After Mr. Wang Defa's introduction, Ma Hongjuan didn't hesitate for a second and directly bought Lin Fan's recipe for 230 million yuan.
That was 10 million more than the System's estimated price—naturally, Lin Fan was very satisfied.
With this major deal closed, Lin Fan decided it was time to buy a house.
Staying in hotels every day just wasn't practical. Nothing beat the comfort of having a place of his own.
Lin Fan wasn't the type to procrastinate—once he had a thought, he acted on it.
He opened his phone and searched for a nearby real estate agency.
Soon, he arrived at one. The entrance was plastered with property listings.
Lin Fan glanced at the displays but didn't see anything he liked.
Most of the properties were ordinary apartments in older school districts. The amenities weren't great either.
He frowned. This agency wasn't up to par.
Just as he was about to leave, a staff member ran over and handed him a flyer.
Lin Fan took it without thinking much of it.
"Green Forest Manor: Newly Launched Luxury Residences—Limited-Time Discounts Available!"
Green Forest Manor?
Lin Fan had heard of it before. In Shanghai, Green Forest Group was a well-known developer, especially famed for building luxury residential communities.
Green Forest Manor's location, environment, and property management were all top-tier.
Of course, the price matched its prestige—over 100,000 yuan per square meter. Ordinary people wouldn't even dream of buying a place there.
Without hesitation, Lin Fan hailed a taxi and headed straight to Green Forest Manor.
When he arrived at the sales center, the entrance was guarded by two majestic stone lions.
He stepped through the grand revolving glass doors into a spacious lobby. In the center stood a massive scale model of the development.
Given the high price point, there weren't many customers around.
Lin Fan had only just entered when a sales representative walked up with a polite smile.
"Hello, sir! Welcome—"
Lin Fan turned his head—and froze.
He actually recognized her.
Wasn't this… his college classmate, Xu Xiaoxiao?
He hadn't expected to bump into her here.
"Whoa, Lin Fan?" Xu Xiaoxiao also did a double-take, blinking in surprise. "You're… here to buy a house?"
"Yeah," Lin Fan replied with a light chuckle. "Didn't expect to see you working in real estate."
Although they had been classmates in college, the two didn't have much contact. They would occasionally exchange greetings but weren't particularly close.
Xu Xiaoxiao smiled somewhat sheepishly. "There's not much choice these days. Things are tough. But since you're here, you've got to let your old classmate take care of you."
She guided Lin Fan to the reception lounge, poured him a glass of water, and sat across from him, still smiling warmly.
"Looks like you're doing pretty well after graduation," she said. "Buying a house already?"
"Not really, just got lucky recently," Lin Fan said modestly. "You seem to be doing well too. Green Forest Manor's not exactly a small-name place."
Xu Xiaoxiao shook her head and leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. "Lin Fan, since we're classmates, I'll be honest with you. The housing market's a bit unpredictable right now. Prices might rise, but there's also a real risk they'll drop."
She glanced around and added in a whisper, "If it were anyone else, I wouldn't say this… but I don't want you getting burned."
Lin Fan gave her a thoughtful look.
A salesperson warning a potential buyer about market risks?
This Xu Xiaoxiao wasn't like the usual pushy sales reps. She seemed genuinely decent.
"I'm not buying for investment," Lin Fan replied calmly. "I plan to live in it, so I'm not too worried about price trends or fluctuations."
"That's good then," Xu Xiaoxiao said, relieved. "If it's for living in, that makes things simpler. Here, this is the list of available units. You can take a look first, and I'll help recommend some of the better ones."
Lin Fan browsed through the listings.
After a moment, Xu Xiaoxiao asked, "Are you looking for something large or small? That'll help me narrow it down for you."
Lin Fan thought about it. Living in a small apartment felt cramped, and now that he had money, why not go big?
Cleaning a big place was a hassle—but that's what housekeepers or maybe a young and pretty live-in nanny were for.
"I want a large unit," he said decisively. "A flat layout, preferably full sunlight or north-south facing. Not the top floor. Can you check if there's anything like that available?"
Xu Xiaoxiao blinked, almost in disbelief. "You're serious? You're not just messing with me?"
Lin Fan smiled faintly. "Don't worry. If the property is good, I'll definitely buy it."
Hearing this, Xu Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up with excitement. She rubbed her hands together eagerly.
"Alright! Since you said that, I'll find the best ones for you!"
She flipped through a floor plan booklet, circled a few units with a pencil, and handed it over.
"Building 8 is really good. It's set back from the road, very quiet, and has excellent lighting and views."
She pointed to the marked units. "Here, take a look at these."
Lin Fan examined the floor plan. There were three options:
Building 2, 2nd floor: 220 square meters, 4 bedrooms, 1 living room, 3 bathrooms, 1 kitchen.
Building 6, 1st floor: 150 square meters, 3 bedrooms, 1 living room, 2 bathrooms, 1 kitchen.
Building 8, 3rd floor: 330 square meters, 4 bedrooms, 1 living room, 3 bathrooms, 1 kitchen. Large flat layout.
After going through the options, Lin Fan instantly favored the unit in Building 8.
"The third-floor one in Building 8—is it ready for viewing?" he asked.
"Yes!" Xu Xiaoxiao nodded quickly. "That one's fully renovated and has elevator access. The previous owner bought it as an investment, so the renovation is top-notch. You could move in immediately."
Lin Fan nodded. All three options were good—but he only wanted the best.
Pointing at the unit on the 3rd floor of Building 8, he said without hesitation, "Take me to see this one first."
Xu Xiaoxiao was stunned.
She had known Lin Fan from college. Back then, he didn't seem particularly wealthy.
Yet now… this same classmate was casually throwing money around like it was nothing?
She couldn't help but feel a little dazed. Just how much had Lin Fan's life changed since graduation?
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