Chapter 494: Understanding

"The you I imagined was of course young and handsome, but my imagination just wasn't enough; I didn't expect you to be even younger and more handsome. As someone who sells houses, most of my clients are usually over forty. It's very rare to see someone like you, twenty-nine years old, coming to look at properties on your own."

Apple spoke the truth. After all, there are no cheap properties in their Jingyan Group; any random unit costs eight or ten million. In today's social environment, thirty is still considered young. Following a normal trajectory—graduating at twenty-two and earning the three-million down payment in eight years—even with help from parents, one still needs the ability to cover a monthly mortgage of forty thousand yuan. It isn't easy.

When she called Wang Yan to sell him a house, she naturally had some rough information. Twenty-nine, works in finance, lives in Tomson Riviera, and she had just seen the car he drove—it was worth over two million. These conditions were more than sufficient.

"You are also more beautiful and more heart-stirring than I imagined," Wang Yan responded with a chuckle, then took a step forward: "Let's go, let's take a look."

"Please, this way." Apple tossed her big wavy hair and went ahead, her high heels clicking—*da da da*—as she led the way.

The two went inside and followed the standard sales process, first listening to the *blah-blah* about the sand table and maps, and then being led to wander around the model unit. Come to think of it, sales at Jingyan Group are quite complex. The sales office has a dedicated sales team, and Apple said that sometimes she comes to the project for on-site sales, and sometimes she pulls in clients from the outside, all while selling their own projects. Furthermore, these salespeople are a bit too glamorous. But in the end, it is a fictional TV drama; since the company operates that way, then that's just how it is.

"The model unit we are in now is a 130-square-meter, three-bedroom, two-living-room, two-bathroom layout. Knowing that you aren't buying this house to live in yourself, I previously inquired about current rental prices in the XH District. For an area like this, it's about nine thousand or so. Our company has a renovation business and can renovate according to your requirements. Sales have been quite good; you saw it yourself just now in the sales office and here in the model unit—there are quite a few clients buying..."

Apple's professional competence is very good. According to how much Yang Ke values Apple in the show, when he later goes out on his own, he even makes Apple a sales manager. This "manager" isn't just a title given to any salesperson; it is a solid, top-tier sales position with actual power. Looking at it this way, Apple should be a top-selling player with an annual income of a million. Even if it's not that much, an annual income of several hundred thousand shouldn't be a problem. So, *Golden Years* really is gilded; the people who appear, even the insufferable Zhang Anren, and that Yuan Yuan with the fake education and resume, none of them have poor conditions.

Wang Yan wandered around with her, and after looking at several different layouts, he returned to the sales office, found a seat, and started looking at the floor plans, picking out a high-floor unit with a better view to calculate the price on the spot.

"The final total comes to exactly 14.5 million. What do you think?" Apple pushed the floor plan, filled with numbers, in front of Wang Yan.

Glancing at the so-called various discounts on it, Wang Yan shook his head and took a sip of the lemon water provided by the water bar here: "You know I work in finance, right? The returns, yields, or whatever else you calculated don't really have any use for me. My return rate over the last three years is fifty-three percent, which means that in three years, this 14.5 million will become 22 million. Perhaps my performance might be poor and I won't reach that level, but given the current state of the real estate industry, there is no way this house will reach 20 million in three years. I came over with you today just because I was a bit idle, just to understand what the current real estate situation is like."

Apple remained smiling like a flower: "I know you are a finance expert, Mr. Wang, but after you buy the house, you can completely mortgage it to a bank. With your high returns, wouldn't that just be getting a house for free? But it doesn't matter if you don't like this unit, Mr. Wang; just as you said, it's just to understand the market. In a little over a month, the project Jingyan is developing in Pudong will be opening for sale, named Dongli. It is positioned as high-end residential, meticulously crafted for clients with strength like you. If you have time then, I wonder if you would be interested in going over there to take a look?"

"I heard that I was just toying with you, yet your expression didn't even change. Impressive. Regardless, toying with a great beauty like you is a sin. It's noon; I'll treat you to a meal. Let's go." Having said that, Wang Yan stood up with a chuckle and left.

