Chapter 33

Zhang Yang's first stop after leaving Jincheng City was the capital. There were two reasons for this: first, the two cities were very close to each other, and second, the capital was the country's capital, a large city with a high population density and many shops. Selling his gold in other cities could easily attract attention, and a large sum of money might cause a stir, but in the capital, it would likely go unnoticed.

This was Zhang Yang's first time in the capital, and everything felt fresh. He parked his car in a parking lot on the Fifth Ring Road. Not having been to the capital before didn't mean he was unfamiliar with it; Wang Yue had often mentioned things about the city. Traffic jams were common, and he wasn't familiar with the roads, so getting lost would be a hassle. It was better to park the car early and save time.

The gold bars were now neatly arranged in a suitcase.

Zhang Yang dragged the suitcase down the street, his first priority being to find a place to stay. This time, he planned to make a big move, and he had chosen the capital as the starting point for his career. He needed to lay a solid foundation here, and the first step was to find a place to live.

After walking for a while, Zhang Yang saw a relatively large real estate agency on the street. The neatly arranged floor-to-ceiling windows and the notice board outside, densely filled with information about property sales and rentals, caught his eye.

He decided to choose this agency. It might be a bit more expensive, but at least it was正规 and would save him time. This was something he had learned from Wang Yue: it was better to spend a bit more money to find a reliable place. There were too many small agencies that cheated people, and he had just escaped the troubles in Jincheng. He didn't want to encounter any more problems.

Money can solve problems that aren't really problems, Zhang Yang now firmly believed.

"Hello, are you looking to rent or buy a property?" a girl greeted him.

Zhang Yang replied, "I want to rent a two-bedroom apartment. It should be in a new building, fully furnished, with good security, and preferably have a parking space."

The girl's eyes lit up, sensing a potential deal. She could tell from Zhang Yang's tone that he was eager, and such clients were their favorites. Although the commission for renting was less than for buying, it was quicker to handle, and the client wasn't too picky. She warmly invited him to sit down and offered him a cup of tea.

After Zhang Yang sat down, she poured him a cup of tea and then, with a smile, took out a file and asked, "Do you have any specific location requirements? Is there a time limit?"

"Preferably between the Third and Fourth Ring Roads, in the Chaoyang District. The sooner, the better, preferably today," Zhang Yang said.

The girl was even more pleased. She quickly flipped through her files. In their agency, resources were shared, and she soon found a suitable property.

She tentatively asked, "There's a three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment on the high floor of a building near Chuiyangliu in the eastern part of the Third Ring Road. It's fully furnished and ready to move in. However, the rent is a bit high, 5,000 yuan per month, with a minimum six-month lease."

Zhang Yang frowned. The rent was indeed a bit high, but thinking about his financial resources, he relaxed. Not counting the gold, he had a check for over 20 million yuan, which he would cash at the bank. He didn't mind the small amount, as Wang Yue had said, "You have to invest to get returns." After Wang Yue left, Zhang Yang found himself thinking more and more about her words, gradually moving in the direction she had hoped.

"Alright, take me to see the apartment," Zhang Yang said.

The girl's smile widened. She stood up and said, "We charge 200 yuan for a viewing. If you decide to rent, you'll need to pay an additional 300 yuan as a deposit and 500 yuan as a service fee when signing the contract."

Zhang Yang, who had already spent a lot of money, didn't mind the small amount. He took out 500 yuan from his wallet and handed it to the girl, saying, "Here's 500 yuan. I'll pay the service fee when we sign the contract. Is that okay? Let's go see the apartment!"

The girl's smile grew even wider. Such a generous client wasn't something she encountered every day. Some clients would haggle over the service fee for a long time. She wrote a receipt and took out the rental contract, asking, "Mr. Zhang, shall we take a taxi or the subway?"

"I have my own car. It's not far, so let's take my car," Zhang Yang said.

"Okay!" the girl nodded, secretly thinking that she might have met a rich second-generation.

After getting into the car, Zhang Yang focused on driving and didn't say a word.

"Mr. Zhang, my name is Liu Man," the girl introduced herself.

Zhang Yang grunted, "It's written on your name tag."

After the intense love affair with Wang Yue, Zhang Yang had developed a natural wariness of women. As they say, a man's first woman is very important because of the profound impact she has on him. Zhang Yang was no exception. Wang Yue's betrayal had made him highly alert to, or even repulsed by, pretty girls. To some extent, he no longer believed in love.

Wang Yue's parting words, "Women are natural actresses," had deeply influenced Zhang Yang's perception of women.

Liu Man waited for Zhang Yang to start a conversation. After all, she was a pretty girl, and Zhang Yang was a young man. Normally, he would have inquired about her and tried to please her, as it was a natural instinct for men.

But after his initial response, Zhang Yang remained silent.

