The two walked in with blatant disregard, snorting as they passed by Li Haochen.
"Damn it, if I hadn't spent all my money on the net cages, I'd smash you to death, you fat pig," Li Haochen cursed inwardly, but could only curse. With a thin wallet, he couldn't slap anyone in the face.
"Mr. Li, I'm truly sorry that you had to experience such an unpleasant incident."
"Miss Zheng, it's not your fault. Some people are just too arrogant and don't realize they're looking at the sky from a well. Don't you agree, Auntie Lian?"
"Yes, indeed. By the way, Miss Zheng, may I know the name of that person?"
"Huang Shengtang, the boss of Baota Company."
Xie Baolian simply nodded, saying nothing, but she had certainly noted the name. This was a big deal; would someone favored by the mayor's wife come to any good end? Don't be ridiculous. If she whispered in her husband's ear tonight, and if the company was clean, it would be fine. But if it wasn't, it would be over.
"Let's go... let's go inside and take a look too."
With that, Murong Yanran, linking arms with Xie Baolian, walked ahead. Li Haochen, trailing behind, muttered with a wry smile, "They don't have any money, so what's there to see?"
Upon entering, it had to be said, the house was truly beautiful. The interior was luxuriously decorated, and the overall coordination was perfect, clearly indicating that the design was the work of a master.
Just as they finished viewing the hall and were about to go upstairs, the salesperson from before slowly walked down with Huang Shengtang. Seeing Li Haochen and his companions, they showed clear displeasure, as if the house already belonged to Huang Shengtang.
"A Jiao, keep this house for me. I'll put down a deposit in a couple of days. Don't let any of those miscellaneous people in to dirty my house. Remember that."
"Haochen, what do you think of this place?"
"It's quite nice..."
Before he could finish, Murong Yanran produced a black card and said, "If you think it's nice, then we'll take this one. Miss Zheng, we'll take this house. Let's finalize the transaction immediately. Also, please ensure no more miscellaneous people linger in our house."
Zheng Xiyuan recognized the black card; it was part of their training.
Not only she, but also A Jiao and Huang Shengtang, who were not far away, recognized it. Huang Shengtang's face turned red. He had been slapped in the face so hard. He, who had always been high and mighty in Yuan City, never expected to be humiliated. He snorted coldly, somewhat angered and embarrassed, "There are only a few people in Yuan City qualified to hold a black card. Maybe they just bought it online."
Murong Yanran shot him a dismissive glance and said, "Miss Zheng, please get the contract. We're in a hurry to get back and cook."
"Uh... oh, I'm going now."
Zheng Xiyuan finally came to her senses and ran off towards the sightseeing car to get the contract, extremely excited. If this deal went through, she could lie back and relax. Millions in commission!
Li Haochen pulled Murong Yanran to a corner and whispered, "Are you really buying it?"
"Of course! Did you think I was joking?"
"I've spent all my money. How about next time?"
"I have it."
Murong Yanran didn't ask where Li Haochen's money went. She directly put the black card into his hand, saying, "This is my husband's fund. Spend it wisely, hee hee!"
As Li Haochen's face darkened, Zheng Xiyuan ran in, panting, "Mr. Li... Mr. Li, the contract... please take a look."
Li Haochen took the contract, glanced at it briefly, then closed it and handed it to Murong Yanran and the others. The contract was similar to others. He saw no problems, and besides, with Xie Baolian present, if they dared to mess with the contract, it wouldn't be just a matter of compensation.
Just as Li Haochen was about to sign and swipe the card, A Jiao next to him became indignant. "Hey, Zheng Xiyuan, didn't you hear Mr. Huang say he wanted this house? Don't you understand the principle of first come, first served? Believe it or not, I'll call the manager and have you kicked out."
"What do you mean he wants this house? Did he pay for it? Come on, call your manager over."
"Alright, call Old Wei. Let's see what he says, humph!"
Huang Shengtang felt his status as a wealthy man was challenged, and he snorted unhappily.
"Just wait, our manager will be here soon."
A Jiao had already called the manager, Wei Guoqiang, earlier. She stood with her arms crossed, eager to see Li Haochen and his companions make fools of themselves. Little did she know she had fallen into a trap. How could she afford to offend someone who could hold a black card?
Shortly after, a middle-aged man in a suit and tie, exuding an air of authority, walked into the villa. He was Wei Guoqiang, the general manager of Country Garden in Yuan City.
"Huang..." Wei Guoqiang was about to greet Huang Shengtang, but upon seeing Xie Baolian behind Li Haochen, he abruptly stopped speaking. With a mixture of surprise and excitement, he hurried over and, in a slightly flattering tone, whispered, "Madam Ling, why didn't you inform us beforehand of your visit? We haven't made any preparations. It's truly disrespectful."
Xie Baolian was not surprised that Wei Guoqiang recognized her; she presumed they had met at a previous banquet.
Xie Baolian simply responded with a smile. There were too many people here, and she couldn't speak carelessly. Too much talk could lead to misunderstandings or gossip, which would be bad for Ling Hanfeng.
Huang Shengtang, on the other hand, frowned. Although he couldn't hear their conversation, Wei Guoqiang's demeanor clearly indicated that the other party had more influence than he, a wealthy man, possessed. This made him reconsider.
Wei Guoqiang, being a man of high emotional intelligence, didn't say much more. He walked over, apologized to Huang Shengtang, and then took Zheng Xiyuan and A Jiao outside to understand the situation.
"Manager, that's what happened. If we go by first come, first served, Mr. Li and his group arrived first."
"Manager, but Mr. Huang already said he wanted this house, and he was about to pay..."
"Mr. Huang didn't say that just now. He said to keep it for him, and he'd come in a couple of days."
Wei Guoqiang had already made up his mind. Bringing the two women out was just for show. After all, Huang Shengtang was also a person of standing, and it was best not to offend him if possible. Everyone was seeking profit; there was no need to offend anyone.
He walked back in, first addressing Huang Shengtang, "Mr. Huang, I'm truly sorry. I've understood the situation. Mr. Li and his group indeed arrived first. However, we have a rare development project about to start, in an excellent location. How about we reserve a unit for you?"
"That A Jiao is also unreliable. Since they arrived first, of course, we can't break the rules. Manager Wei, please remember to reserve a unit for me. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."
Wei Guoqiang had already provided him with a graceful exit, so he naturally took the opportunity to slip away.
"My apologies to our distinguished guests for the unpleasant experience. To express our group's sincerity, we will offer you an eight percent discount on this house. What do you say?"
"No, thank you. We can afford this amount."
It wasn't that Li Haochen didn't want the discount, but he couldn't accept it. Wei Guoqiang's attitude was directed at Xie Baolian, or rather, at Ling Hanfeng. If he accepted this favor, Ling Hanfeng would be indebted to them, and in the future, if something came up, he would have to help them out. In officialdom, this would be like a sword hanging over his head.