The words were clear; not only did he not intend to buy a house, but Apple actually didn't intend to sell one either. Right now, it was just about making an appointment in advance to pull the relationship closer, so as not to have to "burn incense" only when it's time to sell the house.

Watching Wang Yan's figure as he stood up and left, Apple's open mouth closed. Somewhat helplessly, she picked up her bag from the seat and stood up to follow. This man doesn't give one a chance to refuse...

After getting into the car, Wang Yan didn't rush to leave. He held his phone and scrolled: "What do you want to eat?"

Apple smiled: "You are the one treating, so of course you should decide."

"Don't always 'you' (polite form) me; it sounds uncomfortable." Wang Yan shook his head: "Then let's just eat something casual over at the Bund. It just so happens that I see your Jingyan Group has offices in the Center Tower, not far from where I live. I'll drop you off at your company. You too, you should have told me on the phone earlier; I could have just picked you up directly."

"I was already here at that time. Besides, we salespeople, if we don't pick up clients, it means we haven't done our job well. How could I let a client come to pick me up?"

"Oh my, the way you say that, I've committed another wrong. You must eat and drink freely; don't be polite with me at all."

"I'm just a weak woman; how much can I eat even if I eat freely? Besides, you can't possibly not know, right? It's going to get hot soon. We women, we have to lose weight waiting to wear pretty clothes. Summer is a woman's battlefield."

"You're wrong." Wang Yan shook his head, started the car, and drove away from the sales office, speeding along the road: "Summer is a beautiful woman's battlefield."

Apple responded with an appropriate smile: "Thank you for the recognition, Mr. Wang."

Chatting idly along the way, Mr. Wang was humorous and witty, and the two talked happily. It was also during this process that some information about this Apple was teased out by him.

This woman's real name is Jin Ya, twenty-eight years old, from Hebei Province. After graduating, she worked as a clerk for a while, but later felt she wasn't earning enough, so she threw herself into the sales industry. Finally, she applied to Jingyan and worked under Yang Ke, and has been there for four years.

Very quickly, the two went to the Bund's *Yujingge*, high-end Chinese cuisine, where a meal easily costs a thousand yuan. Jin Ya symbolically ordered two dishes that were neither expensive nor cheap, and Wang Yan ordered a table full of the rest.

Watching the waiter leave, Jin Ya shook her head: "You ordered too much. How could the two of us finish it? Waste is not good."

"It won't be. I'm a person who has always been able to eat. And in restaurants like this, they all use huge plates with only a little bit of food inside. You mainly eat for the taste; if you order too little, how can you be full?"

Jin Ya raised an eyebrow and said with a smile: "Then I'll have to see just how much you can eat."

Soon, dish after dish was brought to the table, and the two began to eat and drink heartily. Of course, it was mainly Wang Yan eating heartily; after all, Jin Ya had to mind her table manners, and she seemed to really be losing weight, basically not moving her chopsticks much.

Jin Ya looked strangely at Wang Yan, who was eating heartily. He ate so fast and so deliciously, yet he still gave her a feeling of elegance. It wasn't as if she hadn't eaten with other rich people before, but someone like Wang Yan was the first. She couldn't figure it out, so she stopped thinking about it: "You usually exercise and work out, right? Otherwise, you shouldn't be able to eat so much?"

"Of course, to keep the body healthy. Didn't that sketch show it? The greatest tragedy in the human world is that a person dies, but the money hasn't been spent. Although I don't have a lot of money, it's enough to be wealthy. Striving to spend a few more years in good health is my pursuit." Wang Yan nodded with a chuckle: "But I won't be like those fitness people, finding suffering for myself in eating and drinking. One should eat when it's time to eat, and drink when it's time to drink; it's mainly for one's own comfort."

"You're not even thirty yet; it's too early to say those things now." Jin Ya shook her head and giggled, as if Wang Yan's words were very humorous.

"Let's not talk about me. When we were in the car earlier, you said you were twenty-eight. Looking at you, you don't have a boyfriend yet, right?"

