boyutpedia Chapter 14 It's not you who suffers the loss, but the foreigners!
Chapter 14 It's not you who suffers the loss, but the foreigners!
"Don't worry, sir, there's definitely enough time. I've made all the arrangements. Once you arrive, I'll take care of you first!"
Seeing that Zhang Guohao was worried about the time, Liu San quickly said something.
Zhang Guohao nodded noncommittally and asked Liu San to ask for leave so he could take him to see a house.
The two men hailed two rickshaws and arrived at their destination.
"Although this place is a bit remote, it's not far from the shopping street, just a few minutes away. The people living nearby are mostly bank employees and teachers, and many of them work in Central. You can walk to the pier and then take the Star Ferry, which takes seven or eight minutes to get to Central. The price is also reasonable, only two hundred dollars a month."
Upon arrival, Liu San immediately began to explain the details of the house to Zhang Guohao.
Overall, the house is quite nice. It looks new, with three rooms and a small courtyard. In the current environment of Hong Kong Island, it is truly a rare find.
The most prosperous areas on Hong Kong Island are the north and south banks of Victoria Harbour; the rest of the area is basically undeveloped.
This has resulted in not only a huge gap between the rich and poor, but also a huge gap in housing.
In bustling dock areas and commercial streets, the price per square meter can reach thousands of yuan.
In other regions, many people simply find a piece of land, put down a couple of pieces of wood and sheet metal, and use that as a house.
The large influx of people into Hong Kong Island was all crammed into dilapidated and small slums.
A decent tenement building can cost between 50 and 80 yuan for a single room, while most ordinary people only earn between 80 and 100 yuan a month.
Renting a house is a luxury for many people.
"This house used to be a Western couple's retirement home. Who knew that these two old guys, after getting old, inherited several million pounds and went back to being rich, saying that this house was no longer good enough for them."
"Boss, if you rent this house, you can move in right away. It has all the necessary water and electricity, and even drainage. If this were in the Central or Western District, you couldn't rent this house for less than a few thousand dollars."
Liu San spoke eloquently.
"Liu San, here's what we'll do. You go and negotiate the price down. Whatever you can get, I'll give you all at once. For example, if you get the monthly rent down to 150, I'll give you 50."
While listening to Liu San's words, Zhang Guohao observed his surroundings. There weren't many houses nearby, and it was very quiet. Zhang Guohao decided to settle down there immediately, without even looking at other houses.
"Sir? Are you serious?"
Liu San's eyes lit up when he heard this.
Fifty yuan is more than half a month's salary for Liu San.
The owner of Huaqing Pool invested so much money to create a high-end venue, and he wasn't stingy with his staff. The basic salary was eighty yuan, and with various benefits and tips, the actual income was about one hundred and fifty yuan.
If we close this deal today, I'll earn at least two hundred yuan this month!
"Of course, I have high hopes for you."
Zhang Guohao took out five ten-yuan bills and handed them directly to Liu San.
"Sir, just you wait and see!"
After receiving the money, Liu San strode confidently to the front door of the house.
The real estate agent I had already arranged to meet was standing there.
Liu San went over and talked quietly with the agent. Zhang Guohao wasn't in a hurry. He found a spot that wasn't too far away, lit a cigarette, and listened to the two bargaining.
"I'm the big boss here. This lease isn't for a year, it's at least six months. With this deal, does your boss still dare to say you're just a freeloader?!"
……
"It's a foreigner's house anyway, they're only making less profit, why are you so upset!"
……
"The big boss said that if you lower the price by ten dollars, he'll give you five dollars."
……
"Forget about it. These days in Hong Kong, so many people barely make ends meet, and can't even afford rent. Who knows when you'll run into a boss like that again!"
……
"Let me tell you, the boss is very busy, and he has more than one house to look at. If you can't negotiate this down, I'll take him to see other houses!"
Liu San used a combination of coaxing and intimidation to persuade the agent, giving him no chance to speak at all.
That's why this kid's nickname is "Painted Eyebrow Liu San"—his mouth is truly formidable.
This agency hasn't been open for business for several months. Don't be fooled by Hong Kong Island's large population now; it's gained millions of people in just a few years. (Hong Kong's global population is increasing.) There are many rich people, but even more poor people!
The wealthy buy houses in large quantities, but it's not up to small-time agents like him to handle them. Ordinary people would just make do with a wooden plank or a piece of metal.
The real estate agent business has indeed been slow lately.
"The foreigner's bottom price is one hundred and twenty dollars."
The agent relented and said.
"Really? How can it be so low? You're not lying to me, are you? What if the contract turns out to be different? If they come after me, I won't let you get away with it!"
"We're from the same hometown, I know exactly where your ancestral graves are."
When Liu San saw that the other party had offered such a low price, he was actually a little hesitant to believe it.
"Why would I lie to you? That foreign couple left two years ago. That's how the house prices were back then. They're far away in their hometown and don't know anything about this place. Even if they did, people with millions of pounds in assets wouldn't care."
The agent was open about it and handed over the full details directly.
Who would have thought that Hong Kong Island would be controlled by foreigners again, and that its economy would grow dozens of times over!
"What if it's a long-term lease? Can we get a discount?"
Liu San then asked, wanting to further reduce the price. He was a very shrewd and decisive person. He dared to promise to give away half of the benefits Zhang Guohao gave him. There was no deal he couldn't close!
"The annual rent is 1,440 yuan, and we can round it down by 40 yuan. This is the final price; it's absolutely impossible to lower it any further."
"I still have to pay the company a minimum handling fee of 100 yuan, making it a total of 1,500 yuan, and only then can I get 20 yuan!"
The agent continued, saying that little did he know, he was secretly envious. He realized that he could only earn forty yuan by secretly working with Liu San, and even with the proper commission, it was only sixty yuan.
That damn heartless boss! Business has been bad lately, and he's even cut wages!
"Okay, it's settled then. Go prepare the contract, and once it's signed, your benefits will be credited to your account immediately!"
Liu San patted the agent on the shoulder and urged him on, saying that whether the agent would be harassed by the boss after renting it out at the bottom price was none of Liu San's business.
Since the agent dares to offer this price, I guess I have a solution in mind.
"Sir, everything's settled. The monthly rent is 120, the annual rent is 1400, and the agency fee is 100, for a total of 1500."
Liu San said to Zhang Guohao, a hint of smugness in his eyes.
"Round it up to a hundred yuan. I knew I hadn't misjudged you."
Zhang Guohao was also very generous, handing over another fifty dollars. Although he only managed to get eighty dollars off, he still gave Liu San a hundred dollars as a bonus.
This kid has guts, and he's not short of money either.