Huayu: A master director who debuted as a singer

Chapter 121 Private Custom Villa

The next day, Zheng Hui opened the door after washing up.

Lin Dashan and He Yan were already waiting in the corridor. When they saw Zheng Hui come out, they greeted him in unison.

"Good morning, boss."

"Good morning. Have you eaten yet?" Zheng Hui asked casually.

"I've already eaten. I just grabbed a couple of bites of steamed buns downstairs," Lin Dashan replied. "Old Li is waiting for me in the lobby downstairs too."

"Let's go then."

Old Li was a seasoned real estate professional in Beijing whom He Yan had found through connections. He had been working in the city for many years and knew all about properties, big and small.

When they arrived at the lobby on the first floor, Old Li was sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper. When he saw Zheng Hui come down, he quickly came to greet him.

"Boss Zheng, did you get a good rest last night?" Old Li asked with a smile that covered his wrinkled face.

Zheng Hui replied, "It's alright, Lao Li. To be honest, those few shows we watched a few days ago were still a bit lacking. Where shall we go today?"

Old Li said, "Boss Zheng, let's go north today! A little further north from the Asian Games Village, there's a housing development called Ziyu Villa! That place will definitely suit your taste!"

The group left the restaurant, and Lin Dashan drove off in the hotel car.

As the car started, Old Li, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around and began to give a long and detailed introduction.

"Mr. Zheng, this Ziyu Villa is no ordinary property. It opened in 1996, the development company is from Hong Kong, and the owner is a Taiwanese businesswoman named Huang Ziyu. She's quite the shrew!"

Old Li gestured with his signature hand gesture, spitting as he spoke: "Don't be fooled by the fact that buildings are being constructed everywhere in Beijing these days. When it comes to ecology, Ziyu Mountain Villa is second to none!"

They've planted thousands of trees there, created an artificial lake, and I heard they even keep deer and peacocks on the lawn—it's practically a nature reserve!

Zheng Hui leaned back in his seat, listening quietly. The name Ziyu Manor was naturally very familiar to him in his previous life.

In the real estate industry of Beijing in later generations, this was a veritable top-tier luxury residential area, where countless celebrities and business tycoons purchased properties.

More importantly, this place is not far from the Beijing Film Academy, only about a 20-minute drive away, which will make it extremely convenient for studying and doing errands in the future.

"That sounds good." Zheng Hui nodded slightly. "Old Li, what was the price when it opened in 96?"

Old Li smacked his lips: "Oh my, that's not cheap. Back in '96, the opening price was six to eight thousand per square meter."

Twenty minutes later, the car drove onto a tree-lined avenue and slowly stopped in front of a gate.

After getting out of the car, Lin Dashan looked around and muttered, "Wow, there are actually such quiet places in Beijing? Even the air doesn't smell as much as car exhaust."

They were invited into the sales office after walking only a few steps.

They were greeted by a female sales manager surnamed Chen.

"Mr. Zheng, welcome to Ziyu Villa. Old Li already discussed your needs with me over the phone," Manager Chen said, serving several steaming cups of West Lake Longjing tea.

"Manager Chen, no need for formalities, let's get straight to the point." Zheng Hui took a sip of tea, put down his teacup, and got straight to the point.

"Okay, this way please."

Manager Chen led them to the sand table in the center of the hall and began to give a detailed introduction.

"Our resort currently consists of detached villas and townhouses. The overall design concept is to integrate the architecture into nature."

This blue area you see is our artificial lake. Scattered around the lake are our detached villa area.

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Zheng Hui stared at the sand table, his gaze sweeping over the models of each building.

"What is the largest area of ​​the detached houses?" Zheng Hui asked.

"Among the completed houses in the first phase, the largest is 325 square meters. It has a three-story structure, a private garden, and the best lighting and view in the entire resort," Manager Chen answered skillfully.

"Come on, take me to see it in person," Zheng Hui said readily.

After leaving the sales office, the group boarded the internal shuttle bus for viewing properties.

Soon, the electric scooter stopped in front of a three-story villa.

Manager Chen took the keys and pushed open the front door.

"Mr. Zheng, the apartments delivered so far are all unfinished. You will need to find someone to design and decorate them yourself. Please feel free to look around, but watch your step."

Zheng Hui stepped into the house. The gray cement floor, exposed red bricks, and load-bearing columns made the whole space seem somewhat empty and rough.

He wandered around the first floor.

"How high is the ceiling in this living room?" Zheng Hui looked up at the high ceiling.

"The first floor is 3.3 meters high, and the central atrium is 6.2 meters high, which is very grand. There's no problem hanging a large crystal chandelier there," Manager Chen explained from the side.