Jin Ya tried her best to control herself, only looking at Wang Yan with confusion.

Seeing her like this, Wang Yan took a sip of water and smiled at her: "You thought wrong. No need to be so nervous; I absolutely didn't mean that you are selling yourself for money. I can feel that you are a woman with persistence. Although it's inevitable to force a smile, you are still earning money standing up. It's just that with what you are doing now, finding a boyfriend should be very difficult. Every day you come into contact with rich and powerful men; you likely look down on ordinary men. Not to mention that your income isn't low to begin with, this also involves the issue of trust."

"Ordinary people, seeing a beautiful woman dressed as glamorously as you, will naturally assume that you are either involved with many men, or involved with a man who is involved with many women. As long as you continue to do this job, suspicion is inevitable. When two people are dating, once there is suspicion, where is the need to be together?"

"And if you look for a rich man, you have seen many, so there shouldn't be a lack of those who propose to keep you, right? Or, taking advantage of the fact that you have a commission for selling a house, saying things like 'sleeping together'—oh, looking at your disgusted expression, I guess I guessed right. So, you don't dare to trust rich people either. You look down on the lesser ones, and for the higher ones, you don't want to wrong yourself, so it's hard to reach them. Stuck in the middle like this, if you aren't single, who is?"

"Isn't that so? You hit the nail on the head." Jin Ya nodded with a bitter smile: "But I've also let it go. Let it be. If I meet someone, great; if I don't, so be it. I can live well on my own."

"Living is living, no matter how. Eat, don't just watch me. Losing weight doesn't depend on this one meal..."

Wang Yan has never misjudged a person. In her contact with him, although this Jin Ya appeared very open, she was actually still very distant, keeping a gap. If she wasn't someone who wanted to earn money standing up, what else could she be? After all, he, Mr. Wang, is still considered rich and still considered young—he counts as young and wealthy. If she wanted to earn money lying down, a player like him, in the prime of his life, would be an absolutely perfect target. Yet, Jin Ya didn't send out any signals or anything.

After the meal, the distance between the two had narrowed quite a bit. Mainly because Wang Yan was able to chat, and Jin Ya, due to her profession, would find things to talk about even if there was nothing, to avoid the awkwardness of a sudden silence. They talked about archery, tennis, golf, and other messy things that she had specifically learned—although she was a half-baked expert, she could chat—and other things like opera, theater, and so on. Anyway, useful or useless, she could say a few words, so naturally, they talked happily.

The car stopped steadily at the entrance of the Center Tower. The big wavy-haired woman stepped out of the car in her high heels, bowed, and waved to Wang Yan in the driver's seat: "It's a deal. You can't stand me up when Dongli opens for sale. Even if you don't buy, it's good to understand the market."

"I'll wait for your news."

"Goodbye, drive slowly." The big wavy-haired woman gently closed the passenger door, her face full of smiles, showing her big white teeth as she waved at herself in the anti-peep film, until the car drove far away. Only then did she toss her hair and turn to enter the building to return to the company.

Just as she turned her head, she unpreparedly saw a man drinking coffee standing a few steps behind her. Caught off guard, she gave a start, then patted her chest to soothe herself. Annoyed, she swung her bag at him: "Big brother, don't you know that scaring people can scare them to death?"

Symbolically dodging, Yang Ke gestured in the direction where the car had just left: "What's the meaning of this? Found a new love?"

"Go away. I don't even have an old love, where would a new one come from?" Jin Ya smiled: "It's Wang Yan. I called him this morning and made an appointment for him to look at a house at Jinxiu Huafu."

Frowning as he recalled the information he had learned, Yang Ke said "Oh": "Tomson Riviera, the one in finance? How is he?"

"That's him." Jin Ya walked toward the building and said: "If I had sold it, wouldn't I have sent you a battle report in the group? What else could it be? I went to find him to get a head start on looking at Dongli. As for him coming, it's because he was idle and came out to understand the real estate market. A finance elite, telling me he has a fifty-three percent return in three years, and that 14 million in house payments would become 22 million in his hands in three years. He also said that given the current real estate market, it's impossible for it to rise to 20 million in three years. Although he spoke very conservatively, I still feel he is talking down the real estate market, and there's probably no hope for Dongli either."

