Chapter 73: We’ll Buy a House Too

Liu Ning stormed out of his apartment but quickly retreated to change into rain boots. With the boots on, he trudged through the trash to Wu Zhiming's door and banged on it furiously. He pounded for a long time, but there was no response—no one came to open the door!

"Fine, Wu Zhiming, pretend you're not home? Let's see who can outlast whom!" Liu Ning muttered to himself. He then took the elevator down to the management office and told them not to clean up the 10th floor. 

He decided to wait it out with Wu Zhiming. When Wu finally caved and came to apologize, Liu Ning planned to humiliate him thoroughly. With this thought in mind, he went back home, grabbed some things for his shop, and left with his family.

After the lunchtime rush, Liu Ning sneaked back home. When the elevator doors opened on the 10th floor, he was completely stunned.

The entire hallway on the 10th floor was now filled with trash! Even the elevator area was piled high with garbage, nearly reaching a meter in height. Most of the trash consisted of food waste—expired chicken, fish, and other restaurant leftovers. The stench was beyond words. Even Liu Ning, who was used to the smells from his small restaurant, found it overwhelmingly nauseating.

"Wu Zhiming!!" Liu Ning roared as he waded through the garbage to Wu Zhiming's door and banged on it again, but there was still no response. 

"Fine, I'll outlast you!" Liu Ning gritted his teeth, took the elevator down, and headed back to his restaurant.

As the elevator reached the ground floor, the doors opened, revealing Wu Zhiming and Yao Jing. They were carrying bags of groceries, apparently intending to cook lunch at home.

"What a coincidence!" Wu Zhiming greeted Liu Ning.

"Wu Zhiming, you still think you can cook and eat at home? How can you even stomach it?" Liu Ning sneered.

"Why wouldn't I be able to? My wife's cooking is delicious," Wu Zhiming replied casually, stepping into the elevator.

Originally planning to take the elevator down, Liu Ning changed his mind when he saw Wu Zhiming entering. 

Wu Zhiming pressed the button for the 9th floor.

"Do you think taking the elevator will help you avoid the trash on the 10th floor?" Liu Ning asked scornfully.

Wu Zhiming just smiled without saying anything.

"Fine, Wu Zhiming, let's see who can last longer!" Liu Ning declared.

"Neighbors should get along. There's no need to make things so unpleasant," Wu Zhiming replied.

"I like it unpleasant. What are you going to do about it? Fight me?" Liu Ning taunted.

Wu Zhiming remained silent.

The elevator stopped on the 9th floor. Wu Zhiming got out, and Liu Ning followed.

Walking to the door of apartment 902, Wu Zhiming unlocked it with a key in Liu Ning's astonished gaze.

Liu Ning was stunned. How could the key to 1002 also unlock 902?

"The house is under renovation, so I can't invite you in," Wu Zhiming said, stepping into 902.

Liu Ning quickly moved to the doorway of 902 and peeked inside. To his shock, the apartment was completely empty!

There was nothing inside the room. A few workers were busy on the ceiling, apparently preparing to break through to the floor above.

"What's going on?!" Liu Ning demanded.

"Oh? You didn't know? I bought 902. I'm planning to merge 902 and 1002 into a duplex. I'll close off the door to 1002 and make this the main entrance," Wu Zhiming explained.

"You... you actually bought 902? How is that possible? When did you buy it?!" Liu Ning asked frantically.

"Last night. When our door was blocked by trash, instead of cleaning it, I decided to buy the apartment below and open a way through," Wu Zhiming said, pointing to the ceiling.

"So you bought 902 just because your door was blocked?" Liu Ning asked in disbelief.

"What else would I do?" Wu Zhiming responded matter-of-factly.

Liu Ning was dumbfounded!

He never imagined things would turn out this way. Wu Zhiming had found a way around the problem by buying 902 and opening a route through it. Now, there was no need for him to clean the hallway on the 10th floor!

"We don't like people peeking inside. Sorry." Yao Jing said, closing the door in Liu Ning's face.

Liu Ning stood there in a daze, his mind in a fog.

But he quickly realized Wu Zhiming had outmaneuvered him!

Liu Ning had no choice but to clear the trash on the 10th floor. Wu Zhiming could enter through 902, but Liu Ning couldn't get in through 901!

Realizing this, Liu Ning furiously rushed to the elevator and took it down to the ground floor, heading straight for his small restaurant.

When he arrived, his wife Feng Lijuan hurried over and asked, "So, did Wu Zhiming clean up the trash?"

"None." Liu Ning gritted his teeth and shook his head, recounting how Wu Zhiming had bought apartment 902.

"When did this wimp get such guts and brains? Just because his door was blocked, he bought a whole apartment? And we hadn't heard anything about 902 being up for sale. How did they move out overnight?" Feng Lijuan asked, puzzled.

"This puts us in a passive position, wife! What do you think we should do about this?" Liu Ning asked.

