14: Chapter 14 Buying a House

Two hours later, the door to the manager's office was pushed open.

The manager walked in with a beaming smile, placing the dark blue vehicle registration, the black driver's license, a bag of vehicle documents, and the car keys on the coffee table in front of Chen Hao.

"Young Master Chen, I have successfully fulfilled your request; everything is taken care of."

Chen Hao picked up the driver's license and flipped it open to take a look.

It contained his own photo and information, and the issue date was today; there were no issues.

He tucked the driver's license into his pocket, picked up the car keys, and stood up.

"Thanks."

He walked straight out of the showroom.

The manager followed behind him, escorting him to the audi a6.

The black paint glistened impressively in the sunlight, and the blue-and-white "Jing A83" license plate on the front bumper looked particularly striking.

Chen Hao opened the car door and sat in the driver's seat.

The distinct scent of a new car rushed to greet him.

He skillfully inserted the key and started the engine.

Accompanied by a slight vibration, the 2.8-liter V6 engine emitted a steady and powerful idling sound.

The audi a6 drove out of the auto market and headed toward Jinghang University.

As he drove, Chen Hao discovered a troublesome problem.

He was currently like an actor with a split personality: at school, he was the poor student Chen Hao, and outside, he was the all-powerful Young Master Chen.

Switching between these two identities was too exhausting, and he couldn't keep running all the way to the remote Jinxiu Manor every day, could he?

Furthermore, he couldn't drive this audi with the "Jing A8" plate back to school; it was too conspicuous.

There were too many people at Jinghang University who knew him, and they all knew him as a poor student from an ordinary family background.

Driving such a car back would undoubtedly invite trouble and questioning.

He had to maintain his persona as a poor student while at school.

This meant he needed a more convenient place to stay—a place where he could freely switch identities and also park his car.

Chen Hao rested one hand on the steering wheel, wandering aimlessly around University Road.

Unknowingly, the car drove past Jinghang University and arrived near the not-too-distant Huaqing University.

Rows of brand-new high-rise residential buildings came into view.

"Huaqing Jiayuan."

Chen Hao's eyes lit up.

This was a famous legendary property development!

It was known as the "cradle of internet entrepreneurs," and many big shots from later generations got their start here.

The key point was that it was close to the school, had strict security, and was inhabited by people of some status; no one would be bored enough to go around asking who their neighbors were.

Moreover, the property prices here would skyrocket to over 100,000 per square meter in the future; buying it now would be a guaranteed profit.

"This is the place!"

He turned the steering wheel, and the audi a6 drove straight toward the sales office.

The security guard at the entrance saw the car with the "Jing A8" plate, instantly straightened his back, snapped a salute, and the barrier lifted quickly.

Chen Hao parked the car at the entrance of the sales office.

Several sales staff who had been chatting at the entrance immediately crowded around, their faces full of professional and enthusiastic smiles.

"Sir, hello! Are you looking to buy a house?"

"Sir, our Huaqing Jiayuan is the highest-quality development on this side of University Road. You won't be disappointed if you take a look!"

A female sales agent wearing a professional suit, with a large chest and long legs, used her physical advantage to squeeze past the others and opened the car door first, smiling sweetly:

"Hello, sir! I am the sales manager, Sun Li. I am very happy to serve you!"

Chen Hao nodded, got out of the car, and closed the door with a dashing motion.

Entering the sales hall, a huge sand table model occupied the center stage.

Sun Li took a laser pointer and pointed at several buildings, speaking eloquently:

"Sir, we are currently promoting large units from 120 to 160 square meters, with eight units per two elevators, and a high utilization rate..."

"Eight units per two elevators?"

Chen Hao frowned and interrupted her directly: "Are you asking me to fight for an elevator with seven other households? That's too much trouble."

Sun Li was also a sharp person; one look at this situation and she knew she had encountered a real wealthy client.

Her eyes lit up, and the laser pointer quickly moved to the very top of the sand table model:

"Sir, if you like peace and quiet, then these 'King of Buildings' units are definitely suitable for you!

Top-floor duplex, two floors combined, over three hundred square meters!

Only four units per floor, excellent privacy, and it comes with an extra-large terrace!

Currently, all our units are delivered as raw shells, so after you buy, you can decorate them according to your own preferences."

Chen Hao's interest was piqued.

"Are there any finished units ready for move-in? I don't want to wait."

"Yes!" Sun Li's eyes brightened.

"We happen to have a top-floor duplex model unit, and the decoration is extremely luxurious!

If you are interested, I will take you there right now!"

...

