Chapter 350: Chapter 339: Buying a Villa Chapter 350: Chapter 339: Buying a Villa After removing the 130 million greenbacks used for forex trading, there was still over 53 million left. Lu Jiaxin allocated 10 million each to Standard Chartered and Worldwide Precious Metals. She inquired with two stockbrokers, and although they didn’t refuse her desire to place short orders for greenbacks/Japanese yen, they could only accept trades within 5 million, and without using leverage. A mosquito may be small, but it still has its flesh, so Lu Jiaxin invested 5 million in both banks. The rest of the money was used to buy stocks, as she purchased ten blue-chip stocks. Once the money was diversified, there were only over 23 million greenbacks left in her HSBC account.
Nie Zhan helped Lu Jiaxin look for villas, hoping she would purchase one in Shallow Bay, so that the two of them, living near each other, could meet more often. However, there was no property that met her requirements upon inquiry. Instead, there were several villas in Deep Water Bay that fit her criteria.
Hearing there were three luxurious mansions for sale in Deep Water Bay, Lu Jiaxin expressed her surprise, “Why are there so many owners selling their mansions in Deep Water Bay?”
It was only through asking that she found out, these people had all purchased elsewhere. It quickly dawned on Lu Jiaxin that currently, the Peak was where the top tycoons lived, followed by Shallow Bay. These two locations housed the ultra-rich, and comparatively, Deep Water Bay was a notch below.
It wasn’t that Deep Water Bay didn’t have a good environment; on the contrary, the area was nice and only more than ten kilometers from the city, which was very convenient. However, due to political considerations, the British developed Shallow Bay first. Also, because of the geographical advantages of Deep Water Bay, it later still became a gathering place for the top tycoons.
Lu Jiaxin, with a beaming smile, said, “Okay, let’s go see the houses on Sunday.”
On Saturday, filled with eagerness, Lu Jiaxin went with Nie Zhan to see the villas. Among the three, the first one, lacking a garden, was immediately ruled out, the second had luxurious decor and was priced too high; the last villa was decently renovated, but its small garden was a let-down.
Hearing Lu Jiaxin’s comment, the agent chuckled and said, “Miss Lu, if you think the garden is too small, you can apply to purchase the adjacent land.”
Nie Zhan thought the agent’s suggestion was good and told Lu Jiaxin, “Buying the land next to yours not only lets you expand your garden, but you can also build an annex for your bodyguards and maids to live in.”
Lu Jiaxin asked with some concern, “Is it easy to buy the land next door? What if the government doesn’t sell it to me?”
Nie Zhan replied with a smile, “Your villa is right here. Everyone values privacy; no one is going to buy the land next door. Just apply, and the government will surely approve it.”
The owner of the villa was asking for 48 million, but the agent mentioned it could be negotiated down to 46 million. Lu Jiaxin felt this price was very cheap, considering that in thirty years, one wouldn’t think of buying it for less than two or three billion, and moreover, it was basically priceless.
Seeing Lu Jiaxin decisively secure the villa and even sign the contract on the spot, the agent couldn’t stop smiling, knowing he would earn hundreds of thousands from just this deal.
Lu Jiaxin, having the cash, was ready to buy it outright.
Nie Zhan thought paying in full was not cost-effective and suggested that Lu Jiaxin take out a mortgage, using the saved money for investment. With a 20% down-payment, it would only require about 10 million, and the remaining over 30 million could be invested, surely earning more than the interest on the house loan.
Lu Jiaxin shook her head and said, “I have the money at hand right now, paying in full is simpler, and it’s not too late to take out a mortgage when acquiring other properties in the future.”
Having the money in the bank isn’t doing any good; spending a portion of it doesn’t make a difference.
Hearing that she still had cash on hand, Nie Zhan was very curious as to what investment she made to earn so much so quickly, but his prudence made him hold back from asking, “After buying the villa, you’re definitely going to redecorate and furnish it, which is another big expense.”
