C16 [the Real Estate Agent, Hee Meng!]

"No worries!" Gao Chi said with a laugh, "I actually did plan to shoot a little video when I stopped by your store earlier!"

His joke, meant to be light-hearted, only made the four employees more uncomfortable.

Just then, Zhang Lei, brimming with excitement from finishing his paperwork, strode over without sparing a glance for the employees. Catching sight of Gao Chi, he blurted out, "Holy shit..."

Gao Chi understood his excitement; with sales in the tens of millions, Zhang Lei's commission was bound to be substantial.

As this crossed his mind, Zhang Lei said, "I get a 10% commission! That's over seventy million yuan. This month, I'm looking at a commission of at least 700,000 yuan..."

Seven hundred thousand yuan could easily buy a house back in Gao Chi's hometown.

Watching the thrilled Zhang Lei, Gao Chi couldn't help but smile in understanding.

He handed over his untouched coffee to Zhang Lei, urging, "Let's get the paperwork done quickly. I've got other things to handle later. We'll touch base by phone in a couple of days!"

"Sure thing!" Zhang Lei, too jittery to sip the coffee, shakily walked Gao Chi through the paperwork, step by step.

Once everything was in order, Gao Chi rose to leave. Without a driver's license, he couldn't drive himself and had to ask Zhang Lei to deliver the car to his villa later.

As he was about to depart, Gao Chi was struck by a pang of guilt for not having thought of his parents amidst his newfound wealth. Buying cars and houses, he knew the truth about his finances would be difficult to explain to them.

So, he made a point to instruct Zhang Lei to keep his success a secret from his parents.

Zhang Lei, though puzzled by his request, agreed without question.

Gao Chi left the Maserati dealership to the enthusiastic farewells of the staff, manager, and supervisor, and climbed into a taxi.

The taxi driver, more baffled than Zhang Lei, couldn't fathom why the entire staff of the luxury car dealership had come out to bid farewell to the passenger in his cab.

Taxi drivers in Jingzhou City were typically reserved, and this one was no exception. Without voicing his curiosity, he quietly drove Gao Chi to the doorstep of a real estate agency.

Gao Chi had done his homework; he knew that the real estate agency named Huan Jia Huan was the largest in Jingzhou City!

Its flagship store was situated right in the heart of Jingzhou City, which was precisely the location Gao Chi had visited.

Unlike smaller agencies that could get by with a rented space and a handful of salespeople, Huan Jia Huan's main office operated more like a well-established company. Upon entering, Gao Chi wasn't greeted by a salesperson but by a receptionist at the front desk.

"Hello sir, how may I assist you today?"

"I'm here to look at properties," Gao Chi replied.

"Certainly!" The receptionist courteously escorted Gao Chi to a conference room, about seven or eight square meters in size, offered him a glass of water, and said, "Please wait here, sir. Our property consultant will be with you shortly."

"Alright." Gao Chi had always thought real estate agencies were quite similar to sales offices, but he was pleasantly surprised by their professionalism.

Within a mere two or three minutes, a young woman in a business suit and skirt, around twenty-two or twenty-three years old, entered the room with a folder in hand.

Gao Chi was momentarily taken aback.

He hadn't expected to be met by such a beauty.

In this age of widespread internet, Gao Chi, though just an average guy, had seen his fair share of attractive women online. Yet, the presence of this young lady was striking enough to leave him in awe.

"She's a knockout, easily a nine out of ten!" Gao Chi mentally awarded her an impressive score.

The young lady, seemingly accustomed to the attention, maintained her pleasant demeanor and asked, "May I have your name, Mr. Gao?"

"I'm Gao Chi."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Gao!" She took a seat across from him, still smiling, and introduced herself, "I'm Hee Meng, a property consultant with Huan Jia Huan. You can call me Little He."

Gao Chi couldn't help but feel a bit awkward. "I'm just a junior in college, barely twenty... 'Sister He' would be more like it..."

Hee Meng, unfazed by Gao Chi's reaction, laughed and said, "I apologize, Mr. Gao. It's a habit! Please, feel free to call me Sister He."

"Hello, Sister He!" Gao Chi managed to suppress a chuckle as he shook hands with Hee Meng, noting the delicate coolness of her soft touch.

Holding a pen, Hee Meng offered a warm smile and inquired, "Mr. Gao, are you here to look at a house for your wedding, or...?"

"I'm interested in investing," Gao Chi replied, shaking his head.

"Oh?" Interest piqued in Hee Meng's eyes.

Investment properties typically boasted prime locations and, consequently, carried heftier price tags. This meant a larger commission for her. But Gao Chi looked quite young—could he possibly be from a wealthy second-generation family? His attire, however, suggested otherwise.

With curiosity lingering, Hee Meng opened her folder and pointed to a listing. "Mr. Gao, how about this property? It's in an excellent location, just a ten-minute drive from Jingzhou City."

As she spoke, Hee Meng leaned in slightly, and Gao Chi caught a whiff of her subtle perfume, involuntarily taking a deep breath. He harbored no ill intentions; it was simply an instinctive appreciation for something delightful.

Uh-oh...

Noticing Gao Chi's reaction, Hee Meng's cheeks flushed a deep red.

Snapping back to reality, Gao Chi internally chanted for composure and quickly apologized, "Sister Hee, I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself. I mean..."

"It's okay, let's focus on the house! What do you think, Mr. Gao? The school district homes are a bit pricier, around 80,000 yuan..."

Gao Chi's brow furrowed.

He finally took a good look at the property Hee Meng was showing him, marked 'Unit 1, Floor 3, Number 3.' "Is there only one available?" he asked, looking up at her with a hint of confusion. "How much could one house cost?"

Hee Meng mistook his concern for hesitation over the price and reassured him with a smile, "Of course not!" She turned the page and continued, "Mr. Gao, take a look at this one near the third subway station..."

Gao Chi glanced at the new listing, only to find it was also a single unit.

He cut off Hee Meng mid-sentence, "Sister Hee, what I'm saying is, I'm not looking to buy just one property."

"Ah?" Hee Meng paused, taken aback. "Do you mean to say you want to purchase several, Mr. Gao?"

Gao Chi nodded affirmatively, "The more, the better!"

His aim was simply to spend money; whether or not the investments were sound didn't really concern him.

Hee Meng stared at Gao Chi, incredulous. The more, the better?

After a brief moment of shock, she blurted out, "Well, Mr. Gao, there are restrictions on purchasing property. Locals are limited to two, and non-locals to just one..."

Hmm?

The thought of buying a house had never crossed Gao Chi's mind before, so he was unaware of these regulations.

He had only recently acquired a villa, and he wasn't even registered as a local in Jingzhou City. Did that mean he was no longer eligible to buy another property?

"So, I'm not allowed to buy any more properties? Oh, I've already got one to my name!" Gao Chi inquired, his mood dampening.