"He's a half-immortal!" added Li Changfeng, who had come along to join the spectacle.
The two men hurried to keep pace with Ye Chen. However, after only a few steps, Zhang Jingshan noticed something odd. Ye Chen wasn't heading toward the entrance of the sales office; he was walking straight toward the crowd waiting in line to get their numbers.
"Mr. Ye, the sales office is over there. Aren't we going to pay now?" Zhang Jingshan asked, puzzled and hurried.
"Pay for what?" Ye Chen asked.
Zhang Jingshan looked bewildered. "For the house!"
"Who said I was buying? I’m here to sell my deposit subscription agreements!" Ye Chen replied.
Zhang Jingshan: "..."
Li Changfeng: "..."
Without bothering to explain further, Ye Chen locked his eyes on a middle-aged couple who, at a glance, clearly had money.
"I told you to come early, but you wouldn't listen. Now look at this—who knows how long we’ll have to wait in line!" the bejeweled woman complained relentlessly.
"How was I supposed to know it would be this crazy?" the middle-aged man retorted. "I don't get it. Houses selling for thirty or forty thousand per square meter are being treated like cabbages at a street market. Why is there such a frenzy?"
"Stop whining. Don't you have a friend who knows the developer of Jinlin Mansion? Hurry up and pull some strings! See if we can get priority. The house itself doesn't matter; we have plenty of places to live, but that spot at the Foreign Language School is the top priority!" the woman insisted.
"It’s useless. I called him first thing this morning, and he already reached out to the boss of Jinlin Mansion. He said there are too many people trying to pull strings, so they have to treat everyone equally. Maybe we should just go back and come again after this peak period passes," the man suggested.
Just then, a voice cut in from beside them.
"Once this peak period passes, the price won't just be thirty or forty thousand per square meter, and the difficulty of finding an available unit will only get worse."
The middle-aged couple turned around.
"What do you mean? And who are you?"
Seeing that Ye Chen didn't look like someone who could afford a place at Jinlin Mansion, the man frowned.
"You can think of me as a scalper," Ye Chen said with a smile.
"A scalper? You mean you have a property at Jinlin Mansion in your hands?" the woman’s eyes lit up with delight.
"I don't have a property, but I have a deposit subscription agreement that I can transfer to you." Ye Chen handed over the document. "Take a look?"
The couple snatched it up immediately.
"Wait, Mr. Ye, are you trying to transfer your deposit subscription agreement? You should have said so earlier! Why not just sell it directly to me? Why go to the trouble of finding other customers?" Zhang Jingshan realized what was happening, and he grew anxious.
He finally understood why Ye Chen had insisted on the transferability clause in the agreement. It was all for the sake of flipping the deposit! *But wait,* he thought, *if you really wanted to turn a profit, wouldn't it be better to buy the house first and then flip it for a huge gain? A deposit transfer can't possibly make that much money!*
"Mr. Ye, Jingshan is right," Li Changfeng added. "If you're short on funds, I can support you in buying the house first. If you’re not interested, you can transfer it to me at a high price!"
"Hey, hey, hey! First come, first served. What do you guys think you're doing?" The wealthy woman, having no time to worry about whether these people were shills, grew frantic. Fearing Ye Chen might change his mind, she hurried to say, "Mr. Ye, is it? We’ll take this deposit agreement. Name your price! Once we finish the transfer formalities inside the sales office, we’ll pay you immediately!"
This agreement not only allowed for a transfer, but it also granted a 50% discount on the unit price for any amount exceeding 8,000 per square meter. Furthermore, the unit was in the "King of Buildings"—the development's crown jewel—on the most prime floor. If they could get this agreement, they wouldn't have to wait in line for the lottery, and they could secure the best unit at a significantly lower price. This was an opportunity they absolutely could not miss.
***
"Mr. Ye!"
"Mr. Ye!"
