. Strictly speaking, these office workers cannot be considered white-collar workers; in the eyes of others, they may well be high-income earners.

However, all those hundreds and thousands of people are working in this very office building.

Later, Zhang Yang found the property of the Vantone Bank Tower.

As the domestic headquarters of a foreign bank and one of the landmarks of Lujiazui, the property management company that has moved in is naturally not just any ordinary property management company.

The property JLL that is on par with Savills, Colliers International, CBRE, and Cushman & Wakefield.

Inside the office, Zhang Yang introduced himself.

Immediately, a staff member came running out to greet them.

"Hello Mr. Zhang, I'm Liu Can, the property manager from JLL. Welcome." A sophisticated-looking urban woman bowed slightly and extended her hand, her tone respectful.

All the property management staff in the office stood up.

Looking at the figure before them, they all knew that this was the new owner of this well-known property in Pudong.

Oh my god!

The thought alone sends shivers down my spine.

The owner, who owns nearly six billion yuan worth of property assets, is right in front of me.

Young, handsome, and with a dazzling presence.

His every move was so striking that it was almost impossible to look him in the eye.

"Hello, Manager Liu, please show me around," Zhang Yang said casually, shaking hands with him.

A moment later, Liu Can followed closely beside Zhang Yang, introducing the situation along the way.

Although the Vantone Bank Tower has been completed for some years, its design is still impressive. Both its exterior and interior are still considered high-end. After all, it was once the pinnacle of Lujiazui's 1.0 era, and even today, its location remains prime.

The lobby on the first floor features a landmark water wall, twelve elevators, and two freight elevators. The lobby also houses Wantong Bank and Starbucks. Escalators lead directly to the building's commercial area, which is dominated by restaurants, making it a popular canteen for the office workers of Vantone Building.

Knowing that Zhang Yang hadn't eaten breakfast, Liu Can treated Zhang Yang to breakfast with great hospitality.

The restaurant inside this building doesn't seem expensive, and the food is quite down-to-earth, offering steamed buns, noodles, and wontons.

The two of them each had a bowl of noodles and casually found a place to sit down.

"Please try it, but I'm afraid you won't like it," Liu Can said cautiously, watching Zhang Yang closely.

"No... do you really think I eat gourmet food three times a day?" Zhang Yang couldn't help but chuckle. "Thanks, Manager Liu, I'll treat you another day."

"I'm so honored," Liu Can said, flattered.

In fact, when she first met this new homeowner, she was quite cautious.

Think about it, when immense wealth and countless accolades are bestowed upon an ordinary person, they can make him shine. But now, this person not only doesn't look ordinary, but instead appears elegant and handsome.

With all those accolades, wouldn't someone like that be a superstar?

Such a person is destined to be unapproachable, detached from worldly affairs.

However, after actually getting to know him, she found that this was not the case. On the contrary, he was unusually gentle and did not have that deliberately aloof and arrogant attitude. He was quite approachable.

Okay, let's not talk about whether it's being approachable or using connections to get closer.

Liu Can finally felt a slight sense of relief.

Occasionally, company managers or staff who had interacted with Liu Can would come over to greet Liu Can.

Incidentally, I glanced curiously at the man sitting opposite Liu Can.

They would never have guessed that the gentle, joking, and handsome man before them was actually the owner of this office building in the prime location of Lujiazui.

After breakfast, we continued our walk.

Liu Can interjected with information about the building's occupancy and rent collection.

Actually, these points were already mentioned in Zhou Zhaodong's previous report, and Liu Can's reiteration of them now serves as a kind of review.

Even after revisiting it, Zhang Yang was still deeply moved.

It's truly a behemoth.

In terms of occupancy, it's 100%. This former landmark, located in a prime location in Pudong, has never had trouble finding tenants. Some companies are willing to pay a huge price to rent an entire floor in such a location as their office space.

As for the rent, plus the naming rights fee for the Vantone Bank Tower, the annual revenue is 300 million yuan.

In addition, there is another source of income that cannot be ignored: revenue from the building's outdoor LED advertising.

That's no small number.

After all, the advertising spaces on buildings Huangpu River and in Lujiazui are absolutely valuable and irreplaceable, with an effect similar to placing an advertisement in Times Square.

Every year, not only individuals, but also many companies and groups use the large screen here to advertise.

Firstly, it serves as publicity; secondly, it can be considered a symbol.

The advertising spaces here are highly sought after, and with so many advertising companies in Magic City having such extensive networks, there's simply no shortage of available spots.

The advertising time on the LED screen of the Vantone Bank Tower is from 6 pm to 11 pm every night.

It can be sold in several ways, including per segment, per week, per six months, or per year. The longest annual package is 16 million, with 60 exposures per day, each lasting 15 seconds.

The total annual revenue from advertising alone ranges from several hundred million to several hundred million.

