Chapter Ninety-Four: A Heart-to-Heart Talk

Zhang Wei returned to the store to clock in, while several of the female agents still stood around the BMW, gazing at it with envy and longing, chattering excitedly among themselves.

“Sure, the BMW is nice, but I agree with Liu Ziqi. Even if someone really made a million, there’s no way I’d spend all of it on a car,” said Han Xue, one of the Five Golden Flowers.

“Exactly. That would be outrageously wasteful. Even if you didn’t use the million to take care of your parents, for someone in our line of work, the first thing you should buy is a house. A BMW is nice, but it’s still a luxury item,” Liu Ziqi said with some indifference.

Liu Ziqi’s words quickly won the agreement of everyone nearby. They all worked in real estate, and for them, a house carried a special kind of emotion. If they ever had money, they would surely buy a good home that could appreciate in value, rather than a car that would only depreciate.

“Hmph, you make it sound so reasonable, as if you’re somehow better than him. If you’re so capable, then go out and make 1.7 million in sales a month!” Li Lin snorted, defending Zhang Wei.

“I never said his sales ability was weak. I just don’t agree with the way he spends money. His idea of managing finances is wrong. He shouldn’t be spending all his money on a car,” Liu Ziqi retorted. She and Li Lin had never seen eye to eye; this was far from their first clash.

“Naive. Do you even know how much money he has, and you still want to manage it for him?” Li Lin sneered.

“How could I not know? At a 60 percent commission on 1.7 million in sales, that comes to 1.02 million in income. And a BMW 730 costs about that much too. Even if he bought the car on credit, it’s money he’ll have to pay back sooner or later,” Liu Ziqi said without giving an inch.

“I don’t know whether you’re really this clueless or just pretending to be. It isn’t even the fifteenth yet. Zhang Wei’s salary and commission from last month haven’t been paid. How could he possibly use that money to buy a car?” Li Lin stared at her as if she were an idiot.

At those words, the sales staff in Su Ning’s store all froze for a moment, then suddenly understood. Zhang Wei’s salary and commission from last month had not yet been paid, so he could not have bought the car with that money. Which meant Zhang Wei was far wealthier than they had imagined.

In truth, in her bid for the regional manager position, Su Ning naturally regarded Xu Ming as her chief rival. Not only had she studied Xu Ming’s résumé, she had even analyzed the employees on his team, and the most eye-catching among them was undoubtedly Zhang Wei, who had made more than a million in sales last month.

Based on their understanding of Zhang Wei, along with the data and records they had reviewed, they found that Zhang Wei had joined Zhongtong Company three months ago and had failed to close a single deal in the first two months. Only last month had he suddenly closed three deals in a row. The reason he had generated over a million in sales was that he had sold a villa.

Their analysis suggested that Zhang Wei’s sales ability was not actually that strong. His million-plus performance had owed more to luck, having landed a major customer looking for a villa. But now, with last month’s salary still unpaid, he was already wearing designer clothes and driving a luxury car worth over a million. Clearly, he was far richer than they had imagined.

At that moment, in the minds of Su Ning’s team, Zhang Wei had become unfathomable. It was not simply because he had money; it was because his ability to earn that money proved he possessed extraordinary sales skill.

The real estate brokerage industry was a very practical one. It worshiped the strong. Even if you were a rival, if your sales ability was outstanding, the other side would still respect you deeply.

In fact, it was not only the agents on Su Ning’s team who found Zhang Wei mysterious. Even Xu Ming, Li Lin, and Wang Jianfa did not know where Zhang Wei had gotten all that money, or how he had undergone such a dramatic transformation in just one month. If they had not seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed it.

After Zhang Wei finished clocking in and logged into HouseFriend, he greeted Wen Fang and then hurried outside to join the morning meeting. There, he discovered that the way everyone looked at him had changed. The several female agents on Su Ning’s team, in particular, were far more enthusiastic than before.

The morning meeting’s discussion of deal-closing experience was nothing more than the usual commonplace talk. Everyone could say a few words, but whether it was useful or not ultimately depended on individual ability. When it was Zhang Wei’s turn to share his experience, he only said roughly the same things as everyone else.

But with his performance of more than a million in sales last month and the BMW he drove, no one dared look down on him. Su Ning herself had already begun to regard him on the same level as Xu Ming, and she would not think of him lightly again.

After the morning meeting ended, the agents from both teams dispersed to their own tasks. Xu Ming pulled Zhang Wei aside and handed him a cigarette.

“How’s it going? Have you settled everything at home?” Xu Ming asked.

“Thanks for your concern, Brother Xu. Everything’s been arranged.” Zhang Wei took the cigarette with both hands, borrowed a light from Xu Ming, and took a drag.

Zhang Wei smoked, but he was not a heavy smoker. Besides, he used to be strapped for cash, so he hardly ever bought cigarettes for himself. If someone offered him one, he would smoke it; if not, he would not miss it.

“That’s good. Only when the matters at home are settled can you put all your energy into work,” Xu Ming said with a nod.

Zhang Wei nodded in response, though inwardly he was wondering why Xu Ming had singled him out.

“Zhang Wei, do you know that one of the regional manager positions in our district has opened up?” Xu Ming took a hard drag on his cigarette and slowly exhaled before speaking.

“I know a little, but not much.” Zhang Wei looked at Xu Ming in surprise. He had guessed that Xu Ming might bring up this matter, but he had not expected him to be so direct.

“Brother Xu, do you want to compete for the regional manager position?” Since Xu Ming had spoken so plainly, clearly treating him as one of his own, Zhang Wei decided not to beat around the bush either.

“That’s right.” Xu Ming nodded. After a moment’s thought, he continued, “It’s not just me. Su Ning is also a strong contender for the regional manager role.”

“Brother Xu, what are the main factors in competing for that position?” Zhang Wei asked.

“A regional manager oversees four or five stores, so there’s naturally more to handle than a store manager. Training, sales targets, and management are the basics, but in the end it all comes down to the performance of the people under you,” Xu Ming explained.

“Is there anything I can do?” Zhang Wei asked with concern.

“You just need to keep up the momentum from last month and keep closing deals,” Xu Ming said with a smile, patting Zhang Wei on the shoulder.

Xu Ming’s words were blunt and simple, but they were also the truth. No matter how eloquently one might speak, the final comparison would still be the performance of each team. The one who could create profit for the company would be the most qualified regional manager.

“By the way, if I do become regional manager, the store manager position will definitely be left vacant. At that time, I’d like to recommend you to headquarters as the new store manager. Do you have any interest in that?” Xu Ming stubbed out his cigarette and looked into Zhang Wei’s eyes with sincere seriousness.