Chapter 454: An Office on Wall Street
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Switzerland was definitely a country with a sweet aftertaste.
After returning to the big melting pot of America, Cong Nianwei continued to user her inspiration in the gallery, while Qin Guan began to search for a location for his accounting firm.
Wall Street was south of Manhattan, stretching from Broadway to the East River. It was the narrowest street in New York, with a width of only 11 meters. There were double motorways, bikeways and walkways there, so there was always terrible traffic.
Obviously, its status as the American financial center also contributed to the traffic jam. The Morgan Consortium, the Rockefeller oil baron, the DuPont Consortium, The New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, the US Stock Exchange, the New York Future Exchange Center… Most giant financial centers were gathered on that narrow street. An inch of land was worth an ounce of gold there.
Following the manager of WeWork, the largest real estate agency in America, Qin Guan visited all the offices that were up for renting on Wall Street. As a small accounting firm owner, who had just started business, Qin Guan could at best earn a hundred thousand dollars in annual profits.
There were three important reasons for renting an office on Wall Street. Firstly, Liu Tianxia would be doing graduation field work that year, so the girls would need a formal office to work in.
Secondly, the Chinese preferred to have a formal accountant, so Qin Guan’s luxury-car club friends had urged him to find a formal location.
Finally, in order to develop his career, it was necessary to be involved in the financial circle. An office on Wall Street was a favorable advantage and a reflection of power.
“This way, please, Mr. Qin. This is the center of Wall Street. The New York Stock Exchange is right across the street. You’ll like this location.”
Qin Guan looked at the small room with a poker face. It reminded him of a cloakroom. It could fit three desks at most. Besides, what’s that window for?
It was the only window in the room. Qin Guan went over to pull it open…
Bang! The window frame fell down. The two of them looked at each other. Qin Guan’s Armani suit was covered in dust. Meanwhile, a naughty spider crawled away from the dirt.
The small room was a combination of the perfect location and terrible internal conditions. Is there maybe a better option? The larger offices are far away from the center, yet you showed me this one…
“I have to pay a visit to the Aijia agency. WeWork is unworthy of its reputation.”
Qin Guan flicked the dust off his body calmly and casually showed off his silver Tiffany sleeve buttons.
The manager was a little surprised. Wow! Did I misjudge him? Is he an Asian planning to start his own business after graduation?
He was right. The average American college graduate would rather get a job with a steady salary. They couldn’t spend much on starting a new business. The Chinese were the best at saving though. They might deposit a large amount in a bank and not withdraw any money during their whole life.
He had originally thought that Qin Guan had rented the Armani suit from a second-hand store, but at the sight of the Tiffany buttons, he knew he had misunderstood. Those silver buttons could cost up to 200 dollars judging by the brand and the design. No beggar would be able to wear something made by Tiffany.
He had misjudged Qin Guan. This was actually a gift from Tiffany for his hard work. He couldn’t sell the silver men’s set. It was worth 20,000 dollars, but he would rather use it to pretend to be somebody important.
“I have a large, luxurious office perfect for a talented young man like you.” The manager looked cheered up. He led Qin Guan to a modern mansion beside the shabby building excitedly.
It was on the 16th floor, which was a lucky number for the Chinese. After taking a turn, they reached the luxurious office.
“It’s 1,000 square feet.” Qin Guan was standing speechlessly at the door of the office. In the US and Hong Kong, people used square feet to measure surfaces. If he converted that to square meters, it meant…
Sometimes one read in newspapers that a star had bought a luxurious apartment of 1,000 square feet. This actually meant that they’d bought a common apartment with two bedrooms and a living room.
Qin Guan was standing at the entrance of an empty office of about 90 square meters. Several desks could fit inside. It was perfect for a small accounting firm. Qin Guan was satisfied, but he did not move a muscle of his face.
“How much?”
“110 dollars per square foot.”
“What? That’s robbery! It’s 110,000 dollars a month!” It was as much as his total income from the films and Armani.
The manager made a grimace. “I meant a year…”
Qin Guan let out a long breath of relief. With a flattering smile, he handed the manager an American Spirit cigarette and lit it up for him. It was the only tobacco-made cigarette without a fragrance, so it was the favorite of American people.
The manager took a deep drag of the cigarette. “Smith is an honest man. I would never increase a price.”
