Having achieved financial freedom, I reorganized my workplace.

Chapter 39 Deeply Deceptive

Another week has passed, and Lin Chen has finally done something worthwhile.

This was the first time I realized how difficult this job was.

A woman from the city, as if possessed, called the company every day: "You bunch of money-grabbing scoundrels! You installed this stupid smart water meter in my house! I didn't touch a single drop of water, but it keeps spinning by itself! Damn it, may you all die a horrible death!"

Lin Chen's head was throbbing from the noise, so he first called the old master at the Suicheng Water Supply Station to inquire. The master shook his head and laughed: "It was sent for testing a long time ago. The water meter is perfectly fine. That woman is just out of her mind and is purely being unreasonable."

The next day, the woman's phone rang again: "You heartless robbers! You're more eager than anyone to collect water bills, but you're dumber than pigs when it comes to doing things. May your son be born without an anus, and your whole family suffer retribution!"

Lin Chen gripped the receiver, patiently saying, "Auntie, please don't get agitated. Can you listen to me for a moment?"

"Don't listen to me! You're all in cahoots, ganging up to swindle money from ordinary people."

Lin Chen took a deep breath: "Auntie, do you know where the water inlet valve is in your house?"

"Don't give me that nonsense about the Xian family's property."

Lin Chen couldn't take it anymore, so he simply put the phone aside and let her rant and rave on the other end. A full half hour passed before he picked up the receiver, his tone as calm as still water: "Auntie, have you finished cursing? If you've had enough, go check where your water valve is."

The woman paused for a moment, then muttered, "The water inlet valve is right under the cabinet, what's so interesting about it?"

"Then turn it off and see if the water meter still spins?"

"Shut it down, so what?" the woman snorted, followed by a rustling sound.

Lin Chen pressed further, "Is the water meter still spinning?"

"Spin it... oh no, stop spinning it."

"Should we transfer or not?"

"It doesn't turn, but it sways back and forth."

"Then it just stops turning." Lin Chen rubbed his temples. "This means there's a leak in your house's internal water pipes."

"Impossible! My house isn't leaking. If it were, it would have flooded me long ago!" The woman's voice rose another eight octaves.

"It's most likely somewhere you can't see it. Why don't you check the toilet?"

"What does this have to do with the toilet? It's completely unrelated."

"Please lean closer to the toilet seat and listen. Can you hear anything?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then a woman's voice came through: "There's...there's sound."

"Then try turning off the toilet's water inlet valve."

"Oh, it's off."

"Go and turn on the main water inlet valve under the cabinet and see if the water meter turns on."

"Should I turn on the toilet's water supply?"

"No, it's your main water inlet valve."

"Oh, it's open, so what?"

"Check the water meter, see if it's spinning."

"This is so annoying!" the woman exclaimed. "Huh? It's not spinning anymore, it's really not spinning anymore."

"So your toilet is broken. You should replace it."

"How could that be? This is a brand new toilet."

"If it's newly bought, then you should return it as soon as possible; it should still be within its shelf life."

The woman was silent for a few seconds, then scolded, "Oh, fine, you should have said so earlier."

Lin Chen's lips twitched as he spoke into the receiver, but he remained silent.

You are truly my God.

A few days later, news suddenly came that a high-speed railway would pass through Suicheng.

It's just a plan on paper, and it's predicted that it will be five or six years before it's completed.

Just from this unsubstantiated news, overnight, the price of housing in Suicheng skyrocketed from 2000 yuan per square meter to 2500 yuan per square meter.

Who can you reason with?

Originally, no one was interested in houses in Suicheng, but this wave of price increases was like frying fish; everyone, whether they wanted to buy a house or not, flocked out. Major developers were also drawn in by the smell, like flies to blood. In just a few days, several new housing developments sprang up in Suicheng.

It's already December, and the Chinese New Year is just around the corner—the peak season for buying houses. I've heard that many properties are in high demand but short supply, requiring queuing and connections to secure a unit, which seems a bit alarmist.