Zheng Hui nodded, and then he went up the cement stairs to the second and third floors.

He went into each room and stood there for a while, looking out the window at the direction it faced and checking the ventilation and lighting.

"The master bedroom is very large. This corner could easily be partitioned off to make a separate walk-in closet," Zheng Hui said, pointing to a large area inside the master bedroom.

"Yes, you have a very good eye. The designer reserved this area to make it easier for the homeowner to build a walk-in closet," Manager Chen praised without missing the opportunity.

Finally, Zheng Hui went up to the third-floor terrace.

Standing here, you can take in most of the beautiful scenery of Ziyu Mountain Villa. The distant trees sway in the wind, and you can occasionally hear a few clear birdsongs.

"Manager Chen, I'm very satisfied with this apartment. Let's get straight to the price."

Manager Chen straightened his expression and skillfully quoted a price: "Mr. Zheng, the average price here is around ten thousand."

The apartment is 325 square meters, and the total price is 3.28 million. Of course, if you are really interested, we will definitely try to get some discounts.

In this day and age, buying a house for over three million yuan is nothing short of a pipe dream for most people. But in Zheng Hui's eyes, it's just a fraction of the royalties from two albums over a few days.

However, business is business, and haggling over prices is human nature. He didn't want to be ripped off.

"Old Li, what do you think?" Zheng Hui turned to look at Old Li.

Old Li immediately understood and stepped forward to cooperate: "Manager Chen, let's not beat around the bush. Boss Zheng has come with utmost sincerity. Full payment! You don't need to go to the bank for mortgage procedures. Just give me a fair and honest bottom line price!"

Manager Chen smiled somewhat awkwardly: "If it's full payment, we can indeed use the fast track. Mr. Zheng, please wait a moment while I call my supervisor to apply for it."

As she spoke, she walked to the corner of the balcony, covered her phone, and muttered a few words to herself.

After a while, she returned, her face beaming with joy: "Mr. Zheng, the boss has approved it. The full amount will be paid in one lump sum. We'll round it down to three million! This is truly our bottom line."

Three million, that's less than ten thousand yuan per square meter.

Zheng Hui shook his head inwardly. In later generations, this house wouldn't even cost three million, let alone double that amount.

Zheng Hui didn't haggle any longer: "Okay, three million it is. I'll take this ready-built apartment."

Upon hearing this, Manager Chen's smile became even more genuine. This was a huge order; the commission would be enough for her to live on for several years.

"Mr. Zheng is such a straightforward person! Shall we go back to the sales office to sign the contract?"

"No rush." ​​Zheng Hui waved his hand, his gaze fixed on the undeveloped, overgrown vacant lot in the distance.

"Manager Chen, this 300-plus square meters is more than enough for daily living."

Zheng Hui said, "But I will definitely open a company and set up a studio in Beijing in the future."

"If we have a larger family in the future, or want to install some professional equipment at home, this space will still be a bit cramped."

Manager Chen was stunned.

A detached villa of over 300 square meters, still feeling cramped?! This is one of the largest house types currently available on the Beijing market.

"Mr. Zheng, what do you mean?"

"Since you're going to continue developing phases two and three, could I have a building custom-built for me here?"

"Personalized customization?" Manager Chen asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Yes." Zheng Hui nodded and began to express the idea that he had already planned in his mind: "I want a good piece of land, with an area of ​​at least 1,000 square meters."

It needs to include a private outdoor heated swimming pool, and the basement needs to be deep enough to house a separate screening room and recording studio that meet acoustic standards. Also, the underground parking garage needs to be spacious enough to accommodate at least five cars parked side-by-side.

As Zheng Hui listed the requirements one by one, Manager Chen was somewhat bewildered.

This isn't just buying a house, it's practically building your own little estate in the Purple Jade Mountain Villa!

"Mr. Zheng, this area is too large, and it involves replanning the underlying blueprints. I can't make that decision," Manager Chen said with some difficulty.

"Understood." Zheng Hui nodded understandingly. "Go and ask your leader who can make the decision. Let's go to the sales office and talk about it slowly."

Back in the sales office lobby, Manager Chen quickly ran to the back office area.

Less than five minutes later, a middle-aged man strode out.

"Mr. Zheng, hello! I'm the sales director here, my surname is Wang. You can just call me Lao Wang." Mr. Wang spoke Mandarin with a Hong Kong accent and warmly extended his hands.

Zheng Hui shook hands with him and sat down on the sofa.

"Mr. Wang, Manager Chen must have told you about my request, right?"

