The next day, it was drizzling and the weather had turned a few degrees colder.
The lunar calendar had already entered the twelfth month, and the annual hometown exodus for workers was about to begin.
Sun Dasheng no longer needed to rush to buy tickets, as he had just picked up his first car from the 4S dealership.
The top-of-the-line model was impressive. It cost him nearly four hundred thousand, and the interior was brimming with high-tech features.
The driving experience was also pleasant. The intelligent automatic parking feature alone would save him a lot of trouble; as a novice driver, the thing he dreaded most was finding a parking space.
His agent sent him a message, saying she would be bringing people to view the apartment soon.
So he returned home and began to pack his belongings.
His ex-wife had already gradually taken all her things, leaving the place feeling empty.
It seemed that over the years, he really hadn't bought many things for himself. Men willingly become workhorses, spending every meager cent they earn on women. No wonder capitalism adores the female demographic so much. Everywhere you look, there are voices speaking up for them, while men on the internet have become the silent majority.
He laughed at himself mockingly, realizing all his belongings could fit into a single suitcase.
He decided to leave the furniture and appliances for the new owner, not planning to take them with him.
Closing the door, he said goodbye to his former self.
He handed the keys to the agent and drove away.
As for a place to live, he had already found one online.
He drove to Courtyard No.1 in Lujiazui. The apartments in this complex were all large flats, with the smallest being 170 square meters.
The property prices soared to 200,000 per square meter, with the cheapest apartment costing over 30 million.
For the time being, he couldn't afford to buy, so he decided to rent a place first.
When he arrived at the entrance of the complex, an agent from a well-known real estate brokerage firm was already waiting for him.
"Hello, are you Mr. Sun, the gentleman I spoke with on the phone?"
"Yes, that's me. Nice to meet you, Miss Zhong."
She was quite meticulous, confirming Sun Dasheng's identity again before leading him to view the apartment.
Her profile was on the agency's website: Zhong Liying, 24 years old, had been in the real estate business for just two years, presumably having entered the field right after graduation.
She was quite tall. In her high heels, walking ahead of Sun Dasheng, her head almost reached his eyebrows.
Sun Dasheng stood at one meter eighty-five, considered quite tall in the south.
He glanced at her high heels, which were less than five centimeters tall, and estimated that her height without shoes had to be around one meter seventy-five.
In the dead of winter, she wore a black woolen uniform, her long legs tightly encased in fleece-lined nude pantyhose that rubbed against each other as she quickened her pace.
Following behind her, Sun Dasheng found himself slightly distracted. This was the first time he had ever seen a woman in real life with such incredible legs—the kind people online would say you could admire for a year.
With a figure like that, it's no wonder she managed the listings for this high-end community just two years into her job.
She was also very professional. As they walked through the complex, she began to introduce the community and its surrounding amenities to Sun Dasheng.
Her pitch was extensive, but to put it in a nutshell: the community was full of rich people, which meant few troubles and a worry-free, comfortable life—only the rent was steep.
When it came to the rent, she glanced at Sun Dasheng to observe his reaction.
Seeing that his expression remained composed, she was secretly pleased. This deal has a high chance of closing!
The apartment Sun Dasheng was interested in was a 230-square-meter flat with four bedrooms, two living rooms, and three bathrooms.
The decor was luxurious, and it came fully furnished with all appliances, including underfloor heating.
This pleased him greatly; although air conditioning could provide warmth in winter, it was far too dry.
Sitting down on the sofa in the living room, Sun Dasheng asked, "Is there a parking space?"
Zhong Liying sat down beside him and replied with a smile, "This apartment comes with one parking space, and the property management fee is included."
"What if I want a few more parking spaces?"
Zhong Liying looked surprised, and her estimation of the man before her rose. It seems he has several cars.
She quickly composed herself and said with a smile, "We can speak with property management about that. How many additional spaces would you need?"
Sun Dasheng considered it. He now had an entry-level car for daily use. Later, he'd need a luxury car to keep up appearances and a rugged off-road vehicle for travel. And maybe I should get a flashy sports car for showing off?
He mulled it over for a moment. I might as well get a few extra spots now. That way, whenever I buy more cars, I'll have a place to park them.
So he held up three fingers toward Zhong Liying. "I'll take three to start."
Zhong Liying's heart skipped a beat. Good heavens, does he think he's buying cabbages?!
"The parking spaces here aren't cheap—they're 3,000 a month," she explained hurriedly. "You should only rent as many as you actually need. No need to waste money."
The price surprised Sun Dasheng. Dahu City was truly in a league of its own in this regard.
The rent for a single parking space was as much as the rent for an entire apartment in many other cities.
