At Least I've Built a Modest Foundation

Inside the store's contract signing room, Zhang Yang and Luo Xinyu sat facing each other.

Luo Xinyu took off her sunglasses and placed them on the table, casually tossing the Aston Martin car keys on the table, exuding an air of wealth.

The real estate agents nearby didn't dare to utter a sound.

Zhang Yang found Luo Xinyu's aloof, pampered demeanor somewhat amusing, even though she'd fallen on hard times and was practically selling her house...

"Gentlemen, this is the contract. Please take a look." Pei Xiaoru excitedly placed the property transaction contract in front of the two of them.

As for the transaction amount, it was naturally 110 million.

Zhang Yang went through a lot of trouble to negotiate this price; do you think it's easy to cut ten million?

"If there are no problems..." Pei Xiaoru suppressed her excitement and looked at the two of them.

Luo Xinyu gave a soft "hmm," picked up her pen, and began to write quickly.

Zhang Yang glanced through the contract, found nothing wrong, and picked up a pen to sign it.

With all three parties present and the real estate agent as witnesses, the successful transaction of this 300-square-meter apartment in COFCO Seaview No. 1, valued at 110 million yuan, was officially announced.

Of course, the rest is the main event.

The real estate agent is only interested in the commission; both parties still need to go to the Real Estate Trading Center for escrow, transfer of ownership, and obtaining the property ownership certificate.

But at least once the contract is signed, it's basically settled, there's no suspense.

The store manager present breathed a sigh of relief, but he didn't rush to announce the good news to all his colleagues in the company's group chat. He had to wait until the commission was in his pocket before he could announce it.

"Um, you two, about the agency fee," the store manager said, rubbing his hands together.

"Just follow the rules." Because of their old classmate relationship, he readily agreed.

Of course, the brokerage fee for luxury homes can't be paid in full as a percentage like for ordinary homes. The brokers understand this, and the discount is always given in one lump sum.

Luo Xinyu wasn't short of money, so she easily obtained the intermediary company's account information and arranged for the payment.

At the store, everyone looked excited.

These luxury homes, valued at over 100 million yuan, are truly difficult to sell. Firstly, they are scarce, and secondly, it's hard to find buyers with the financial strength to handle them. Every successful sale requires repeated internal study of the experience and summarization of techniques.

What are some techniques this time?

Not really.

Everyone looked at Pei Xiaoru with nothing but envy.

Pei Xiaoru's heart was pounding, but when she saw that the two had arranged to pay the intermediary fee, she finally felt completely relieved.

It actually happened!

Her long-held dream as a real estate agent—to sell a luxury house—was suddenly fulfilled.

The commission she could ask for this time was unimaginable; one deal could easily support her for three years, which would be an exaggeration, but it would definitely be enough to support her for a year.

My phone kept ringing incessantly beside me.

She picked it up and saw it was a call from her cousin.

Pei Xiaoru hurriedly walked out of the store to answer the call. On the other end of the line, her cousin's voice sounded hesitant.

"Xiaoru, about the house you mentioned, has the contract been signed?"

"It's signed, and the agency fee has been collected," Pei Xiaoru replied with a smile, making no attempt to hide anything.

"So... how much will you get?" my cousin asked tentatively.

"It's alright, buying a house back home and making a down payment is still quite easy," Pei Xiaoru said casually, but she heard her cousin gasp.

"So cousin, please stop trying to find me a boyfriend. Really, I really have no interest."

"I understand, I understand. My cousin just wants to ask, about that client who bought a house worth over 100 million from you, and you?" my cousin asked.

"Him?" Pei Xiaoru said, holding her phone, and couldn't help but turn around to look.

Inside the store, the tall, handsome figure was surrounded by the store's staff. His outrageously handsome aura and the fact that he could casually spend hundreds of millions of dollars were simply breathtaking and mesmerizing.

He was her old classmate, but also someone she could only admire from afar.

"He's my classmate," Pei Xiaoru suddenly whispered into the phone.

"Hey classmate! I'm not trying to be mean, but why didn't you say so sooner? And this house of yours, I admit you made money selling it, but don't put the cart before the horse. You have a gold mine right next to you, why don't you put more effort into it?" My cousin scolded me.

