60: Chapter 60 Wantai Real Estate

At seven in the morning, Jiang Chen was awakened by the vibration of his phone.

He squinted as he fished the phone out from under his pillow; the screen displayed a string of unfamiliar numbers.

"Hello."

"Mr. Jiang? My surname is Liu, I'm with Wantai Real Estate." A voice full of smiles came from the other end. "I heard you bought those ten shops at the north gate of Xuefu Road yesterday?"

Jiang Chen didn't speak, his brow furrowing slightly.

The news traveled fast; he had only finished the transfer procedures yesterday afternoon.

"We'd like to talk to you to see if you have any intention of selling. The price is negotiable."

"Not selling."

"Hey, don't be so quick to refuse."

Manager Liu's tone grew urgent. "Five hundred thousand per unit, five million for the whole package of ten. Full payment in one lump sum. You just transferred the title yesterday, and today you'd make a net profit of one million. Where else could you find such a deal?"

Five hundred thousand per unit was a hundred thousand higher than his purchase price of four hundred thousand.

In the eyes of an ordinary person, making a net profit of a million overnight was a windfall falling from the sky.

But Jiang Chen just leaned against the headboard, the corner of his mouth curling up almost imperceptibly.

The person on the other end of the phone thought they were getting a huge bargain.

What he didn't know was that in just one month, it wouldn't be a matter of earning a mere million.

The other party thought they had spent a lot of money to bribe their way into getting insider information early and had rushed over to snatch a bargain.

The compensation would be between 2.4 million and 3 million per shop, and you're offering five hundred thousand?

"Not selling."

"Five hundred and fifty thousand?" Manager Liu raised the price. "You give me a quote, and I'll go apply to the company."

"Not selling."

"Six hundred thousand!"

Manager Liu gritted his teeth. "Six hundred thousand per shop, six million for the package. Mr. Jiang, this price won't be seen again for another five years."

Jiang Chen was silent for a moment.

Not because he was tempted, but because he found it funny.

The more the other party raised the price, the more it showed how deep the insider information he knew was.

Six hundred thousand, compared to three million in compensation, wasn't even enough for the spare change.

"Not selling."

Manager Liu's voice finally changed; that enthusiasm was like a punctured balloon, replaced by an uncontrollable agitation.

"Mr. Jiang, I'm trying to do business with you properly, but you won't even give me a counter-offer. You just keep saying 'not selling.' What exactly do you mean?"

"I have no intention of selling."

"You're a college student holding ten shops. Do you even know how to operate them? This kind of asset is a hot potato in your hands."

"If you sell to me today, you can still get a round number. Once the market changes in a while, you won't even have a place to cry."

"Are you finished?"

"You..."

"If you're finished, I'm hanging up."

The other end was silent for a full three seconds. The voice changed completely, leaving only a thin layer of hostility.

"Fine, Mr. Jiang, you're something else! But let me remind you, you'd better really be able to hold onto these ten shops. Don't come back and beg me when something happens."

"Don't worry, I won't."

Jiang Chen hung up, tossed his phone back to the pillow, and rolled over.

The room became quiet again.

A sliver of morning light peeked through the gap in the curtains, falling on the floor at the foot of the bed.

Jiang Chen stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

He never considered himself a particularly good person.

He didn't steal or rob, but he certainly wasn't perfectly upright either.

He just saw the future earlier than others and acted decisively.

This wasn't illegal, and it wasn't even immoral.

As for fairness? This world has never been fair.

His stomach growled.

He was hungry.

He grabbed his phone again, opened a delivery app, and picked that ridiculously expensive private kitchen from his favorites.

An order of Abalone Sauce Rice, steamed eggs with black truffles, Fish Maw Chicken Soup, and a bowl of Mango Sago Cream with Pomelo.

The delivery fee was forty-eight, for a total price of four hundred and thirty-seven.

Order placed.

While waiting, he got up to wash up and tidied himself up a bit in front of the mirror.

The man in the mirror had deep features, a sharp jawline, and eyes that were steady, unlike a young man in his early twenties.

After washing his face and coming out, the phone vibrated again.

