Chapter 158: Going It Alone

This time, Zhang Wei put a great deal of thought into arranging the property viewing. After days of interacting with Chen Jiansheng, Zhang Wei had figured out Chen's basic background. Learning from their casual chats that Chen had lived in the United States for ten years, Zhang Wei devised this elaborate deception.

Chen Jiansheng was a man of extensive worldly experience and not easily fooled. If there were even the slightest flaw in the roles they played, his ruse would likely be seen through. Therefore, every single person Zhang Wei enlisted played a role true to their real life.

Su Ning and Liu Longyun needed no special mention; they were already professional real estate agents, simply taking a client out just as they did every day. Wen Fang was an assistant at the Zhongtong branch, and posing as Sophie's assistant required very little stretch for her.

As for Sophie, she was undoubtedly the linchpin of this deal's success. Zhang Wei had her play the role of a wealthy homebuyer recently returned from overseas, feigning a lack of interest in the villa while speaking on her phone in English to her husband about purchasing the property. This became the absolute highlight of the entire setup.

Having lived in the United States for a decade, English was practically Chen Jiansheng's second language, allowing him to easily understand the contents of Sophie's phone call. Overhearing Sophie's "true feelings" through this dramatic approach made it far more convincing than anything she could have said in Chinese.

Chen Jiansheng had briefly suspected whether Sophie might be a plant hired by Zhang Wei, but Sophie's red sports car, designer clothes, and polished demeanor all perfectly matched the image of a wealthy returnee. In particular, her authentic American accent was something that could only be cultivated by living in the United States for a significant period.

It must be said that Zhang Wei's meticulously designed scheme was a resounding success, which was equally inseparable from everyone's joint efforts. Li Mengfei had even contributed his own sports car, helping to carve out a new breakthrough for closing this real estate deal.

After Sophie and her group left, Chen Jiansheng and his wife stepped aside to converse for a moment, and Chen translated what Sophie had said in English. Upon hearing it, his wife furrowed her brows.

"Honey, thank goodness you speak English, otherwise we really would have been fooled by that woman just now," Chen's wife muttered.

"My dear, since we both like this property, I say we might as well buy it. It's only a matter of a few hundred thousand yuan anyway," Chen Jiansheng said decisively, possessing a bold streak in his character.

"All right, I'll listen to you," his wife chimed in.

Competition is an innate human instinct. When an item is placed before you, you might not cherish it very much at first; but if someone else also desires it and attempts to snatch it right out from under you, you will instantly value it all the more.

Having reached a consensus, Chen Jiansheng and his wife walked right up to Zhang Wei and said, "Store Manager Zhang, my wife and I still feel this property is quite good and wish to purchase it. Do you think we could schedule a meeting with the owner to talk face-to-face?"

"Very well, please wait a moment. I will give the owner a call right now," Zhang Wei said with a smile.

Judging by the tone of Chen Jiansheng's voice, Zhang Wei knew the chances of closing this deal were exceptionally high. What he needed to do now was strike while the iron was hot and push for a commitment. Bringing the owner over for a joint discussion would further reinforce mutual trust.

Zhang Wei had previously raised the prospect of a formal negotiation with the owner, who had agreed at the time, so this appointment went smoothly. In less than half an hour, the owner rushed over to the villa, and the three parties sat down together for their first formal negotiation.

This negotiation lasted for over an hour, covering everything from the villa's interior decoration, age, property management services, agency fees, to taxes. Zhang Wei even meticulously calculated the total housing purchase price and commission for Chen Jiansheng.

Ultimately, to demonstrate their respective sincerity, the client, the owner, and the agency all made mutual concessions. The villa was sold at the price of thirty-five million two hundred thousand yuan, while Zhang Wei offered Chen Jiansheng a ten percent discount on the agency fee. Under Zhang Wei's guidance, they signed the deposit agreement.

Emerging from the duplex villa, the sky had grown completely dark, and a heavy rain was already pouring outside. Zhang Wei took a deep breath of the fresh air. Having successfully secured a massive deal, he felt an immense sense of relief wash over him—this could be considered his first major victory since taking office as store manager.

In truth, upon assuming the role of store manager, Zhang Wei had shouldered immense pressure. Young and lacking seniority, it was difficult for him to command universal respect. Shortly after taking office, an incident involving the vandalism of the store had occurred, making his position as manager far from secure.

Yet, signing a deal worth nearly a million yuan served as definitive proof of Zhang Wei's capabilities, acting as a reassuring anchor for him. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he was guaranteed to achieve the highest performance in the district, making his position as store manager as solid as a rock.

With the deal concluded, Zhang Wei had no desire to return to the office. He directly announced that everyone could knock off early, stating that any remaining matters could be discussed at the store the next day, and called Li Lin to let her know she could leave early as well.

By the time Zhang Wei arrived home, most of his clothes were drenched by the rain. He grabbed a fresh change of clothes, took a hot shower in the bathroom, and upon stepping out, found both Sophie and Wen Fang sitting together on the living room sofa.

"Wen Fang, haven't you gone home yet?" Zhang Wei asked, looking at Wen Fang with surprise.

