Chapter 143: The Client

"Ding-ling-ling..."

At ten o'clock in the evening, just as Zhang Wei walked out of the Zhongtong branch entrance, his cell phone rang. He pulled the phone from his trouser pocket and saw that the caller ID showed Fat Man Zhou.

"Hello, Brother Zhou." Zhang Wei walked aside, stopped, and pressed the answer button.

"Hey, are you off work?" Fat Man Zhou asked.

"Busy all afternoon, just walked out of the store," Zhang Wei replied, then immediately asked, "How is the matter regarding the plot of land being handled?"

"I am in Private Room No. 3 at Jingxuan Zhai. Come over and we can eat and talk at the same time," Fat Man Zhou said.

"Hearing you say that makes me truly hungry. I've been busy all day and haven't had time to eat," Zhang Wei patted his stomach and said, "Wait a moment, I'm heading over right now."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Wei walked straight toward Jingxuan Zhai. The summer nights in Beijing were much livelier than the winter ones. Ten o'clock was just the beginning of nightlife, and the entrance of Jingxuan Zhai was bustling and noisy.

Zhang Wei could be considered a regular at Jingxuan Zhai. Upon arrival, someone naturally led him to Private Room No. 3. As the door opened, he caught sight of Fat Man Zhou's broad figure and a table full of lavish dishes and fine wine.

"Brother Zhou, why are you all by yourself? Didn't Sister-in-law and the others come?" After the waiter left, Zhang Wei sat down beside Fat Man Zhou and asked.

"I sent them all back to avoid getting annoyed seeing my sister-in-law," Fat Man Zhou opened a bottle of Wuliangye, poured a cup for Zhang Wei, and said.

"Brother Zhou, how is the situation with the plot of land? You didn't buy it, did you?" Zhang Wei held the cup with both hands, letting Fat Man Zhou pour him a drink, and asked.

"The three of them were of one mind and wanted to sign the contract, but in the end, I managed to suppress it. I didn't buy it!" Fat Man Zhou raised his glass, motioned to Zhang Wei, and then drained it in one gulp.

After Zhang Wei left at noon today, Wu Yue and Zhang Mingyi once again tried to persuade Fat Man Zhou and his wife to purchase the plot of land. Under the persuasion of her younger sister and brother-in-law, Wu Qian was gradually convinced as well, ultimately joining forces with the other two to work on Fat Man Zhou.

Under the siege of the three of them, it was utterly impossible to say that Fat Man Zhou hadn't wavered at all. He had even come close to being persuaded to sign the contract by the three of them. However, ultimately clinging to the attitude that it is better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't, he stubbornly weathered the pressure from the three of them and refrained from purchasing that plot of land.

"Brother Zhou, don't worry! You did the right thing in this matter, and it definitely won't make you regret it," Zhang Wei said decisively.

"Xiang Xiaomeng from Yueda Real Estate Company purchased that plot of land," Fat Man Zhou nodded and continued.

"She will have a day when she regrets it, I believe that!" Zhang Wei said with unquestionable certainty.

Zhang Wei knew that even though Fat Man Zhou hadn't purchased the land, he might not completely believe what he had said in his heart, and might even harbor a shred of regret deep down. What Zhang Wei needed to do right now was to use the firmest tone possible to encourage Fat Man Zhou.

"Brother, how are things going at your Yayuan branch? Was the smashing of the store directed at you?" Fat Man Zhou took a bite of food, put down his chopsticks, and asked.

"Yeah. It was indeed targeted at me."

Zhang Wei had originally intended to bring this matter up with Fat Man Zhou so that he could offer some advice on how to teach Wang Zhen a profound lesson. Now that Fat Man Zhou had brought it up of his own accord, it saved Zhang Wei the trouble.

"Can you determine who did it?" Fat Man Zhou asked with concern.

"Yes, it's the exact same person who knocked me out last time. He even ran over to our branch at noon to throw his weight around, and the two sides almost came to blows right then and there," Zhang Wei said, his face looking somewhat gloomy.

"Alright, as long as you know who it is, it's easy to handle. Leave this matter to your Brother Zhou. It's not a big deal; I've seen plenty of things like this," Fat Man Zhou sneered, a hint of ruthlessness flashing across his face.

Seeing Fat Man Zhou like this, Zhang Wei couldn't help but be slightly startled. Ever since he had met Fat Man Zhou, the impression he gave Zhang Wei was like a Maitreya Buddha, laughing and cheerful all day long. He hadn't expected Fat Man Zhou to have such a ruthless and tough side as well.

After finishing discussing serious matters, Zhang Wei and Fat Man Zhou began chatting idly. As they talked, the conversation shifted to the antique trade. Fat Man Zhou had been itching for action lately and insisted that Zhang Wei accompany him to Panjiayuan to look around in a few days.

Unable to shake him off, Zhang Wei ultimately had to agree. While his eyes didn't possess the skill to spot hidden treasures, he had no problem distinguishing between genuine and fake items—provided, of course, that the vendor selling the goods knew whether they were real or fake.

The two of them ate until past twelve o'clock at night before parting ways. After returning home, washing up, and lying in bed, it was already close to one o'clock, causing Zhang Wei to look listless when he woke up the next morning.

