Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Gao Peng looked at it for a few seconds, then muttered, “This picture was taken before the cataclysm, right?” Gao Peng could tell that none of the plants in the background of the picture were species that appeared after the cataclysm. That came across as strange, as the effects of the cataclysm were vast. Practically all forms of flora and fauna were altered in one way or another, but none of these changes were apparent in the picture.
The atmosphere was suddenly awkward.
Then, the salesperson had an idea. “That’s right. Think of it this way, sir: a standalone villa from before the cataclysm that comes with a few dozen acres of garden is practically impossible to find within Chang’an City nowadays.
“Now it is selling only for 2,000 Alliance Credits, which means only 20,000 Alliance Dollars. This is a really cheap price. And although the place is rather secluded, there is an expressway right at the foot of the hill. If you buy a car as well, it will be really convenient to get around.”
Gao Peng glanced at the salesperson. He knew that the salesperson had left out plenty of details such as safety issues, and issues regarding renovations.
This was in a rural area after all, and there was plenty of unrest in society during the early stages after the cataclysm. Such a villa in a rural area would either have been fortified into a fortress or deserted and left in ruins.
After three years, if the actual villa were 60% as new as the picture showed, Gao Peng would have been more than satisfied.
But regarding the other aspects of this villa, Gao Peng was actually rather pleased. The location of the villa was on the tablet. It was in a new development area that was unfortunately not completely developed back then when the cataclysm happened. After things began to stabilize, it became a new development area again, and currently housed the Monster Breeder Association and the Monster Hunting Association. Even his school was only a twenty-minute drive away.
“Actually, this property is going for a rather low price. The seller is making a loss from this deal,” said the salesperson in a low voice. “After all, this is the Chang’an City area. Buying an acre of land will usually cost at least a few million. Of course, this was the price that the land was going for before the cataclysm, but even after the cataclysm, the price of the land did not drop by much. The price of land in such a rural area might be lower but it definitely has not dropped by that much.”
The salesperson was speaking as though he was seriously considering Gao Peng’s position, and was making seem it as though Gao Peng was getting a great bargain.
Gao Peng felt that this scenario was extremely familiar…
“I wish to take a look at that villa right now. Would that be convenient?” Gao Peng did not wish to waste too much time on buying a house. As long as it fulfilled his two main criteria of being quiet and spacious, other factors such as the convenience of the location, the condition of the villa, and so on were all secondary.
As for matters of safety, they were actually the least of Gao Peng’s concerns. Although rural areas might have some sporadic monster appearances, there definitely would not be any monsters that were commander tier or above. Even elite tier monsters would be extremely rare. He would most likely encounter some normal tier monsters.
With the group of Familiars that he raised at home, even if monsters were to attack, they would most likely become an additional meal for his Familiars.
“Mm, wait a moment. Let me contact the seller,” said the salesperson hurriedly, before taking out his mobile phone to make a call.
In a moment, the owner of the villa, a pot-bellied middle-aged man who looked a lot like a businessman, drove over in a car.
Without much idle chit chat, he fetched Gao Peng and the salesperson over to the outskirts of the city.
On the way there, the man briefly explained his own circumstances. He was a businessman and owned a villa in the city area along with quite a few other houses. The villa on the outskirts was actually bought for his parents to enjoy their retirement in.
At this point, the man who wore a large gold chain around his neck chuckled. “What is the purpose of living in this world? Isn’t it just to live out our days more comfortably? My parents were villagers, who worked themselves to the bone their entire lives. As a son, after achieving some success in life, I naturally wanted them to enjoy the rest of their lives. Don’t you think that makes sense?”
Although the man was laughing, Gao Peng could hear that there was more to his story.
With his left arm still on the steering wheel, the man casually wiped his eyes with his burly right arm and took in a deep breath.
He slowly let it out as though he were letting a heavy weight off his heart.
The car fell into silence for a while.
“But they didn’t make it in time to enjoy anything, not even for a day! They slaved away their entire lives!” The man’s voice sounded almost like a sob. “This godd*mned world!”
Having lost both his parents as well, Gao Peng could completely empathize. He quietly looked out of the window.
The scenery rushed across his eyes in a blur.
Very soon they reached the villa. The car stopped right in front. “We’re here.”
The man got out of the car. His expression was normal again, as though he had not said anything earlier.
“This road is still rather safe as there are military troops who will clear the roads on a regular basis. But it is still a rural area, so it is hard to avoid encountering some small monsters. Young man, if you do buy this place, I would suggest buying a few good Familiars to watch the house for you. This would ensure your safety and let you stay here with peace of mind.”
Gao Peng looked at the man. To think that such sellers existed. He was really seller with a conscience.
Gao Peng was just thinking about this, only to have the man smile and hand him a name card. “My name is Liu San. Right now I am also selling Familiars. Young man, if you buy your Familiars from me, I’ll give you a 20% discount.”
“You really know how to do business, Mr. Liu,” said Gao Peng dumbfounded, as he accepted the name card.
The villa was exactly like he expected. It was a little run down. The brick fence surrounding the compound was missing bricks here and there, and it was covered in creepers.
“Business has been busy over the past two years, and I hardly had time to manage the place.” Liu San stood next to Gao Peng and handed him a cigarette as he spoke. “But if I frequently maintained the place, it wouldn’t have gone for such a low price.”
“I don’t smoke, thank you,” Gao Peng refused.
Liu San then offered the salesperson a cigarette as well. He was shocked to be treated so nicely but accepted it.
“Won’t you go in to take a look?” asked Liu San as he handed the villa’s keys to Gao Peng.
“No need. I’ll just look at the surroundings. Everything will have to be renovated anyway,” Gao Peng shook his head as he replied.
“I’ll buy it at this price then. Can I sign the contract now?” Gao Peng did not wish to waste any time.
The contract was already prepared and brought along by the salesperson. The papers were signed and the transaction was carried out quickly.
Under the policies of the new government, such contracts and agreements were much more convenient and required fewer of the complicated procedures that were needed in the past.
After taking over the contracts for the property and the land, and with the addition of the villa keys that he just received, the plot of land now belonged to Gao Peng.
Under the policies of the new Allied Government, all land could be legally bought or sold. The tenure for each transaction was 100 years, and within these 100 years, the plot of land would belong to the buyer. Even the Allied Government would have no authority to interfere with whatever the land was being used for.
After contacting a construction company, and informing them of the designs that he wanted, Gao Peng realized that the money he had gotten earlier that morning was now gone. The 50% deposit that Lu Xie had paid him was practically completely spent.
But at least he now finally had a spacious home for all his Familiars. He would no longer have to worry about them crashing through the ceiling or making too much noise and troubling the neighbors at night.
