Chapter Thirty-Two: An Encounter of Romance (Part One)

After making his announcement, Old Zhu performed another act that left the shop assistants both envious and incredulous.

“Brother, my BMW Five—here’s the key for you. The car’s parked outside, and I’ve arranged for a professional to help you practice driving. Starting tomorrow, your license is already sorted out; it should arrive in a few days!”

Old Su had actually heard from Zhu Senlin about giving the car to Zhang Can during their last conversation. However, out of jealousy and pride, he hadn’t mentioned a word of it to anyone at the shop. Now, as Zhu Senlin announced it openly, the employees were even more astonished.

To rub it in, Zhang Can smiled as he took the car key, waved it in his hand, and said, “Thanks, Old Zhu. In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony!”

“We’re like brothers here, no need for formalities,” Zhu Senlin replied with his usual good-natured grin, his expression as sincere as though Zhang Can were his own kin.

Su Xiu naturally sided with her uncle. It was obvious to her that he was being slighted. As the saying goes, when has an apprentice ever taken the master’s rice bowl? She was indignant, unaware of Old Su’s awkward situation. She still believed Old Stone Studio relied on her uncle to keep its doors open, so her dissatisfaction was written all over her face.

Zhu Senlin paid no mind to the staff’s attitude toward Zhang Can. Still smiling, he made a call to check on the two drivers, then said to Zhang Can, “They’ll be here tomorrow at noon.”

Zhang Can nodded. Generally, his role was to appraise and source valuable antiques; as for how to increase their value or sell them afterward, that was Old Zhu’s business. He wasn’t familiar with those dealings and didn’t need to be.

If looks could kill, Old Su would have slain Zhang Can a hundred times over. But Zhang Can pretended not to notice, smiling as he said, “Old Su, Sister Xiu, Da Zhang, dinner’s on me tonight. You pick the place and give me a call after work. I’ll be there on time.”

He strode out of Old Stone Studio, but instead of returning to his apartment in the urban village, he found a nearby real estate agency on the neighboring street. The girl at the agency greeted him with enthusiasm, eager to show him options.

She talked at length, but Zhang Can barely listened. She was saying too much without getting to the point. With a smile, he cut in, “Is there anything nearby? I want something close—a two-bedroom apartment would be best, though three bedrooms would do too.”

The girl was momentarily taken aback. Judging by Zhang Can’s plain clothes, she pegged him as an ordinary worker earning four or five thousand a month—not high, not low. Such clients usually looked for single apartments around seven hundred a month, so that’s what she’d been introducing, mostly further out where rents were cheaper.

But Zhang Can had clearly requested something local, and with two or three bedrooms. The buildings nearby were all in the city center where rents were high—a thirty-square-meter studio would cost around two thousand, while a two- or three-bedroom apartment would start at four thousand at least!

After her brief shock, the girl quickly responded, “Of course, sir, we have nearby options. There’s one at Tianxin Plaza, seventeenth floor, a three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment, luxuriously furnished with everything you need. The owner went abroad for studies last week. It’s not for sale, only for rent for now, because it’s unclear if he’ll return. As for the price...”

She paused, sizing up Zhang Can, and said, “Since all the appliances are high quality, the rent is five thousand per month, with a three-month deposit. So, if you sign today, you’d need to pay twenty thousand upfront—deposit plus one month’s rent. Of course, if you find that too expensive, we have other options a bit further away…”

“No need, let’s see this one,” Zhang Can said, cutting her off without hesitation.

The girl was stunned again, but soon her face lit up with joy. The agency’s commission was half a month’s rent, so the pricier the apartment, the more they earned. A five-thousand rent meant a commission of two thousand five, far better than the seven- or eight-hundred-yuan single studios.

“Wonderful, Mr. Zhang, I’ll take you to see it right away. Actually, I’ll bring keys for a couple of units—if you’re not satisfied, you can see others.”

She spoke as she fetched the keys, clearly determined to close the deal. Zhang Can didn’t stop her—he was, after all, looking for a good place. He had no plans to settle in Jincheng permanently just yet, only wanted to rent for a while. Later, he even thought of bringing his sister, Zhang Hua, to the city, paying for her to learn computer accounting or something similar, and then slowly helping her find a job. If he could earn enough, he might start a business himself, and his sister’s employment wouldn’t be an issue. Even if she couldn’t find work, helping out at home would be fine.

The apartment at Tianxin Plaza was on the seventeenth floor of the International Building, which had seventy-four stories in all. The first five floors were shopping and clubs, with residences and offices above—the very definition of a prime location.