This time, Pei Xiaoru was truly speechless.

How could she bring it up? This time, she felt a little ashamed of herself.

··

With the contract signed, it was time for Zhang Yang to pay up.

He had saved up for so long, and now he had to spend tens of millions of yuan all at once. Fortunately, the recent daily cashback bonuses kept his cash flow at around tens of millions.

In return, they received COFCO Seaview No. 1, a property that countless people dream of and are said to be unattainable for most people.

The two cars, one in front and one behind, with Zhang Yang driving the Cullinan in front and Luo Xinyu driving the Aston Martin behind, headed to the nearest Real Estate Trading Center to complete the transfer.

Inside the Cullinan, Pei Xiaoru sat in the passenger seat, but today she suddenly seemed a little shy, completely unlike her usual outgoing self.

Zhang Yang was driving when he glanced sideways at Pei Xiaoru beside him.

A bridge of the nose, a fair chin, slightly trembling eyelashes, and uneasy hands clasped together.

"There's something strange about you... Didn't you get the sales figures?" Zhang Yang asked, puzzled.

"What's strange about it?" Pei Xiaoru said softly, secretly brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, her words contradicting her true feelings.

"Isn't that surprising?" Zhang Yang shook his head.

Just then, while waiting at a traffic light, he found Pei Xiaoru's composed posture amusing and casually pinched her fair cheek.

Honestly, he didn't think twice and just casually pinched it.

Pei Xiaoru blushed bright red after that pinch.

"What are you doing?" She looked at Zhang Yang, a little embarrassed and annoyed.

"No... can't we even pinch your fingers anymore?" Zhang Yang chuckled, not taking it seriously, and continued driving.

Pei Xiaoru stood quietly to the side, then mustered up the courage to look at Zhang Yang, who was driving. Looking at his handsome profile, she couldn't help but speak.

"Why··"

"What?" Zhang Yang glanced at her quickly.

"So, after you buy a house from me, we... will still be old classmates, right?" Pei Xiaoru asked, her heart pounding.

"That's strange. What else could it be but an old classmate? Did they break off their friendship after buying the house?" Zhang Yang blinked.

"Isn't there some other relationship between you?" Pei Xiaoru held her breath, her heart pounding.

"What are you talking about... What other relationship could we have besides being classmates?" Zhang Yang asked, bewildered.

Pei Xiaoru was furious, so angry she didn't want to say a word.

All the way to the Real Estate Trading Center, before she got out of the car, she saw Zhang Yang answer a phone call.

The phone call could be heard clearly inside the train carriage.

The girl opposite her had a sweet and well-behaved voice, and Zhang Yang was also very gentle, so Pei Xiaoru immediately fell silent.

When Zhang Yang received Bei Wei's call, Bei Wei was happily eating lunch. She usually liked to eat a little earlier because she was quite busy at lunchtime.

"Don't forget to eat, even if you're busy," Bei Wei said.

"I won't forget, don't worry." Zhang Yang put down his phone and looked to the side. He didn't know when, but Pei Xiaoru had already gotten out of the car.

Zhang Yang also got off the car.

"Your girlfriend?" Pei Xiaoru's smile was a little forced.

"Okay, let's go, they'll be closing time soon if we're any later," Zhang Yang said.

"I know, I promise I'll handle it perfectly for you." Pei Xiaoru nodded, her shoulder a little far from Zhang Yang's. Unconsciously, she subconsciously felt a sense of distance.

Behind them, Luo Xinyu, wearing sunglasses, walked up and walked right past the two of them, still acting like a high-and-mighty young lady.

Inside the Real Estate Trading Center, the process proceeded smoothly and methodically.

Sign the contract, set up escrow for the funds, and get the property ownership certificate.

After a series of procedures, the ownership of COFCO Seaview No. 1, was completely transferred to Zhang Yang's name. The original owner, Ms. Luo, could simply go to the escrow account to collect the money.

When Zhang Yang held the still-warm red book in his hands, he felt a mix of emotions.

A simple red certificate, light and airy, is the ultimate dream for so many.

And Zhang Yang, from his small-town background to owning luxury cars and mansions, what did he rely on? Wasn't it just a little bit of luck combined with 99% of his own hard work?