The developers are very cunning.

This month, Lin Chen has been working hard to write, updating with 10,000 words every day. His high-level subscriptions have already reached 100,000, and his royalties are quite considerable. More than three million yuan has quietly accumulated in his bank account.

It's the weekend, and Lin Chen plans to buy an apartment.

Before, I didn't have money and didn't dare to look at houses. Now that I have money, I can't treat myself badly. In a woman's eyes, a thirty-year-old man without a house is a dwarf, no matter how tall he is.

Lin Chen wasn't a reincarnated person, so he didn't know how housing prices would go in the future. But he was a first-time homebuyer, so he wasn't losing out no matter what.

Just before I was about to leave, I received a call from Tang Yuwei.

"Class monitor, are you free this weekend? You promised to treat me to dinner, so don't go back on your word, hmph." Tang Yuwei spoke on the phone with the tone of a young lady from a wealthy family, but with a hint of coquettishness.

Because Lin Chen passed the advanced engineer exam, Tang Yuwei repeatedly asked him to treat her to meals. After all, she had taken over Lin Chen's job when he went out to take the exam, and Lin Chen had always used the excuse of not having time to refuse.

"I'm busy today, I'm going to look at houses."

"Wow, class monitor, you're buying a house? I'll go with you then. More people means more eyes, and I know a real estate tycoon who might be able to give you a discount."

"You know any real estate tycoons?" Actually, there are only three real estate tycoons developing in Suicheng. I heard that the three tycoons are related. You don't know why their family bloodline is so strong.

Tang Yuwei pouted: "Can't I know a few people?" Actually, it was her father who knew them.

Lin Chen thought for a moment and decided that bringing her along wasn't a bad idea: "Alright, I'll treat you to a meal after I finish looking at the house. Stop thinking about your class monitor all the time." Lin Chen didn't want to be bothered by him.

Tang Yuwei was immediately delighted: "Okay! Wait for me a moment, fifteen minutes, see you at the door!"

Lin Chen hung up the phone, changed into a neat casual outfit, and waited for half an hour before coming downstairs.

For a woman's "fifteen minutes," just multiply it by two.

Sure enough, Tang Yuwei appeared after waiting downstairs for a while.

She was clearly dressed up carefully; her skin was so white it was almost purple. She wore a pale yellow dress that reached above her knees, revealing her slender, fair legs. On her feet were nude platform shoes, which made her already tall and straight figure appear even more elegant.

Although her chest is small, it's already quite impressive. If the curve of her chest were any bigger, it would be absolutely stunning.

"Class monitor!" Tang Yuwei walked over, her skirt swaying gently, carrying a faint fragrance. She turned slightly to the side, puffed out her chest, put her hands behind her back, and raised an eyebrow, asking, "How is it? Does it look good?"

Lin Chen felt a little uneasy, but he hid it well and forced a smile, saying, "It's alright."

Tang Yuwei stuck out her tongue again: "You don't know how to appreciate things."

We've set off.

Lin Chen drove the motorcycle, and Tang Yuwei sat behind him. At first, she just grabbed her clothes with her hands, but then, without anyone knowing, her hands gently wrapped around his.

Lin Chen wanted to treat her like a younger sister, but he couldn't help but fantasize about the dumplings she would occasionally rub against.

"Class monitor, which housing development do you want to look at? Right now, the most popular ones in Suicheng are 'Binjiang Garden' and 'Xuefu Shijia', but I heard that both are high-rise buildings, so you'll have to fight for them, and the common areas are large," Tang Yuwei said.

"Royal View Manor".

"Yujing Manor is a relatively old development, but it does have a good location and a large green area. The new second phase is said to consist entirely of large units over 180 square meters, as well as detached villas with their own swimming pools. However, the prices are a bit higher than other developments."

"I know, that's what I'm aiming for."

