Chapter 71: Only Fifty Thousand a Month

Xu Ze did a quick calculation and found that he now had over 980,000 yuan in his two bank cards, nearly a million in cash. With that kind of money, the first thing that came to his mind was a promise he’d made earlier—to find his aunt, Song Xiaoqing, a better place to live.

Her current company dormitory was in terrible condition and located in a remote area.

For the time being, though, he could only rent her an apartment, as this amount certainly wasn’t enough to buy one.

The royalties for “Zhu Xian” from last month would be paid out in a few days. Xu Ze figured that, combined with the money from tips and subscriptions, he might actually make more than from singing.

Still, even with the royalties, the total wouldn’t be enough to afford a decent apartment.

From what Xu Ze knew, the real estate market in this world was trending much like it did in his previous life around 2016. So if he did have enough to buy, it would definitely be a wise investment.

But right now, prices in the capital were still quite high.

Xu Ze was confident he’d save up enough soon, though. Each month, income from song downloads and “Zhu Xian” royalties would surely not be less than November’s.

That afternoon, Xu Ze, wearing a mask, headed to the subway entrance with Pangzi.

When Pangzi heard Xu Ze had gotten some money and wanted to rent a place for a relative, he immediately promoted his cousin, who worked as a real estate agent, and offered to help with the apartment search.

On the subway, Xu Ze smiled and said to Pangzi, “Now that I’ve got money, I’ll never have to borrow from you again.”

In Xu Ze’s memories, the original Xu Ze often ran out of living expenses before the end of the month and would borrow from Pangzi frequently.

Pangzi always obliged, even when Xu Ze was late in paying him back.

But from what Xu Ze could tell, Pangzi’s family wasn’t particularly wealthy either. He had only one pair of sneakers, which he wore all year round regardless of the season.

His clothes were all off-brand, and he rotated between just two sets.

That’s why, earlier that morning, Xu Ze agreed to let Pangzi sell him a sticker photo, as long as it didn’t cross his own bottom line.

Pangzi, looking pleased, replied, “I always thought, with your looks, your path to success would be finding a rich sugar mama and living the high life from then on. But who could’ve guessed you also had a talent for singing? Now the rich ladies are losing yet another spiritual haven.”

Xu Ze responded helplessly, “So in your mind, good looks automatically mean being a kept man?”

Pangzi sighed, “If you can make money lying down, why not? You have no idea how tough life is. I’d love to lie down, too, but no one’s interested in me.”

Then he exclaimed excitedly, “Xu Ze, now that you’ve made it, you owe me a good meal! Let’s go to that famous Liu Laoguo Noodle House later. Their noodles are amazing, but way pricier than any place outside the school.”

Xu Ze laughed and replied, “Sure, eat to your heart’s content!”

“Great! I want extra beef!”

…

Lianjia Realty.

Every afternoon, the office played music to liven up the mood for the staff.

Today, the song playing was Xu Ze’s “Young China Speaks.”

At that moment, Xiao Mei was printing out some listings for rental properties. A middle-aged woman passing by teased her, “Xiao Mei, getting ready to show rentals to clients again? Let me give you some advice—don’t waste your time on renters. Sell just one apartment and it’s worth dozens of rentals!”

Xiao Mei shook her head and explained, “I haven’t been here long, so I don’t have many clients yet. Renters are clients too—who knows, maybe after renting they’ll decide to buy.”

The woman just sighed, deciding not to push the point.

If renters could afford to buy, would they need to rent?

Xiao Mei was still too young—she’d realize the truth after running into a few more dead ends.

Half an hour later, Xu Ze and Pangzi arrived at Lianjia Realty.

The moment they walked in, Pangzi spotted Xiao Mei and called out cheerfully, “Sister Xiao Mei! I’m here!”

Xiao Mei, sitting at her desk, looked up and greeted him warmly, “Lei Zi! You’ve gotten even chubbier!”

The remark made Pangzi look a little embarrassed. “Why do you keep saying I’m fat, Sister Xiao Mei?”

She comforted him, “It just means you’re eating well and not starving yourself. Your parents would be happy to see it!”

“Alright then,” Pangzi scratched his head, then introduced, “Sister Xiao Mei, this is my classmate, Xu… Xu, uh, this is the one looking to rent.”

He almost slipped up—Xu Ze’s name was getting pretty famous. On the subway, calling out his name had nearly gotten him recognized.

Pangzi quickly added, “He’s got a bit of a cold, that’s why he’s wearing a mask.”

After a brief greeting, the three sat down in front of Xiao Mei’s computer and started browsing local rental listings.

“Take a look at this one, Xu. It’s fully furnished, residential utilities, and close to the subway,” Xiao Mei said.

“There’s also this one, really cheap—less than a thousand a month. No TV, but it comes with a washing machine and fridge, at least.”

Xu Ze interrupted, “I’m looking for something with a better environment. Price isn’t an issue. If it’s close to Third Hospital, that would be best.”

Xu Ze could tell Xiao Mei was showing him listings with the best value for money, even printing out plenty of photos and information.

But when it came to renting for his aunt, he wasn’t planning to cut corners.

Xiao Mei looked a bit puzzled, but Pangzi immediately mouthed silently, “Money’s not a problem.”

He hadn’t mentioned Xu Ze’s sudden wealth to his cousin before, since he only just found out himself.

Xiao Mei caught the hint and realized this classmate of Lei Zi’s must be quite well-off.

His clothes looked similar to Lei Zi’s—just sportswear. Then again, they could be expensive brands she didn’t recognize; she never paid much attention to that sort of thing.

She nodded, “So you want somewhere near Third Hospital? That’s a really nice area, which means prices are much higher. But there are also more good listings there.”

She then pulled up some high-quality listings near Third Hospital.

Xu Ze looked them over. Most were quite nice, with full apartment rentals going for five to eight thousand per month, typically one- or two-bedroom places.

Three-bedroom units were even pricier.

He thought for a moment, then asked, “Are there any high-end neighborhoods with good security?”

Xiao Mei was a little surprised by the question and glanced at Xu Ze.

Just how rich was Lei Zi’s classmate?

She didn’t dwell on it, and replied, “There is actually one nearby. Take a look at this—Thomson World. It’s got a great location and environment. I’ve heard a lot of celebrities live there, so security is top notch. The only thing is, it’s a bit expensive.”

Pangzi leaned in curiously, “Celebrities live there? How expensive is it?”

Xiao Mei pulled up the price and said, “Here, this one just went up a few days ago. It’s not too big, so it’s relatively affordable—only fifty thousand a month.”