"I, Lao Zhang, truly deserve all that I have today!" Thinking of this, Zhang Yang felt extremely at ease, after all, what you earn through your own hard work is never the same as something that falls from the sky.

Right?

"I'm leaving. I'll move out as quickly as possible in the next couple of days. I'll call you when I'm done." Ms. Luo waved goodbye with a flourish and left cleanly and efficiently.

This young lady, at least in front of outsiders, always acts very arrogant and pretentious.

"Pei Xiaoru, come on, I'll take you home." Zhang Yang said, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary, looking at his old classmate beside him.

This old classmate seems a bit distracted. Is he unhappy about making money? Or has he been blinded by this windfall?

"Huh? Why don't you go ahead and do your work? I... I can go back by myself," Pei Xiaoru stammered.

"Let's go, stop being so dramatic." Zhang Yang casually pulled Pei Xiaoru along.

Pei Xiaoru was taken aback, then obediently followed them out of the Real Estate Trading Center.

Inside the Cullinan, Zhang Yang fastened his seatbelt and asked Pei Xiaoru, "Are you going back to the store, or somewhere else? I bet the people there are waiting for you to celebrate, right?"

"Celebrate? Yes, share experiences, and I guess a company conference is inevitable." Pei Xiaoru came back to her senses and nodded.

"Why do you seem a little unhappy?" Zhang Yang asked, looking at Pei Xiaoru.

"How could I be unhappy?" Pei Xiaoru turned to look out the window, her words contradicting her true feelings. "It's just that the boy I like already has a girlfriend. It turns out that the so-called ambiguity was just wishful thinking on my part."

"Who is it?" Zhang Yang asked knowingly. "I'll ask him for you. Isn't he a jerk?"

As soon as Pei Xiaoru turned around, she saw Zhang Yang's gaze so close that she could barely look at him. She immediately lost her composure, after all, she wasn't exactly a quiet person to begin with.

"You know perfectly well what I'm asking. Tell me, aren't you a jerk? You had me completely smitten, and now you're bringing me back to reality."

She lightly punched Zhang Yang a few times, and was inexplicably pulled into his arms.

"What are you doing?" she asked timidly, blinking her eyes.

"I treated you like an old classmate, and you actually want to date me?" Zhang Yang said. "Don't you think you should be punished?"

"What punishment?" Pei Xiaoru asked hesitantly, her heart pounding.

"Let's find a place, and I'll explain everything to you in detail," Zhang Yang said.

··

In the afternoon, at a hotel, Zhang Yang left Pei Xiaoru, who was still half asleep, alone in the hotel room and walked out of the hotel feeling refreshed.

Wealth and desire are directly proportional; humans are sometimes a complex mix of contradictions.

He didn't know how to evaluate himself, so he had to say something nice about himself: maybe it was because he was free-spirited and didn't like being bound by rules and regulations.

With today's most important task finished, I'll proceed with the latest assignment this afternoon in a structured manner.

The store is gradually getting back on track, with a steady daily turnover, and word-of-mouth seems to be spreading. Bei Wei is now truly playing the role of a little boss in the store.

Zhang Yang repeatedly emphasized that Bei Wei should stop doing everything herself.

If they really need more manpower, he'll hire more people; he just can't stand seeing Bei Wei busy in the shop every day.

He'd thought about it too. Once the hype Mao Roast Duck died down, maybe he could reorganize things for Bei Wei —a flower shop, a coffee shop, a bookstore—not for making money, but so Bei Wei could simply enjoy a peaceful life. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

After leaving the hotel, Zhang Yang headed straight to the Mad Shark Fighting Gym, beginning his daily hardcore journey.

Ten days of intensive Sanda training, ten days of Saitama training methods—what kind of person did he ultimately become? Zhang Yang himself couldn't say for sure.

Throughout the afternoon, Zhang Yang was accompanied by aches, exhaustion, and various other pains.

While thoroughly teaching him how to be a person, it also illustrated a painful truth once again: no one can succeed easily.

Having a system is no exception.

By evening, exhausted from the extra exertion at noon and the intense exercise in the afternoon, Zhang Yang sat in the car, not wanting to move a single finger.