Lin Chen learned last night that this development consists entirely of large apartments and is expensive, so very few people buy them. This is because these types of apartments are not readily available to everyone except those with essential housing needs, so there is no need to wait in line yet.

He's not short of money anyway, so he just wants to get the best deal right away. He's not afraid of buying a big house, he's just afraid of feeling cramped if he buys a small one.

"Wow, class monitor is awesome! I didn't know you were a hidden rich kid!"

"I'm a third-generation rich kid, believe it?"

"I believe you! I believe everything you say."

Lin Chen found a place to park. As soon as he arrived at the sales office, a large group of girls walked over. She was wearing a tight black blazer and a pencil skirt, showing off her curvaceous figure. She was wearing an employee badge with the name "Ye Qian" written on it.

Ye Qian truly lived up to her reputation as a top salesperson. Her words were polite and precise, and she introduced the advantages of the property flawlessly. Afterward, she showed Lin Chen three standard apartment layouts, demonstrating her excellent eloquence.

"You two have arrived just in time. Today is the biggest day of our year-end promotion, with all prices at a 5% discount. There are only a few units left, so they're very popular. If you can place your order now, I can apply for an additional 2% discount for you, and we'll also throw in a smart toilet worth 20,000 yuan. If you wait any longer, it might really be..."

Heh. Lin Chen watched her performance, completely unmoved. If the house were really as sought-after as she claimed, would she need to go to so much trouble to promote it? Would she need to offer such a huge discount? She was simply treating him like a fool.

Moreover, Lin Chen was not very satisfied with the three apartments she showed him. They were either poorly designed, had poor lighting, were all on relatively high floors, and, more importantly, were too small, only about 180 square meters.

"Are there any other houses? These won't do," Lin Chen replied.

Ye Qian's smile remained unchanged: "Then, sir, what are your specific needs? You can tell me about the size, orientation, and floor."

Lin Chen waved his hand: "I don't know, but I'm not satisfied with any of these. If you don't have any more listings, I'll ask your colleague."

Lin Chen was all too familiar with their tactics.

A few years ago, I met a girl at an event; she was also a salesperson.

She told herself that the sales staff usually had several good houses in their hands, with good locations, good lighting, and good layouts. However, they would not give these houses to customers first. Instead, they would use a scarcity tactic to sell the less desirable houses first, and then the remaining good houses would sell without any trouble.

Hearing Lin Chen say this, Ye Qian could only laugh and say, "Alright, I do have another nice house. I originally wanted to leave it for a relative of mine, but seeing how handsome you are and how cute your girlfriend is, I'll grant your wish. This house is impeccable; it would be perfect as your wedding home."

Girlfriend, wedding room? Tang Yuwei smiled upon hearing these words: "Then hurry up and show us around."

They wandered around and ended up back on the 12th floor. They had actually circled around here several times, but Ye Qian just wouldn't introduce the apartment to them.

"This set is not bad, the space is good." Tang Yuwei nodded.

"How much is this one?" Lin Chen asked. To be honest, this apartment was truly outstanding. It was well-ventilated, with plenty of sunlight and an excellent view. The usable area was 200 square meters, and the layout was used to its fullest potential, making it far superior to the previous apartments.

Ye Qian: "This apartment is a bit more expensive, at 2800 per square meter. But there's a reason for the higher price, and you should be able to understand that."

"Oh." Lin Chen's reaction was indifferent, with a hint of hesitation on his face.

Tang Yuwei pulled him aside and whispered, "What's wrong, class monitor? Do you think it's too expensive? If you don't have enough money, I can lend you some."

"It's not about the money, I'll think about it some more." Lin Chen wasn't complaining about the price. 2800 per square meter, 200 square meters would only cost 56, which wasn't much to him. He just felt... it was still a bit small. He planned to have his parents live with him, and around 250 square meters would be ideal.

Just as he was hesitating, another male salesman walked in with two other people.

Coincidentally, Lin Chen knew both of them.

It's really a narrow road.