Zhang Jingshan and Li Changfeng called out again, both anxious. It seemed as if they were worried about Ye Chen’s "fat profits" flowing to outsiders, preventing them from picking up the deal themselves. But that wasn't the case. While their current financial strength wasn't exactly overflowing, that didn't mean they were desperate for a mere three or five million.
They were worried that Ye Chen would lose out. To them, Ye Chen was a benefactor who had given them a new lease on life. If Ye Chen transferred those two agreements to them, they would never let him lose money; they would gladly pay one or two million, or even more, for the 100,000 deposit. If he sold to others, such a price would be impossible, as the buyers would have to weigh the value themselves. Both men knew Ye Chen’s financial situation well. A million or two might not be much to them, but to Ye Chen, it was a significant sum. They wanted to help him maximize his gains.
However, how could Ye Chen, with the memories of two lifetimes, not understand their intentions? Yet, he wasn't about to accept this favor. Because if he accepted, it would be a debt—and he didn't want to owe anyone. Besides, while selling to Zhang and Li might yield a bit more, he was reborn with the memories of the next sixty years. With this cheat code of foresight, did he really care about a measly million or two?
Ye Chen shook his head slightly.
"President Zhang, President Li, I appreciate the sentiment. I have my own principles when it comes to doing things. It's fine to earn a little less, but if I owe a favor, I’ll feel restless. Besides, with the two of you, surely you aren't thinking of speculating on a few Jinlin Mansion units? As for living here, that’s even more absurd; Jinlin Mansion won't be ready for occupancy for another year or two, and the surrounding relocation and planning won't even take shape for three to five years. Would that really catch your eye?"
This... Zhang Jingshan and Li Changfeng were rendered speechless. They didn't know how to respond because everything Ye Chen said was spot on. What stunned them was his principled mindset, completely unblinded by money, and the way he held the concept of "favors" in such high regard.
*Is this the degenerate gambler who only wanted to get rich quick? Nonsense!*
Seeing that Zhang and Li remained silent, Ye Chen turned back to the wealthy couple.
"I have two deposit subscription agreements. You can buy one or both, but the price is yet to be determined. I need to see what the opening price is at the sales office today first. No problem, right?"
"Two?" The middle-aged couple was surprised, but they nodded. "Fine. Shall we head into the sales office then?"
"Let's go!"
Ye Chen led the way toward the sales office, followed by the middle-aged couple, Zhang Jingshan, and Li Changfeng.
They hadn't walked far when a hesitant voice, sounding somewhat uncertain, called out.
"Mr. Ye?"
Ye Chen instinctively stopped and turned his head. He saw a face that felt somewhat familiar, yet he couldn't quite place it. Even though his memories after his rebirth were incredibly detailed, those memories were of the future sixty years. The past, however, did not have that clarity.
The woman had the elegant grace of a mature beauty, her scholarly temperament exuding an intellectual charm. In Ye Chen’s mind, there was a sense of déjà vu, but it remained fuzzy.
"Are you calling me?" Ye Chen asked, startled.
"Are you Mr. Ye Chen?" The woman walked over.
"Yes. Do we know each other?" Ye Chen asked.
She frowned. "Then I haven't mistaken you. You’re Ye Youyou’s father, right? We met last June 1st!"
*Youyou? June 1st?* Ye Chen suddenly remembered. The memory flashed back to last year’s Children’s Day. Youyou’s kindergarten had held a performance, and as parents, they were required to attend. Chen Yinuo was supposed to go, but work matters kept her from getting away, so Ye Chen had been forced to go instead.
That day, he hadn't just shown up hungover and smelling of booze; he had also gotten into a conflict with other parents, nearly forcing the performance to stop. It was from that day on that Yinuo had completely given up on him, leading to an unprecedented argument during which he had even struck her.
Hearing the woman mention Youyou and June 1st, Ye Chen instinctively asked, "Are you one of Youyou’s teachers?"
"Correct. I am Zhou Xiaolan, the vice principal of Bauhinia Kindergarten. We met last June 1st!"
