Xiao Mei lowered her voice and said, “Our agency actually does have an apartment like that. If Mr. Lin Fan plans to buy it to live in, I wouldn’t recommend it. But if you’re buying for investment, then it’s worth considering.”
Seeing her mysterious expression, Lin Fan’s curiosity was instantly piqued, so he asked, “Tell me, what kind of place is it?”
Xiao Mei glanced around before leaning closer and whispering into his ear, “A haunted house.”
Hearing those words, Lin Fan’s expression shifted slightly. A so-called haunted house meant someone had died there unnaturally. People in the Dragon Nation were extremely wary of such things, so these properties were notoriously hard to sell.
Noticing his reaction, Xiao Mei quickly added, “Mr. Lin Fan, if you have any concerns, just pretend I didn’t say anything.”
Lin Fan smiled faintly and said, “I don’t mind. Take me to have a look.”
As a young man of the modern era, he didn’t believe in such superstitions. Moreover, the property was scheduled for demolition in just one month. When that happened, compensation would be based purely on the market average price, regardless of whether it was a haunted house.
Most importantly, haunted houses were usually priced far below market value. Some infamous ones even sold for half the usual price. With such a difference, Lin Fan could easily make a profit from the gap.
Seeing his interest, Xiao Mei was overjoyed and immediately offered to take him to view the apartment.
This particular unit had been listed for nearly a year. Because it was a haunted house, the asking price had already been set 30% below market value. Even so, it had never been sold, and very few people had even come to view it.
On the way there, Lin Fan learned that the apartment was close to 100 square meters. Based on market prices, it should have been worth over 900,000 yuan. However, due to its reputation, the owner had set the price at 700,000 yuan.
Lin Fan currently only had 600,000 yuan on hand, so he needed to bargain it down by another 100,000 yuan if he wanted to secure the deal.
The owner was a middle-aged woman. When she saw someone coming to view the apartment, she greeted them warmly and said, “Young man, this apartment is excellent, with good north-south ventilation. It’s nearly 100 square meters and currently has a two-bedroom layout, but each room is quite spacious. If you need, you can even renovate it into a three-bedroom.”
As she spoke, she opened the door.
The moment he stepped inside, Lin Fan caught a musty smell. Clearly, no one had lived here for a long time. All the furniture was covered in white sheets, and combined with the knowledge that this was a haunted house, he felt a faint chill creep up his spine.
He glanced around briefly before asking directly, “What’s the lowest price?”
Since he was buying it purely for demolition compensation, the condition of the house itself didn’t matter.
The owner froze for a moment, clearly surprised that Lin Fan got straight to the point. She had prepared a long list of selling points, but now it seemed unnecessary.
After a brief pause, she said, “If you’re serious, I can sell it to you for 680,000 yuan.” The source of this chapter is g.com.
This price was already 20,000 yuan lower than what she had originally listed through the agency.
Lin Fan smiled knowingly and said, “680,000… that’s an auspicious number. But it’s still too expensive. You know the situation of this place, so let’s bring it down a bit.”
The owner forced an awkward smile and replied, “Yes, the house does have a special situation. But it’s been over a year already. If no one mentions it, nobody would even know about it.”
Lin Fan let out a cold snort inwardly. If that were true, why wouldn’t she live here herself?
Without wasting time, he stated his price directly, “580,000 yuan.”
He deliberately left a 20,000 yuan margin for further bargaining. As long as she didn’t walk away immediately, it meant there was still room to negotiate.
The owner shook her head firmly and said, “No, no, that’s too low. You can check around the neighborhood. Similar units are selling for over 900,000 yuan.”
Lin Fan remained calm. As long as she didn’t show signs of leaving, the negotiation was still alive.
He pressed further, “680,000 yuan is too high. Lower it a bit more.”
After a moment of hesitation, she said, “650,000 yuan. That’s as low as I can go. I’m only offering this because you seem sincere.”
Dropping 30,000 yuan in one go? It seemed she really wanted to sell.
At that moment, Lin Fan revealed his first advantage, “I can pay in full. If you lower the price a bit more, we can handle the ownership transfer tomorrow.”
A look of struggle appeared on the owner’s face. Any further reduction would fall below her expectations. However, it had been so hard to find a serious buyer, and one who could pay in full at that. She didn’t want to lose this opportunity.
After a brief silence, she gritted her teeth and said, “Alright, I’ll lower it by another 20,000 yuan.”
A faint smile curled at the corner of Lin Fan’s lips. The price was now very close to his target. It was time to reveal his bottom line.
The owner immediately shook her head and replied, “No, that won’t do. 630,000 yuan is my absolute bottom line.”
Lin Fan smiled lightly and said, “In that case, forget it.”
With that, he turned and walked toward the door.
Of course, this was all part of his strategy. He knew the owner was eager to sell, and the earlier bargaining had already worn down her expectations. Now, with only a 30,000 yuan gap remaining, the difference might not matter much for a normal property.
However, this was a haunted house. The owner knew that if she missed this chance, it could be a long time before another willing buyer appeared. So, to sell it quickly, she had no choice but to compromise.
Lin Fan understood this perfectly, which was why he walked away decisively, without the slightest hesitation. He knew she would give in.
“Hey, young man, wait!”
Just as Lin Fan was about to step out, the owner finally relented. Gritting her teeth, she said, “600,000 yuan. I’ll sell!”
Lin Fan turned back with a slight smile and said, “Good. We’ll handle the paperwork tomorrow.”
…
Inside a bar, Chen Yuanyuan sat alone, drinking in silence.
After Shi Jinfen had been taken away by the police that night, she was given a 15-day administrative detention. Not long after, a fierce conflict erupted within the Chen family. First, her father, Chen Dehai, blamed her for mishandling her relationship with Lin Fan. Then Chen Lili scolded her as well, saying her actions had cost her the money for graduate school.
Overwhelmed and frustrated, Chen Yuanyuan stormed out and came to the bar, hoping alcohol would numb her thoughts.
Meanwhile, at a table behind her, a group of people were drinking. Among them, a man in a suit kept staring at her back.
Chen Yuanyuan clenched her teeth and muttered, “Lin Fan, you bastard… just you wait. I won’t let you off so easily.”
With that, she downed the remaining half glass of alcohol in one gulp.
Just as she was about to stand up and leave, someone suddenly called out to her, “Are you Chen Yuanyuan?”