Epiphanies of Rebirth Chapter 68 (Part 1)
Translated by Pure (ko-fi)
Chapter 68.1 Happy New Year
There were many unforeseen circumstances before the New Year holiday.
This year's winter was extremely cold, and the people in the city gradually dispersed back to their hometowns. This was a rare feeling of emptiness for Lin Jingzhe, as if he had gone back to the time he came to Yan City for the first time in this life.
The changes of the city were as subtle as the gently flowing water; only to be discovered inadvertently, a kind of encroachment that increased every day. There was more and more real estate under construction, and the traffic on the streets was getting denser and denser. The people living in it, including Lin Jingzhe, took a while to notice it. It was just when he came to the company this morning, Deng Mai casually noted, "Sure enough, it's almost Lunar New Year, I actually found a seat on the subway."
It's quite pitiful. As a high executive of New Beginnings Real Estate, Deng Mai had to leave early to catch the subway for work during the Lunar New Year. Lin Jingzhe really did pay him a high salary, but Deng Mai splurged too much during this period.
He bought a second-hand house near a subway route. The building needed some renovations, but the location was really good, perfectly in the center of the city. Deng Mai had never saved much of his income in the past; his wages were all used to perm his head and to keep up with the new fashion trends. With this purchase, it basically emptied what little savings he did have. Deng Mai also took on a ten-year mortgage, but even so, he still couldn't afford a new residence, let alone the high-rise condominiums like the Gao's and Zhou's.
Therefore, he probably felt very embarrassed in comparison. He kept hiding the news until after the formalities were completed. As a result, when Lin Jingzhe went to check out his new house, he was completely stunned– it turned out to be a small courtyard house[1].
The yard was not big, the interior was a mess, and the sewage was overflowing. There was even a rusty bicycle with missing wheels that was ruthlessly abandoned by the previous owner. The various dirty furniture piled up at the inner door of the house, and a good amount of the roof tiles were broken. Deng Mai looked embarrassed while tidying up. "You all have a house, so I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing... No matter how the house looks, I have to at least have one under my name. After a few years, I will replace this for a better home. For now, I’m a little low on cash, hehe. I actually wanted to buy a car first.”
Lin Jingzhe looked at the city gate in the distance and murmured, "Don’t, this is pretty good too."
From starting his own real estate business to the present, Lin Jingzhe had never considered the possibilities of this option. He had completely forgotten the existence of courtyard houses. In the future generations, these courtyard houses would become a rare gem in the real estate market. But at present, Yan City had yet perfected the concept of real estate. Courtyard houses were usually packed, with multiple families sharing a single house, so the living environment was really not very comfortable. While commercial housing had just launched; it was modern and trendy. Compared with the cramped living conditions of a courtyard house, it was undoubtedly a more popular choice. Many wealthy older residents were eager to move to those new buildings.
Deng Mai misunderstood Lin Jingzhe’s words and took them as just mere words of condolence. Nevertheless, he was moved by his kind words. To be honest, if he had more cash to put down for the down payment, he would have become Gao Sheng's family’s neighbor. But there was no rush, his salary would only get higher and higher, and it was not too late to buy a new house in the future. Anyways, regardless of his underwhelming home, he was still considered a homeowner!
Lin Jingzhe watched Deng Mai busy himself while smiling silly and couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Some people were just blessed with prosperity. Although they didn’t keep in contact much in his previous life, Deng Mai obviously fared the best out of his childhood friend group. And now, in this life, the other party just bought a house without much thought. Although it was broken and small, after a decade or two, its price would exceed Gao Sheng's 200 square meters home.
Deng Mai picked up the scattered broken tiles in the yard, full of fighting spirit, "Next year, I will save more money! Then I will sell this house and move into the downstairs unit of Gao Sheng's condominium."
Lin Jingzhe came back to his senses, held his forehead, and persuaded Deng Mai with complicated emotions, "Don’t. If you are not used to living here, you can still buy the one downstairs from Gao Sheng, and I will lend you the difference. Just keep this house and don't sell it. With such a big yard, when your parents get older, you can move them here. It will be convenient for them to walk around and tend to the garden."
When Deng Mai heard that, he suddenly felt that it made sense.
On their way back, he mentioned to Lin Jingzhe, "The person in charge of the TOBR is frequently contacting Mao Dongqing to make dinner appointments. Recently, I heard that he even gave Mao Dongqing a New Year's gift. Do you want me to keep an eye on him?"