I had just sat in the car when Luo Xinyu called.

"I've almost finished packing. See when you're free to come over and hand over your things, or tonight is fine too. I'm not comfortable staying in someone else's house."

Luo Xinyu spoke in a businesslike tone.

"Tonight won't work, how about tomorrow morning?" Zhang Yang rejected the suggestion of going over to take over the house that evening without even thinking.

There was a two-second silence on the other end, followed by a soft chuckle.

"With such a cowardly attitude, do you think I'd eat you up?" Luo Xinyu's subtle, deliberately maintained aloofness vanished instantly.

Zhang Yang felt utterly exhausted, his body so weak he couldn't even put a finger to the ground. Yet, his mind was clearer and more resolute than ever before, and his self-control was stronger than ever before.

"If you can't go tonight, and you can't make it tomorrow morning, then we'll reschedule."

"No fun, fine, tomorrow morning it is then." Luo Xinyu snorted and hung up the phone.

Zhang Yang rolled down his car window and drove home.

Tonight, he didn't want to think about anything or do anything; he just wanted to go home and get some rest.

··

The next morning, Zhang Yang got up early as usual to go to the Mad Shark Fighting Gym for special training, including the Saitama Training Method.

After taking a shower and sitting down to rest, Luo Xinyu sent me a picture of the cleaned-up large apartment.

"It's almost done, come here."

"Alright." Zhang Yang's expression immediately brightened.

The house in COFCO Seaview No. 1 is finally going to be handed over to him; it would be a lie to say he wasn't excited.

Just like an ordinary person gets excited when they unbox a new phone, his feelings were naturally quite turbulent as he owned a luxury apartment in Shanghai worth over 100 million Magic City for the first time.

It's only human nature.

"Brother, what's the good news that makes you so happy?" The coach, seeing Zhang Yang's expression, came over with a big smile and tried to strike up a conversation.

After a few days of getting to know him, he also knew that this man, who drove Cullinan worth nearly ten million, was an absolute rich man, so he naturally wanted to build a good relationship with him, and even curry favor with him.

"Great news," Zhang Yang said, looking at him.

"Haha, another girl must have confessed her feelings to you, Brother Zhang. With your good looks and wealth, you must have countless girls chasing after you!" the coach flattered.

Unable to sit still after being showered with praise, Zhang Yang shook his head, smiled, and walked out.

In the COFCO Seaview No. 1, Zhang Yang parked in the parking space that came with the apartment, next to Luo Xinyu's Aston Martin.

"Two parking spaces, one for the Bentley, one for the Cullinan, and the Cayenne can be parked near the apartment when it's inconvenient." Zhang Yang casually slammed the Cullinan's door shut and headed straight for the elevator lobby.

In the corridor with three elevators serving two households, the door to Luo Xinyu's home, or rather Zhang Yang's new home, was open, and several women were busy cleaning, but it seemed to be nearing completion.

"I've handed the keys to you cleanly and completely." Luo Xinyu looked at Zhang Yang and handed over the keys.

The handover of other utilities, such as water and electricity, and property management, will also be handled; there's no rush.

"Thanks." Zhang Yang took the keys without any hesitation. He had paid for them anyway, so there was no need to be polite.

"I hope you take good care of this house. Every plant, every detail, is something I put a lot of thought into." This time, Luo Xinyu stopped talking about money and started talking about her feelings.

"If you're ever considering selling in the future, give me your first choice."

"Will you be able to come up with the money then?" Zhang Yang knew it was a bit direct, but he couldn't help asking anyway.

"How do you know my house can't be turned around? Just wait and see." Luo Xinyu smiled and looked into the house. "Come on, let's go to your new house and see for ourselves."

There were other women inside, so Zhang Yang went in without hesitation.

The huge space, spanning over 300 square meters, was completely renovated. There were no personal belongings to be seen, except for the expensive furniture, furnishings, and appliances. It was as if the place had just been occupied the first time.

In the distance, the wide-open balcony presents a breathtaking and magnificent view of the century-old the Bund and the vast Magic City.

This time, Zhang Yang stood on the balcony, and his feelings were completely different from last time.

