Peng Zhan led Ding Huan and the others to a densely built area.
From a distance, Ding Huan’s Divine Will detected a bustling market not far from this residential area.
The market was crowded with people coming and going, clearly very noisy.
Ding Huan looked at Peng Zhan speechlessly:
"Brother Peng, do you think this is a quiet place?"
Peng Zhan slapped his chest:
"Friend, rest assured, this place is absolutely quiet.
Unless you’ve done something to give others a handle on you or you’ve offended someone, it’s rare for people to trouble you if you live here."
This time Ding Huan understood:
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"Brother Peng, are you saying that it would be dangerous to live somewhere secluded with few people?"
Peng Zhan affirmed:
"Friend, the surface of Four-direction Star Land may seem peaceful, but in reality, there is robbery and murder everywhere in the shadows.
If you dare to live in a quiet place with no one around, I guarantee that within three days, someone will creep up to wherever you’re staying at night to rob you."
Having said that, he pointed to the place where Ding Huan had just alighted from his flying car:
"I, Peng Zhan, always keep to the words ’morality’ and ’righteousness’ in business. You saw it when you got off the flying car, right? Many people are competing for business.
But let me remind you, some people are conducting fake businesses. They take newcomers to secluded places and then at night..."
At this point, Peng Zhan made a throat-slitting gesture.
Ding Huan clasped his fist:
"Thank you, Brother Peng. "
Peng Zhan was quite pleased that Ding Huan appreciated his advice.
Although he had exaggerated a bit, he hadn’t spoken entirely without basis.
"This area is called Little Star Corner Market. There are many vacant houses. If you want to rent a house, you have to pay a high security deposit.
Do you want me to help you find one, or shall we just stop here?" Peng Zhan looked at Ding Huan expectantly.
If Ding Huan asked for his help, it would mean that he wasn’t too poor.
Because his help would require a fee.
Ding Huan quickly said:
"Brother Peng, your help up to this point is much appreciated, but we will look for a place ourselves. May I ask how much your guidance fee is?"
Peng Zhan felt that Ding Huan wasn’t very wealthy, but in business, naturally, one charges and then repays:
"The going rate around here is fifty black gold coins..."
"Ah, that expensive?" Ding Huan exclaimed in surprise.
Then, without waiting for Peng Zhan to lower his price, he hesitated and said, "I don’t have enough black gold on me, how about I go exchange some and give it to you?"
Peng Zhan originally intended to ask for twenty black gold coins, and even ten black gold coins would be acceptable to him.
He didn’t expect Ding Huan to be so impatient that he just cried out about the price and didn’t even haggle.
Where could Peng Zhan wait for Ding Huan to come to his senses?
"I can break your change here."
Ding Huan reluctantly took out a purple gold coin and handed it to Peng Zhan:
"Brother Peng, this business of yours really does pay well."
Peng Zhan hurriedly took the purple gold coin and gave Ding Huan fifty black gold coins, then said:
"We also have to pay a hefty commission tax, so despite charging you fifty black gold coins, how much I’ll get to keep in the end, I can’t tell."
"Still, thank you, Brother Peng."
Ding Huan took the fifty black gold coins.
Peng Zhan hadn’t expected to make so much this time.
After receiving the coins, he took the initiative to remind Ding Huan to find a middleman when looking for a house, and then he hurried off.
Peng Zhan’s meaning was that Ding Huan must go through an agent or broker when looking for a house.
"Xiao Tu, I think he would have accepted a negotiated price."
Qi Xinyue was a bit puzzled. Although she was smart, she was still young when she came out and lacked some knowledge of the ways of the world.
"It’s just a matter of a few tens of black gold coins, negotiating or not doesn’t really make a difference. The main thing is we can’t reveal that we have money; otherwise, we would encounter a lot of problems."
Ding Huan explained.
He wasn’t afraid of being robbed; he was only concerned that people would come for him day after day, which would be quite annoying.
Had it not been to avoid revealing his wealth, Ding Huan would not have asked for the fifty black gold coins back from Peng Zhan at all.
Ding Huan was very clear about not showing his generosity without consideration of the situation.
This was because he was very satisfied with the information Peng Zhan had given him. Otherwise, he might actually have negotiated down to ten black gold coins.
Originally, Ding Huan indeed wanted to find a quiet place to settle down, but Peng Zhan had reminded him.
In this place, secluded did not necessarily mean quiet.
Little Star Corner had a very mixed population and was close to the workshop. Living here wasn’t too bad after all.
Upon entering the residential area, Ding Huan saw a line of real estate brokers and some independent agents.
It was evident that the housing business was booming in this place.
Ding Huan didn’t look for these brokers or agents; he saw many houses with ’For Rent’ signs posted at the entrance.
In that case, it would be better to find the landlords himself.
Ding Huan wanted to buy a house, and after looking around, while the housing business was booming with mostly rental opportunities, there were very few houses for sale.
A few houses with ’For Sale’ signs had seemingly average locations.
The price, however, was within Ding Huan’s range of acceptance, generally around two thousand purple gold coins.
One with a small courtyard was only three thousand purple gold coins.
Compared to the rent, Ding Huan even felt that the price was ridiculously cheap.
"That man said it would be best to find an agent to rent a house."
Qi Xinyue reminded Ding Huan.