He thought it was the delivery, but when he picked it up, he saw two unread messages.

Su Wanqing.

[Su Wanqing]: Awake yet? There's class this morning, don't be late.

Lin Wan.

[Lin Wan]: Morning! I've arrived at the law firm. I slept so well last night [Rabbit spinning]

Jiang Chen leaned against the sink, his thumb hovering over the screen for a second.

The phone vibrated again.

The delivery had arrived.

He went out to get the food, brought up two heavy insulated bags, and spread them out on the coffee table.

The Abalone Sauce Rice was still steaming hot, and the aroma of black truffles drifted through the air.

He took a spoonful of rice into his mouth, replying to messages with one hand while chewing.

He replied to Su Wanqing first.

[Jiang Chen]: Awake. Won't be late.

Su Wanqing replied quickly.

[Su Wanqing]: Have you had breakfast yet?

[Jiang Chen]: Eating now.

[Su Wanqing]: What are you eating this time? Don't tell me it's that expensive place again.

The corner of Jiang Chen's mouth curled slightly as he took a photo and sent it over.

[Su Wanqing]: I knew it.

[Su Wanqing]: Jiang Chen, you really need to change these spending habits.

[Jiang Chen]: Didn't you say young people should learn to enjoy life?

[Su Wanqing]: I meant moderate enjoyment, not squandering.

[Su Wanqing]: Forget it, you won't listen anyway. Don't be late for today's class. Last time you arrived right on the dot and sat in the last row—did you think I didn't see you?

[Jiang Chen]: You saw me but didn't call my name.

[Su Wanqing]: Just saving you some face.

[Su Wanqing]: Sit in the front today.

[Jiang Chen]: Okay.

[Su Wanqing]: Mmm, I'm getting ready to head out. I'll buy a coffee on the way.

[Jiang Chen]: Don't drink too much coffee; your stomach isn't great.

The other side paused for a few seconds.

[Su Wanqing]: Got it.

After sending that, he switched to the chat window with Lin Wan.

[Jiang Chen]: Morning, have you eaten breakfast?

[Lin Wan]: I have! A sandwich from downstairs at the firm. So expensive, twenty-five yuan for just two slices of bread [Crying]

[Lin Wan]: What about you?

Jiang Chen sent another photo over.

[Lin Wan]: ...

[Lin Wan]: This is breakfast???

[Lin Wan]: Jiang Chen, you're eating my entire week's internship salary for one breakfast???

[Jiang Chen]: I was hungry.

[Lin Wan]: [Shocked] [Shocked] [Shocked]

[Lin Wan]: I want to eat it too...

[Jiang Chen]: Didn't I transfer some pocket money to you? Eat whatever you want, don't be stingy with spending.

[Lin Wan]: Oh, you don't understand. Never mind, I'm not looking anymore. My supervising lawyer is calling me, I have to get to work!

[Jiang Chen]: Okay.

He put down his phone and continued his breakfast.

A breakfast costing over four hundred yuan indeed tasted different from the cafeteria.

Each grain of rice in the Abalone Sauce Rice was distinct, coated in thick abalone sauce; every bite was pure, solid umami.

The steamed eggs with black truffles were incredibly tender; when the spoon dipped in, the custard trembled slightly and melted in the mouth.

He ate slowly, bite by bite, unhurried.

Halfway through, the phone vibrated again.

This time it was Lin Wan sending a photo.

The floor-to-ceiling window of the law firm's meeting room; outside was the city skyline, looking gray and hazy.

[Lin Wan]: I really want to go back to school for classes... interning is so tiring...

[Jiang Chen]: Hang in there.

[Lin Wan]: Your tone sounds just like my advisor...

[Lin Wan]: No, even my advisor doesn't nag me this much.

[Lin Wan]: You're stricter than my advisor.

[Jiang Chen]: So will you listen or not?

[Lin Wan]: ...

[Lin Wan]: I'll listen.

The corner of Jiang Chen's mouth tilted up slightly.

After a few more bites, he put down his chopsticks, sat up straight, and leaned against the back of the sofa.

Two chat windows were open side by side.

On the left was Su Wanqing, and on the right was Lin Wan.