Chapter 25: Taking Xiaolan to Buy a House

The car pulled up outside a real estate agency that looked fairly well-established. No sooner had Chen Lin and Chen Xiaolan stepped out of the vehicle and glanced at the storefront than two people dashed out, scrambling to greet them.

"I saw them first!"
"I stepped off the curb first!"
"I was first!"
"I was first..."

Chen Lin scratched his head. Even though the real estate market had been sluggish for years, there was no need for this, was there?

"Alright, that’s enough. You, you can handle the reception." Chen Lin pointed to the female sales agent because she looked cute.

The other candidate, a young man with a greasy hairstyle and acne, didn't look like someone Chen Lin wanted to deal with. The acne-ridden boy stood to the side, feeling resentful as he watched his competitor usher the clients inside. "Damn it, I can't keep doing this dead-end job. I can't even afford my rent..."

Inside, the cute sales agent served them two cups of tea in disposable paper cups. "Are you looking to rent, purchase, or sell a property, sir?"

"I want to buy. Preferably a self-built villa in a remote rural area. Do you have any listings?"

The sales agent’s eyes lit up—a big client! She hurried them into a meeting room and served them better tea. "Please wait a moment, I’ll go get the files."

Chen Xiaolan took a cautious sip from her cup. "Wow, this tea smells so good!"

Chen Lin took a sip as well. "It’s fragrant, alright, but it’s probably just artificial flavoring."

"What’s this?" Chen Xiaolan pointed to a tray of candy on the tea table.

"That’s chocolate." Chen Lin picked up a piece, unwrapped it, and fed it to her. "Is it good?"

Chen Xiaolan nodded repeatedly. "It’s delicious! Really delicious!"

"This servant—"

"Wait, from today on, you are not allowed to refer to yourself as a servant!"

"Oh... um, may I have another one?"

Chen Lin smiled and shook his head. "Eat as much as you want. If you finish them all, I’ll just ask them for more."

Before long, Chen Xiaolan had finished every piece of chocolate on the tray, leaving her mouth smudged with dark streaks—she looked adorable. Just then, the sales agent returned with a stack of documents. "Sorry for the wait."

Chen Lin gestured to the empty tray. "Could you bring some more chocolate? My Xiaolan loves them."

The agent blinked, only then noticing the tray was empty. "Of course, of course!" She reached into a drawer, pulled out a box of heart-shaped chocolates, opened it, and placed it in front of Chen Xiaolan. "Please, enjoy."

Chen Lin was satisfied with her hospitality and didn't mind the minor cost of the chocolates. If you treat me well, I’ll help you get rich. "Let’s start."

"Sir, please look at this. This is a self-built villa located in the suburbs. It comes with a basement, front and back gardens, and a two-and-a-half-story structure. The footprint covers 540 square meters..."

After going through the options, Chen Lin set his sights on a villa tucked into a dense forest halfway up a mountain. Because it was far from the city and lacked municipal water and power, the owner had built a water tower to collect mountain spring water and installed solar panels, along with a backup diesel generator. A 5G tower sat right on the mountain peak, so connectivity was not an issue. Chen Lin didn't care about the internet, though; he was interested in the remote location and the self-contained power systems.

"This is the one. How much?"

"Sir, you have a great eye. This property has the largest area and the best air quality. Aside from being quite far from the city, it’s the best listing we have. The owner is struggling with business and needs to sell urgently, so the price isn't high—only 3.88 million. If you're serious, I can try to negotiate a lower price for you."

"No need. If you can transfer the title to my name within one hour, I’ll give you 4 million."

The sales agent’s hand trembled as she held the teapot. "Four million?!" She asked, "Are you joking, sir?"

Chen Lin noticed Chen Xiaolan had finished another box of chocolates and signaled for her to stop. He then said, "Focus on the priority: I need the title transferred to my name within an hour."

The agent finally composed herself. "That’s no problem. Our company has connections at the Real Estate Registration Center; we can manage the transfer within an hour. Will you be paying in full or using a mortgage?"

Chen Lin chuckled. "I’ve already offered to pay more than the asking price—what do you think?"

The agent felt a bit conflicted, but nodded. "Alright, full payment it is. Please show me your ID; I’ll draft the contract immediately and notify the owner to come sign. Please, bear with me for a little longer."

She left with a hint of regret. Chen Lin suddenly remembered that agents usually earned commissions on mortgage loans. However, by voluntarily raising the price to 4 million, the commission from the markup far exceeded what she would have earned from a loan.

The rest of the process—signing the contract with the owner and heading to the Real Estate Center to finalize the transfer—went smoothly thanks to the agency's connections. Chen Lin successfully obtained the keys and the property deed in less than 50 minutes. He still had 28 minutes left on his countdown.

Back in the car, Chen Lin immediately added another hour to his timer. He drove to a Yadea dealership and bought three small electric scooters, loading them into the bed of his pickup truck. Why buy electric scooters? Since the power issue was solved, having multiple modes of transportation was convenient. They could also be sold for silver or used to impress Zhu Yuanzhang—a win on multiple fronts.

He also stopped at a supermarket to stock up on instant noodles, more chocolate, and various other snacks that Xiaolan enjoyed. Meanwhile, ever since he left his house and hopped into a taxi, Chen Lin had been using his phone to download historical documents and materials related to the Industrial Revolution, just in case he needed them. Finally, he went to an electronics mall to buy two laptops and a smartphone for Xiaolan before heading toward his new villa in the suburbs.

The villa was built halfway up the mountain. Originally, there had been no road, but the previous owner had been wealthy enough to pave a two-lane concrete road leading directly to the front gate. Chen Lin estimated the road was at least two or three kilometers long—a truly grand gesture!

Finally, the car arrived at the villa gate. It was a Chinese-style estate covering over ten *mu* of land. The surrounding forest was well-maintained, and the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves was pleasant. A ten-meter radius around the villa walls had been paved with pebbles. The lighting was excellent, which would be perfect for the solar panels.

"Wow, this place is so beautiful!" Chen Xiaolan exclaimed.

Chen Lin agreed. He pressed the remote control, and the gates opened slowly. As they drove into the courtyard, he noticed that because it had been unoccupied for a long time, the potted plants and grass were a bit overgrown. There was a rockery and fountain in the center of the front yard, though it was dry and looked a bit lifeless. That wasn't a major issue, though—a little trimming would bring it back to life.

After parking, they entered the living room on the first floor. The Chinese-style furniture was covered in white sheets, but even so, one could still see the luxury of the villa in its prime. Every appliance and piece of equipment was already there.

Just then, Chen Lin’s phone rang.