"If I lose, you're still going to give me the house?"
Sasha pointed at her petite nose, her face full of disbelief.
Whether she won or lost, this house was hers?
Wasn't this a little too extravagant?
"Yeah, I need a place to work out, and I happen to like this one," James said honestly.
Sasha silently thought to herself:
A house with annual property fees costing over 100,000... What does it matter if you like it? I might not even be able to afford to live here.
She swallowed hard, wanting to refuse.
But the words wouldn't come out.
Who could say no to a house like this?
After stammering for a while, she finally asked, "How do you plan to bet?"
James didn't want to make it complicated. "It's simple. Call your boyfriend here. I'll ask him, face-to-face, whether he would choose you or 2 million. Keep in mind, you just rejected 20 million for him."
Upon hearing this, Sasha's face lit up with determination.
"Don't worry. He's told me beforeâhe'd only ever spend my money in this lifetime."
Her boyfriend liked money, sure. He often used her money to drink and party, but Sasha was certain that he truly loved her.
Her boyfriend couldn't cook, but he had once made her noodles. He'd given her a silver ring and sung for her on her birthday.
And he'd said that no matter what happened in the future, he'd always stay by her side.
It was a tenderness and romance she had never experienced before.
She believed he'd absolutely choose her over the money.
After all, it would take her over a decade of hard work to save that much herself.
"If he chooses me, I expect you to apologize. Asking a question like that is considered an insult where I come from," she said seriously.
"Of course. If your boyfriend really can resist the temptation of money, I'll apologize, no question," James said with a smile.
If their love was genuine, James was more than willing to apologizeâhe might even bless their relationship.
After all, very few people could turn down 2 million.
However, when Sasha mentioned that her boyfriend only ever spent her money, James felt something was off.
What kind of self-respecting man would say something so shameless?
"I believe in my boyfriend," Sasha said confidently.
"We'll see. How long have you two been together?" James asked.
"Almost a year. He took care of me when I first came to China."
"And your relationship's been good the whole time?"
"It's been fine. He often posts my pictures on social media to show me off," Sasha said, her face lighting up with a smile as she recalled the memory.
"Chinese men are very serious and gentleânot like the men from my country, who are often irresponsible, heavy drinkers, and overly macho. Women in my hometown have a very positive impression of Chinese men."
Hearing this acknowledgment from a foreigner, James couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as a Chinese man.
It was as if the collective efforts of countless earnest men had built an admirable reputation that shone brightly on the global stage.
Moved by her straightforwardness, James immediately said,
"Alright then. Since this house is going to be yours sooner or later, let's go complete the paperwork now."
Alice Bentman, startled, quickly approached, bowing slightly as she opened the door for James.
Given that he had spent over 13 million on a property just yesterday, she didn't doubt his ability to buy this one.
She was simply shocked that he intended to gift such an expensive house.
This penthouse was worth twice as much as the one he bought for himself.
Feeling obligated to remind him, she cautiously said,
"Mr. King, buying property for a Russian national can be a bit tricky, especially if a mortgage is involved."
"Of course, it's an all-cash deal. What's 28 million? Do you think I'd need a mortgage?" James said arrogantly.
Hearing this, Alice's impression of James grew even loftier.
Having 28 million in cash on hand wasn't something even the city's wealthiest elites could do easily.
It spoke volumes about how extraordinary this young man was.
"And how should the property rights be divided? How much of the ownership should be under your name?" Alice asked.
"Just put it entirely in her name. No need to split ownership," James replied calmly.
Alice drew in a sharp breath.
She hadn't expected him to be serious about gifting the house.
Not even the slightest bit of pretenseâhe was fully committed.
This genuinely shocked her.
From their conversation, it was clear that James and Sasha hadn't known each other long.
Yet here he was, willing to give a girl he'd just met a 28-million-dollar property.
Was this just how rich people lived their lives?
She couldn't begin to understand it.
Sasha, too, finally realized that she was about to own an incredibly expensive home.
Her composure from earlier was gone, her voice trembling slightly as she asked,
"Boss, are you really planning to give me this house?"
"Yes. If your boyfriend passes the test, this house can be your marital home. If he fails, then this will be our gym. Deal?" James said, smiling.
Sasha thought for a moment before replying seriously,
"If he fails, I'll willingly become your exclusive trainer for life."
"For life?" James asked, raising an eyebrow and giving her a meaningful wink.
Sasha nodded earnestly. "Yes. If he doesn't want me, I'll stay by your side as your personal trainer until I die."
The boldness of the Russian spirit was undeniable.
Compared to the more reserved nature of Chinese women, Sasha's directness was refreshing.
Eager to get started, James urged her to call her boyfriend over.
He wanted to lift the lid and see what lay insideâwhether it was big or small.
Obediently, Sasha dialed her boyfriend's number.
Following James's instructions, she told him that she was being harassed by a wealthy client and needed him to come help.
Her boyfriend, alarmed, promised to arrive within half an hour.
While Alice went downstairs to prepare the purchase contract, James waited in the penthouse.
He grabbed a bottle of wine from the wine cabinet, poured two glasses, and handed one to Sasha, who was sitting on the sofa.
Out of boredom, he asked,
"Mind if I ask... was your first time with your current boyfriend?"
"No," Sasha replied, shaking her head unexpectedly.
"My first time was at my coming-of-age party. I confessed to a boy I liked, but when he didn't want to take responsibility, I decided to leave him."
In her hometown, the male-to-female ratio was 1:6.
With so many choices, most men weren't very loyal or responsible.
They loved themselves more than they loved their girlfriends.
If something made them uncomfortable, they'd simply break up and move on to someone better.
James nodded thoughtfully.
He was curious about Sasha's current boyfriend, who had managed to date her for so long without taking things to the next level.
"You two haven't... been intimate over the past year?"
"He says he's a traditional man. Every time I bring it up, he avoids it, saying we need to be married first," Sasha said, sounding confused.
"But he loves to show off on social media and even asks me to acknowledge him publicly. I don't get it," she added, frowning slightly.
James's expression darkened.
Did this guy have some sort of "hidden issue"?
He decided to reserve judgment until he had the full picture.
Not long after, James received a call from security, saying a young man was at the gate, asking to be let in.
James gave the go-ahead.
A few minutes later, the elevator arrived at the 31st floor, and the doorbell rang.
Jay Johnson, standing by the door, casually opened it.
In walked a refined-looking young man.
He wore a blue-striped shirt tucked into black slacks, with silver glasses and a neatly parted hairstyle.
He was a bit on the thin side, standing about 170 centimeters tall (5'7").
The moment he stepped in, there wasn't a trace of anger on his faceâno fury at the thought of his girlfriend being harassed.
Instead, he looked completely calm.
Understandably so.
It was hard for anyone to feel brave when standing in front of someone like Jay Johnson.
The young man tilted his head back to look up at Jay, his eyes filled with disdain.
It was as if he were silently saying, I bet you wouldn't dare touch me.