Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Over 100 Million—Is That a Lot?
"Mr. Gu, do you have a preference on which unit you’d like to see first?"
Just as Gu Bai stepped through the entrance of Celestial Joy Seat, Wu Xuekun smiled and asked Gu Bai.
"Why don’t you start with the introduction first."
"For the lower floors, it’s on the 4th floor."
Gu Bai interrupted his introduction directly.
"Speak about the upper floors, don’t bother with the lower ones."
Wu Xuekun quickly nodded in agreement: "For the upper floors, there are currently two units available, one on the 31st floor and the other on the top 36th floor. The 31st floor unit is a 390-square-meter standard four-bedroom, three-living room, three-bathroom layout, while the top floor unit is the king of the Sea View No.1 Building King, a 640-square-meter duplex."
Gu Bai nodded: "Alright, let’s go to the top floor."
After speaking, he headed straight to the elevator with Qi Man, who was holding onto his arm.
Seeing Gu Bai immediately opting to see the top-tier king of the residence, Wu Xuekun couldn’t keep his exceptionally restrained facial expression intact, and joined them with several other salespeople.
The group entered the elevator, and in no time, they reached the top 36th floor.
"Mr. Gu, this is the king of our Sea View No.1’s Celestial Joy Seat. I am quite proud to tell you that this unit is among the top luxury residences not just in Shanghai, but in the entire Hua Country."
He opened the door, letting Gu Bai and Qi Man enter first.
The place was already fully renovated, complete with all types of furniture. There was likely staff coming in daily to clean; not a speck of dust could be found on the white tiles. After a quick turn in the living room, Gu Bai felt that it compared quite closely to the presidential suite of Shangri-La where he lived.
"This unit is fully decorated, designed, and renovated by renowned domestic designers, and all decoration costs are covered by our company, free of charge to the buyer. Should Mr. Gu fancy this unit but feel dissatisfied with the decor, you can have it modified according to your desires."
Gu Bai nodded with some satisfaction.
Seeing Gu Bai’s expression, Wu Xuekun couldn’t help but smile once again.
The reality was that this king of units had not been sold since its completion, with inquiries or visits being sparse; most were scared away by the exorbitant price. Now, seeing Gu Bai satisfied, it showed hope for selling this multimillion-dollar luxury residence. Once sold, his promotion and salary raise were well within reach, and the commission alone could make him grin from ear to ear while sleeping.
Regarding whether Gu Bai had the financial capability, he wasn’t worried— if someone with Construction Bank’s super VIP status lacked purchasing power, then who would?
"Mr. Gu, please follow me."
He said, guiding Gu Bai and Qi Man to the enormous floor-to-ceiling window in the main guest room.
Looking at the view outside, Qi Man couldn’t help but tighten her grip on Gu Bai’s arm in excitement.
"Wow... this is so beautiful."
Outside was the Bund and the Huangpu River, with the bustling Shanghai panorama entirely in sight, and the top floor provided an extraordinary viewing position. It showcased the extreme beauty of the building’s line arrangement and the curves of the Huangpu River.
Upon hearing Qi Man’s exclamation, Wu Xuekun wasn’t surprised at all, showing a proud expression.
"As the top property in Shanghai, Celestial Joy Seat is considered one of the city’s landmark buildings. Being the king unit, it’s the most prestigious symbol of the entire building. Here, you can view the century-old Bund, overlook Pujiang, and enjoy a transparent layout that defines the top living quality concept. A super large scenic balcony commands the century-old magnificent view of both shores of Pujiang. Its unique elegant lines achieve the classic and enduring aesthetic ambiance, highlighting the uniquely tasteful global highest standard."
Gu Bai interrupted without listening to the rest of the flowery speech: "Alright, spare me the rehearsed lines. Tell me the specific advantages instead."
Although Gu Bai appeared calm, his inner excitement was substantial.
A house had always been a knot in the hearts of people from Hua Country.
Having a house means having a home; this isn’t a joke.
In the modern world, 60 percent if not all relationship and marriage conflicts stem from housing issues.
In his past life, surviving in Shanghai was already challenging enough, let alone owning such a top-tier luxury residence; even possessing a small unit in the suburbs was a distant dream.
Now, this luxury home—something he couldn’t even dream of in his past life—was within his grasp; how could he not be excited? It was more thrilling than buying a supercar for the first time.
"As a top-floor duplex, this unit also includes a 245 square meter open-air garden. The garden features a swimming pool and other facilities typical of any garden, and the aerial garden is not counted in the usable square footage of the residence."
Just this aerial garden alone crushed many other luxury residences at the same level.
Just as Wu Xuekun intended to continue introducing, Gu Bai interjected directly.
"How much is this unit?"
"Huh?"
Wu Xuekun was momentarily stunned, then filled with joy, quickly responding: "Being the king unit, this residence is priced at 30 million per square meter, with a total of 192 million."
Not only Qi Man but also Wu Xuekun and the sales staff behind him started breathing a little irregularly.