Seeing that Zhang Yang wasn't paying attention to her, Liu Man pursed her lips and pinched her fingers, secretly cursing. Could she have met a gay man today? She had never encountered such a young man before. Even old men in their fifties would chat and tease her when they saw her. But this young man, Zhang Yang, only spoke to her when asking for directions, treating her like a passerby.

This complete disregard made Liu Man want to ask Zhang Yang if he was even a man!

In the silence, they arrived at the apartment complex.

Liu Man, though annoyed, still introduced the place as part of her job. "Mr. Zhang, this is a fully enclosed complex. Without a specific key card, you can't enter. It's very secure. The complex has a park, a garden, a kindergarten, and a community hospital. There's a large supermarket nearby, and the subway is just outside, making transportation very convenient."

Zhang Yang waved his hand to interrupt her. "Miss Liu, I'm here to rent, not buy. As long as the place is suitable, the rest doesn't matter to me!"

Liu Man, wearing high heels, almost twisted her ankle at Zhang Yang's blunt response. She had never encountered such a picky client in her years of work.

"Mr. Zhang, if you have no objections, I'll call the landlord," Liu Man said.

Zhang Yang nodded. "Yes, please do it quickly."

Liu Man bit her lip and forced a smile. "Okay, I'll call right away."

Damn, is it embarrassing to be with me, and you want it done quickly? How can there be such a man in this world?

Regardless of Liu Man's inner complaints, Zhang Yang maintained his aloof expression.

A few minutes later, the landlord arrived at the entrance.

"Miss Liu, nice to see you again. This is the tenant?" Yang Tianheng asked.

Liu Man nodded and introduced them briefly.

Zhang Yang, without any tact, said, "I'm in a hurry. Can we see the apartment? If it's suitable, I'll move in today. If not, I'll have to look for another place."

Liu Man, who was chatting with Yang Tianheng, changed her expression a few times before smiling. "Yes, yes, let's go see the apartment."

She and Yang Tianheng led the way, and Zhang Yang followed, observing the environment of the complex. It was indeed as Liu Man had described, with well-maintained greenery, a garden, and a fountain square. The complex, though small, had everything.

Yang Tianheng, a man in his forties, liked to chat and was talking to Liu Man in a low voice as they walked.

"Miss Liu, this Mr. Zhang doesn't seem to have a very good temper!" Yang Tianheng said, concerned.

"Mr. Yang, don't worry about his temper. As long as he rents your place, that's fine. I've always said your rent is too high and the lease too long, making it hard to find tenants. This client is in a hurry, so he might agree to your terms. Don't be too picky," Liu Man advised.

Yang Tianheng replied, "You're right. We only meet when collecting rent, so it doesn't matter. It's not easy to find a good tenant these days."

"Mr. Yang, I've always said you should sell this place. With its layout and the complex's facilities, you could get a good price," Liu Man suggested.

Zhang Yang, listening from behind, was intrigued. If the landlord planned to sell, it would be even better. As Liu Man had said, this place was suitable for long-term living.

"I'll think about it," Yang Tianheng smiled.

The elevator quickly reached the seventh floor, a good floor in a high-rise, with good lighting and space.

Yang Tianheng took out the key, opened the middle door, and gestured for Zhang Yang to enter. "I originally planned to buy the 15th floor, but after several high-rise fires in other cities, I got scared and bought a lower floor. Mr. Zhang, feel free to look around. This is a fully furnished apartment, and it has been empty since it was decorated. Everything is new."

Zhang Yang walked in without comment.

As described, it was a fully furnished apartment with basic furniture and appliances, and some kitchenware. It was clear that the landlord had put a lot of effort into it, and it was ready to move into with just some bedding.

It met all of Zhang Yang's requirements, and he said, "It's fine. I'm satisfied. Let's sign the contract."

Zhang Yang's decisiveness surprised both of them. Normally, when renting, people would look around a few times, find some faults, negotiate the price, or add some requests to indirectly lower the rent.

Zhang Yang's quick decision was very rare.

Liu Man asked, "Aren't you going to look at other apartments?"

Zhang Yang replied, "No, it's a waste of time. This one is fine. Mr. Yang, if you have all the documents, we can sign the contract now."

Yang Tianheng smiled awkwardly. "I didn't expect you to be so quick. I didn't bring the documents. Let me have my daughter bring them; she's nearby and will be here soon!"

Eager to rent out the long-vacant apartment, Yang Tianheng was very proactive.

Zhang Yang nodded. "Alright, let's wait. Miss Liu, draft the contract. I'll go to the bank to withdraw money."

Impressed by Zhang Yang's decisiveness, Yang Tianheng handed him the key card. "Take the key card for easy access. There's a bank not far to the left of the complex."

"Okay, I'll be right back," Zhang Yang said.

His urgency to go downstairs was partly because his car was parked at the entrance, and the box of gold was in the back seat. He was worried about any mishaps.

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