Chapter 733 — The Price Goes Up

The moment Mother Tang stepped into the new third-floor apartment, she was utterly smitten! How could anything be this beautiful? Bright floor-to-ceiling windows, a layout that felt wonderfully roomy, a great big living room — it was simply the dream home she had so often seen on television!

In her heart Mother Tang had already gritted her teeth and decided: buy it, she absolutely had to buy it! This apartment was too lovely!

"How much is this apartment?" Mother Tang asked, a little nervously.

"Auntie, this apartment is nine hundred and fifty thousand," the salesgirl said after a glance at her sales ledger.

"Ah! So expensive!" Mother Tang's heart ached. True, just yesterday she had come by three million out of nowhere, but money that had reached her hands was money she was reluctant to part with, so she asked, "Can this apartment go any cheaper?"

"I'm sorry, Auntie, but the discounts I mentioned earlier are the limit of my authority. If you want more than that, you would have to speak with our general manager in person — though if you are only buying a single apartment, I doubt the general manager would offer you a discount..." The salesgirl told it to her straight.

"Only nine hundred and fifty thousand? That cheap?" Boss Wu the balding man spoke up at last. "Nine hundred and fifty thousand and you're still haggling over a discount? Forget all those discounts — even at full price it's a steal, wouldn't you say?"

As he spoke, Boss Wu the balding man glanced at the little mistress beside him.

"Exactly, to a man like you, Boss Wu, that money is no more than a drop in the ocean — it's nothing at all!" the little mistress chimed in. "It's simply too cheap!"

Hearing the two of them, Tang Zhi could not help but feel annoyed. What did this man even mean by that? They were not the ones buying the apartment — what business did they have butting in?

Mother Tang was furious as well. Were these two here just to make trouble?

Seeing Tang Zhi look his way, Boss Wu the balding man took it for admiration, and his heart swelled with delight; he grew so smug he quite forgot himself. "Xiao Li, what do you think of this apartment? If you like it, I'll buy it for you!"

"Sure, I love it — let's take this one!" the little mistress called Xiao Li nodded and said happily.

Wei Zhao laughed inwardly. These two must have come as a pair to put on airs. Go on, keep it up, let's see how long you can keep it up.

"Miss, I'll take this apartment. Draw up the contract!" Boss Wu the balding man said to the salesgirl.

"Sir, this apartment was picked out by this auntie first. Would you consider waiting until she has made her decision before you decide?" the salesgirl asked, somewhat embarrassed.

"Picked out first? So what if she picked it out? She hasn't bought it yet, has she? If it isn't bought, it isn't theirs!" Boss Wu the balding man gave a cold snort. "Tell me, miss, do you even know how to do your job? Whoever pays first gets it! They haven't even signed a contract — hurry up and draw ours!"

"We'll buy it! We'll buy it right now!" Mother Tang grew frantic at once. The apartment she had so painstakingly set her heart on — how could it be snatched away from her? That would not do. Absolutely not!

"We said first that we wanted to buy it — you're too late!" Xiao Li rolled her eyes contemptuously at Mother Tang. "Just look at you, poor as church mice. You can't afford this apartment anyway, so save your money and go buy a one-storey shack out in the countryside!"

"How can you say we can't afford it? We picked it out first, so we have first claim on buying it!" Tang Zhi was beside herself with anger at Xiao Li's ugly words, and she glared at the woman and retorted.

"Forget it, there's no point arguing with the likes of you." Boss Wu the balding man meant only to play up his image of dominance, and he turned to the salesgirl. "How about this: nine hundred and fifty thousand, and I'll forgo every one of those little discounts. Draw up the contract for me now!"

"This..." The salesgirl was caught in a bind as well. If Boss Wu the balding man really would forgo the discounts, then once she sold the apartment the general manager would surely praise her, and this month's bonus would be no small sum. But to do it this way was hardly fair to Mother Tang and her family!

"Isn't there a saying? The highest bidder wins. We're offering a higher price, so it's ours — what are you still hesitating for?" After saying this to the salesgirl, Xiao Li turned to Mother Tang with a taunting look. "We're giving up the discounts. If you give up the discounts too, she'll sell it to you as well. Can you do that?"

"I... I... I..." Mother Tang's face flushed crimson with rage. What sort of people were these? And yet — she really could not do without that discount!

"We... will forgo the discounts too!" Though it pained her to say it, Wei Zhao was squeezing her hand from behind, and she knew it was his wish, so she said it.

"Oh?" Baldy President Wu was taken aback. He had not expected Tang Zhi to have such resolve. But the flat was already in his grasp — how could he spit it back out? For one thing, he could not afford to lose face in front of his little mistress; for another, he wanted to show off his means before Tang Zhi and her mother.

If he were to slink away with his tail between his legs, what means would there be left to show?

At that thought, Baldy President Wu gritted his teeth and said, "Tell you what — I'll pay one million! Draw up the contract for me!"

The salesgirl was dumbstruck. She had heard of wealthy men bidding against one another for villas, but never of anyone bidding against another for an ordinary apartment. And the price had shot up by fifty thousand at a stroke — that was simply unbelievable.

"One million! What are you standing there gaping for? Don't you want your bonus? If your boss found out you had money to make and turned it down, he'd fire you for sure!" Xiaoli bluffed the salesgirl.

"I... this..." The salesgirl looked at Mother Tang's side, somewhat at a loss.

"We'll pay one million too!" Tang Zhi had no choice but to bite the bullet and make a bid.

Wei Zhao had signaled her again to keep bidding. Though she was none too willing, Tang Zhi still named the price.

Baldy President Wu frowned. He had not expected Tang Zhi to actually follow him and raise the bid. Did they have that much money? They had come in a beat-up bread van not worth twenty thousand, and they dared to add fifty thousand in one go?

Could it be they were truly set on butting heads with him? But Baldy President Wu could not show weakness now. A price Tang Zhi could afford — how could he not afford it? He was the president of Xincun Taxi Company, the largest taxi company in Songshan City, and he had Brother Cihua behind him!

If he really gave up today and slunk away, what he lost would be not only his own face but Brother Cihua's as well!

So although Baldy President Wu felt that having to add money for an apartment was hardly worth it, there was no help for it — things had come to this point, he had no way back. He could only steel himself and grit his teeth: "One million one hundred thousand! I've no time to dawdle with them — draw up the contract for me, now!"

The salesgirl was frightened by Baldy President Wu's price as well. One million one hundred thousand? RO