"Then why did he drop you back off? Looking at it, you ate lunch together?"

"He is a bit overbearing. He said let's eat, so we ate. He didn't give me a chance to refuse at all, so we just went to Yujingge. But this person is also very good. He didn't speak in a condescending way, and he was quite humorous. He has a lot of cultivation and gives people a very comfortable and natural feeling."

"Such a high evaluation?" Yang Ke smiled: "Didn't fall for him, did you? Be careful not to get played. Those in finance, every one of them has a sharp brain. Your level of cultivation isn't enough to see through them. As long as you don't agree, I am your backing. If I'm not enough, there's still the company."

"Don't worry. It's been so many years, don't you know me yet?" Jin Ya tossed her big wavy hair and blinked her big eyes at Yang Ke: "I have my own count."

"Hmm..." Yang Ke looked as if he had been hit by her. He pulled away a distance, tilted his head, and looked her up and down: "You, if you could let go, you would have bought a house and driven a luxury car long ago. But if you really let go, I would have lost a great general. I'm telling you, it won't do; you have to maintain this."

Jin Ya rolled her eyes: "Too lazy to bother with you."

The two talked about other clients' situations, muttering about how Dongli's opening would be, and when the elevator came down, they went upstairs...

Returning home, Wang Yan brewed another pot of tea and pulled a book from the bookshelf to flip through. Human spiritual wealth is very rich, truly vast as the sea. He has been reading for so many years, yet there are still many he hasn't seen—that is his habit. Even for books he has already read, he will still flip through them to maintain the habit. This can fill the emptiness in his long life; it is a very good thing.

It was just unfortunate that he hadn't been reading for long when his phone *dinged* with a message notification. He picked it up and took a look, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but reveal a smile.

It was a WeChat message from Jiang Pengfei, asking if he had time, wanting to treat him to a meal in the evening and have some wine. Of course, he didn't refuse, saying that he just happened to have no plans for dinner and would definitely arrive on time...

In the blink of an eye, it was evening. Wang Yan drove to the entrance of an old-fashioned Benbang cuisine restaurant they had agreed upon. From afar, he saw Jiang Pengfei waving with a smile. This old guy even thoughtfully came over to help him watch the car to avoid scratches.

"Old brother, you are too polite." Wang Yan walked up with a chuckle to shake his hand.

"It's all as it should be. You must have been hungry for a long time at this hour, right? Let's go in, let's go in. Let's talk while we eat. Let me tell you, the Benbang cuisine in this shop is done very well; it's an old brand that has been open for many years."

Wang Yan followed the flow and went to sit at a scattered table in the corner of the first floor. Jiang Pengfei had already ordered the dishes, but he left some room and let him order a few more.

Although it was a bit noisy here, it was actually quite good. It was precisely in this atmosphere that it was good to drink and talk. Moreover, for two grown men, if it were really quiet, it would feel a bit strange. The price of the dishes wasn't cheap, and the wine they drank was two bottles of Moutai that Jiang Pengfei had brought himself, which was quite good.

Watching the waiter leave, Jiang Pengfei opened the wine while speaking: "Sorry, Mr. Wang. Yesterday I told you I would introduce my daughter to you, but today is a workday, and she is still in school, so it's not very convenient. However, she will be back on her day off. This week? I'll treat you to a meal again and introduce you."

"I'm available anytime." Wang Yan smiled and pushed his wine decanter over, supporting his hand to let him pour the wine: "Since you are going to introduce your daughter to me, let's drop the 'Mr. Wang'. I'm a generation younger than you, so it's really too polite. Just call me Wang Yan. It's truly fate that we can know each other. Regardless of how things go with your daughter, it won't delay us. Come, Uncle Jiang, let's have a drink first."

