Chapter 30

After a brief outburst, Chen Xie's mood greatly improved. With fifty million more in his bank account, it was hard for him to feel bad. Although this woman was a shrewd businessman, she paid via online banking without any hesitation, which was commendable.

A sense of pride as a wealthy man welled up in his heart. He stopped a taxi and headed towards a high-end residential area that was being heavily promoted, Jinshui Yinqiao. The selling point of this neighborhood was the so-called riverside apartments. In the center of a city square, a man was hugging a woman affectionately, with the advertisement line, "I live at the head of the river, you live at the tail."

No matter how many ads he saw, it was better to see the place in person. Chen Xie's money didn't fall from the sky, and he certainly didn't want to be taken for a fool. Fortunately, this was a completed project, which Chen Xie found quite satisfactory.

When he arrived at the sales center, the saleswoman, who was sitting on a chair, saw him get out of the taxi and hesitated for a moment before standing up and approaching him with a professional smile.

"Sir, welcome." After saying this, the tall, long-legged saleswoman, who could be rated as an 8 out of 10 in appearance, had a glint in her eyes. Chen Xie's attire was not for nothing, and his demeanor, shaped by being constantly praised in the Ming Dynasty, exuded a sense of superiority.

He subconsciously nodded slightly in response. At that moment, another saleswoman approached, stopped when she saw Chen Xie, and after sizing him up, exclaimed, "Chen Xie, how could it be you? Old classmate, you've really made it!"

Chen Xie finally recognized that this was his high school classmate, Yang Lili. However, in high school, she had never really paid much attention to him. How could she recognize him at first glance?

"Ha ha, it's the class literature representative. I almost didn't recognize you." Chen Xie had to admit that although he didn't have much interaction with this classmate during high school, he did look at her more often. It was surprising that she could recognize him.

"You've just aged, unlike you, who gets younger with each passing day. You used to be as dark as charcoal, but now, after just a few years, you look like a scholarly gentleman." Yang Lili was good with words and didn't forget to size up Chen Xie. After confirming she hadn't made a mistake, her smile grew even wider.

The previous saleswoman was a bit awkward, unsure whether to leave or stay. Fortunately, Chen Xie promptly said, "I'm here to look at the house, we can chat later." Yang Lili's expression stiffened for a moment but quickly recovered, "Alright, you go ahead." She walked away, glancing back quickly, but Chen Xie didn't turn around.

Yang Lili knew Chen Xie's past. She remembered him not because he was tall and handsome, but because he was quite dark and had the nickname of an African refugee. At that time, Chen Xie, though not proactive in bullying, was very fierce in fights. Once, some young hooligans blocked students at the school gate to extort money, and they happened to target Yang Lili's cousin. Chen Xie, who was just passing by, unexpectedly got involved. He pulled out a brick knife from his backpack and slashed three of them, chasing the others for over five hundred meters.

After that, no one dared to provoke this tough guy. Yang Lili, who witnessed this, remembered Chen Xie.

Time had changed, and they unexpectedly met at the sales office of this high-end residential area. The poor kid from back then was now dressed in Versace, and the bag he carried, though not recognizable, was definitely a brand name. Well, the bag wasn't actually a brand name; he just bought it casually from a store.

"Qiu Lihua, please take care of me." She handed over a business card with perfume, and Chen Xie casually put it in his pocket without looking at it, "Take me to see the completed house, preferably a quiet one."

Anyone buying a house would be picky, finding faults even in a model. Chen Xie's indifference to his old classmate made Qiu Lihua think she was in for a long battle. She thought Yang Lili, who was not much less attractive than her and an old classmate, would have a chance. However, Chen Xie didn't give Yang Lili a chance, cutting her off with a single sentence.

This guy is tough! Qiu Lihua decided, telling herself that although she hadn't closed a deal in nearly two months and her probationary period was almost over, she had to try. Even if she was taken advantage of by this young, handsome man, as long as the house was sold, it would be worth it. It was better than being taken advantage of by those fat, middle-aged men.

Just as Qiu Lihua thought she would have to compete with Chen Xie at the sales office, he unexpectedly and straightforwardly asked to see the house, wasting her prepared emotions.

"Do you not want to see the floor plans? We have layout diagrams here, you can take a look first." Qiu Lihua reminded him from a professional standpoint, but Chen Xie waved his hand, "It doesn't matter, let's go straight to the completed house. I don't have high requirements, just quiet."

"Alright, please wait a moment." Qiu Lihua walked away in her high heels, leaving a long-legged back view. From behind, this woman walked with her legs on a straight line, with no issues with her leg shape. Chen Xie appreciated long-legged girls. However, he wasn't in the mood to flirt with her at the moment. Instead, he took out his phone and called his college roommate, Zhang Guangming.

"Damn, don't take so long. Six heroes in one dorm, and you're the only one who hasn't given any news. Luckily, my number hasn't changed, or you wouldn't know where to find me." The voice on the phone was enthusiastic, and Chen Xie pictured a chubby, two-hundred-pound guy. Back then, this guy would always come back late at night with a plastic bag, asking everyone in the dorm, "Barbecue, anyone want a skewer?"

They attended a mediocre university for three years, but the six roommates got along quite well.

"Stop, the term 'hero' doesn't apply to you. I haven't forgotten that night when we watched 'The Avengers' and got into a fight during the late-night snack. You ran the fastest."

"Bro, you still remember that? What do you mean 'ran the fastest'? I was going to get reinforcements. Besides, with a daredevil like you leading the charge, I needed some room to maneuver, right?"

"Alright, you pass. By the way, I need your help with something. Your dad works at the vehicle management office, right?"

The two chatted happily, and Zhang Guangming took full responsibility for helping Chen Xie get a driver's license and even offered to help him buy a car. When Qiu Lihua returned with a set of keys, Chen Xie said he had something to do and hung up, promising to catch up over drinks later.

Living in the same city, Chen Xie had not contacted his classmates before because of a bit of inferiority complex. Now, he realized he had been petty. Classmates' friendships sometimes transcended social status.

Chen Xie didn't expect that there would be an electric scooter at the entrance. Qiu Lihua got on and turned back with a smile, "Please get in."

As the electric scooter drove through the highly landscaped neighborhood, Chen Xie got a more direct impression of the area. The location was a bit remote, already at the edge of the city, with an average price of around 30,000 yuan per square meter, which was a bit steep. However, he didn't care about these negative aspects. What mattered was that the environment was indeed very nice, with lush trees and a high elevation. Looking north from a high vantage point, he could see the river flowing eastward.

At the northernmost corner, the electric scooter stopped in front of a three-story house with a yard surrounded by a wooden fence. The design, from the outside, resembled a solitary house in the American West. Looking around, there were no other houses within about twenty meters.

Chen Xie was indeed surprised. Land was expensive, and developers rarely left any land unused. He often heard that a five-story building would only give you 3.3 meters, and a twenty-meter building spacing