"I told you, I told you!" Mr. Wang nodded repeatedly: "Mr. Zheng has excellent taste!"

Our resort's second phase has a fantastic lakeside plot of land, large enough to accommodate your custom-built 1,000 square meter apartment. Technically, that's no problem at all!

Developers love high-end customers who are not short of money and want large areas. This not only brings in a lot of funds, but also serves as an excellent marketing gimmick—the emergence of a 1,000-square-meter king-sized building in Ziyu Mountain Villa.

"Since you can do it, let's talk about the terms."

"Mr. Wang, you can provide the blueprints and modify them according to my requirements. Money is not a problem. But I hate it when I buy things."

"I don't care what the current status of this land is, but as long as I pay the money, all the paperwork must be complete. Sales permit, pre-sale permit, land use certificate, all four certificates and one document, not one can be missing."

I bought this house to live comfortably and to have a stable base of operations in the future, not to spend money to fight a lawsuit with you. If you can't produce even one of the certificates, I don't want the house.

After listening, Mr. Wang patted his chest and assured him, "Mr. Zheng, you can rest assured!"

Our boss, Huang, always deals in big business. Our company is in real estate, and we're all about following the rules and staying legal! As for the paperwork, everything is absolutely clean and has a smooth, green light process!

"Words are no proof; let's put it in writing."

"I signed the full payment contract today for that 300-square-meter ready-built apartment in Phase 1. As for this 1,000-square-meter custom-built apartment, I'm not in a hurry since the blueprints haven't even been completed yet. I can pay you a 20% deposit first."

"Let's say two million, but we need to put the unpleasant things in the contract: if the planning is not approved or the procedures are not completed due to your company's reasons, you have to return double the deposit to me."

Mr. Wang hesitated for a moment, his mind racing.

This deal is too tempting. A ready-built house for three million in cash, plus a two million deposit for customization, and you can get five million in cash flow in just one day!

This is a great temptation for Ziyu Mountain Villa, which is currently in the development and construction phase and is eager for funds.

Moreover, he had absolute confidence in his boss Huang Ziyu's connections in Beijing and his ability to handle procedures.

"Alright! Mr. Zheng, that's the deal! It's settled then!"

Mr. Wang immediately approved the plan: "Manager Chen, prepare two copies of the contract right away! Add every single clause Mr. Zheng mentioned to the supplementary agreement!"

The next hour was filled with a tedious and boring signing process.

He signed, pressed his fingerprint, and checked all the terms. Zheng Hui examined the two large stacks of documents very carefully.

Buying a house isn't like buying cabbage at the market. Even if someone is now worth hundreds of millions, they still need to understand the liabilities for breach of contract, the term of the property rights, and so on.

He was also meticulous about core terms such as delivery standards.

He went through it word by word, making sure there were no linguistic traps, before solemnly signing his name.

"Mr. Zheng, it's a pleasure doing business with you!" President Wang handed over a copy of the contract with both hands.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you." Zheng Hui stood up. "Let's go to the bank."

In 1999, there was no such thing as one-click transfers via mobile banking. A huge transaction of five million had to be done at a bank counter.

The group drove to a nearby Bank of China branch.

Because they were important clients brought by Ziyu Mountain Villa, the bank manager personally welcomed them into the VIP room.

Filling out forms, verifying signatures—bank clerks busily typed on keyboards behind the counter. Zheng Hui sat on the sofa, watching five million yuan be transferred from his account.

It took more than an hour to complete all the transfer procedures.

Back at the sales office of Ziyu Villa, I received a thick bunch of keys to the 325-square-meter villa and the receipt for the property certificate.

"Mr. Wang, there's something else I need to trouble you with." Zheng Hui tossed the keys to Lin Dashan and put them away.

"The house was delivered as a bare shell, so decorating it is a real headache. I'm usually busy and don't have the energy to keep an eye on the construction site every day."

Since you are a Hong Kong-based development company, could you help me contact some top luxury residential designers in Hong Kong?

"No problem! This is too easy!"

Mr. Wang readily agreed: "Several design firms that our company has long-term partnerships with have won international awards. Mr. Zheng, what style do you want? I'll have them create concept sketches for you right away."

Zheng Hui thought for a moment and said, "Minimalist, or modern Chinese style. Black, white and gray as the main colors, with a little bit of natural wood color added appropriately, and the lines should be clean and crisp."

He emphasized one point in particular: "You must make it clear to the designer that I hate the kind of gaudy gold style with fussy crystal chandeliers hanging everywhere."

Not only will it collect dust easily, but it also looks tacky. Just have them produce the drawings according to the principle of "less is more," and send them to me for review once they're finished.

