New Home

I had money—$500,000.

That was 3.2 million yuan!

No matter how expensive the New Zealand dollar was, it couldn't compare to Yandu from my previous life, right? With 3.2 million, I could rent anything I wanted.

The beautiful agent carefully browsed through the information on her computer. Only after a while did she raise her delicate face, a trace of confusion on it.

"Mr. Marcus, are you really choosing a location like that?"

The area this client had chosen was rather strange!

He wanted somewhere close to a violent neighborhood.

Uh... emmmmm!

She had never received a client with such a request before!

Whether it was for a residence or a business, people always chose the most stable areas possible. Who would prefer somewhere turbulent and unsafe?

Was he sure he wasn't just messing with her?

"Yes, beautiful lady! Oh, right, don't call me Mr. Marcus. Just call me Kino."

The beautiful agent smiled. "Then you can call me Nancy."

This mixed-race Asian guy was quite handsome.

But when she thought about his rental requirements, she became uneasy again. There were plenty of men in New York who liked other men.

And he was so handsome.

"My pleasure, Miss Nancy." Kino smiled teasingly and explained, "Don't worry. Business is good in places like that."

Business was good in turbulent places?

Nancy felt a little depressed. What kind of business was that? It couldn't be something shady, could it?

Seemingly reading her little mind, Kino smiled. "It'll be something like a detective agency, taking private commissions."

"Oh."

Nancy's big eyes shifted slightly, and she understood. The more unstable an area was, the more dangers it had. Accordingly... there would be more jobs involving private commissions.

"But that's very dangerous."

Could this beauty have taken a liking to me?

Kino gave her a brief once-over. Her looks and figure were both above an eighty. Since coming to the Marvel Universe, he had been alone. Maybe developing a "friends-with-benefits" relationship... was something worth considering.

"Don't worry. I know kung fu—I'm much better than Bruce Lee." As he spoke, Kino showed off his powerful biceps.

Nancy burst out laughing and said in clumsy Chinese, "I remember you Chinese have a saying—'Guan Gong battles Qin Qiong,' right?"

"Oh? You know Chinese too?" Kino found it rather strange, but he did not feel embarrassed in the slightest.

Although he knew perfectly well that Nancy was making fun of him, Bruce Lee had been dead for decades. How could he possibly compete with someone who had died?

Still, Kino confirmed one thing: this damn Marvel Universe actually had Bruce Lee too!

"One of my roommates is Chinese, so I know a little." Nancy smiled and turned the computer screen toward Kino. "Since you consider yourself Bruce Lee reborn, I won't try to persuade you. I compared everything carefully, and I found this place to be the most suitable for you."

Kino gave it a quick glance. His English was limited, and he did not know much about the United States, but he still recognized the map—Manhattan District.

A heaven for the rich. His money should be enough, right?

Manhattan's wealthiest residential areas were on both sides of Midtown, where the tycoons and wealthy people lived. Kino looked over the area Nancy had marked. Mm, it was near the southernmost end of Manhattan, not far from Wall Street. Kino had no interest in Wall Street, but he knew Wall Street was next to Broadway, and he was very interested in Broadway.

At the very least, it would be convenient for watching movies and such.

Farther north was Chinatown, with its distinctly Chinese style!

Kino could no longer remember whether Chinatown in New York had been in this location in his previous life, but it was now.

Farther north were New York University and various institutions of higher and secondary education. On both sides of this area were residential districts filled with "hippies."

The left side was all right. The older hippies were relatively settled, but the right side was another matter. It was mainly occupied by the younger generation. Though they carried the title of "liberals" and liked to express their ideals through a wandering lifestyle, they were—damn it—just a group of irresponsible punks!

This was also an area for the "homeless population." Wandering around, they occupied nearly one-tenth of Manhattan's land area.

Naturally, it had become the most restless area.

The location Nancy had marked out for him was right next to the hippies on the right, Chinatown below, and the fashion district to the left, while being surrounded by a cluster of colleges and universities.

It really was a pretty good place!

Schools were trouble-prone areas; homeless drifters and hippies meant trouble; the fashion circle meant even more trouble; and then there was the crime hidden within Chinatown.

Why?

That was how it always was in the movies. Chinatown often gathered quite a few violent people.

"This is the famous hippie district. This is 13th Street, a notorious violent street!" Nancy explained as she pointed at the map. "This building is at the northernmost end of Chinatown. Considering that you... probably like Chinese food. To the left is the fashion district, where the models, agencies, and so on are. And with several colleges and universities nearby, I think it should suit your tastes!"

"A three-story building?"

"Yes. The total usable area across all three floors is 486 square meters, with a 30-square-meter basement and an outdoor garage! Here are the photos and documents. The interior has been fully renovated, so you can move in with just your bags!" As she spoke, Nancy took out a file and handed it to him.

Kino gave it a simple look, then nodded in approval. He did not have any particular requirements for a house.

"It's just a little expensive," Nancy said with a smile.

"How expensive?"

"The property owner's surname is Lee. He has moved to Los Angeles, and he entrusted all the relevant documents and materials to our company. As long as you agree, you can move in immediately."

Kino knew this was a feature of the United States: a complete package service. Unlike China, where Party A and Party B still had to meet face-to-face and haggle intensely for a while.

"I understand. How expensive?"

"Mr. Lee gave us two options. One is to sell it, but since you're renting, we can ignore that one."

Kino was speechless. If they were ignoring it, why tell him about it?

"The other is the rental option. It's $100,000 a year, with a minimum two-year contract. Of course, you can pay annually!" Nancy continued as if she had not noticed Kino's irritation.

Holy shit!

$100,000 a year?

That was 640,000 yuan!

The inside of this three-story building was fairly nice, but its exterior style was not particularly appealing. Since it was located in Chinatown, it had a blend of Chinese and Western styles. The first floor had once been a small restaurant, with people living on the two upper floors, while the basement had been a cold-storage room. Of course, now that the owner had moved away, the basement had been completely emptied out, with nothing left behind.

This three-story building had to be at least ten years old. It already counted as an old building, yet it was still $100,000 a year! A comparable place in China in his previous life would have cost only a little over 100,000 yuan.

$100,000 was a rip-off!

"How much to buy it?"

Nancy suppressed the joy in her heart. "For a purchase, it's $400,000 paid in one lump sum. If you choose installments, the down payment can't be less than $200,000. For a ten-year term, the total price would be $500,000."

Shit!

He had finally managed to swindle $500,000 from Nick Fury, and four-fifths of it would disappear just like that.

Considering the renovations, alterations, and replacement of software and hardware inside, it would probably cost another $50,000.

Kino shook his head. "No! I'll only give him $350,000, paid in full!"

"This... I'll discuss it with Mr. Lee." With that, she took her phone and went outside. Ten minutes later, she returned in high heels, slightly out of breath. "Congratulations. Mr. Lee agreed, but you need to pay as soon as possible—no later than this week."

"Fine!"

Kino nodded. A new home in the Marvel Universe.