Chapter 9: Internal Subscription

After breakfast, Chen Yang planned to visit a nearby real estate agency to look around. In this era when information was not yet highly developed, this was the quickest and most effective place to find housing.

However, Liu Qingqing kept clinging to Chen Yang. Upon hearing that Chen Yang was going to the agency to look at houses, she even became a little unhappy!

"You've only just moved in for a day and you want to move out! Am I really that unpleasant?"

Chen Yang said he wasn't moving out, just going to see if there were any suitable houses for sale.

"Where did you get the money to buy a house?" Liu Qingqing looked at Chen Yang with suspicion.

Although property prices in Xingcheng aren't high, they're not cheap either. An ordinary person needs two months' salary to afford one square meter. Even if Chen Yang worked two jobs and went without food or drink for four years, he still couldn't save enough for a house!

"Guess?" Chen Yang wanted to keep a low profile and had no intention of telling him about his big win.

"You couldn't have been kept by some rich woman, could you?" Liu Qingqing's imagination ran wild; without waiting for Chen Yang's response, she began to criticize him heartbrokenly.

"Senior! How could you fall so low? As an outstanding student of Xingcheng University, how could money buy you?"

Chen Yang gave her a glance: "You're just a golden phoenix born in a happy nest, never having tasted the hardships of the common folk. Nowadays employment is getting harder; everything requires money and connections to get ahead. For someone like me, an ordinary person, if a rich woman really wanted to keep me, why wouldn't I accept?"

Liu Qingqing thought Chen Yang really was being kept, and immediately became anxious: "I'm a rich woman too, why don't you come to me?"

Chen Yang said: "Everything you eat, live with, and use is given by your parents; at most you can only be considered a second-generation rich."

"So what if I'm a second-generation rich? I'm an only child; my parents' assets will eventually be mine." Liu Qingqing said indifferently.

Chen Yang really couldn't refute her.

Seeing Chen Yang silent, Liu Qingqing struck while the iron was hot: "Marrying me would mean owning all of the Liu family's future assets; won't you consider it?"

"No thanks." Chen Yang, at least for now, could be considered a bachelor noble. He could live a free and easy life. Marrying Liu Qingqing would change that. His bachelor status would turn him into a phoenix man who marries up into a wealthy family. If the Liu family looked down on him, they could kick him out at any time. He wouldn't stand for that.

Liu Qingqing said angrily: "Chen Yang, call out that rich woman; I want to challenge her to a duel!"

Chen Yang didn't want to tease her anymore, smiling: "Can't I just earn money by my own abilities to buy a house?"

Liu Qingqing obviously didn't believe it, staring at Chen Yang with wide eyes: "Really no rich woman?"

Chen Yang nodded firmly.

Liu Qingqing instantly recovered her smile. She took out her phone and quickly dialed a number.

"Brother, have the apartments in your complex sold out? My boyfriend wants to buy a unit."

"If there are any left, could you give an internal price? His financial situation isn't great."

"Okay, thanks, brother. I love you to death."

Chen Yang couldn't help but admire Liu Qingqing's social skills; from real estate tycoons to the old boss of a noodle shop, she could handle them all with a single phone call.

However, the more enthusiastic she was, the more Chen Yang's head ached. He'd rather pay a fee to an agency than owe Liu Qingqing too many favors.

"Qingqing, your paternal cousin is swamped with work; let's not bother him."

"No trouble, he's idle right now..." Liu Qingqing suddenly felt something was off, looking at Chen Yang doubtfully: "Do you know my paternal cousin?"

"No." Chen Yang immediately shook his head; this information came from Zhang Jun in his previous life. They had collaborated a few times in the real estate industry.

"Then how do you know it's my paternal cousin?"

"You're an only child; you call him 'brother,' so he must be either your paternal or maternal cousin."

"Why couldn't he be your maternal cousin?"

"If he's your paternal cousin, outside the five degrees of mourning, loving him to death would raise serious ethical issues; your family wouldn't approve!"

Liu Qingqing first froze, then after realizing it, she couldn't help bursting into laughter.

"Senior, you're even jealous of my paternal cousin, yet you say you don't like me?"

"I really am not jealous!" Chen Yang shrugged helplessly. He noticed that no matter what topic they discussed, Liu Qingqing could always link the two of them together. Could this be the legendary "love brain"?

After some back-and-forth, Chen Yang still couldn't resist Liu Qingqing and took a taxi to her maternal cousin's housing project.

To Chen Yang's delight, Liu Qingqing's paternal cousin's housing project was located near Xingcheng No. 1 High School, one of Xingcheng's four prestigious schools, and was called Sunshine Garden.

In his previous life, when he considered returning to the mainland to develop, he had researched Xingcheng's school district properties; Sunshine Garden was one of the hottest communities. Its opening price was 3,800 yuan per square meter, rising to 38,000 yuan per square meter after ten years, later becoming a case of "price without market."

Chen Yang glanced at Sunshine Garden's community environment and felt satisfied. But upon entering the sales office, he found it deserted. Few people were looking at houses, and the staff gathered together idly chatting. This formed a stark contrast to the bustling scene he had seen in his previous life, where popular projects were swarmed by buyers.

Chen Yang felt a bit puzzled. He remembered that Liu Qingqing's paternal cousin, Liu Shijie, would become a future real estate mogul in Xingcheng. How could he not even resort to the lowest-level marketing tactic of hiring extras?

As the two just entered the door, a beautiful woman in black professional attire stepped forward to greet them. She spoke politely to Liu Qingqing:

"May I ask, are you Miss Liu Qingqing?"

Liu Qingqing nodded.

"I'm Zhao Xiaoli, the sales manager here. Manager Liu just called and specifically instructed me to accompany you two in viewing the properties."

Liu Qingqing glanced around the sales office, then curiously asked Zhao Xiaoli: "Manager Zhao, have you sold out all the houses? There are hardly any viewers!"

Zhao Xiaoli laughed embarrassedly and explained: "Miss Liu, we're targeting the high-end elite market. Given Xingcheng's current overall situation, the sales cycle will indeed be a bit longer. But I still have confidence in our community's future."

Liu Qingqing was dissatisfied with her answer, snorting coldly: "No wonder my brother has been running around borrowing money lately; it turns out the houses aren't selling, and he's still supporting a bunch of idle people."

As soon as she finished speaking, the surrounding atmosphere instantly turned awkward. Zhao Xiaoli maintained her professional demeanor, still smiling. The other staff members, fearing the fire might spread to themselves, kept their heads down and stayed silent.

Chen Yang, also a worker, didn't want to make things difficult for them. The current average price of commercial housing in Xingcheng is 1,800 yuan per square meter; Sunshine Garden is more than double that, so its slow sales are quite normal.

Chen Yang now has money in his pocket and is still very interested in investing in such a high-end community with enormous potential.

He pointed at the sales office's sand table model and asked Zhao Xiaoli: "Manager Zhao, how many 80-90 square meter units are still for sale? Is there a discount if I buy several?"

Zhao Xiaoli keenly caught the meaning in Chen Yang's words, her eyes lighting up instantly. She put on a fawning smile and said to him: "Sir, we still have a few 80-90 square meter units here. Manager Liu previously instructed that, based on the opening price, we should reduce the price by 800 yuan per square meter for you."

"What? My face is only worth 800?" Before Chen Yang could speak, Liu Qingqing became displeased, glaring at Zhao Xiaoli with a bad expression: "Is this your idea or my brother's?"