When she mentioned their meeting, Zhou Xiaolan’s expression shifted. It had been an unforgettable day for the kindergarten—and, of course, Ye Chen had become their most unforgettable "special" case. Otherwise, she wouldn't have easily recognized a man she had only met once and who had never picked up or dropped off Ye Youyou since.
"Principal Zhou, a pleasure, a pleasure. Are you here to buy a house, too?" Ye Chen reached out politely with a smile.
The woman shook his hand politely but immediately pulled away in a symbolic gesture. Were it not for her professional ethics, she wouldn't even want to speak a single word to the parent who had caused such a scene at the kindergarten last year.
She glanced at the deposit agreement in Ye Chen's hand. "Mr. Ye, you have the money to buy a house, yet you couldn't pay Youyou’s tuition? Forgive me for being blunt, but is that how you act as a parent?"
"What did you say? Youyou couldn't pay tuition?" Ye Chen was stunned.
"Youyou hasn't been to kindergarten for over a month. You didn't know?" Zhou Xiaolan asked suspiciously.
"I really didn't know. Her mother never told me!" Ye Chen’s expression grew heavy.
"Our kindergarten has two payment systems. One is paying the full semester upfront. The other is a installment plan for families with tighter finances. A month ago was the due date for the second installment. Youyou’s mother told us that things were tight, so she wanted to transfer Youyou to a public school. We offered to give her more time, but she refused. I actually thought your family was in genuine financial distress. I never expected that you’d have the money to buy a house but wouldn't pay your child’s tuition."
"Bauhinia Kindergarten’s tuition isn't cheap, true, but our faculty and facilities are among the best in Jiangzhou, excluding the elite private schools. Youyou had been with us for two years; she was always happy and got along well with the other children. You suddenly transfer her to a regular school—if you were truly struggling, that would be one thing, but to have the money for a house and not for your child's education... is that how you parents behave?"
Zhou Xiaolan couldn't help but scold him, disregarding the presence of others. As an educator, she despised parents who neglected their children’s education—especially those who had the means but still allowed their child’s learning environment to regress. *Despicable, simply despicable!*
***
The middle-aged couple stood frozen. Zhang Jingshan and Li Changfeng were equally stunned. *What was going on? Couldn't pay tuition? And... how much could tuition possibly be?*
"I’m sorry, Principal Zhou. You’re right. It is indeed my failing as a parent. Youyou’s mother must have been struggling, and because of our personal conflicts, she didn't tell me, which is why I was unaware. Principal Zhou, how about this: I’ll handle the tuition with you later, and then you can notify Youyou’s mother to bring her back to Bauhinia Kindergarten. Does that work?" Ye Chen asked hurriedly.
He truly hadn't known about this. But even if he had, the old version of him wouldn't have cared or intervened—lost in his alcohol-fueled, gambling-addicted state, he had seen nothing but booze and bets. Hearing Zhou Xiaolan’s words, a wave of immense guilt and self-reproach washed over him. This time, he felt it deeply for Youyou. If Zhou Xiaolan hadn't said this, he would never have known, not even if he had lived to eighty-nine in his previous life.
Hearing Ye Chen’s sincere regret and seeing his attitude—so different from the man she remembered—Zhou Xiaolan felt a bit dazed. She had been prepared to face a tantrum, even a shouting match. She hadn't expected him to be so reasonable.
"Arguments between couples are normal, aren't they? But have you ever seen a couple use their child’s education as a pawn?" Zhou Xiaolan’s tone softened.
"Yes, yes, yes. You are absolutely right, Principal Zhou," Ye Chen agreed repeatedly.
"I should also apologize. I was rash. I lost my temper just now. Please don't take it to heart," Zhou Xiaolan said.
"Principal Zhou, you are too kind. It is I who should thank you for caring about Youyou." Ye Chen continued, "I’ll trouble you to find a moment to handle the tuition with me later, if that’s alright?"
"That’s fine. I’m just out with a friend today, so I have time. Come find me when you’re done," she replied.
