After two months of preparation, Lu Jiaxin’s brand was launched. Because Susan and Xu Yue, among others, felt the name "Youxuan" was too low-end, after some thought, Lu Jiaxin renamed it to Rosemary.
Rosemary, the English translation for the herb, is also a kind of flower that Jiaxin is fond of. Not only is the name pleasant to the ear, but it also carries profound meaning. It represents both the innocence of a child and the charm of mature femininity, an impressive time span.
Shakespeare once said, "Rosemary is for remembrance," so its flower language is also "Think of me."
Susan and Xu Yue immediately expressed their approval of the name, saying it was good, especially good. Compared to the cringe-worthy name "Youxuan," Rosemary sounded much more elegant.
Before the brand was launched, advertisements were placed in fashion magazines and on television, but the reaction was not very enthusiastic. Jiaxin was not in a hurry; she had simply promoted the brand through conventional means without spending a lot of money on marketing, knowing that success would require a process.
Shortly after discussing business with Susan and Xu Yue, Jiaxin received a call from Nie Zhan. She had thought it was an invitation to lunch, but that was not the case.
Nie Zhan said, "Jiaxin, are you busy right now? If not, come over to Wansheng Real Estate. I have something to discuss with you."
Jiaxin didn’t naively ask why he didn’t just talk about it over the phone; it must be something important that couldn’t be explained clearly over the phone, which was why he wanted her to come over: "I still have some documents to handle. If it’s not urgent, I can come over in half an hour."
Nie Zhan said with a smile, "It’s not that urgent; come over after you’re done with your current tasks!"
Ever since Jiaxin started working, her visits to Wansheng Real Estate had become more frequent. The building security and the receptionists at Wansheng Real Estate knew her and would welcome her to take the elevator as soon as they saw her.
When Jiaxin arrived at Nie Zhan’s office, she sat on the sofa, poured herself a glass of water, and asked, "What’s the matter that you needed me to come over to discuss?"
Nie Zhan picked up a document from his desk, sat next to Jiaxin, and said, "I received news two hours ago that Land Development is intending to sell the DLG Mansion project. This is the information on DLG Towers, take a look."
As soon as Jiaxin heard it was a project being released by Land Development, she eagerly took the document to read. After reviewing the information, her eyes lit up: "We must secure this project."
Nie Zhan said, "By obtaining this project with a loan and then selling it off, we could make a return of more than forty percent, given the current upward trend in real estate."
Jiaxin objected, saying, "Such a mansion should not be sold off; it’s best used for renting out. Look at Land Development; they’ve only rented it out instead of selling."
The data showed that DLG Towers consisted of two buildings, one with 33 floors and the other with 34 floors, built seven years ago, with a total of 158 luxury residential units. Land Development had not sold any of these luxury residences, but instead rented them all out. In other words, Land Development still owned the project. If they bought it, the ownership would be theirs.
Nie Zhan said with a smile, "If our company acquires it, we will indeed sell these unit buildings to recoup the investment. You could buy it and use it for property rental."
Jiaxin then said, "Ah Zhan, the data states that there is a plot of land of over 30,000 square feet that hasn’t been developed with the project. With such a large area, couldn’t a third building be constructed?"
Nie Zhan replied, "That plot of land can indeed be used to build a third building. The two luxury residential buildings, along with this plot, could be valued at over 20 billion according to my estimate."
Jiaxin, smiling, said, "I still have 1.3 billion greenbacks in your possession, which is just enough to acquire this project. But this clearly profitable project, if given to me, wouldn’t the senior management and shareholders of your company have objections?"
Nie Zhan thought she was overthinking it: "If you develop that 30,000-square-foot plot of land, you’ll definitely be cooperating with our company. What could they possibly object to? Stop worrying about nothing."
Jiaxin just didn’t want him to face questions from the company’s senior management and shareholders. Seeing that it wasn’t a problem, she felt reassured. Ah, another property to collect rent from.
Nie Zhan said with a smile, "I now own 11% of Peninsula’s shares. Once their shareholder meeting comes around next month, I will be able to become a director of Peninsula Hotel."
Jiaxin looked at him, puzzled as to why he felt the need to specifically with her.
Nie Zhan continued with a smile, "You wanted to play golf at Shek O Country Club, right? Once I become a director at Peninsula Hotel, I can apply for membership."
When Shek O Country Club was mentioned, Jiaxin remembered something: "Didn’t you apply to buy a plot of land there some time ago? Why has there been no news for so long? What, wasn’t it approved?"
Nie Zhan laughed and said, "It was approved last week, and just today, I received news that the application for the land on the mountaintop was also approved. I was actually planning on telling you both pieces of news together."
"When will construction start?"
"They will be built together."
He was funding the construction in Shek O, and Jiaxin was in charge of the mountaintop. Once they got married, they could switch between the four mansions. However, it would be at least three years before they could live in Shek O or on the mountaintop. Well, he hoped that by then, he and Jiaxin would already be married.
Being an expert in real estate, Nie Zhan was the one to negotiate for the DLG Mansion project. After two rounds of negotiation, the sale was finalized for 23 billion, with a 30% down payment, and the rest mortgaged. Banks were very willing to lend for such high-quality properties.
With a loan of 16.1 billion, Jiaxin approached three banks: HSBC, Citibank, and Wan Sheng Bank. If it was a matter of deposits, Wan Sheng Bank would not make her feel secure, but for loans, the more the merrier from Wan Sheng Bank.
The day after the contract was signed, Zong Shimeng called to congratulate her: "Jiaxin, congratulations on landing another major project."
Jiaxin responded cheerfully, "Thanks to Ah Zhan; as soon as he got the news, he told me and then went to talk to Land Development’s boss."
Zong Shimeng said, "Zhifeng believes that with this project, a profit is guaranteed. Jiaxin, whenever Nie Zhan hears good news, he thinks of you first. You really ought to cherish such a good man."
As soon as Nie Zhan got the news, he approached Land Development’s boss, and Hu Zhifeng was a step behind; he obviously couldn’t compete with Nie Zhan. He didn’t regret it, though, since there were plenty of good projects available. He only envied Nie Zhan for having such a wealthy girlfriend.
Suddenly faced with this comment, Jiaxin asked in confusion, "Sister Shimeng, is someone close to you having relationship troubles?"
Zong Shimeng sighed and said, "Xinyu regrets her decision and wants Tao Yong back, but he’s not willing. She was crying like a mess during lunch with me today."
"She’s back in Hong Kong?"
Zong Shimeng affirmed with a hum, "She came back three days ago. Tao Yong is avoiding her and doesn’t want to reconcile. If only she knew the consequences of her actions back then!"
Jiaxin remained silent. What could she say? One doesn’t deserve sympathy for their own mistakes.