"What else can we do? We've been here for four years. When have we ever been bullied by Wu Zhiming's family? This is unacceptable. If it's about buying a house, if it's about money, then we'll buy one too. Come on, let's go to apartment 901 and ask Old Zhang if he's selling his place! We'll buy it and turn it into a duplex. In matters of real estate, we won't lose out!" Feng Lijuan said through clenched teeth.

"I'm thinking the same as you. Compared to cash, we're not afraid of anyone. After running our fly restaurant for so many years, we deal only in cash. We've accumulated more liquid assets than most businesses. We shouldn't fear anyone; buying a house is an investment!" Liu Ning declared.

The couple immediately closed up their shop and hurriedly went to knock on the door of apartment 901.

Soon, Old Zhang from 901 opened the door.

"Do you... need something?" Old Zhang frowned as Liu Ning's family looked him up and down. Liu Ning had become somewhat famous for his popular fly restaurant, running a successful business, making good money, and generally not getting along well with the neighbors, hence Old Zhang's less than friendly expression.

"Old Zhang, are you selling this apartment?" Liu Ning asked.

"Selling the apartment?" Old Zhang's eyes lit up. "Are you here to buy a house too?"

"Too? Who else is buying?" Liu Ning asked.

"Today, I heard from Old Zhou next door that Wu Zhiming upstairs bought their apartment last night, saying he wants to make it a duplex. Are you planning the same?" Old Zhang asked.

"That's right. Our child is getting married soon, and we need more rooms. We're thinking of buying 901 and turning it into a duplex!" Liu Ning nodded.

"Well, that's possible. As long as you give me ten million, I'll move out immediately!" Old Zhang said.

"Ten million? Old Zhang, are you crazy? Your place is worth at most four million!" Liu Ning exclaimed in shock.

"Four million? Are you the one who's crazy? Each square meter here costs over forty thousand. I have more than a hundred square meters, and it's renovated. Even at over four million, show me another place!" Old Zhang said angrily.

"But it shouldn't be ten million!" Liu Ning argued.

"Why not? Last night, Wu Zhiming paid ten million for Old Zhang's apartment!" Old Zhang said.

"What? Ten million? Just for that apartment?" Liu Ning asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, ten million. He paid five million as a deposit on the spot. After moving out and successfully transferring the property deed, he'll pay the remaining five million! But if you want to buy, I'll sell to you for seven million. I'll make a small profit!" Old Zhang said.

"Seven million? Old Zhang, that's outrageous. I could buy a downtown apartment for that price!" Liu Ning waved his hand.

"If you don't have the money, why are you pretending? Wu Zhiming set that price himself. He's the boss. You run a fly restaurant. It looks good on the surface, but compared to Wu Zhiming, you really can't compare. I heard you and Wu Zhiming are at odds? I don't think you can beat Wu Zhiming!" Old Zhang shook his head while sighing.

"Can you keep your mouth clean?!" Liu Ning said angrily.

"You should stop talking!" Feng Lijuan pulled Liu Ning away and said to Old Zhang, "Old Zhang, we really want to buy. We have the money. Can you give us a discount? How about this: we know your situation well, and the total won't exceed five million. I'll give you five million three hundred thousand. Deal?"

"No, no, I can't. How much is that? There's not much profit. At least five million five hundred thousand!" Old Zhang said.

"Five million three hundred and fifty thousand. You agree, and we'll buy it right away!" Feng Lijuan said.

"Five million four hundred thousand!" Old Zhang said.

"Five million three hundred and seventy thousand!"

"Deal!" Old Zhang nodded.

"You're crazy. This deal loses us tens of thousands!" Liu Ning said excitedly.

"I think losing money is a small matter. Saving face is important. Lijuan did the right thing!" Old Zhang said.

"Can you move out right away?" Feng Lijuan asked.

"Yes, we'll sign the contract, pay the deposit, and I'll move right away!" Old Zhang said.

"Alright!"

An hour later, the contract was signed, and Old Zhang, satisfied with his million-dollar deposit, happily called a moving company.

Liu Ning and Feng Lijuan looked at the purchase contract. Despite the pinch in their hearts, they felt relieved. At least this way, Wu Zhiming couldn't count this as a win against them. Besides, investing in real estate might pay off with property appreciation!

Liu Ning and Feng Lijuan arrived at the door of apartment 902 and knocked.

Instead of Wu Zhiming, Yao Jing opened the door.

"We just bought 902 too. So, we can continue being neighbors!" Feng Lijuan proudly displayed the purchase contract.

"Is that so?" Yao Jing smiled and glanced at Old Zhang directing the movers at the door. "Congratulations, Old Zhang."

Old Zhang turned around, smiling. "Thanks to your husband's help! Please thank him for me."

"What?!" Liu Ning and Feng Lijuan were stunned. What kind of game was this?