Zhang Tianxing took a brief look at his surroundings and decided to rent the villa.
"Are you renting this place? How much is it per month?" Zhang Tianxing asked. As long as the price wasn't too outrageous, he'd rent it. It was all about convenience; it was close to the school, and when he arrived, he saw there were places to buy things nearby. It seemed like a good place to live while attending school.
Upon hearing Zhang Tianxing's question, the Rhyne couple frowned. The elderly couple was about to leave Boston for New York and intended to part with everything here. Renting didn't fit their plans.
"Young man, I only sell, I don't rent," old Rhyne refused Zhang Tianxing's request to rent.
"Alright, then how much are you asking to sell it for?" Zhang Tianxing spread his hands in resignation. It seemed his Chinese mindset was deeply ingrained; Chinese people, no matter where they went, thought about buying property.
This was a significant difference between China and America. Chinese people all wanted a home of their own, no matter how small or dilapidated. Once they had a home, they were no longer rootless wanderers. Americans, however, were different. They essentially had a car and rented places everywhere. If they changed jobs, they'd simply drive their car to a new location and rent a place.
The Rhyne couple exchanged a glance, taken aback by the young Oriental man before them. They had expected Zhang Tianxing to curse and leave after being told it wasn't for rent. They hadn't expected him to immediately ask the price.
"Sixty thousand US dollars. That's the lowest price, I can't go any lower," old Rhyne said slowly. This was not a small sum. Did this brash young man have that much money?
"Okay, get the contract ready. We'll both sign it, and I'll transfer the money to your account within three days. Then you can help me with some procedures," Zhang Tianxing said cheerfully.
It seemed they had misjudged him. This handsome young man was shrewd. Old Rhyne retracted his earlier assessment of Zhang Tianxing and retrieved a prepared contract from the room, handing it over. Zhang Tianxing took it and began to read.
"Okay, in principle, I have no objections." With that, Zhang Tianxing wrote his name in a bold flourish and handed it back. The Rhyne couple smiled at each other and also signed their names.
"In three days, bring your belongings. I'll help you with the paperwork then," old Rhyne said with a smile, the weight finally lifted from his heart. The house was sold. Next time, they'd rent, not buy; buying affected their relocation speed.
It seemed this young man was straightforward. He had made the big decision of buying a house on his own.
Judging by his age, this young man was likely a university student. It seemed there were hidden dragons and crouching tigers among Chinese university students; any one of them could be wealthy. Unfortunately, in America, having money was far from enough to earn respect.
For a Chinese person to gain respect here was undoubtedly a pipe dream.
After coming out, Zhang Tianxing sighed. Damn imperialists! The houses here were truly terrible, all with wooden walls and wooden roofs, even the school. There was no choice; he couldn't be picky here and had to find a way.
If one cannot change society, one can only adapt to it.
However, Zhang Tianxing felt a headache coming on when he thought about future plumbing repairs and lawn maintenance. Forget it. He'd do a good deed. The house was large anyway; he'd rent it out and find a few students to share the costs.
It wasn't that Zhang Tianxing didn't know how to do these things, but he couldn't waste his limited time on such trivial matters. These tasks could be handled by the tenants.
He had no acquaintances in America yet, so he had to rely on Xu Dachuan.
Zhang Tianxing called him directly. "Senior Xu, it's Zhang Tianxing. I need your help with something."
"Junior Zhang, speak your mind. I'll definitely help," Xu Dachuan said with a hearty laugh. He believed Zhang Tianxing was destined for great things and would be delighted to forge a good relationship with him.
"It's like this, Senior. I've bought a house here and want to find someone to share it. The rent can be a bit lower, and the tenant will be responsible for household chores, including lawn maintenance and various home repairs."
Upon hearing Zhang Tianxing's words, Xu Dachuan was taken aback. A formidable force was arriving; Zhang Tianxing had already acquired property here on his second day. He had to admit that Zhang Tianxing's method was brilliant.
Charging a little less rent was nothing to Zhang Tianxing, but having the tenant take care of household chores meant he would only pay the money and be responsible for nothing else. Ah, it was good to be rich. The house was likely not far from the school.
"This is a small matter, easily handled. By the way, are there any gender requirements?" Xu Dachuan asked with a knowing smile.
"No requirements, male or female are fine. Preferably male, as some things might be inconvenient for females," Zhang Tianxing said after some thought. Living with a girl might not be bad either.
"Tell me the location of the house?"
"The house is located at Wu You Number, Zi Xu Street," Zhang Tianxing said with a smile. It was good to have acquaintances; no matter where you went, having someone you knew made things much easier. This Senior Xu was reliable!
However, apart from laundry and cooking, he might still have to handle other matters for a female tenant. Zhang Tianxing's original intention in finding tenants was to avoid getting involved in these trivialities. There were plenty of girls, but finding someone to do the work was hard.
Now, Zhang Tianxing could truthfully say that girls would only slow down his earning speed.
Xu Dachuan directly shared Zhang Tianxing's house information in the Chinese exchange group and relayed Zhang Tianxing's requirements.
The group immediately erupted in a stir: "Great place, the location is excellent, and the rent is so cheap. And you only have to do chores? Why didn't I run into such good luck?"
"Senior Xu, why is the tenant required to be male? Can't females apply? I've lived in America for four years, can open beer bottles with my bare hands, Ferraris with one hand, break stones on my chest, and I can even be presentable as a dance partner." A woman with the username "Qing Wu Fei Yang" said pitifully.
Xu Dachuan knew this "Qing Wu Fei Yang." She was Li Dan, a doctoral student from the Ganxi region. She was elegant and beautiful, likely a scholarship recipient, and a good student.
"Li Dan, it's not that I don't want to help you, but your place requires you to manage the lawn and home repairs. If the wiring or plumbing has problems, you'd have to handle it? Can you do that?"
"Brother Chuan, send me his number. I'll contact him. Give me two hours, and you'll be helping your little sister. My sister is facing a difficult situation this time. Even a hero needs money."
"Alright, if there's no response in two hours, I'll find someone else. His house is very sought after, mainly because of its good location and the cost savings," Xu Dachuan said in the group.