The salesperson was taken aback upon hearing this and couldn’t help but wonder, “Could this be some kind of good luck charm attracting wealthy customers today? It seems like everyone here is well-off.”
Being polite, she replied, “Hello sir, our main offerings are villas and apartments, all designed by renowned Italian designers and using imported materials from Italy, Germany and France for the interiors and appliances and furniture.”
The middle-aged man asked, “Are Japanese individuals allowed to purchase? Is there any restriction on purchasing?”
Tanaka Koichi, who spoke, was a devoted attendant of Yuhiko Ito. Mozart was tasked by Nanako to make the journey to Aurous Hill ahead of schedule to purchase a home on her behalf. However, in his recent visits to various villa areas, he was disappointed to find that the hardware of the available villas was far from meeting Nanako’s expectations.
Nanako, on the other hand, was fond of the spacious homes of historical Japanese aristocrats. Despite Japan’s limited land area and large population, these homes boasted ample space.
Unfortunately, finding such homes in modern-day China was a challenge.
While there were protected palaces in Eastcliff, they were difficult to come by in Aurous Hill. Even if one were to find a large home, many were in disrepair and others had been adorned with overly flashy European decorations, emphasizing wealth rather than any cohesive aesthetic. Therefore, Hiroshi Tanaka searched exhaustively but was unable to find a house that would meet Nanako’s standards.
However, it was already August 4th and with Nanako’s arrival in Aurous Hill set for the following day, time was running out. If they failed to secure a suitable house, Nanako and Yuhiko Ito would have to stay in a hotel, which would render all of Tanaka Hiroichi’s efforts in coming ahead of time in vain.
Therefore, Thompson First Villas was his last resort. Mozart was aware that Moses lived in this community, but the lady preferred not to live too close to him. However, at the moment, there were no other viable options available.
At this point, the salesperson replied, “For a foreign individual to purchase a property, a one-year residency certificate in China is required. But if the purchase is made through a company, there are no restrictions.”
Hiroshi Tanaka nodded and said to the salesperson, “Then show me the available units. I want to see the largest unit size.”
The salesperson replied apologetically, “I’m sorry, sir. All of our villas have been sold out and only flat-level units remain available.”
“Sold out?” Tanaka Hiroichi exclaimed in frustration. “Are there any units available for purchase, or perhaps someone looking to resell?”
The salesperson replied, “I’m sorry, sir, but we truly have no more units available. There are many interested customers just like you, but our owners are not looking to sell at this time. If you’d like, I can keep you informed if anything becomes available, but I can’t promise a timeline.”
Tanaka Koichi considered this for a moment before saying, “Forget it, I can’t wait that long. Please show me your largest single-level apartment instead.”
The salesperson nodded in agreement and said to Tanaka Hiroichi, “Yes sir, there is a top-floor unit in the King building with a stunning river view.”
Hiroshi Tanaka, understanding his lady’s preference for peace and quiet, immediately asked, “Is the top-floor unit available?”
The salesperson was surprised, wondering why this unit, which had been unoccupied for so long and been overlooked by many, was suddenly in high demand.
However, the salesperson, aware that someone had already put down an intention deposit, responded regretfully, “I’m sorry sir, the top floor unit was just claimed by a customer who paid the intention deposit. They have first rights to purchase the unit.”
Undeterred, Tanaka Koichi asked, “Can I pay the full amount now, even if they only paid the intent deposit?”
The salesperson replied helplessly, “No sir, they have the right of first refusal. Whether you can buy the unit depends on whether they choose to go through with the purchase in the end.”
Hearing the explanation, Tanaka promptly inquired, “How long would I need to wait if the buyer is unable to decide?”
The sales representative replied, “Typically, there’s a 24-hour priority period after the intention deposit has been made. If the full payment is not received within 24 hours, it will be considered as a forfeiture of the purchasing rights.”
“24 hours?” Tanaka Koichi sighed, “That’s too long, I need to purchase it today.
“This…” The sales representative hesitated for a moment, then continued, “Sir, we still have eight unsold apartments in that building. They are similar in design but with different floors and locations. However, if you move up from the sixth floor, you’ll be able to see the river view…”
“So, there’s not much difference. If you prefer high-rise buildings, we also have an apartment just below the penthouse. I must tell you, the price of the second-to-top floor is more expensive than the penthouse and it is the most costly in the entire building…”
“Unfortunately, the insulation on the top floor is not as good as other floors. Hence, it will be hotter in summer and colder in winter. Additionally, there’s a risk of water leakage on the top floor. So, you might as well consider a different floor.”
Tanaka Hiroichi shook his head and said, “Our lady prefers a quiet life and wants a villa, but I haven’t seen a suitable one lately. Your VIlla’s are already sold out, so I’m leaning towards getting the top floor. After all, it won’t be disturbed by noise from above.”
