Chapter 48: Chapter 48

“150,000!?”

Layla thought her ears were paining her until Annie repeated the words.

“Mrs. Huang, you mean this apartment is 150,000 per month?” Annie’s eyes surveyed the place. When the woman led them into this apartment, they hadn’t even explored it yet. The first thing she did was to ask of the price.

The middle-aged woman looked at the young girls. While one was calm, the other one appeared flabbergasted by the price. If she didn’t think well, she would have thought it was the shocked girl who wanted to get the apartment.

Giving Annie a sweet smile, the woman replied, “This apartment is well-furnished, Ms. Lin. In this whole District, it is the finest apartment, you won’t find its kind. See, it is also the closest to where you work. Isn’t Ms. Lin saving a lot of transport money by considering living here?”

With an amiable smile, the woman hoped she could talk this Young Lady into getting the apartment. However, Layla answered her in place of Annie.

“Mrs. Huang, this is a ridiculous price for a mini apartment like this one. Yes, the building is good and convenient. There’s also privacy from the other neighbors. But come on, won’t you reduce it?”

If they could add their monthly salary up with the bonus they received sometimes, seventy-five percent of the money would be consumed only by the rent.

Apart from paying for the rent, Annie had to think about what to eat and other daily necessities. “Mrs. Huang, I believe there’s a discount.”

“Actually, Ms. Lin, as I have said before, this place is the perfect place for you. It contains two bedrooms, a large bathroom with a toilet, your own personal kitchen, and a convenient dining room. The balcony gives a great view of the city too. This neighborhood is peaceful as only the working-class citizens reside here. You are young and beautiful, Ms. Lin. Don’t tell me you can’t afford that money.”

Instead of negotiating the price, Mrs. Huang went ahead to butter the girl up. She was only a sales representative. The more she got to give out the place at a very high price, the more profit she would also gain.

“What do you think?” She smiled. “Ms. Lin, would you like to see for yourself how good this place is?”

“Annie, I love this place but this woman is difficult to deal with.” Layla dragged Annie to a corner and said, “I spoke too soon by suggesting borrowing money from a bank. If we borrow that much money, we might get sued.”

Annie wasn’t planning to follow Layla’s advice in the first place. Borrowing money from a bank would cost her more than she bargained for. Although the apartment was good, she didn’t think it was worth that price.

“Hmmm, how are we gonna convince her? Must we go and look for another apartment? This is much closer to the company.”

“We’re not looking for a new one,” Annie laughed softly. Her response astounded Layla. Did she have money to afford it?

Layla was still wondering when Annie walked back to the woman who was trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Mrs. Huang composed herself seeing the girl returning. She acted as if she was checking out the frame hanging on the wall. “Hehe, have you come to a decision, Ms. Lin?” She pretended to just notice Annie. “I know you won’t resist an apartment very luxurious.”

“Mrs. Huang, may I know if you also live here?”

Mrs. Huang didn’t expect the girl’s question. She answered her nevertheless. “Of course, I live here. Because I am a very good tenant, the landlord decided to give me this position. Ms. Lin, that is another advantage of staying here. You get to make extra money often.”

“Really?” Annie asked.

Mrs. Huang cowered from the girl’s look. This girl, even though she looked friendly made her feel a bit intimidated. Mrs. Huang could swear the girl was reading her.

“Heh? Why would I lie to Ms. Lin? I am telling you the truth.”

“I believe you are telling the truth, Ms. Huang. If you don’t mind me asking… You work at the nearby daycare center, don’t you?”

“Y– Yes.” Mrs. Huang put on a hesitant look before nodding.

“And your monthly salary doesn’t exceed 20,000, isn’t it?” Annie asked again.

Mrs. Huang fiddled with her dress, avoiding the girl’s eyes. “You are right again, Ms. Lin.” She tried to force a smile. “Can we please not discuss about my job? Let’s talk about the apartment, okay?”

“If I am not mistaken, Mrs. Huang also has a side business where she earns at least five to ten thousand a month.” The girl didn’t bat an eye and she went on speaking.

The more she spoke, the more uncomfortable the woman got. Mrs. Huang gulped. She was getting somehow irritated. “Ms. Lin, will you acquire this apartment or not? Why do you keep asking questions?”

“First of all, the total money you earn within a month isn’t up to fifty thousand. You get at least twenty thousand from the landlord when you bring in new tenants. As a single mother, Mrs. Huang also has to send her son to school.”

Seeing this girl talk as if she was reading from a book, Mrs. Huang was about to have a mental breakdown. She knew where this was going.

Annie’s lips curled at the side, revealing a subtle smile. “Mrs. Huang, this apartment only costs fifty thousand per month. Why do you plan to rip me off?”

“Ah, really!?” Layla who had been watching in a daze exclaimed out loud.

“Y–You.” Mrs. Huang wiped her sweat. “You… Ms. Lin, how did you– I mean, who told you that?”

Mrs. Huang was sure this girl came to know about the apartment from her website. She didn’t put that information on the website to make things look mysterious. With that strategy, she was able to trick some people.

Annie chuckled, looking into the woman’s eyes. “I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, Ms. Huang. This is your side hustle and you take care of your family with the money you earn. But tripling the rent: Didn’t you ever consider how much impact it can have on the other party?”

Mrs. Huang grumbled, “What choice do I have? Young Lady, I won’t beg you not to tell the landlord. Maybe you have already done that.”

“As long as Mrs. Huang promises to stop scamming people, I won’t breathe a word to the landlord,” Annie reassured her.

Mrs. Huang was still dispirited. Ah, who would think someday she would meet this kind of client? “Then… then, Ms. Lin may speak directly to the landlord in that case. It appears Ms. Lin knows everything about the building.”

“Sure, you can give me the landlord’s contact.” Annie didn’t deny her suggestion. “However, I won’t deny Mrs. Huang her share for introducing me to this place. Once I acquire this apartment, I owe you five percent.”

Mrs. Huang sighed. After giving Annie the landlord’s contact, she left in low spirits.

“Haha, Goddess! Tell me what just happened!” Layla was still baffled. In her eyes, her friend’s rank had just elevated.

In a simple tone, Annie replied looking at her phone, “When you research a property, dedicate seventy percent of it to the sales representative. When it comes to the housing industry, it’s not just about the houses; it’s about the individuals who steer the ship.”