Including rent, this one Vantone Bank Tower alone brings him hundreds of millions of yuan in revenue every year.

For a moment, Zhang Yang didn't know what to say.

This one building alone generates far more rental and advertising revenue than many listed companies combined.

The new friends I met last night, although many of them have companies with market value of tens or even hundreds of billions, in terms of profit, most of them only have an annual income of a few hundred million.

Most of them don't bring him as much income as this one building.

If you were to ask Zhang Yang how he felt at this moment...

Hiss·

That feeling was truly a mix of emotions.

If before he was still on the path to becoming a super-rich person, then now he should already be considered one, right?

With future assets in the tens of billions, and I haven't calculated the exact annual income, I'd say I earn a dozen to twenty yuan a year now.

As for the future, once that film and television base with an investment of tens of billions is completed, the base alone will probably bring him dozens of times more revenue each year.

Earn the market value of a single listed company in one year.

If he's not a super-rich tycoon, then who is?

"Mr. Zhang, Mr. Zhang?" A gentle voice woke Zhang Yang.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something." Zhang Yang snapped out of his reverie and smiled at Liu Can.

"Even someone as important as you has worries?" Liu Can was taken aback by Zhang Yang's smile, but quickly composed himself and asked with a smile.

"Of course there are," Zhang Yang shook his head and said, "In this world, only immortals have no worries."

"Aren't you a god, a god?" Liu Can sincerely flattered him from the side. "But I guess what can make you so worried must be no small matter. It must be at least an acquisition of a company, or a business deal worth hundreds of millions."

"You have a really sweet tongue," Zhang Yang said, looking at Liu Can.

What he was just thinking about was future assets worth tens of billions, and annual incomes easily reaching billions.

Upon being praised by Zhang Yang, Liu Can's cheeks flushed almost imperceptibly.

"I'm telling the truth, Mr. Zhang."

Later that evening, Zhang Yang didn't let Liu Can continue following him, and instead went to the rooftop alone.

A strong wind was blowing directly in from the rooftop.

He took a deep breath. Above him was the sky over Lujiazui in Pudong, and beneath his feet was his own office building in a prime location in Lujiazui. Not far behind him were the towering Lujiazui skyline.

Looking down, Lujiazui, the Bund in the distance, and the skyline of Puxi are all within view.

In that instant, Zhang Yang's state of mind was elevated.

It truly represents the level where one's heart holds mountains and valleys, and one's eyes and brows evoke landscapes.

I feel so relaxed, so incredibly relaxed...

Bite!

My phone suddenly rang.

Zhang Yang glanced at the caller ID; it was his younger brother, Du Xiaochen, calling.

He answered the call without hesitation.

"Brother, guess who called me?" Du Xiaochen said with a smile as soon as the call connected.

"Who?" Zhang Yang asked back.

"Ye Junyi from Huahai Group, that blind Tao Zhan's fiancé last night," Du Xiaochen said. "Ye Junyi called and asked me to pass on a message to you, asking to meet you. He said... he wants to apologize to you in person."

Zhang Yang was not surprised.

He also knew about Huahai Group; it was indeed a long-established behemoth with assets of tens of billions, ranking among the top private enterprises in Shanghai.

But let's get this straight.

He didn't get involved with the group.

This is a huge corporation with various shareholders and stakeholders, and it doesn't belong to the Ye Family alone.

Furthermore, no matter how powerful a second-generation rich kid is, they are still just a second-generation rich kid. It will be many years before they take over the family assets and are able to control the family's wealth.

How can anyone compare to someone who directly controls wealth?

If the other party is a smart person, they probably wouldn't dare to go against me for the sake of a prospective brother-in-law.

In the end, it was nothing more than a trivial matter last night.

"When?" Zhang Yang asked casually, not taking it to heart at all.

"It's convenient for you, brother. From his tone, he seemed quite sincere." Du Xiaochen paused. "Brother, Ye Junyi's family is really grooming him to be their successor. He's very smart, acts with integrity, is quite proud, and doesn't stoop to underhanded tactics. The fact that he made this phone call... from what I understand, it definitely means he's bowing his head."

"Alright then, I'm free this afternoon, so meeting up is fine." Zhang Yang nodded.

It's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester. Besides, he and this Young Master Ye don't really have any conflict. If you have to put it in perspective, you could even call it a misunderstanding.

In the end, Tao Zhan had to bear the brunt of it all.

"Okay, bro, I'll go call back right now." Du Xiaochen chuckled on the phone, "It still has to be Brother Zhang. Even someone as proud as Ye Junyi is willing to bow down in front of you. My brother is the best."

Zhang Yang chuckled and cursed, then ended the call with Du Xiaochen.

This kid's flattery skills have improved day by day, but unfortunately his threshold has increased, and he can no longer feel anything from it.

If you want to get him to enjoy the filming, this kid will have to come up with some creative ideas.

A moment later, the phone rang again.