The sales representative thought for a moment and then said, “What about this, sir. Please wait for a bit, the lady will be viewing the apartment soon. If she’s still uncertain when she returns, I’ll put pressure on the sales director to expedite her decision making…”
“If you can pay the full amount today and the other party hesitates, it would not be ideal. I’ll ask the sales director if they can cover the cost of liquidated damages. Our liquidated damages are not steep, only 10% of the price, which is just 100,000 yuan.”
Tanaka spoke confidently, “Then let’s skip the waiting. Sell it to me directly. I’ll pay the liquidated damages and even double the amount to make the lady happy.”
The sales representative was taken aback and was even more bewildered, “These two customers are strange. One is booking the apartment without even viewing it and the other is willing to pay without seeing it at all. After selling apartments for so many years, I’ve never encountered such a straightforward client. And now, I have two of them here…”
The sales representative considered this and said to Tanaka Hiroichi, “Sir, if the lady decides to buy the house after viewing it, we cannot be the ones to break the contract. It would be detrimental to our reputation. The only reason the lady can’t make a decision is because she needs more time. We can let her have a look, which is reasonable…”
“If this gets out, most people would understand us. But if we don’t even give the lady ten minutes to inspect the apartment and just force her out, it could be damaging to us. If it becomes public knowledge, we would face criticism and possibly even punishment from the relevant authorities. So, please be patient and wait until the lady has finished inspecting the apartment.”
Tanaka realized that the sales representative was determined and it wouldn’t be appropriate to persist.
So, he nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll wait here.”
As he spoke, Tanaka felt a sense of uncertainty. Mozart wasn’t sure if the customer inside would make an immediate decision to purchase after viewing the apartment. If the customer hesitated, there was still a chance for him, but if they decided to pay the balance without any hesitation, wouldn’t he be out of luck?
Despite this, he had no other options at the moment, so he could only wait and see what would happen.
At this moment, the sales representative spoke respectfully, “Sir, please go to the lounge and relax.”
As she spoke, the door of the VIP room opened and Angela stepped out, accompanied by Michelle and the sales director. Angela had already paid the deposit and signed the intention agreement.
When the sales director saw the salesperson greeting Tanaka Hiroichi, he instructed, “Please ask the concierge to get the vehicle. I will be escorting these two honored guests to view the apartment in Building Number 1.”
The salesperson responded with a nod and was about to speak to her sales director when she saw Angela standing nearby. She decided to keep her thoughts to herself and instead called the concierge department.
Just then, Tanaka noticed Angela and approached her with a greeting, “Hello, Miss. Are you interested in purchasing the top floor flat-style apartment?
“What do you mean?” Angela asked with suspicion, her brow furrowed.
Tanaka quickly explained, “Miss, I also have an interest in the same apartment you’re looking at and I’m in a bit of a rush. If you’re willing to sell it to me, I’m willing to offer you a one million yuan transfer fee.”
His words caught the attention of not only Angela, but also Michelle and the other sales executives, who were all taken aback.
Michelle was taken aback by the sudden appearance of this buyer, who was willing to pay an extra million for the same apartment they were interested in.
She couldn’t help but feel shocked and a hint of fear. She assumed the situation wouldn’t change, much like the sales director, even after conducting a thorough inspection of the apartment and confirming everything was in order before making payment.
This type of thinking was called empiricism. Based on her past experiences, she believed that having one or two people to visit the mansion to view the apartment each day was already considered a high level of interest and that there wouldn’t be more than two or three motivated buyers even if there were dozens of viewings.
According to the probability model, Angela’s appearance was a rare occurrence. Usually, out of the individuals who expressed interest in purchasing the apartment, only a small fraction actually had the means to do so. As a result, it was uncommon for such apartments to be sold each month.
In this case, Angela was the sole potential buyer to show up in months, making her a unique and valuable customer. Given these odds, it would likely take several months before another serious buyer emerged.
Thus, in their minds, the prospect of this apartment being sold within a short span of a few minutes was unlikely.
However, they were taken aback when they found out that someone had expressed interest in purchasing the property in such a short time frame.
Luckily, Angela was known to be prudent and risk-averse, so she had taken the initiative to make the intent payment beforehand. If it weren’t for Angela’s quick thinking, they could have returned from viewing the apartment only to find out that it had already been sold, leaving them with nothing but regret.
As she faced Tanaka Hiroichi, Angela expressed her firm stance, “I have decided not to sell this property, sir.”
Tanaka was disappointed but he did not give up, he asked, “Miss, have you made a final decision on purchasing this apartment? If there’s even a 1% chance of doubt, why not let me hold onto the 1 million transfer fee while you explore other options and see if there’s something you prefer more?”
However, Angela was resolute and replied with a shake of her head, “I’m sorry, I have already made up my mind. I will be coming over to sign the contract later. You should go and check out other properties.”