Before any dishes were served, the two of them had a big gulp from the decanter. Jiang Pengfei's drinking capacity was obviously average; he wasn't used to drinking it straight. He coughed twice and only recovered after a while: "I'm getting on in years, and I haven't drunk like this for a long time. Don't take offense."

"It's fine. We aren't drinking social wine; moderation is enough. It's mainly for happiness."

"Exactly right." Jiang Pengfei clapped his hands: "That's it. Being alive in this world is about being comfortable and happy."

It was very obvious that he was talking about himself. Jiang Pengfei's family was wealthy. Although in the show his biological father had already died, one could imagine that his father had been just as doting as his mother. From childhood to adulthood, he hadn't eaten bitterness or suffered fatigue. The family business was about to be ruined, so how could he not be comfortable and happy?

He paused and said: "I didn't ask where you lived before. Is this place convenient?"

"I live in Tomson Riviera." Wang Yan didn't mind his inquiry about his address, which lacked any city-dwelling sophistication, and said with a chuckle: "It takes less than half an hour to get here. It's not inconvenient at all."

"Tomson Riviera?" Jiang Pengfei's surprise was beyond words: "I remember it seems to be 200,000 per square meter, right? Then your house must be worth a hundred million?"

"Not that much, just about 90 million. We met at Fuxing Park yesterday; I think you live near there, right? Looking at the temperament of you and your mother, you should live in those Republic-era small foreign-style buildings over there. To tell you the truth, houses like yours are the comfortable ones."

"Then we are just envying each other. I, on the contrary, feel that looking at the Bund from a high place is more comfortable."

The dishes were served quickly. The two didn't talk for long before the table was full. And Jiang Pengfei's words, unsurprisingly, turned to stocks, inquiring about news in his words. He had done his homework; on one hand, he had learned more detailed information about Wang Yan's private equity, and on the other hand, he had prepared some questions. Of course, his questions were very simple: which stock would rise, could it rise, and then some trends of the broader market.

Wang Yan remembered that in the show, this old guy had introduced the securities analyst Li Yifan to Jiang Nansun. The reason he introduced Jiang Nansun was definitely because he looked down on Zhang Anren, and wanting to know information about stocks was also certain. It should be roughly the same as his current situation.

By now, Jiang Pengfei's purpose in finding him to drink today was very clear. On one hand, to understand his strength—a 90-million house and a 2-million car were obviously sufficient. On the other hand, it was still the inside information on stocks that this old guy couldn't forget.

As for the task goal, Wang Yan's patience was still very good. Immediately, while eating and drinking, he spoke to Jiang Pengfei in simple terms, from the world situation to the national situation, to industry dynamics, and then to the domestic A-share market. Of course, his words were targeted; in fact, they weren't much different from what he had told his fund managers yesterday, just without specifically pointing out which companies' stocks.

But obviously, Jiang Pengfei was not satisfied. He had already incurred debt and placed bets; the gambler's mentality had already come up. What he wanted to know was whether the stocks he was currently optimistic about would rise. What he wanted to hear from a professional like Wang Yan was the answer he had already thought of in his heart...

Of course, Wang Yan still advised him to withdraw his capital as soon as possible. Wouldn't it be better to take the money and buy his, Mr. Wang's, fund? After all, his performance was currently fifty-three percent, and it might be seventy by next year. If it lasted longer, achieving a doubling was not impossible. The prospects he described were also very good; after all, he had been a professional swindler for hundreds of years, and he made Jiang Pengfei feel a bit moved. Not much, just a little.

"Then it's a deal, Wang Yan. See you Saturday night. I'll tell you the time and place on Friday. My daughter is very beautiful; you'll know when the time comes."

At the entrance of the Jiang house, Jiang Pengfei swayed as he leaned on the car window to talk to Wang Yan.

"Good, I'll wait for your news, Uncle Jiang. Go back, I'm leaving." Wang Yan patted the driver's seat, and the designated driver stepped on the gas and left, leaving only Jiang Pengfei swaying and waving foolishly. His face was smiling; it probably wasn't at the car's rear, but at the thought of the moment he would turn his luck around.

In the end, his drinking capacity was poor; he had too much with just that little bit...