Ding Huan explained:
"Xinyue, you see this place is all about the law of the fist. Even if we’ve found an agent, problems that should arise will still arise.
Imagine that the problems agents here can solve for us are limited. Finding one or not actually makes no difference."
Qi Xinyue nodded, understanding Ding Huan’s point.
That is, when finding a house through an agent, they could solve small problems after receiving payment.
But in Ding Huan’s eyes, small problems weren’t worth bothering an agent with.
As for the big problems, the agent couldn’t solve them; if so, why bother with an agent at all?
"This place is nice."
Ding Huan stopped outside a small courtyard.
The courtyard wasn’t far from the workshop, and it was relatively open around it.
In a jumble of residential areas, it was a quiet spot amid chaos.
Not far from the courtyard, there stood a huge rock, inscribed with two characters: "Apricot Pond."
In fact, there was neither a pond here nor even a ditch.
"Xinyue, there’s no ’for rent’ or ’for sale’ sign posted outside, is there?"
Qi Xinyue was somewhat puzzled.
"If there were, it wouldn’t be our turn anymore."
While speaking, Ding Huan stepped forward to knock on the door.
The courtyard door opened to reveal a very fierce-looking burly man.
He stared at Ding Huan:
"What do you want?"
The tone was quite unwelcoming, clearly Ding Huan had disturbed him.
With a fist clasped, Ding Huan wore a smile from ear to ear:
"I want to buy this courtyard. Name your price."
"Not selling," stated the burly man without hesitation, about to shut the door.
Ding Huan spoke before the door could close, "Five thousand purple gold coins."
He had seen prices posted at other locations, where one such courtyard was offered at about three thousand purple gold coins.
Even if his offer was slightly low, the difference should not be much.
The burly man, intending to close the door, involuntarily swallowed when he heard five thousand purple gold coins.
Five thousand purple gold coins, such a fortune, where could he possibly earn that?
No, this person in front of him dared to offer five thousand purple gold coins, meaning he could offer more.
But before he could speak, Ding Huan preempted:
"I only have five thousand purple gold coins on me. If you’re not willing, we’ll look elsewhere."
"Willing, come in and let’s talk," said the burly man opening the door for Ding Huan and Qi Xinyue to enter the courtyard.
But he took a final glance at Lao Liu, feeling somewhat puzzled.
Once inside the courtyard, Ding Huan felt it was quite suitable, at least for crafting talismans and practicing Escape Technique.
He could craft talismans in this place, practice Escape Technique, and casually inquire about the spaceships from the Advanced Civilization Planet.
As soon as he got news of a spaceship coming from the Advanced Civilization Planet, he’d immediately find a way to leave this place that appeared interconnected but was actually deserted.
"Friend, are you really going to pay five thousand purple gold coins for this courtyard?"
After entering the courtyard, the burly man eyed Ding Huan, his gaze shifting erratically.
Ding Huan sneered internally. He didn’t know whether he could take action on this spot, but if this guy dared to make the first move, he would kill him.
"Yes, this is five thousand purple gold coins," Ding Huan affirmed, tossing a cloth bag onto the table.
The cloth bag, given by Sister Tou, hit the table with a tinkling sound, obviously containing a substantial amount of purple gold coins.
The burly man reached out eagerly to seize it, but caught nothing; the cloth bag fell back into Ding Huan’s hands again.
"If you’re selling, this is yours. If not, it’s none of your concern," Ding Huan said indifferently.
"Selling, definitely selling. Give me the money and the house is yours," the burly man said without hesitation.
Ding Huan didn’t hand over the money; instead, he just stared at the burly man without a word.
The burly man had no choice but to fetch the house deed, on which Ding Huan’s Divine Will had already focused.
While Four-direction Star Land was merely a mishmash starland, the house deed seemed legit.
Surprisingly, there was even a photo of the burly man on it.
The burly man was named Han Ni, documented as a resident of Four-direction Star Land.
Ding Huan wasn’t familiar with the authentic house deeds of Four-direction Star Land but couldn’t notice any trace of forgery on this one.
"Here’s the house deed," Han Ni waved the document in his hand.
"Since I’ve dared to come here to buy a house, it’s natural that I’ve inquired about your reputation, Han Ni. So, let’s head to the exchange to transfer ownership," said Ding Huan plainly.
Ding Huan wasn’t sure whether a house needed to be transferred at the exchange, but he knew from selling the Blue Star that such transactions probably required the exchange.
Han Ni was taken aback; he had thought Ding Huan dared to come here to buy a house because he was new and unaware of Han Ni’s fierceness.
He didn’t expect that Ding Huan was aware of him yet still dared to come here to buy a house, indicating that this young man was no simple character.
However, Han Ni’s eyes fell on the cloth bag in Ding Huan’s hands, and he could no longer mask his greed.
His house was worth at most three thousand something purple gold coins. In this place, few people bought houses; most rented them.
This deal was definitely not to be missed.
"Alright then, let’s go together," Han Ni stood up.
Once he got the money in hand, he’d carefully inquire about Ding Huan’s background.
To him, Ding Huan was likely just bluffing, and afterwards, he could still take the house back.
He was sure Ding Huan hadn’t met the original owner of the house; if he had, he wouldn’t have bought it.
(That’s all for today’s update, friends. Good night, and I request your support with monthly tickets!)