Chapter Forty-Two: Earning a Million a Month

The owner of the villa was named Tian Fusheng, a man in his early forties with a medium build and thinning hair. An outstanding graduate of Oxford University, he had founded a high-tech enterprise after graduation and was now a CEO worth hundreds of millions. Tian Fusheng dressed impeccably, exuded charm, and carried himself with the elegance of a true gentleman. His demeanor was a world apart from the boisterous, casual manner of Zhou, whose disregard for formality was well known. At first, Zhang Wei worried that the two might not see eye to eye, but the outcome soon surpassed his expectations.

On one hand stood a globe-trotting tech entrepreneur, on the other, a nouveau riche magnate who had made his fortune in coal. Their lives and fields of work could not have been more different, yet they found themselves deeply engrossed in conversation, especially as Zhou displayed a keen interest in the high-tech industry.

It turned out that Zhou’s coal mine was nearly depleted. Once the last of the coal was extracted, he would inevitably have to pivot to a new line of business, and his sights were set on high technology—a sector in which he had already done considerable research.

As a result, Zhou treated Tian Fusheng with marked respect, while Tian, for his part, was surprised by Zhou’s breadth of knowledge in the field and began to view him in a new light.

For the wealthy, buying property is a far simpler affair than for ordinary people. With money never an issue, they focus on personal preference, especially when there’s potential for business collaboration; in such cases, the likelihood of closing a deal increases significantly.

Tian Fusheng and Zhou found themselves in just such a situation. Tian’s company sought investment and expansion, while Zhou was preparing to enter a new industry with substantial liquid assets at his disposal. Their goals aligned perfectly, and both felt as though they had met a kindred spirit far too late in life.

“Mr. Zhou, I never expected you to be so well-versed in our line of work. I sincerely hope we’ll have the chance to collaborate,” Tian Fusheng remarked with genuine feeling.

“Mr. Tian, you’re two years my senior. If you don’t mind, I’ll call you Brother Tian, and you can just call me Fatty Zhou,” Zhou replied, his tone easy and straightforward.

Though Zhou lacked formal education, he was skilled in the art of conversation. His words, though plainspoken, had a way of closing the distance between people—a subtle tactic, one might say, of winning others over.

“Very well, I’ll take the liberty of calling you Fatty Zhou then!” Tian Fusheng laughed heartily, glanced at his watch, and said, “Brother Zhou, we’ve hit it off so well—dinner’s on me tonight, and you mustn’t refuse me this honor.”

“I was just hoping to consult you about some high-tech matters, so dinner is a must. But allow me, please, to host this time—it’ll be my tuition fee for learning from you,” Zhou replied, ever the consummate diplomat.

At first, Zhang Wei was delighted to see Zhou and Tian get along so famously. But as their conversation grew ever more animated, it became clear they were lost in discussions of work, seemingly forgetting all about the villa purchase, which left Zhang Wei increasingly anxious.

He was mulling over how best to steer the conversation back to business when Liu Yurou, standing nearby, piped up, “Fatty, weren’t you here to help your wife buy a house? How did the topic shift to work again?”

Liu Yurou’s timely interjection managed to curry favor with both Wu Qian and Zhang Wei, killing two birds with one stone. As for whether Zhou would take offense, she hardly cared; after all, she had leverage over him, and Zhou wouldn’t dare cross her.

“You’re absolutely right. Brother Tian, let’s get today’s real business settled first! I’m planning to buy your villa as a birthday gift for my wife,” Zhou said, glancing at his wife, who was beginning to look impatient, and smoothly redirecting the conversation.

“That’s easily settled. If you want to buy, just name your price!” Tian Fusheng declared with typical generosity.

“Well then, let’s go with the average price in this development—fifty million. Would that be acceptable?” Zhou suggested, naming a figure that was neither high nor low.

“That won’t do!” Tian replied with mock sternness. “Fifty million is too much. Let’s make it forty-eight million—a lucky number, and it brings good fortune.”

“Agreed. We’ll do as you say, Brother Tian. Looks like I’m getting a deal from you,” Zhou said cheerfully, recognizing Tian’s goodwill and accepting without hesitation.

A million or two meant little to men of their means; it was a matter of attitude and face. If a small discount could foster long-term cooperation, the returns would be tenfold, a hundredfold in the future.

With both sides in agreement, Xu Ming wasted no time. He produced the sales contract and, while the atmosphere was still warm, had them sign on the spot. He’d seen too many deals fall apart over shifting interests; better to get the contract signed early and ensure neither party could renege.

Seeing the contract signed at last, Zhang Wei was greatly relieved, unable to hide his joy. Had there not been so many people present, he might have shouted for joy.

After the contract was signed, both sides discussed payment methods, timing, and the transfer process before Xu Ming and Zhang Wei took their leave. Zhou and his wife remained in the villa.

Liu Yurou also left with Zhang Wei, since she was still, in name, his girlfriend. Even though she wanted to get closer to Wu Qian, that couldn’t happen overnight. Fortunately, she had spent the afternoon chatting with Wu Qian and had managed to get her contact information—a move that had given Zhou quite a scare.

“Goodbye, darling!” Liu Yurou called out playfully as she left the villa, giving Zhang Wei and Xu Ming a little wave.

“Uh, goodbye!” Liu Yurou’s parting shot startled Zhang Wei. He glanced at Xu Ming, who looked back at him in astonishment, leaving Zhang Wei feeling somewhat awkward.

After she left, swaying her slender waist as she walked away, Zhang Wei watched her curvaceous figure and muttered to himself, “Better not see her again in the future.”

“You’re something else!” Xu Ming said enviously. “You’re making a killing in both love and money. At this rate, I might have to start following your lead!”

“Come on, Xu, don’t tease me. Any skills I have, I learned from you. I just got lucky with a solid customer this time,” Zhang Wei replied modestly.

“Alright, save the humility. When we have our meeting tonight, you should share your experience with the team—let’s see if we can lift our entire store’s performance,” Xu Ming insisted.

If Zhang Wei’s first two deals could be chalked up to luck, the saying goes, “Things don’t happen in threes.” If his third deal was also just luck, then what was the point of working hard? Should everyone just rely on luck from now on?

“Xu, with three deals this month, how much will I earn?” Zhang Wei asked eagerly.

“The commission for your first two deals has already been deposited. Barring any surprises, this one will clear before the end of the month. The commission on this deal is 1.44 million, and combined with the previous two, that’s a total of 1.7 million in commission,” Xu Ming calculated.

“So what’s my actual income this month?” Zhang Wei swallowed hard and asked.

Commissions and performance bonuses are the agency’s income, not Zhang Wei’s personal take-home. His actual earnings would be based on a percentage of his monthly sales.

“With total performance of 1.7 million this month, you get 60% commission, which comes to 1.02 million. Add in the store, district, and regional bonuses, and you should end up with about 1.05 million,” Xu Ming replied, a touch enviously.

Selling villas requires not just skill but a measure of luck as well. Xu Ming had made good money over the years, but what he’d saved was still just a fraction of what Zhang Wei had earned in one month—a testament to the real estate industry: the capable rise, the mediocre fall.

Note:
Commission rates are as follows: Under 10,000, 10%; 10,000–30,000, 15%; 30,000–50,000, 20%; 50,000–100,000, 25%; 100,000–200,000, 30%; 200,000–500,000, 35%; 500,000–1,000,000, 40%; 1,000,000–1,500,000, 50%; above 1,500,000, 60%.

To make things easier for readers less familiar with real estate, all calculations here use the standard commission rates.