Noticing that Lu Jiaxin didn’t change her mind, Nie Zhan added, “Those Hong Kong media have their sources. If it gets out that you bought a villa in cash, it won’t be good for you.”
A chill ran through Lu Jiaxin as she realized she had forgotten about the poor public safety in Hong Kong; letting those ruthless crooks know she had so much cash could make her a target. Ah, one truly needed to be vigilant at all times!
With that in mind, Lu Jiaxin said, “I’ll listen to you, let’s go with a mortgage. Twenty percent is too low, let’s make it a thirty percent down-payment!”
Seeing her look of retrospect fear, Nie Zhan curiously asked, “What did you think of?”
Lu Jiaxin voiced her concerns, “Nie Zhan, when the time comes, remind me more often. Mm, I should still keep a low profile and not attract attention from criminals. It would be too dangerous otherwise.”
Nie Zhan laughed and said, “With so many rich people in Hong Kong, and your bodyguards always close by, they wouldn’t dare touch you.”
Although security in Hong Kong was not great, those kidnappers were selective in their targets and didn’t just abduct anyone.
Lu Jiaxin felt that it was better to stay low-key. Her wonderful life had just begun, and she didn’t want to be restricted by the fear of kidnappers.
After signing the contract for the house, Lu Jiaxin took out a mortgage at HSBC Bank. With over a hundred million in cash lying in her account, the loan was approved in just three days–a record speed.
Once the loan was processed, it was time for property transfer, a task Lu Jiaxin entrusted to Yan Yihua. Being wealthy had its perks; whatever it was, someone would handle it thoroughly for you.
When she returned to her apartment after school, Yan Yihua handed her the property deed, saying, “Miss Lu, congratulations.”
He took care of both the mortgage and the transfer, knowing full well that it was Lu Jiaxin who had paid the down payment, and that it had nothing to do with Third Young Master Nie. People are drawn to the strong, and though he didn’t know how Lu Jiaxin had made so much money, he respected her wealth-gathering skills.
Lu Jiaxin immediately opened the property deed upon receiving it and, after reading it, couldn’t help but kiss it. Mm, the garden villa was now hers.
What Lu Jiaxin didn’t expect was that, two days later, a gossip magazine published the story with the headline “Third Young Master Nie Spends Tens of Millions for Love to Buy a Villa, Mainland Girl Becomes Millionaire Overnight.”
Since Lu Jiaxin had the habit of reading newspapers and magazines daily, she saw the piece as soon as it came out. The Hong Kong media were really too mean, mocking her so blatantly.
Qian Xiaoxiao was livid after reading it and said, “Sister Xin, the villa was clearly bought by you. How can they say Young Master Nie bought it? It’s totally nonsense.”
Lu Jiaxin said indifferently, “These people will write anything for attention; let’s not take it to heart.”
Qian Xiaoxiao felt wronged on behalf of Lu Jiaxin.
“They just love sensationalism. Once something new comes up, they’ll quickly forget about my business.”
Gu Wenfeng thought further ahead, “Boss, the villa you bought is nearly fifty million. Such explosive news won’t be overshadowed by anything else for a while. Also, the Nie family will definitely be uncomfortable seeing this. They might come to you directly.”
Lu Jiaxin wasn’t worried about that, “Nie Zhan will handle his family’s matters well. He won’t let them come whining to me,”
Zong Jinghua said, “Boss, your money comes from a legitimate source, letting the public know will only make them admire and idolize you. If you say nothing, this matter might persist for a while, causing significant trouble for your life and studies.”
He actually didn’t understand why Lu Jiaxin couldn’t disclose the source of her earnings. It was money earned from trading currencies legally; there was nothing to fear!
Lu Jiaxin said, “I don’t like being put on a pedestal; the higher you’re held, the harder you fall. I prefer to make a fortune quietly…”
These were all excuses. The real reason couldn’t be disclosed.