Ye Chen had originally thought about offering the deposit agreement to her at a low price if she was looking to buy a house. But hearing that she wasn't, he saw no point in bringing it up. After exchanging WeChat and phone numbers, Ye Chen headed back toward the sales office.
"Mr. Ye, I have friends who can get in touch with those elite kindergartens. If you need, I can get Youyou transferred into one," Li Changfeng said as they walked.
"No need!" Ye Chen shook his head. "One must know their own limits. We aren't at the level for elite schools yet. Throwing a child into that environment suddenly might not be a good thing. If she ends up being bullied or humiliated and suffers from a complex, it would be much harder to fix later."
Li Changfeng nodded awkwardly, unable to deny that Ye Chen’s reasoning was sound.
Inside the sales office, as soon as Ye Chen walked in, he locked eyes with the busy Xu Tong.
"Manager Xu, busy?" Ye Chen smiled.
"Ah! Mr. Ye, it’s you!"
Seeing Ye Chen and Zhang Jingshan, Xu Tong’s entire mood soured. Three days ago, these two had reserved two houses for 200,000. Who the hell could have guessed that three days later, a government document would make Jinlin Mansion the most sought-after, hottest property on the market?
Under normal circumstances, the developer would just pay double the deposit and be done with it. But because the opening had been so dead and they had been desperate, they had signed a series of binding agreements. Now, there was no way out. A house that could have sold for 40,000 or 50,000 per square meter would have to be sold to these two for only 20,000 or 30,000. For four houses, that was a loss of at least 12 million.
"Manager Xu, the two houses I reserved—what’s the current listing price?" Ye Chen asked with a smile.
"Forty-eight thousand," Xu Tong gritted his teeth, his face the color of liver.
"Oh, forty-eight thousand. According to our agreement, any amount over 8,000 gets a 50% discount. That’s 20,000, plus the original 8,000, making it 28,000 per square meter," Ye Chen noted.
He was actually surprised by the 48,000 figure. In his past life, rumors said it had skyrocketed fivefold, but he hadn't bothered to verify the exact price back then. It seemed that because these were the "King of Buildings," it had surged sixfold. *That’s even better,* he thought, *I can raise the asking price for that 100,000 deposit.*
"Yeah," Xu Tong grunted reluctantly.
Ye Chen smiled and turned to the middle-aged couple. "Sir, Madam, how about two million for this deposit subscription agreement?"
*Two million...*
Xu Tong’s eyes widened. *What the hell? A 100,000 deposit subscription selling for two million? A twenty-fold increase in three days? That’s ruthless—even more ruthless than the developers!*
"What? Two million? You want two million for a 100,000 deposit agreement? Isn't that a bit of a shakedown?" the middle-aged man exclaimed, his expression changing sharply. He had figured it would be, at most, five or six hundred thousand—a million, tops.
"A shakedown?" Ye Chen feigned a dark expression. "This agreement lets you buy a house priced at 48,000 per square meter for only 28,000! A house that would normally cost seven million can be yours for four million. And I’m asking for a two-million transfer fee. Is that excessive? Four million for the house plus two million for the fee is only six million. You avoid the gamble of the lottery and the risk of getting a subpar unit, and you still save nearly a million. You call that a shakedown?"
Though he knew the man’s reaction was instinctive, Ye Chen played his part. Originally, thinking the price might be thirty or forty thousand, he had planned to sell for a million. But now that he knew the price was 48,000, asking for two million was perfectly reasonable.
Stunned by Ye Chen’s rebuttal, the man hesitated.
"If you think it’s too expensive, feel free to keep waiting in line. There’s always someone who won't think it’s too expensive and will see the profit in it," Ye Chen said.
"No, Mr. Ye, don't listen to him! It’s not expensive, not expensive at all! Two million, is it? We’ll take it! I can make the decision—you have two of them, right? We want both! Four million! I’ll give you four million, just transfer those two agreements to our name!"
Before the middle-aged man could recover from his shock, his wife rushed in, clearly terrified that Ye Chen might change his mind.