On Manhattan Island, where every inch of land is precious, there are almost no detached houses, and the same is true in Chinatown, which is relatively less developed.
However, Shi Xiaolei wanted to find a house with a yard where Conna could play outdoors.
The conditions were a bit strict, and it was really hard to find such a place. The reason why he repeatedly contacted real estate agencies before but couldn't find a satisfactory house was precisely this.
But now... with a sudden large sum of money in hand, and the bank directly contacting resources, the difficulty has significantly decreased, and the properties found are naturally much better than before.
For example, the house Shi Xiaolei is looking at now.
First, let's talk about the location.
This house is located at the T-junction of Baxter Street and Bayard Street, directly south across the road from a park. Although the park is a bit small, it is also equipped with a play area for children and a basketball court for exercise.
To the southwest is the New York County Criminal Court, and to the northwest is the Manhattan Detention Complex. With these two institutions nearby, the security in the area is obviously better than elsewhere.
To the east, there is a small Asian grocery store. For Shi Xiaolei, who still maintains Eastern living habits, the daily necessities imported from Asia in the store are sufficient to meet his daily needs.
Most importantly, this top-floor property is really not far from the small shop Shi Xiaolei rented in Chinatown. Even at Conna's pace, it's only a ten-minute walk.
A passing score is sixty, and this location alone can get at least thirty points.
Now let's look at the conditions of the house itself.
Located on the top floor of a six-story building, the floor is not high and it is equipped with an elevator.
There is an underground parking lot, and although it's not large and doesn't have many spaces, when divided among the households, each household is guaranteed at least two parking spaces. For Shi Xiaolei's family, this is more than enough.
The indoor living area is about three hundred square meters. Including the additional space from the partitioned duplex structure and the private small garden on the rooftop exclusively for the top-floor residents, the usable area is more than double, reaching nearly seven hundred square meters.
Four bedrooms, a study, an entertainment room, plus a living room, dining room, kitchen, three bathrooms, and that small garden on the rooftop which is better than a balcony... Scoring each item, Shi Xiaolei calculated that his rating for this property was as high as ninety-two points.
With such a good score, what's there to hesitate about?
Turning around, Shi Xiaolei looked at the VIP service specialist sent by the bank and asked the question he cared about most: "Paul, how much will this house cost to acquire?"
Through previous observations, the close friendship between Shi Xiaolei and Stark had already been confirmed.
Thinking that even if Shi Xiaolei didn't have money, Stark would back him up, the salesman Paul simply omitted the trivial introductions and directly gave the final answer: "For just 3.68 million US dollars, you can own this property."
"3.68 million?"
"Yes, and by the way, this price includes the underground parking space and the rooftop garden," Paul confirmed with a nod.
When he only had 1.5 million before, he only thought about renting and didn't dare to ask about buying prices.
Now, hearing the price, which was much lower than he imagined, and even cheaper than housing prices in first-tier cities in China after conversion... Filled with surprise, Shi Xiaolei couldn't help but confirm again: "Are you sure? It's only 3.68 million in total, with no other additional fees?"
"No." Paul unconsciously glanced at Stark and said with a smile, "You are Mr. Stark's friend, how dare I overcharge you?"
"I like to hear that," Stark smiled, giving Paul an appreciative look that said, 'You're smart,' and then patted Shi Xiaolei's arm: "Don't worry, with me around, no one dares to rip you off on this kind of thing. Don't forget, I'm the boss of Stark Industries, and I employ half of the lawyers under my wing."
"Since you've said so," Shi Xiaolei smiled, "Alright, I'll ask Sylvia and Conna for their opinions. If they both agree, then it's settled."
After speaking, Shi Xiaolei looked up and called out to Conna, who had just gone upstairs to look around.
"I'm here!" Conna's cheerful response came from the small second floor of the inner duplex.
With a patter of footsteps, the little girl scampered down the stairs, her two short legs moving quickly. Perhaps she hadn't seen enough, as she didn't come all the way down, but instead hugged the railing, stood on tiptoes, and poked her head out: "Xiaolei, did you call me? What's up?"
"Conna." Shi Xiaolei raised his hand and made a circle, smiling as he asked, "You've looked around, how do you feel? Do you like this house?"
"I love it!" Her chin was resting on the railing, making it difficult to nod, so the little girl deliberately emphasized her words to show her attitude: "Xiaolei, there's a small room over there, it's so beautiful, so beautiful, I especially love it."
Recalling what he had heard from the little girl before, Shi Xiaolei unconsciously showed a doting look: "Is it the small attic? I remember you said you wanted an attic the most."
"Mmm!" Conna smiled happily, her bright, watery eyes full of excitement.
The little girl's attitude was already very clear, there was no need to ask further. Shi Xiaolei raised his gaze and looked at 2B, who was standing behind the little girl.
Without needing to ask, 2B nodded gently with a smile, already giving her answer.
"OK." Shi Xiaolei retracted his gaze, snapped his fingers, and extended his right hand to Paul: "They both have no objections, so, we have a deal."
"Thank you very much." The deal was made, meaning a commission was about to be credited. As soon as he thought of this, Paul's face also broke into a joyous smile.
"When do we sign?"
"If you don't have anything else to do right now, we can..."
According to the normal procedure, they should go back to the bank to handle the formalities. But now... "I'll send someone to help you with the paperwork," Stark interjected, glancing at his watch. "Buddy, the most important thing right now is to find a place to eat."
"Uh~." Shi Xiaolei looked at Stark, then at Paul, a little unsure.
Raising an eyebrow, Stark looked up: "Conna, tell us, should we eat first, or handle the paperwork first?"
The little girl hadn't even realized that Shi Xiaolei had decided to buy this property, so how could she think so much? As soon as she heard Stark's words, she made her choice without hesitation: "Eat first~, Xiaolei, I want fries, and a cheeseburger!"
"Perfect choice~." Stark, who also liked cheeseburgers, gave a thumbs-up: "Locke, did you hear that?"
"Alright then, let's eat first." Shaking his head helplessly, Shi Xiaolei gave Paul an apologetic smile: "Buddy, I'm sorry, I'll go to the bank to find you later, is that okay?"
"Of course, whenever you have time, just contact me."