Deng Mai was not in charge of investment promotion, so he wasn’t aware of the details regarding TOBR. He and Mao Dongqing had a good relationship, but they were also considered to be rivals at work, so they are often very concerned about each other's movements. Lin Jingzhe knew this well, but he didn't intend to intervene. He and Deng Mai were good buddies. If he were to constantly worry about his work life and pave the way for his every endeavor, then it would mean he didn’t not fully trust him. As far as his status as the boss was concerned, it was far better for his two competent subordinates to have a slight rivalry than to be close as a family.
What's more, Deng Mai and Mao Dongqing were both people with a sense of propriety. Although they buttheads at times, when they encounter a project that requires cooperation, they will not hide their secrets for personal gains. With their cooperation, the Mixed-Use Building project progressed very smoothly.
Lin Jingzhe trusted his confidants, so he just shook his head and replied, "There is no need to worry."
But after the new year’s meeting, Mao Dongqing still took the initiative to confess the matter to him. At the same time, he presented Lin Jingzhe with a few very technologically advanced mobile phones.
Mao Dongqing stared at the mobile phone with a frown, as if he was facing a scourge. "I refused to accept the gift from Grand, but the gift sender left as soon as he put down the items."
The relationship between TOBR and the Mixed-Use Building had completely reversed. In the past, Mao Dongqing was doing the chasing, begging for TOBR to enter. Now it was TOBR chasing after Mao Dongqing and begging for the Mixed-Use Building to let them in.
As soon as the Mixed-Use Building and April Wind Square cooperated, April Wind Square immediately changed its positioning. It no longer focused on bringing in high-end luxury brands that conflicted with the Mixed-Use Building, instead, targeting the upper-middle-class market. The above-street bridge connecting the two shopping malls was added to the construction plan immediately after approval. This ingenious idea also directly combined the influence of the two shopping malls into one, making it a force to be reckoned with in the shopping mall circle in Yan City.
As soon as the news of their malls’ cooperation was announced, there were brands who took the initiative to approach the investment promotion department of the Mixed-Use Building. Gao Sheng has accumulated some contacts in the fashion industry recently because of his advertising company. He helped Mao Dongqing get in contact with several brands that have not clearly expressed their intention to enter Yan City. The two sides negotiated very harmoniously, and there was already some faint intention.
Grand was left without much choice. The news of the decisions of the other same-level brands had already made their way to TOBR’s parent company. The senior management of the parent company personally asked about the circumstances regarding TOBR’s possible location selection in Yan City. As the person in charge of TOBR’s China branch, who currently had only one store to manage, Grand's power was far from sufficient. What he was most worried about now was that the previous grievances that started with New Beginnings Real Estate will be known by the parent company. If TOBR cannot enter the same shopping mall with the other high end brands because of him, then Grand didn’t know how much longer he could remain in this position that had brought him infinite glory.
So he simply disregarded his face, desperately trying to reconcile with Mao Dongqing. Dropping all pretense, Grand continued to pester and harass him, causing Mao Dongqing to now shudder whenever his name was mentioned.
Lin Jingzhe leaned forward with a smile and took the phone into Mao Dongqing’s hand. "Confiscated."
Looking at his expression, Mao Dongqing knew that Lin Jingzhe didn't take it to heart, so he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, "Take it, take it. It’s just Mr. Lin, disregarding Grand and these gifts, I think the company can still consider cooperating with TOBR. "
Lin Jingzhe asked him, "You don’t mind what he did to you anymore?"
Mao Dongqing had no doubt that if he continued to despise Grand for his actions, Lin Jingzhe could also continue to block TOBR from entering their shopping mall. How many bosses in the world would disregard the chance of profiting for the sake of venting his employees' grievances? Mao Dongqing felt that it was not advisable, but at the same time, he inevitably felt cared for and touched. Lin Jingzhe was willing to seek revenge for him, so he shouldn't ignore the interests of the company. Hence, with a shy smile, he whispered back, "I’ve long already put that matter behind me."
Although it was possible for them to cooperate, because of their estrangement and fall through, the new contract would definitely not be as favorable.
Storefront size? Shrink it!
Street side advertising? Reduced!
Rent discount? Lessened!
The rest of the subclauses will also follow suit; Grand really shot himself in the foot. He was very dissatisfied with this new contract, and he knew that after the contract was signed, the parent company would definitely voice their doubts. However, thinking of the tasks assigned to him, he gritted his teeth and signed it.
TOBR then officially announced that it had reached an investment promotion agreement with New Beginnings Real Estate.
Amidst a dust-filled construction site, the shopping mall with the highest positioning in Yan City thus far had officially declared its grand appearance.
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Footnote:
[1] A type of house that used to be very popular in China. You can read more here- https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/architecture/siheyuan.htm