Artair couldn't believe this show-off could afford a villa.
Seeing him so calm and collected, putting on a convincing act, Artair couldn't help but say in a fit of pique, "Alright, if you can put down a 100,000 deposit, I'll call you 'daddy' right here and now!"
James smiled, "What if I put down a million?"
Artair retorted, "Then... then I'll take off my pants and run around outside naked!"
James asked, "You serious?"
"Dead serious," Artair said firmly.
James gave a thumbs up.
"Alright, you've got guts. Go get the contract, and give me your company's bank account number; I'll make the transfer."
As his words fell, the onlookers were stunned.
"Holy crap, this guy seems serious!"
"Could he be a real baller?"
"This is gonna be good. Either way, I think Artair is screwed."
"Haha, what if the baller pays and Artair doesn't go streaking? What will the baller do?"
"Don't know, but if he does go streaking, the company won't keep him."
"Serves him right for being so glib."
"Yeah, always working overtime, trying to one-up his colleagues, better for him to get lost."
"He's got shifty eyes. Doesn't look like a good person, and he always pretends to be nice."
Artair ignored the surrounding whispers.
His face was flushed, and he stood rooted to the spot, not daring to draw up the contract.
He regretted making that bet.
If this guy really produced the money to shut him up, he'd either have to streak and be fired or offend a big shot.
Streaking was an eternal shame, indelible and unforgettable.
He'd not only lose his job but also end up in a police station.
But choosing to go back on his word and offend a big shot would also have serious consequences.
A guy who would spend millions to please a girl was a little scary.
Who knew what such people were capable of.
Just as he was caught between a rock and a hard place, the door to the manager's office opened, and out walked a poised woman.
She wore a beige suit jacket over a white blouse, and a tight skirt showcased her slender legs.
Her outfit was simple yet elegant and sexy, and she had a very feminine look.
James took a quick look: 29 years old, 88 points.
Too bad, just a little short.
This woman, named Lucy, came up to him and scolded Artair,
"Artair, what's going on? Why are you shouting? Can't you speak properly?"
"It's not me, Ms. Qi. This guy said he wants to buy the 8-million-yuan villa in full. I got a bit flustered and shouted."
Lucy was slightly surprised.
She had only heard the commotion from inside and came out to see what was happening.
But hearing Artair say that, an 8-million-yuan villa? That was indeed worth shouting about.
She turned, her initially angry face instantly blooming into a bright smile:
"I'm so sorry, sir. Our employee's service wasn't up to par. Please tell me your requirements, and we'll do our best to satisfy you."
James chuckled, "I don't have any special requests. I've just never seen anyone streak before, so I'm a bit curious."
"Well..." Lucy was momentarily confused.
After hearing Artair's brief explanation of the bet, she understood.
She sized up the composed James and the stoic Jay Johnson behind him.
Being experienced, she quickly understood the situation.
She forced a smile and said apologetically,
"Mr. Qin, I'm truly sorry. Our staff member is quite young and tends to make careless jokes. Please don't take it seriously. Streaking would reflect poorly on our company..."
With the manager coming to plead her case and Artair bowing in apology, James didn't want to make things difficult for the working man.
After all, he hadn't said anything too offensive, just expressed some doubt.
James said with a smile,
"I was just kidding. It's fine. Go ahead and draw up the contract."
Lucy, having smoothed things over, felt a surge of pride, thinking James was being so accommodating because of her looks. So she offered, "Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Qin. Let me treat you to dinner sometime."
"Sure," James replied casually, still focused on his phone, chatting with Amanda.
Lucy, pleased, invited him into her office for tea, instructing Artair to prepare the earnest money agreement.
Seeing that James was letting him off the hook so easily and was still going through with the purchase, Artair was overjoyed and exclaimed,
"You're awesome, big bro!"
James, seeing Artair's reaction, teased, "What did you say you were going to call me earlier?"
Artair, with a thick skin, directly said, "Awesome Daddy!"
As long as he wasn't embarrassed, others would be.
James was indeed embarrassed, "That's a bit much."
"Then awesome Godfather?"
"Nah, just stick to calling me 'big bro' like before."
"A big brother is like a father. Godfather, I want to take care of you in your old age."
"..."
After signing the agreement with the agency and paying a 1 million earnest money deposit, they arranged for the seller to come the next day to sign the formal contract.
This time, the other agents looked at James with newfound respect, while also feeling envious of Artair for landing such a wealthy client.
"Damn, he's such a brown-noser, even calling him 'daddy'."
"I wouldn't want a deal earned by licking someone's boots."
"How is that idiot so lucky, having a rich guy just walk in and buy a house?"
"Maybe Artair has a different background, with connections to wealthy people."
"Yeah, that's probably it. It's disgusting, getting ahead by relying on family connections."
The surrounding agents were filled with sour grapes.
They were jealous of Artair potentially earning tens of thousands of dollars from a single deal.
But unwilling to put in the same effort, they resorted to undermining him.
It's always easier to tear someone down than to admit their superiority.
Thus, unattractive people often have to work harder than others.
Fortunately, there's a certain Mr. Ma in this world who serves as a good example for such individuals.
Lucy, seeing that James had actually signed the agreement, confirming he was indeed wealthy, became even more attentive.
"Lord King, are you free tonight? We have some commercial properties and office buildings for sale. If you're interested, we could have dinner and discuss it?"
She said this while pouring tea for James, bending low.
And since they were in her office, apart from Jay Johnson, there was no one else around.
James glanced casually at the woman's neckline, and the view was indeed quite nice.
Her cleavage was modest yet alluring, fair and tempting.
For some reason, he'd been seeing a lot more of such sights since he became wealthy.
James took a mere glance before looking away, having little interest in small bosoms.
"Let's leave the office buildings for another time. I'm not interested in that right now."
Lucy, maintaining her posture, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, saying suggestively,
"Then how about we just have dinner, without discussing work?"
She assumed James was the type who wouldn't make a move without seeing some benefit, so she was planning to offer something upfront.
After all, a man who would buy an 8-million-yuan villa without even looking at it was worth having dinner with.
Lucy considered herself naturally beautiful and irresistible.
She believed that with a little initiative, even the wealthiest of men would fall at her feet.
But to her surprise, James stood up and turned to leave,
only saying,
"No dinner. I'm busy today."
"Huh..."
Lucy froze, hand outstretched, staring blankly as the man disappeared from her office doorway, her eyes wide with disbelief.
The man didn't even say when he would be free.