The salesperson's eyes lit up, and their tone grew even more polite. They slightly bent over and walked over to Zhou You, saying, "Sir, please come this way. Let's go to the VIP room, and I'll give you a detailed introduction."
Zhou You had never bought a villa before, so he didn't know if every place had a VIP room.
Once inside the room, the salesperson brought over a plate of fruit, poured two cups of tea, and fetched a thick brochure.
When other clients came and asked about villas, the salesperson would usually just give a brief overview. But this time, seeing Zhou You's completely calm demeanor—asking about the villas as casually as if he were browsing a supermarket—the salesperson, seasoned and perceptive, knew there was a high chance of a sale. They had to handle this carefully, since a single commission could match their entire annual income.
"Our villas and high-rise apartments are separated by a road. So, while they're in the same development and community, they're in different areas, with almost no interference between them," the salesperson explained.
"The villas are also closer to the lake and very quiet. We have standalone and townhouse villas. Townhouses are about 300 to 500 square meters, while standalone ones are all over 800 square meters. Sir, you can take a look at the brochure first, and I'll explain as you go through it," the salesperson said softly, flipping through the pages alongside Zhou You.
Zhou You picked up the brochure and browsed through it, comparing each design to his own countryside courtyard. Aside from the layout differences, there wasn't much else to distinguish them. It was just that their location made the price vastly different.
He didn't spend long looking, as he already had a villa in mind—the standalone one at the center of the community. He'd once visited this development by chance to see a client who lived in a townhouse.
A townhouse was essentially a villa split in two, with two families sharing one building. Though called a villa, each floor's usable space was very small, the stairs were narrow, and you couldn't install an internal elevator, making it quite inconvenient to live in. Just climbing the stairs every day was exhausting.
The yard was also cramped. It carried the name "villa," but living there wasn't as comfortable as in an apartment building. Back then, the client had taken them to see the standalone villas up front, which were on a completely different level. But the client could only dream—they were twice as expensive, and even a similar size was out of their budget, let alone the subsequent renovation costs.
Zhou You pointed to the standalone villas in the middle. "Tell me about these."
Seeing Zhou You's attitude, the salesperson's heart raced with joy, and their tone grew even softer. Wang Fangfang, watching from the side, felt a bit uncomfortable, thinking that if she weren't there, the salesperson might practically cling to him.
"These are all in the central area of our community, the best location. They're three stories high, each floor about 200 square meters. They include a small internal elevator to save you the trouble of stairs, plus a basement level and a garage that can fit at least three cars."
"When will the villas be completed and ready for delivery?" Zhou You asked, as this was a key concern for him.
"The villas should be finished by the end of this year."
"And the high-rises?"
"The high-rises might take a bit longer—probably around next year or the year after. Since they involve more floors and areas, they need unified approval and planning for construction."
"We can't visit the site in person right now, can we?" Zhou You thought for a moment and asked anyway.
Everything was still off-plan, which was honestly a bit ridiculous. He decided not to dwell on it—too many clever people out there.
"The site is under construction now. I can take you to see it from a distance, but I'm afraid we can't go inside since it's not built yet," the salesperson said cautiously after a moment's thought.
"Alright, I won't go see it. Just pick that middle one. Call your sales manager over and give me the biggest discount. Also, I want to buy two of your high-rise units," Zhou You told the salesperson.
The salesperson's heart pounded wildly as they struggled to contain their excitement. "Sir, please wait a moment. I'll get the manager right away."
Zhou You turned to Wang Fangfang and said, "You saved some money last year. This time, take out what you have, and I'll cover the rest. Buy yourself a house too, and put it directly in your name."
Wang Fangfang was taken aback. She thought she was just accompanying Zhou You to buy a house today and hadn't considered buying one herself. The prices here were steep, and in her view, being able to buy in a nearby neighborhood would already be more than enough.
"You Ge, maybe forget it. I'm still way short on money."
"It's fine. Keep some for living expenses and take out the rest. Buying a house now will give you peace of mind. This area is really good—you won't find another place like this later." Zhou You could have just bought a house for her outright, but after thinking it over, he decided to let her contribute. Paying for it yourself versus having it handed to you were two different mindsets.
Wang Fangfang didn't hesitate long before agreeing. She had no other way to repay him except to give herself to him.
A few minutes later, the sales manager arrived. As soon as he entered the room, his face was all smiles. Anyone who could afford a standalone villa in their community was bound to be wealthy or influential.
"My surname is Zhao. Just call me Xiao Zhao. May I ask your surname, sir?" he said, bending slightly as he handed over his business card.
Zhou You stood up, took the card, and pocketed it.
"I'm Zhou."
"Hello, President Zhou. I just heard from my colleague that you've decided on a standalone villa and two lake-view high-rise units, is that right?" Manager Zhao confirmed.
"Yes. Give me the prices and discounts. If it's reasonable, I'll buy today."
Selling a villa meant rewards not just for the salesperson but for him as well, so he was fully focused.
"The standalone villa you're looking at is about 810 square meters, including a roughly 200-square-meter garden. The total price is around 7.5 million. With my maximum authority, I can bring it down to 7 million."
"The two lake-view high-rises are each about 130 square meters, priced at 10,000 per square meter. I can give you the best discount too, down to 9,000 per square meter. Plus, I'll throw in two additional paid parking spots for the high-rises."
Manager Zhao spoke while watching Zhou You's expression, but it remained unchanged.
Zhou You was satisfied with the price. Later on, property prices here would skyrocket to 30,000 or 40,000 per square meter, so compared to other investments, the appreciation wasn't huge. But for villas, it would indeed be hard to find such a desirable property later.
"Alright, no problem. We'll pick the high-rise floors later—let's get two units next to each other." That way, they could minimize neighbor disputes and enjoy some peace.
Manager Zhao and the female salesperson both lit up with excitement. They quickly led Zhou You and Wang Fangfang to choose the floors.
The building had 20 floors total. Since the front was a villa area, anything above the 10th floor had an unobstructed view. They ruled out the top floor, as well as the 11th and 12th.
They settled on the 16th floor, units 1601 and 1602.
The view was clear, the layout was open from north to south, and the sunlight was ample.
Zhou You paid a 1 million deposit and arranged to pay the balance the next day, asking them to prepare the contracts. He planned to send the contracts to a law firm in Shanghai for review.