"Your brother lost a lot of weight, but you’ve gained some!" Lin Chan teased He Zhilan, "Did you wear your brother out back in S Province? Is this why he now is so thin and haggard?"
"I wish I had the chance to, but I didn’t!" He Zhilan gave Lin Chan a side glance, "He left for a mission the third day we arrived at S Province and only reappeared twenty days later, looking ."
"Our dear Zhilan must have been worried sick, right?" Lin Chan laughed heartily before steering the conversation back to business, "I selected two locations for the shop you asked me to help with. The rents don’t differ much, and one is for sale. The owner needs money and said he’d give you a discount if you wanted to buy."
"How much of a discount? Fifty percent off?" He Zhilan replied, half-joking. But she was genuinely interested. If she could buy a property in the capital at this time, it would appreciate quickly in a few years. It might even multiply several times in value a decade or two down the line!
"He’s a desperate gambler, in debt to his neck. You should be able to negotiate a good price," Lin Chan said, "But doing so will cost you a lot more!"
"Renting for ten years alone could cost about the same as buying the property outright. In either case, I would be making a considerable investment. If I buy it outright, it becomes my property, and I could sell it down the road if I want to," He Zhilan shrugged, "Look, our government is pushing to Find your next favorite novel on NovelHub today! Many young, strong villagers are seizing these opportunities. And we’re in the capital, the political hub of the country. We’ll never run out of people here. In a few years, I might even be able to sell the property at a higher price than I bought it. Consider it a kind of long-term investment. If you have some spare money, why not look into promising locations? Even bare land is a good investment."
"Seems like an excellent idea!" Lin Chan said, "Following your logic, I could buy land, build houses on it, and rent or sell them when the demand goes up in the capital. Wouldn’t I make a fortune?"
"Great thinking!" He Zhilan said, "Put it into action!"
He Zhilan thought to herself, not for nothing was Lin Chan a natural businessman. He might very well become the first property developer in the country.
Since it was already evening, Lin Chan decided to hold off showing He Zhilan the potential locations of the shop. After they had dinner, he took Zhilan back to Lin Chan’s house. The two set out to view the locations the next morning.
Both potential locations were close by, on the same street. According to the Orz couple’s advice, the store Zhilan needed at least two floors. The ground floor would be used as the counter, and the second floor would be used for trying out products; it would function much like the popular beauty salons abroad.
Having decided to buy straightaway, He Zhilan was shown the shop she intended to buy by Lin Chan. It was a three-story building, initially built as a residence. After the area developed, the ground floor was rented out as a