The viewing car went straight to the underground garage, and the elevator went directly to the top floor.

Exiting the elevator, the corridor was spacious and bright.

Sun Li opened one of the doors: "Please enter, sir!"

A heavy European court style rushed to greet them.

Huge crystal chandeliers, gold-painted plaster moldings, wallpaper with intricate patterns, and heavy velvet curtains.

This decoration style, which might seem a bit tacky in later generations, was definitely synonymous with magnificence in the year 2000.

Chen Hao walked around the room; although he wasn't a fan of this decoration style, he was overall satisfied.

This house had been a model unit for several months, and the smell of the various decoration materials had mostly dissipated, so one could move in directly with just a suitcase.

"This is the one." Chen Hao made the final decision.

He walked to the door and pointed at the tightly closed door next to it: "Has this one been sold?"

"Not yet, this one is a raw shell," Sun Li answered honestly.

"Fine, I'll take this one too."

Chen Hao's tone was as relaxed as if he were buying two cabbages at a vegetable market.

Sun Li was completely stunned; she suspected she had misheard.

"Sir, are you saying you want to buy both?"

"Yes," Chen Hao nodded, "one for me to live in, and one for my subordinates to use as an office."

Chen Hao pointed to the middle of the corridor:

"In addition, I have a request.

I want to install a door at this position to completely separate these two units from the other two, forming an independent space.

Can this be done?"

This request was a bit excessive, as it involved occupying public space.

But Sun Li only hesitated for a second before nodding vigorously: "Of course!"

This was a super big deal; even if the request were more excessive, she would agree to it immediately!

She immediately took out her phone: "Sir, please wait a moment, I will ask our leadership for instructions immediately!"

The call connected quickly, and Sun Li reported the situation as quickly as she could.

A few minutes later, a pot-bellied middle-aged man ran out of the elevator, panting; it was the general manager of the sales office.

"Hello, boss! I am the general manager here, my surname is Liu."

Manager Liu wiped his sweat while enthusiastically extending both hands.

Chen Hao shook his hand.

"Manager Liu, is the matter of installing the door okay?"

"Absolutely no problem! We will take care of this; I guarantee we will install it so it looks impressive and is secure!" Manager Liu patted his chest to guarantee it.

"What about parking spaces? I want four, and they must be the ones next to the elevator entrance, all connected."

"Yes! We must reserve the best spots for you!"

In this era, most people did not yet have the concept of buying parking spaces; the garage was empty, and one could pick any spot.

"What about the price?" Chen Hao asked directly.

"Boss, since you are so straightforward, we will definitely give you the maximum discount!" Manager Liu said immediately.

"I'll give you a 20% discount on the parking spaces!

As for the houses, if you can pay in full, I will apply to our boss for a 5% discount for you!"

"Fine, cash payment in full," Chen Hao said.

The smiles on Manager Liu and Sun Li's faces became even brighter.

They quickly calculated the total price.

Two duplexes, plus four parking spaces, with all discounts included, the total price was 3.6 million.

"Tomorrow morning, I will bring the money over to sign the contract," Chen Hao said.

...

The next morning.

The audi a6 stopped at the entrance of the sales office again.

Chen Hao opened the trunk, took out two heavy travel bags, and strode into the lobby.

"Clang!"

The two bags slammed heavily onto the office desk.

Inside were stacks of hundred-yuan bills tied with bank straps, looking like two small hills.

The entire sales office went silent instantly; everyone widened their eyes.

In this era, before the Wenzhou house-flipping groups had swept the country, no one had ever seen so much cash.

Seeing over three million in cash piled up in front of them, the scene was absolutely shocking!

Manager Liu immediately brought several financial staff over to count it.

The contract was signed very quickly.

Chen Hao handed a copy of his ID card to Manager Liu.

"I'll leave the matter of the property deeds to you."

"Don't worry! I guarantee we'll get it done properly!" Manager Liu bowed and scraped.

"As for the door you wanted, we will arrange for workers to come and install it this afternoon!"

...

After finishing the procedures, Chen Hao did not return to the villa but drove directly to a nearby shopping mall.

He bought all the necessary daily necessities, from sheets and quilts to toothbrushes and towels.

In the evening, when he returned to the top floor of Huaqing Jiayuan, a brand-new dark brown solid wood door had already been installed in the corridor, completely isolating his two units from the neighbors.

Chen Hao used the key to open the door to the model unit.

He put away the things he had bought one by one; from today on, he would mainly live here, but he couldn't return his school dormitory, otherwise it would be very difficult to explain to the counselor.