"I invited Wen Fang over as a guest, and the two of us even enjoyed a candlelight dinner," Sophie said playfully, blinking her eyes before Wen Fang could reply.

"Yes, and I must thank Sister Sophie for her hospitality," Wen Fang said, picking up her handbag and standing up. "Manager Zhang, Sister Sophie, it's getting late, so I should be on my way."

"Wen Fang, it's raining so heavily outside. Why don't you stay the night and sleep with me?" Sophie pulled on Wen Fang's arm with a trace of hopeful anticipation.

"There's no need, Sister Sophie. I'd better be going!" Wen Fang replied with a slightly awkward smile, declining the offer.

"If you insist on leaving, I can drive you home. It will probably be very difficult to hail a taxi in this heavy rain," Sophie said.

"Really, you don't need to go to such trouble. I can just take the bus in a bit," Wen Fang demurred.

"All right, you two stop arguing. I'll drive Wen Fang home," Zhang Wei said with a nod. Since Sophie had already offered, as a man, Zhang Wei could not simply stand by without making a gesture.

"Great, then I'll trouble Manager Zhang to drop me off." Upon hearing Zhang Wei's words, Wen Fang readily agreed, almost as if she feared he might change his mind.

"Ah, very well, let's go."

Zhang Wei had merely been offering a polite courtesy, fully expecting Wen Fang to refuse. He hadn't anticipated that she would accept on the spot. However, since the words were already out of his mouth, he could not very well go back on them and had no choice but to drive Wen Fang home.

Watching Zhang Wei and Wen Fang leave together, Sophie stomped her foot in irritation and muttered resentfully, "That Zhang Wei, actually trying to steal my girl! How annoying!"

The spot where Zhang Wei parked his car was not far away. The two of them walked over under an umbrella. The rain in the night sky was growing heavier with no sign of stopping, though the surrounding air felt refreshingly crisp.

Inside the BMW, Zhang Wei sat in the driver's seat while Wen Fang occupied the front passenger seat. Noticing her hesitant expression as if she had something on her mind, Zhang Wei asked, "Wen Fang, is there something you want to tell me?"

"Manager Zhang, why do I feel like Sister Sophie is a bit peculiar?" A faint blush appeared on Wen Fang's cheeks as she spoke.

"What do you mean?" Zhang Wei asked, slightly puzzled.

"She always likes to hug me, and just now she insisted that I take a bath with her. It made me feel quite embarrassed," Wen Fang said with a shy, twisting motion.

"She has spent a long time abroad, so she naturally has that kind of overly familiar personality. You don't need to take it to heart," Zhang Wei said evasively.

Zhang Wei had not known Sophie for very long and did not understand her deeply. Although he had tested her once or twice using his mind-reading ability and discovered she harbored no malicious intent, he wasn't particularly bothered by her overly friendly disposition.

"Oh right, there is one more thing. I wanted to ask for your opinion. I wonder if it's alright?" Wen Fang asked.

"Go ahead."

"I don't want to be an assistant anymore. I'd like to work under your team as a sales agent. Do you think that's possible?" Wen Fang said.

"Oh? What prompted this sudden idea?" Zhang Wei asked.

"Guo Bin called me just now to inform me that Liu Cheng's villa deal has officially closed. To be honest, I feel a bit envious and want to challenge myself with the agent position," Wen Fang said, a hint of admiration showing on her face.

Liu Cheng was a newcomer who had been on the job for less than a week and lacked the ability to independently host clients. The only reason he managed to close this deal was because he stumbled upon a cooperative client and a capable store manager like Zhang Wei, while his own contribution was minimal.

It wasn't just Wen Fang who envied Liu Cheng; every single agent in the store looked upon him with green eyes. Because of this single deal, Liu Cheng would earn at least hundreds of thousands of yuan—an amount equivalent to a common person's wages for a lifetime.

Store assistants at real estate agencies only made a monthly salary of two thousand yuan. While they did receive commissions when the store performed well, those bonuses were negligible, amounting to at most a few hundred yuan.

Wen Fang was also a young person with dreams, and she yearned for a better life. However, the prerequisite for pursuing one's dreams was having a certain level of financial capability, which was why she had been stirred to pursue the path of a real estate agent.

"Very well, I support your choice and welcome you to our team," Zhang Wei said with a smile.

Although Wen Fang had never worked as a real estate agent before, she had spent her time as an assistant at the Zhongtong branch, making her thoroughly familiar with the various procedures of client viewings and contract signings. Her theoretical knowledge was exceptionally rich; with just a tiny bit of practical experience, she could easily develop into a qualified agent.

As someone currently in dire need of capable talent, Zhang Wei naturally wouldn't turn Wen Fang away. Moreover, he believed that training Wen Fang, an experienced assistant, would be far easier than nurturing complete newcomers like Liu Cheng and Li Mengfei.

Just as Wen Fang brought up her desire to transition into an agent due to her low salary, a brand-new thought sprouted in Zhang Wei's mind: the idea of opening his own real estate agency. Once this notion took root in his head, it refused to be dismissed.