But as a man who possessed a system, he couldn't afford to lose his composure.
"I know," he said, nodding nonchalantly. "Just get me three for now."
In the end, the rent was set at 55,000 per month. He agreed without haggling.
He found the standard "one month's deposit and three months' rent" payment too troublesome and offered to pay for the entire year at once. Zhong Liying, feeling a bit numb, could only nod in agreement.
This is the most generous client I've ever had in my entire career.
Her normally cool and regal demeanor completely melted away as she chatted with Sun Dasheng, her face beaming with unrestrained laughter.
If her colleagues at the agency saw her now, their jaws would probably hit the floor. Who knew our Ice Queen could even smile, let alone lose control of her face like that?
Back at the agency, she invited Sun Dasheng to come inside and sit for a while, explaining that the landlord needed some time to get there to sign the contract.
Sun Dasheng declined. He got into his car, turned on the heat, reclined the seat, and lay back comfortably to scroll through TikTok.
Back at the agency, Zhong Liying's colleagues saw her return alone and immediately flocked around her.
"Liying, you're back alone? Where's the client?"
"Did the deal fall through? It's alright. Just keep working hard for next time," the manager said, clearly concerned about the agency's big-ticket listings.
Courtyard No.1 was the agency's top resource. Each deal closed there was equivalent to closing many elsewhere, so it was naturally the focus of the manager's attention.
Zhong Liying was also her most valued agent.
However, even Zhong Liying, the agency's top performer with stunning looks, had a low success rate with Courtyard No.1, mainly because the properties there were incredibly expensive. So, the manager was disappointed that this one didn't close, but she wasn't about to blame her star agent.
"Well, well. Another fruitless trip to Courtyard No.1. It seems some people aren't as capable as everyone says. Maybe you should just hand those listings over to me," a sharp voice cut in.
This was Wang Panpan, the top-performing newcomer who had been with the company for less than six months. At just twenty years old, she was a beautiful and vivacious graduate of an arts school, with looks that could rival Zhong Liying's. On the performance charts, she ranked right behind Liying. She was secretly convinced she would have already surpassed her rival if only she had control of the Courtyard No.1 resources. Dissatisfied at heart, she took every opportunity to throw passive-aggressive jabs at Zhong Liying, and her number-two ranking gave her the confidence to do so.
"That's enough, Wang Panpan," another agent snapped. "It's not Liying's fault. The success rate for Courtyard No.1 is low for everyone; she's already raised it considerably."
This came from Pan Yanyan, Zhong Liying's best friend and college roommate. The two had joined the agency as sales agents right after graduation.
Wang Panpan glanced sideways at her. "You, with your bottom-of-the-barrel performance, have no right to talk."
Pan Yanyan's face turned red with anger, but she didn't say another word. With her poor performance record, she had no ground to talk back.
"Did I ever say the deal fell through?" Zhong Liying said, walking over to comfort her friend before turning to face Wang Panpan.
Just then, her phone rang. It was the landlord, who said he was just moments away.
She hung up and went outside to greet him.
"Just putting on a show," Wang Panpan muttered, rolling her eyes.
But it wasn't long before Wang Panpan had to eat her words. Both parties arrived at the agency, and the contract was signed in short order.
When Sun Dasheng paid a full year's rent plus the parking fees—a total of 768,000 yuan—in a single transaction, the onlookers were so shocked their jaws dropped.
Spending that much on rent... The rich really do whatever they want. That's enough for a down payment on a small apartment for a normal person.
"Miss Zhong, thank you for your help today," Sun Dasheng said once everything was finalized.
"Not at all," Zhong Liying said, waving her hand quickly. "It's my job to provide good service to my clients."
Before leaving, Sun Dasheng added her on WeChat and transferred one thousand yuan to her. "Buy yourself a nice cup of milk tea," he said.
As soon as the wealthy client departed, the atmosphere in the office exploded.
"What kind of milk tea costs a thousand yuan a cup?" someone teased Zhong Liying with a wink.
"SLAP! Here's a thousand yuan. Go buy yourself some milk tea," another colleague mimicked, acting out a scene from an over-the-top drama about a domineering CEO.
Everyone burst out laughing, and a cheerful mood filled the office.
Zhong Liying smiled demurely, then her eyes found Wang Panpan standing sullenly in a corner, separate from the group. "Why aren't you laughing?" she asked, her voice carrying across the room.
All eyes in the room shifted to Wang Panpan.
Zhong Liying continued, "Is it not funny, or are you just not the type to laugh?"
Wang Panpan's face instantly darkened. "Zhong Liying, don't take it too far!"
She then turned and fled in disgrace.
She seethed inwardly. I'll be back!