The flat was three bedrooms and two living rooms, but not huge—just eighty-six square meters. The renovation and layout were excellent, with all the furniture and appliances about seventy percent new. The deposit was a bit steep, but compared to the value of the furnishings, it was reasonable.

The design was rational and the décor was elegant. Zhang Can was satisfied at a glance. The girl, fearing he’d mind the price, quickly said, “Mr. Zhang, the price is still slightly negotiable…”

But Zhang Can waved her off. “No need. I’ll take it at this price. Contact the landlord, let’s sign the contract and settle payment so I can move in. In fact, to save the hassle, I’ll pay a full year’s rent up front.”

The girl’s jaw dropped in surprise. She’d never met a tenant who offered to pay a year’s rent at once. When she regained her composure, she said, “Let’s head back to our office, then. The landlord’s authorized us to handle the contract and the first payment. From the second month, you’ll pay the rent directly to his account. Since you’re paying a year up front, there’s no problem at all. We’ll sign immediately!”

Her smile was radiant, even flirtatious, with none of her earlier anxiety. Clearly, this young man was serious about renting and easy to deal with.

Zhang Can didn’t waste words. He returned with her to the agency, signed the lease, and transferred seventy-five thousand to the account provided—fifteen thousand as deposit, sixty thousand for a year’s rent. Utilities and management fees were to be paid monthly.

He truly liked the apartment. Earning money wasn’t hard for him now, and even if business cooled in the coming days, Zhu Senlin had given him a million-yuan annual salary. He still had 5.5 million in his bank account—renting a five-thousand-yuan place was nothing.

With the keys in hand, he left the agency and headed straight to the supermarket. Now that he was renting, he needed to buy daily necessities and bedding. There were several large supermarkets in the Tianxin Plaza area.

He chose the nearby ParknShop, skipping over Walmart and Carrefour—he didn’t support foreign chains that cheated Chinese customers. The basement floor was KFC, the ground floor daily goods, the second floor appliances including home electronics, mobile phones, and digital products, third floor jewelry, fourth floor clothing, and fifth floor video games and entertainment.

There was a directory by the escalator at the entrance. Zhang Can rarely came here, so he checked the map and went straight to the second floor. He planned to browse electronics first, then buy daily goods on his way down, so he wouldn’t have to haul them around.

Previously, when he fell into Old Su’s trap, Zhang Can had sold his computer and TV to scrape together money. Now that he had cash, he was determined to buy a new computer.

The electronics floor carried all the world’s major brands, each with its own shop. Zhang Can had once loved Dell and Apple, but their desktops and laptops were expensive—he’d never been able to justify the cost. His last computer was a four-thousand-yuan Lenovo.

But now, as he wandered among the brand stores, he felt none of the old yearning. No matter how expensive, he could afford anything with ease.

He took a lap of the floor—it was vast and crowded with stores, almost overwhelming. Since he wasn’t in a hurry, he decided to visit each floor in turn, taking the escalator up with the crowd.

The third floor was dedicated to jewelry and jade. The atmosphere changed immediately—quieter, fewer people, mostly couples rather than single men or women.

The first shop on the right after the escalator was Chow Tai Fook, a famous Hong Kong-owned gold shop. Zhang Can had just seen in the news that the richest Chinese had changed, and the owner of Chow Tai Fook, Cheng Yu Tung, now held the title. The shop was big and well-known.

Since gaining his black-and-white eyes, Zhang Can was still halfway between novice and expert, but their penetrating power could nearly fill his knowledge gaps. Inevitably, his interest in the field had grown even stronger.

To be honest, after being swindled out of everything by Old Su, Zhang Can had been so disheartened that he’d considered suicide and lost all confidence and passion for antiques and jade. But fate is unpredictable—who could have guessed that being cheated would lead to his acquiring the black-and-white eyes’ x-ray vision?

Old Su was certainly hateful, but Zhang Can’s special gift came from his trap, delivered via the grave robber He Fugui, who’d given him the jade that granted his powers. In a way, Old Su’s harm had handed him the most miraculous thing of all. Sometimes Zhang Can wondered whether he should hate Old Su or thank him!

In the end, though, Zhang Can saw things clearly. Old Su and He Fugui had, after all, deceived him with ill intent. The jade had come to him by accident, not as a gesture of goodwill. This grudge, he would repay.

“Sir, would you like to see our newest designs? Perhaps a gift for your girlfriend?” a tall and beautiful saleswoman asked with a sweet smile. Her charm was her greatest weapon, and Zhang Can, unwilling to appear rude, nodded and replied, “Sure, why don’t you show me what you recommend?”

In fact, Zhang Can was thinking of buying jewelry for his mother, sister-in-law, and sister. Even Zhu Senlin brought gifts when visiting—how could he not do the same?