The morning meeting was personally led by Xu Ming, which once again boosted the morale of both teams. Xu Ming had been a store manager for a very long time and possessed extremely rich management experience. By the end of the morning meeting, everyone's morale was soaring high, completely erasing yesterday's sluggish demeanor.

In the morning, after posting several recruitment advertisements for sales agents, Zhang Wei personally took Liu Cheng out to canvass the neighborhood. Logically speaking, a store manager wouldn't be expected to personally guide a newcomer through neighborhood canvassing, but Zhang Wei had too few agents under his command and was counting on them to find clients for him, so he simply took Liu Cheng out himself.

Another reason was that Zhang Wei wanted to take the opportunity to close the distance between himself and Liu Cheng. Even if he couldn't get Liu Cheng to obey his every command, he at least wanted to be respected as a superior. Once Liu Cheng developed a sense of belonging to the Zhongtong branch, the next time another agency tried to provoke them, Zhang Wei could send Liu Cheng out alone to take care of all of them. That way, they wouldn't have to suffer the humiliation of today, where someone blocked their entrance and they didn't even dare to fight back.

Canvassing the neighborhood is the very first step in the real estate agency industry, primarily involving getting acquainted with the surrounding terrain, residential developments, bus stops, iconic landmarks, and various peripheral supporting facilities. Only by thoroughly understanding all these elements can an agent avoid being caught completely blind when guiding clients.

Real estate agents must act like living maps within their working districts. Any agent who is unclear about the directions of a city, unfamiliar with its roads, or ignorant of building orientations can never possibly succeed in the brokerage business.

Task one of canvassing: draw a detailed topographical map of the surrounding business district. Following the order of north up, south down, west left, and east right, mark the name and location of every street, as well as residential developments, subway stations, schools, vegetable markets, bus stops, and iconic landmarks.

This task is primarily designed to help agents master the surrounding geography and become a 'geography expert.'

Task two of canvassing: thoroughly understand the conditions of the major residential developments nearby, such as the location of the community, the number of buildings, the unit types and number of floors in each building, as well as more detailed information such as property management names, property management fees, utility fees, heating fees, and parking fees.

This task is mainly designed to help agents grasp the specific conditions of residential complexes and become a 'property expert.'

Only after becoming both a 'geography expert' and a 'property expert' can one effectively handle basic client tours. This is the primary reason why most agents operate within a single district and rarely take clients to places too far away; otherwise, if even the agent is unfamiliar with the properties being shown, how could the client possibly trust them?

As Zhang Wei walked Liu Cheng through the nearby residential compounds, he imparted tips on canvassing and client reception. Liu Cheng listened very carefully and attentively, occasionally asking questions, which Zhang Wei answered with utmost patience.

After taking Liu Cheng through several nearby residential communities, Zhang Wei finally arrived at the Xiangjiang Villa District. Outsiders were generally prohibited from entering this area, but Fat Man Zhou had used his status as a property owner to arrange an access card for Zhang Wei. Although the security guards knew Zhang Wei was an agent, they could only watch as he swaggered into the community.

Upon entering the Xiangjiang Villa District, they were immediately greeted by dense shade, making Zhang Wei feel thoroughly refreshed all over. He simply sat down on a nearby wooden bench to rest and instructed Liu Cheng to walk around the community on his own and come back to find him when he was finished.

Liu Cheng acknowledged the instruction and turned to walk deeper into the residential area. However, rather than immediately starting to canvass the neighborhood, he planned to head to a convenience store to buy a couple of drinks. Although he retained strong military habits, it didn't mean he was ignorant of social etiquette; since Zhang Wei, a store manager, had personally accompanied him on his rounds, he ought to buy some drinks to express his gratitude.

Liu Cheng walked into the convenience store and selected two cold drinks. While standing in line to pay, he noticed a couple ahead of him checking out. The woman was taking out her money while asking, "Honey, that villa we looked at today is fine in other aspects, but its location in the community is a bit too remote. I want one in a more central location."

"Alright, we'll go look at other agency companies later," the man nodded noncommittally and said.

Hearing their conversation, Liu Cheng had a flash of inspiration and thought to himself, "Judging by their tone, these two sound like they want to buy a house. Should I go ask them?"

During the brief moment of hesitation, the couple had already finished paying and walked out of the convenience store. Recovering his senses, Liu Cheng hurriedly paid for his items and chased after them. This time, he didn't want to make the same mistake as before; although he still felt somewhat nervous inside, he chased after them anyway and asked, "Excuse me, sir, are you looking to buy a house?"

Because this was his first time inquiring with a stranger, Liu Cheng could feel his voice trembling. He hadn't experienced this kind of feeling even when facing a martial arts champion, and cold sweat suddenly broke out on his forehead.

"That's right, we do want to buy a house. Are you with an agency company?" The middle-aged man turned around, gave Liu Cheng an appraising look, and guessed his identity from his white shirt, black trousers, and leather shoes.

"You're right, I'm with Zhongtong Agency. You can tell me what kind of house you're looking for, and I can help you find it."

As Liu Cheng spoke, he glanced toward Zhang Wei on the wooden bench not far away. He was still brand new to the real estate brokerage industry, and many things were unclear to him. Those last two sentences were spoken while putting on a brave face, and he had no idea how to communicate further with the client, silently hoping Zhang Wei would hurry over to help him.

"I want to buy a villa. Can you take us to see one right now?"

(To be continued)