"Understood! Mr. Zheng is a man of refined taste. Rest assured, I will definitely have the designer put several plans on your desk within half a month!" Mr. Wang readily agreed.

"How long will the construction take approximately?"

"With such a large area, plus the costs of material selection, construction, and custom-made furniture, it will take at least four to six months to achieve the desired effect. You will definitely be able to move into your new home before the end of this year!"

"Alright, then I'll leave it to Mr. Wang."

After finishing all the matters at Ziyu Villa, it was already past 2 PM when I walked out the gate.

Wang Dashan asked, "Boss, this house will take more than half a year to finish being renovated. With the time needed for ventilation and airing out, we probably won't be able to move in comfortably until next spring."

So, where will we live when the Beijing Film Academy starts its semester in the second half of the year?

I can't stay at the VIP Building Hotel forever; it's too far from the North Film Academy in the HD area, and the traffic during rush hour is absolutely unbearable.

"Boss, how about we rent a more upscale apartment near the Beijing Film Academy?" He Yan suggested.

Old Li, who had been standing by as a background character, chimed in at this moment.

"Mr. Zheng, renting in an apartment complex is actually quite troublesome. You have to clean it yourself and pay the water and electricity bills. For a celebrity like you, there are also privacy concerns. Since you're going to study at the Beijing Film Academy, I have an excellent place to recommend."

"Where?" Zheng Hui looked at him.

"The Friendship Hotel! It's right in Zhongguancun, very close to the Beijing Film Academy. It's a five-minute drive, or a twenty-minute walk!"

That place was used to receive Soviet experts in the early days of the People's Republic of China; the environment inside was superb, like a large garden.

"More importantly, they offer long-term room rental services. Many senior executives of foreign companies and bosses from other places rent rooms there for extended periods."

The rooms are cleaned and the sheets are changed daily by staff, and there's 24-hour security—it's private and safe. Staying there is like moving in with just your bags—you don't have to worry about a thing!

Upon hearing this, Zheng Hui thought it was an excellent idea.

"Let's go check out the Friendship Hotel."

The car made a U-turn and headed towards Haidian.

Upon arriving at Zhongguancun South Street, a cluster of red-brick and green-tiled buildings, imbued with a sense of historical weight, comes into view.

This is the famous Friendship Hotel.

As the car drove through the gate, the area was shaded by lush green trees, with tall poplars providing ample shade. The tranquil environment seemed completely isolated from the noisy streets outside.

Old Li led them to the VIP building with practiced ease.

The bright red carpet, solid wood wainscoting, and well-dressed staff exude a sense of solemnity unique to old-fashioned star-rated hotels.

The lobby manager greeted them and led them upstairs to see a luxury suite for extended stays.

The suite has a spacious living room, a master bedroom, and a study. The furniture is all solid wood, and although the styles are somewhat old-fashioned, it is very well maintained.

"How much does this long bag cost?" Zheng Hui sat down on the sofa; it was quite bouncy.

"Mr. Zheng, the cost for this deluxe suite for a six-month stay is 210,000 RMB. This includes daily housekeeping, breakfast, and access to all hotel facilities," the manager replied politely.

Six months' rent was 210,000 yuan, which is over 30,000 yuan a month. In 1999, this was definitely a huge sum of money. But for Zheng Hui, it was a great deal to buy six months of peace of mind and comfort.

"Okay, this will do."

Zheng Hui stood up, turned to Lin Dashan and He Yan and said, "Book two more standard deluxe rooms on this floor. One room for each of my two employees, for six months. Go and get the bill, and pay for mine together with the rest by card later."

(Bank cards were already widespread by 99, so this is not counted in the word count.)

The three rooms were rented for six months, totaling over 400,000 yuan. In those days, this was an astonishing expense, but Zheng Hui didn't even blink.

"Okay," the manager replied and went to complete the formalities.

When everything settled down, it was already past four in the afternoon when the group arrived at the hotel lobby.

"Old Li, thank you for running around today." Zheng Hui gestured to Lin Dashan to take out a thick envelope he had prepared and handed it over. Inside was the commission for Old Li's recent efforts.

"Look at you, Boss Zheng, it's my honor to serve you!" Old Li took the envelope with both hands, squeezing its thickness with his fingers, his face crinkling into wrinkles with a smile. The money he earned from this deal was enough for him to live comfortably for several years.

"Alright, that's enough for today. You can go back now. I'll contact you if I need anything in the future." Zheng Hui nodded.

"Alright, then you all get some rest. Call me anytime if you need anything!" Old Li bowed, turned around, and left the hotel with light steps.

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