After all, this house now completely belongs to him, and he will enjoy the river view in front of him exclusively, experiencing for the first time what it means to sit and watch the clouds rise as the owner of the house.

"Now you know it was worth it, right?" Luo Xinyu asked, standing to the side.

Zhang Yang smiled but didn't say anything.

If I say too much, it might make me seem a bit short-sighted, so it's better not to say anything and keep this shock to myself.

Standing here, he finally understood what the real Magic City was like, what it meant to stand tall and see far, and what the aura of money and wealth truly meant.

He used to have cash back, and although he owned luxury cars, he ultimately lacked a solid foundation and seemed somewhat lacking in substance.

But now, with the arrival of Magic City, its historical and cultural heritage has been revitalized.

Zhang Yang, living in Magic City, to put it modestly, has some wealth and a certain foothold in the city.

When others boast about owning a car and a house in Magic City, it's considered showing off. But when Zhang Yang says it, it's true humility to the core.

Everyone here owns a car and a house in Magic City, but can they be considered the same?

"Alright, you can stay and get to know things at your leisure. I have to go." Luo Xinyu gently tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear and glanced at Zhang Yang. "Aren't you going to see me off?"

"I'll see you out." Zhang Yang turned and walked towards the door.

Just before entering the elevator, Luo Xinyu glanced back at Zhang Yang and said, "I've left you the wine, don't waste it. I asked my dad, it's really expensive."

"Okay, the elevator's already open, what are you waiting for?" Zhang Yang glanced at the elevator, which had been open for a while.

Luo Xinyu, wearing high heels, entered the elevator.

A moment later, Zhang Yang was the only one left in the huge single-level apartment.

He walked around inside and out, and found that everything was indeed clean and tidy. The cleaning staff had done a great job, and everything was sparkling clean, just like new.

There was indeed still some wine on the wine cabinet, the same bottle we drank that night.

"How expensive is 'Lao Gui'?" Zhang Yang muttered to himself, casually picked up a wine glass, poured himself a drink, and went out onto the balcony to enjoy the magnificent river view while drinking.

Returning to the living room, I drew the curtains, turned on the 100-inch super TV worth over a million yuan, and experienced the delicate and stunning picture quality.

Only then did Zhang Yang sigh.

He really made a good deal on that house.

Several huge suites, a restaurant that can comfortably accommodate any number of people for a gathering, a large balcony where you can run... it's exactly what I've always imagined a house to be like.

At this moment, he truly wanted to share his joy.

"It's a housewarming party, so we should at least celebrate, right?" Zhang Yang glanced at his phone, intending to contact Bei Wei to help the little sweetheart take off and share the joy.

It's noon now, and the shop should be busiest at this time.

When the call connected, Zhang Yang learned that Bei Tianfu was actually coming to Magic City from Rong City that afternoon.

He was incredibly serious about opening a branch office in Magic City.

"His flight is this afternoon, Bei Jiajia said he's going to pick up his dad," Bei Wei told Zhang Yang.

"Uncle Bei is coming to Magic City, why didn't you tell me sooner? I would have made the arrangements." Zhang Yang laughed. There's no time like the present, what a coincidence! Just invite him to his new home and have a simple housewarming party.

Zhang Yang made a call to a high-end family banquet catering service, booked the banquet for that evening, and then went out and headed straight to the store.

It's true that Bei Tianfu is his elder, but that's not the point.

The key point is that Bei Tianfu is also considered his partner, and is now the real head office of Shudu Roasted Duck.

There are still many details to be worked out with Bei Tianfu regarding the subsequent franchise stores in Magic City, such as training and materials. Now that he has come to Magic City to open a company, it is a win-win situation.

Outside the Shudu Roasted Duck store, Zhang Yang got out of the car and immediately saw Bei Jiajia and Bei Wei inside.

"Handsome Zhang!" From afar, Bei Jiajia saw Zhang Yang and waved her little hand.

"Uncle Bei isn't even telling me in advance? What time is his flight? I'll go pick him up with you," Zhang Yang said with a smile.

"You're too kind, handsome Zhang. It's nothing at all," Bei Jiajia said with a smile. "I'll pick you up then, and we'll have dinner together tonight."

"I've got it all arranged," Zhang Yang said, waving his hand dismissively.