Chapter Thirty-One: Purchasing a House

My Rebirth Legend Without Pop-ups

Miss Zhang was a sales representative at Zhonghao Real Estate, one of the most renowned property companies in C City. She was also among the top performers in the company. However, lately, her performance had stagnated—not for lack of effort, but because the fierce competition in the industry was making things difficult. Once a trailblazer who entered sales at eighteen, she now felt the pressure of younger colleagues rapidly catching up, their progress making her uneasy. Even the rookies she personally mentored were closing in on her monthly numbers; if she didn’t push harder, she might face criticism from the general manager this month. So, early this morning, she arrived at the sales department, determined to find a generous and decisive buyer who could help her secure her bonus for the month.

But after several hours, most visitors were only interested in cheap, small apartments, leaving her disappointed. Clearly, waiting passively for clients wasn’t working. Just as she was about to give up hope for the day, she noticed a young man—around eighteen, dressed plainly—who caught her attention. Why? Because he was fixated on a three-story apartment worth over a million. Miss Zhang’s eyes lit up immediately, and she briskly walked over. She guessed he might be the son of a wealthy family, perhaps sent by his parents to scout properties. Her instincts were unique, a key reason for her success: often, those ignored by others turned out to be gold mines.

The one staring intently at the three-story apartment was me. After leaving Li Dabiao’s home, I went straight to the bank the next day—Sunday. I transferred a million into his account and told him to take Li Siyuan home to treat his mother’s illness. Once Li Dabiao left, grateful, I felt at ease and headed to Zhonghao Real Estate’s sales office in C City. Being the weekend, I was here to buy a home. I didn’t want to reveal my current identity to my parents—partly to avoid worrying them, partly to steer clear of unnecessary trouble. For example, some relatives who’d always looked down on us would shamelessly demand a share if they knew I’d made it; or, if my parents learned I had so much money, what if they got too emotional and something happened? My mother’s health has always been poor, as I knew from my previous life, and my father could develop heart problems in old age—even though there’s no sign now, better safe than sorry. All things considered, it seemed best to wait until I’d firmly established myself before telling them. For now, what I needed most was a place of my own to conduct my product research. Next month, the school would begin its boarding policy, and if I aced the preliminary exams at the end of the month and became a star student, surely the homeroom teacher wouldn’t object to my application to live outside. After all, top students are treasures to the school; such a request wouldn’t be an issue. Once the holiday ended, I’d have to face Xia Jianren, whom I already detested. I was determined to launch a fierce counterattack against this enemy.

“Hello, sir, are you looking to buy a home? I’m Zhang Wen from the sales department—is there anything I can help you with?” As I was lost in thought, a gentle female voice interrupted me. I turned to see a woman in professional attire smiling warmly at me. Instinctively, I touched my face—no swelling, so I relaxed. Suddenly, a line from Stephen Chow’s “Flirting Scholar” popped into my head: “Luckily, I protected my face, so my handsome features remain intact…” That made me smile, and I nodded. “Yes, I want to buy a home.”

Miss Zhang’s eyes sparkled with excitement at my confirmation. “Great! Could you tell me what kind of home you’re looking for? We offer large, medium, and small units—what are your requirements?”

I thought for a moment and replied, “I need at least a three-story large unit. If there’s a villa, even better. But it needs to be close to the city center, so a villa probably isn’t realistic. Please help me find the biggest unit you have.”

Miss Zhang was pleased—just as she’d guessed. Confidently, she said, “Since you like three-story units, I have two such properties in the city center. Please take a look.” She quickly flipped through her thick stack of documents and showed me two options. “These are special large units—few can afford them, so there aren’t many. There are only these two in the whole city. If you want, I can reserve one for you.” She was almost beaming. These three-story units were rare but hard to sell; ordinary people wouldn’t buy such big homes, and the wealthy preferred villas in the suburbs. So these units were practically ignored. The only buyer was a female entrepreneur, but rumor had it she was nearly bankrupt. Not only were these units unwanted, but some considered them unlucky. After five years in sales, Miss Zhang knew better than to voice these thoughts aloud.

I glanced at the two options and frowned, shaking my head. “No, the layout is nice, but they’re too far from where I want to live. Do you have anything closer to the west side of the city? These are all in the east, which is inconvenient for me.” Actually, it wasn’t about convenience. Both units were in new developments built on the site of old neighborhoods—too close to my family home. If my parents discovered, that would be a problem.

Miss Zhang showed a hint of disappointment, but she was undeterred and quickly smiled again. “Sorry, sir, besides these two three-story units, there are no others like them in the city. There was one in the west, but it was bought several months ago. Would you like to look at other types?”

“No more?” I couldn’t hide my disappointment and shook my head helplessly. I’d already decided my research site needed to be secret: the lowest floor for experiments, the middle for martial arts practice, the top for daily living. This three-story structure was perfect—other units were too small. I asked again, “Miss Zhang, is it possible to get the owner of the west side unit to sell to me? I don’t mind if it’s secondhand—I can pay extra.”

Miss Zhang looked amused at this boy’s boldness, but he seemed to lack basic knowledge. Once a property was purchased, ownership transferred, and secondhand sales were handled by agencies, not the original developer. Still, she regretted losing this client—she could tell he wasn’t ordinary. “I’m sorry, sir, there’s really nothing I can do. Would you like to see other types?”

Seeing no further options, I shook my head and politely declined, then turned to leave. Miss Zhang threw her documents heavily onto the table, forcing a bitter smile as she watched my retreating figure—her bonus for the month was slipping away.

But just as I was about to walk out the door, I turned back. Seeing her disappointed expression, I couldn’t help but smile, picking up the documents she’d tossed aside and skimming through them. “Well, since you don’t have the three-story unit I wanted, I just remembered I’d like to buy a three-bedroom, two-living room apartment for a friend. Please recommend one.”

Miss Zhang sprang from her chair, instantly revitalized. “Absolutely! Please wait a moment—I’ll find the best unit for you!”

Watching her excitedly leaf through her materials, I couldn’t help but smile faintly. Although I hadn’t found my ideal home, I could at least buy one for Li Dabiao in advance—he shouldn’t have to stay in that filthy, dilapidated shack anymore.