Escrow

'That's pricey,' he thought. His eyes moved to the house in question, then he instantly understood why. It was a modern, high-end property. Spacious. Beautiful. Perfect.

But this man didn't seem willing to go for the one million dollar price. First he said 600 thousand, then 700, then…

"I'll give you eight hundred thousand," he said smoothly, leaning on the desk. "Let's not kid ourselves. This market is competitive, but not that competitive. No one's offering a million cash in a single go."

Darren's lips curled.

The agent, who seemed tired from trying to explain to the man that the price for such a property was fixed, took a deep sigh. "Please sir, I can't go any lower than the fixed price. This is my job."

The man grunted, shushing her with a wave of his hand. "Look, woman. This is how this is going to go. I—"

"I'll take it for the full price."

Silence.

The man and the agent furrowed their brows, wondering if they'd misheard.

Who said that?

The agent looked behind the suited man, who then turned, frowning, before his gaze fell on Darren's young face.

Then, he burst out laughing.

It was a very condescending laugh, rumbling from his chest.

"Kid, this isn't a sneaker shop. We're talking real estate. Do you even know what escrow means?"

Darren didn't flinch. "Do you?"

The man's smirk twitched slightly. "Listen, I don't know what kind of game you think you're playing, but this isn't a playground for wannabe millionaires. Now, disappear and let me go on with my business."

Darren stared straight at the posh looking man, but said nothing more to him. He then turned to the female agent. "Will you sell me the property? One million dollars?"

The woman tried to part her lips to speak, moving her gaze between the man and Darren. "It's just..."

Darren slipped his hands deeper in his pockets. "An escrow is a contractual arrangement where money or assets are held in trust by an independent agent by the agreement of the parties, which can only be released to the relevant party once certain contractual conditions have been fulfilled."

His eyes then coldly moved to the startled man. "But I don't see what an escrow has to do with this property before us. You see, a house like this can't be discounted. It represents a value. Once someone sells it on a discount, that suggests that there has been a fault that has affected the agreed value."

"From a financial standpoint, high-value real estate appreciates faster than lower-tier properties," Darren continued. "The location alone ensures a steady climb in valuation. Anyone who knows the market understands that a million-dollar home today could be worth 30% more in just a few years. You're simply haggling over a fraction of its future worth."

His eyes flicked to the agent who appeared deeply impressed, before he returned to the man.

"Lifestyle factor, comfort. The architecture, the amenities, the location— this house was designed for efficiency and comfort. Just one glance at it and you can see the reasons for its fixed price. Don't you agree?"

He glanced at the agent who instantly turned pink. "Yes... I do."

"So. Will you sell it to me?"

She hesitated. As much as she wanted to say yes, she knew how risky it was. As an agent, she was used to people claiming they wanted to buy houses, but after seeing the place, they never ended up buying.

It became clear they had no intention of buying in the first place and just wanted to experience how it felt to purchase a property. But this guy, even though he appeared very young, seemed to know what he was doing.

On top of that, she had only made one sale this month compared to her colleagues who'd made three or more. She badly needed another sale or else she wouldn't get that raise she was after.

"Half now, half after inspection," Darren interrupted her thoughts, pulling out his phone. He tapped the buttons. "I'll wire five hundred thousand to the company's account right now."

"What?!" the man exclaimed, seemingly infuriated. "That's not going to happen. Clearly—" he chuckled nervously. "—clearly he's joking."

The woman also was confused and still hesitant, clearly unsure whether to entertain this. But then—

Ding!

The computer by her desk lit up. Her breath caught as she stared at the notification.

'Transaction Received: $500,000 – From Mr. Duckling'

She whipped her gaze back up to Darren, her entire demeanor shifting. "Forgive my hesitation, sir! Please, let me get the necessary paperwork ready!"

Then she disappeared into a door, seemingly excited.

The suited man stiffened.

His eyes darkened as he turned to Darren, suspicion leaking into his voice. 'He just sent her half a million dollars like that?'

Who the hell are you?"

Darren pocketed his phone, his expression as calm as ever. "Who I am doesn't matter to you."

His gaze flicked over the man dismissively. "I just know how to appreciate valuable assets when I see them. It's business. When you see something invaluable, you don't hesitate to make it yours. Opportunities don't usually come twice."

The man's nostrils flared. "So you're educating me now? Do you know who I am? Do you know who you're crossing?"

Darren's eyes remained bland. He slipped his hands into his pocket, dropping his voice to a lazy, confident drawl.

"I know exactly who you are," he said. "You're a man who just lost his house to a kid."

Then he turned on his heel and headed towards the door, leaving the man dumbfounded and crestfallen.

Ding!

┏You've earned a Character Bonus┛

Darren barely acknowledged it, his focus shifting to the real estate agent who was waving at him, gesturing that she'd gathered the files.

He moved to approach, but suddenly collided with someone.

"Ugh!"

"Ngh— ouch!"

Papers scattered.

Darren didn't even have the time to react before a sharp voice snapped at him.

"Are you blind?! Why don't you watch where you're going!"

The woman who had bumped into him was already moving to pick up her scattered papers, grumbling under her breath. "Ngh! Why are you just standing there? Help me you lu—"

Her eyes lifted and locked onto his face.

She froze.

Her heart dropped, her lips parted slightly as shock replaced irritation.

"Darren…?"

Darren's jaw tightened.

Lily.