"Too high, 25 million."
Gu Bai crossed his legs, speaking in a calm tone.
Upon hearing this, Wu Xuekun wasn’t disappointed; rather, his joy intensified.
You haggle even when buying groceries, let alone purchasing a house; especially with such top-tier luxury units, the price usually has significant flexibility. The publicly stated price and the actual purchasing price often differ considerably.
No fear of customers haggling.
Only fear that they’ll turn away after hearing the price.
Yet, as a salesperson, there’s a need to act appropriately sometimes.
Wu Xuekun put on a look of difficulty: "Mr. Gu, you’re cutting the price too harshly. You should know that 25 million is the price for ordinary high-rise units in this Celestial Joy Seat building; this is the Building King..."
Gu Bai took out a cigarette: "May I smoke?"
"Of course you can."
We’ve reached this point, it’s not acceptable to smoke, but we have to make an exception now. Just make sure the cleaning staff pays extra attention when cleaning.
Lighting up a cigarette, Gu Bai’s expression remained calm.
"Your company has a bottom line when it comes to price, and so do I. After all, this is business, give and take is normal. I understand you probably don’t have the authority to negotiate prices with me, so I’ll give you 20 minutes to report this to your superior. If it’s not possible, let’s not waste each other’s time. I’ve already scheduled to view another property."
Wu Xuekun quickly nodded.
"Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Gu."
After speaking, he instructed a few salespeople to take good care of Gu Bai and walked over to a different area with his phone to report to his superior.
"Gu Bai, are you really planning to buy this apartment?"
Watching Gu Bai lounging leisurely to the side, Qi Man couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity.
Extinguishing the cigarette, Gu Bai turned around with a smirk on his lips.
"What else? You think I came all the way here just to mess with them?"
"But this apartment is probably worth over a hundred million!"
She knew Gu Bai had money. She had heard him mention at a dinner that he still had 500 million, but spending over a hundred million on a house was completely beyond Qi Man’s understanding.
"Over a hundred million, is that a lot?"
A single sentence not only stifled whatever Qi Man was about to say but also made the sales personnel nearby involuntarily shiver.
If over a hundred million isn’t much, then what is considered a lot?
Seeing their expressions, Gu Bai chuckled.
No wonder so many people like to show off; it feels incredibly satisfying.
It wasn’t even twenty minutes, maybe not even ten, before Wu Xuekun returned to Gu Bai’s side. Judging by his face full of smiles, Gu Bai reckoned his superior likely accepted the offer.
To be honest, even though he casually knocked five thousand off per square meter, this offer wasn’t outrageous. He specifically consulted Li Zhun about it.
"Mr. Gu, I just spoke with the general manager and conveyed your offer to him."
"And then?"
"Our manager said there’s no way the 250,000 per square meter price Mr. Gu mentioned is possible, but we can reduce the price to 280,000 per square meter for you."
Gu Bai looked at Wu Xuekun’s expression and knew there was more to it.
"And?"
"Considering that Mr. Gu might still find our price unsatisfactory, our manager proposed that if Mr. Gu could make the full payment, we could offer a 10% discount on the 280,000 per square meter price as soon as you confirm the purchase."
After hearing Wu Xuekun’s words, Gu Bai immediately did the math in his head.
At 250,000 per square meter, the total would be 160 million.
At 280,000 per square meter, with a 10% discount, it’s also around 160 million.
No difference.
But Gu Bai understood the company’s mindset.
If they were to announce publicly, 250,000 and 280,000 are completely different things; it would directly affect the company’s prestige.
However, a discount is different. It’s an internal matter. If no one mentions it, who would know? Moreover, the homeowner wouldn’t brag about buying a discounted house, right?
It’s like taking off your pants to fart; it makes no sense.
Yet companies nowadays love doing such things.
Since they were able to agree, Gu Bai didn’t hesitate any longer.
"Full payment, then."
Those simple four words shocked everyone in the living room.
Wu Xuekun’s voice trembled with excitement: "Mr. Gu, are you planning to buy this apartment?"
Gu Bai nodded: "Let’s proceed with the formalities."
After speaking, not waiting for others to react, he got up and headed towards the entrance, with Qi Man quickly following.
Meanwhile, the sales personnel left behind were all looking at each other, still recovering from their shock.
"Manager, did this penthouse just get sold like that?"
A female salesperson couldn’t help but ask Wu Xuekun.
Having been in this industry for many years, Wu Xuekun quickly snapped out of his shock and glared.
"Stop standing around, everyone back to the sales office to prepare the paperwork immediately!"
From bringing Gu Bai to view the property to finalizing the deal, less than an hour had passed.
Wu Xuekun couldn’t help but sigh internally, "This is the freedom of the wealthy."
He wished he could be as carefree as Gu Bai, but the balance in his bank account instantly quelled his burgeoning fantasies.
Shaking his head, Wu Xuekun quickly followed Gu Bai.