Landlord Mr. Huang

After signing many books, even Zhao Dongchuan, with his usual composure, felt his arm ache. Seizing an opening, Zhao Dongchuan made a quick escape to the restroom!

“Phew!”

Finally out, Zhao Dongchuan breathed a sigh of relief!

He had just used the excuse of going to the toilet, turned a few corners, and walked straight out of the Cultural Center. There were simply too many people who had come to the office because of his reputation, including colleagues and some citizens. He had to keep smiling and responding, his face had become stiff from all the smiling, and he was getting a bit annoyed by the constant fuss, so he resorted to this tactic.

The world of fame and fortune, it truly makes people both love and hate it. Who knows how many people have fought tooth and nail for a bit of recognition!

But this wasn't what he wanted. He merely needed the identity of a “writer” to move freely.

“I can’t stay in the office for a while. There are so many people, I can’t handle them all. It seems I need to lie low for a bit. I’ll come back after the hype dies down and things quieten.” Zhao Dongchuan mused to himself.

Having nowhere else to go for the moment, Zhao Dongchuan wandered around for a while before returning directly to his dormitory.

Fortunately, no one had come to disturb him at the dormitory yet, allowing him a bit more peace and quiet, though he wondered how long this tranquility would last.

Zhao Dongchuan shook his head, dispelling these meaningless thoughts, then quickly packed up some personal items he was accustomed to using, putting them into his space!

He thought that he might as well seize this opportunity to apply for some time off from his unit, as his identity as a “writer” was now firmly established.

This time, in addition to giving him an award and promoting him to a temporary, nominal “Deputy Section Chief,” they also issued him a “Writer’s Certificate” stamped by the Huangyuan City Revolutionary Committee.

Although many organizational departments had been abolished and had not yet been restored, this did not prevent the local government from issuing him one.

With this “Writer’s Certificate,” his future travels would be much more convenient, and he would enjoy priority when buying tickets and taking public transport.

After packing, Zhao Dongchuan slung his satchel over his shoulder and pushed his bicycle to a state-run restaurant.

There's no bad mood that a good meal can't fix; if one isn't enough, then have two!

After ordering several hearty dishes, Zhao Dongchuan waited. Fortunately, there weren't many people at this time, and soon after, the waiter brought the food.

He immediately transformed into a hungry eater!!!

Once the meal was finished, Zhao Dongchuan let out a satisfied burp, then paid the bill and left.

He still had things to do!

Before he left, he needed to give some instructions to his “subordinate,” Huang Laosan.

Following the usual routine, Zhao Dongchuan found an opportunity to put on the glasses from the system, changed his identity, and then headed towards their “secret base.”

After many twists and turns, he arrived at the abandoned courtyard. Seeing no one around, Zhao Dongchuan walked straight in, sat on a pile of broken tiles, and waited.

Today was an odd-numbered day, and by agreement, Huang Laosan would come around 3 PM to see if he was there and if there were any tasks he needed to be assigned.

It's really inconvenient without a phone! Zhao Dongchuan complained inwardly!

While waiting, Zhao Dongchuan closed his eyes and began cultivating the Qi Refining Introduction. Time passed inadvertently.

…………

With a rustling sound, Zhao Dongchuan heard footsteps approaching slowly from a distance.

He knew from the rhythm that it was Huang Laosan.

He opened his eyes, and after a moment, saw a short man in grey work clothes walk in. This man was Huang Laosan.

“Mr. Han, you’re here!”

Huang Laosan was a bit surprised. Although he always came to this place as agreed to see if his “master” had any instructions, he usually wouldn't wait specifically for him, but would come on a weekend instead.

“Mm!” Zhao Dongchuan responded softly.

“I’m about to go out for a while and won’t be back anytime soon, so I came to see you.”

“Alright, Mr. Han, what do you need me to do for you?” Huang Laosan asked respectfully.

“Nothing, I just came to tell you about this, so you wouldn’t worry.”

“Oh, by the way, how’s the house situation? Have you settled it?” Zhao Dongchuan asked, remembering their previous discussion about moving to a different place.

“Mr. Han, currently there’s only one lead, and that’s my distant relative, Uncle Huang!”

“I’ve talked to Uncle Huang several times. It’s just that ever since he returned from Echeng many years ago, Uncle Huang has been living quite frugally and has no children, so he genuinely wants to sell. That courtyard is indeed very good, but the price…”

Huang Laosan paused and continued, “It’s just that for the price, he won’t budge an inch. He insists on 1000 yuan, saying he won’t sell for a single cent less!”

“If it can’t be lowered, then so be it. A thousand it is, no more fuss, just buy it directly!” Zhao Dongchuan said.

Hearing this, Huang Laosan looked troubled and whispered, “Mr. Han, he has another condition…”

“A condition? What condition?” Zhao Dongchuan asked, puzzled.

“He wants to meet you!” Huang Laosan replied softly.

“He knows that such a large sum of money couldn’t possibly come from me, so he’s convinced there’s someone behind me and wants to meet the real buyer!”

“That’s true!”

He had forgotten this point. Although Huang Laosan had recently helped him sell watches and earned some money, he was relatively cautious in his dealings and didn't flaunt his wealth.

To this day, people around him still don't know about the changes in his family, believing he's still wandering the streets as before.

He certainly couldn't produce such a large sum of money all at once.

“It seems I still need to go and meet him!” Zhao Dongchuan mused to himself.

The truth was, private houses available for sale were extremely rare now. Most households currently lived in units allocated by their workplaces or in dormitories.

Only a very small number of houses with proper deeds could be bought and sold. Otherwise, he wouldn't want such trouble. Moreover, this house had a large footprint and even a small garden, so it was worth it.

“Alright, then, you can take me to see him later!” Zhao Dongchuan nodded in agreement.

“Understood, Mr. Han!” Huang Laosan also breathed a sigh of relief when Zhao Dongchuan agreed.

Afterward, Huang Laosan reported on the recent situation and handed over the proceeds to Zhao Dongchuan.

Zhao Dongchuan also gave Huang Laosan a considerable commission. Although Huang Laosan was controlled by Hypnotism, the sustained effect was unknown, so it was best to “win people over with virtue”!

This Huang Laosan, by following him, had good food and earned a lot of money, so he certainly wouldn't want to revert to being the original “hoodlum.” No one is born wanting to be a “gangster”; they are forced into it by circumstances.

………………

Huang Laosan led the way, with Zhao Dongchuan following behind.

Before long, they arrived at a courtyard in East Gate, near the old bridge.

Zhao Dongchuan was not unfamiliar with this place; he had been here before. When he used to take Li Huiying to sell watches, she rented a place nearby.

He often cycled past here.

“Mr. Han, over here!” Huang Laosan pointed to a tall courtyard.

Although the exterior of this courtyard was relatively simple, its walls were very high, much taller than the surrounding houses.

From the subtle details of the mottled main gate, one could still discern some exquisite patterns, indicating that it was once a residence of a prominent family.