Chapter 733 — Driving Up the Price: "You're Too Good to Her!" The mistress hugged the bald man, smothering him in a flurry of kisses, and only then went upstairs with the salesgirl.

The moment Mother Tang stepped into the new place on the third floor, she was smitten. Was it ever gorgeous! Bright floor-to-ceiling windows, a layout that put you instantly at ease, a sweeping living room — it was the very dream house you always saw on television.

In her heart Mother Tang had already set her jaw: buy it, she must buy it. The house was simply too beautiful.

"How much is this one?" Mother Tang asked, a little nervously.

"Auntie, this apartment is nine hundred and fifty thousand," said the salesgirl, glancing at her sales ledger.

"Ah! So expensive!" The figure struck her like a physical blow. True, she had just come into three million out of nowhere the day before, but now that the money sat in her hands she had no intention of letting it go. "Is there any way to make this one cheaper?"

"I'm sorry, Auntie. The discounts I've already mentioned are all I'm authorized to give. If you want anything more, you'd have to take it up with our general manager himself — though if you're only buying a single apartment, I hardly think he'd offer you any further reduction..." The salesgirl told her straight.

"Only nine hundred and fifty thousand? That's practically a steal!" Bald Boss Wu spoke up at last. "At nine hundred and fifty thousand, what discount do you even need? You could turn down every last one of those reductions and it would still be dirt cheap, wouldn't you say?"

So saying, Bald Boss Wu cast a glance at the mistress beside him.

"That's right — to you, Boss Wu, this sort of money is a single hair off the backs of nine oxen; it's nothing at all!" the mistress echoed. "It's simply too cheap!"

The moment she heard the pair of them, Tang Yun's temper flared. What were they on about? It wasn't as though they were the ones buying the house — what business did they have sticking their noses in? She shot Bald Boss Wu and his mistress a hard stare.

Mother Tang was just as incensed. Had these two come along for no purpose but to make trouble?

Seeing Tang Yun look his way, Bald Boss Wu assumed she was casting a glance at him. His heart soared with delight, and his smugness swept past all restraint. "Xiaoli, what do you think of this place? If you like it, I'll buy it for you!"

"I do like it — let's take this one!" Xiaoli, the mistress, nodded, her face lit up with pleasure.

Wei Zhao laughed inwardly. Had these two come as a team to put on airs? Go on, then — keep up the act. Let's see how long you can sustain it.

"Miss, I'll take this house. Draw up the contract," Bald Boss Wu told the salesgirl.

"Sir, this apartment is the one this lady saw first. Wouldn't it be better to wait until she has made her decision before you consider it?" the salesgirl asked, visibly put in a difficult position.

"Saw it first? So what if she saw it first? They haven't bought it yet, have they? And whatever hasn't been bought isn't theirs!" Bald Boss Wu gave a cold snort. "Tell me, do you know how to do your job at all? In this game, whoever pays first gets the goods. Their contract isn't even signed — hurry up and sign ours!"

"We're buying it! We're buying it right now!" Panic seized Mother Tang. The house she had so好不容易 set her heart on — how could it be snatched from her? That would not do. It absolutely would not do.

Wait — I must remove the Chinese characters that slipped in. Let me rewrite [[18]]:

"We're buying it! We're buying it right now!" Panic seized Mother Tang. The house she had finally set her heart on — how could someone else snatch it away? That would not do. It absolutely would not do.

"We said first that we'd buy it — you're already too late!" Xiaoli rolled her eyes at Mother Tang in contempt. "Just look at yourselves, shabby as anything. You couldn't afford this house if you tried. You'd do better to save your money and buy yourselves a little bungalow out in the country!"

"Who says we can't afford it? We saw it first, so we have the first right to buy it!" Xiaoli's ugly words sent Tang Yun into a fury, and she glared back at her.

"Forget it — there's no point arguing with you." Bald Boss Wu was only out to project an image of strength. He turned to the salesgirl. "Here's how it'll be: nine hundred and fifty thousand, and I won't take a single one of those petty discounts. Now draw up the contract!"

"Well..." The salesgirl found herself in a quandary too. If Bald Boss Wu refused the discounts, then selling the house would surely earn her the manager's praise, and this month's bonus would be no small sum. But was it quite fair to Mother Tang's family?

"Isn't there a saying for it? The highest bidder wins. Our offer is the higher one, so the place is ours — what are you still hesitating for?" Xiaoli finished with the salesgirl, then turned a taunting stare on Mother Tang. "We don't need the discount. If you don't need it either, they'll sell it to you as well — but you couldn't give it up, could you?"

"I... I... I..." Mother Tang's face flushed crimson with rage. How could anyone be so shameless? And yet — damn it — she really did need that discount.

"We... won't take the discount either!" Though the words pained her to say, Wei Zhao's hand was squeezing hers from behind, and she knew they were his doing, so she spoke them out.

"Oh?" Bald Boss Wu was caught off guard for an instant; he had not expected Tang Yun to show such resolve. But how could he hand back a house already in his grasp? For one thing, he could not afford to lose face before his mistress; for another, he wanted to show the mother and daughter what he was worth.

If he slunk away with his tail between his legs, what exactly would there be left to show off?

At that thought Bald Boss Wu set his teeth. "All right then — I'll offer one million! Draw up the contract!"

The salesgirl was dumbfounded. She had heard of wealthy men bidding one another up over villas, but never of two parties waging a bidding war over an ordinary apartment — and with the price leaping a whole fifty thousand in one stroke! It was beyond belief.

"One million! What are you standing there gawking for? Don't you want your bonus? If your boss found out you turned down money to be made, do you think he'd keep you on?" Xiaoli tried to frighten the salesgirl.

"I... well..." The salesgirl looked helplessly toward Mother Tang's side.

"We'll offer one million too!" Tang Yun had no choice but to steel herself and call out the bid.

Wei Zhao had once again signaled her to keep bidding, and though Tang Yun was reluctant, she named the price all the same.

Bald Boss Wu frowned. He had not imagined Tang Yun would actually follow him up. Did they really have that much money? They had come in a wrecked little minivan worth less than twenty thousand, and here they were, daring to raise the price by fifty thousand in one breath.

Could it be that they were truly going head to head with him? Still, Bald Boss Wu could not show weakness now — if Tang Yun could afford the price, how could he not? He was the boss of the Xincun Taxi Company, the largest taxi company in Songshan City, and above him stood Brother Cihua to shield him.

If he truly gave up today and slunk off, he would be losing not only his own face, but Brother Cihua's as well.

So, though Bald Boss Wu felt that raising the price on a mere apartment was hardly worth the trouble, there was nothing for it. Matters had reached this pass; there was no retreat left to him. He could only grit his teeth and force the words out: "One million one hundred thousand! I've no time to dicker with them — draw up the contract, now!"

The salesgirl was startled half silly by the figure coming out of Bald Boss Wu's mouth as well. One million one hundred thousand?

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