The plump man said, “Ms. Jones, I've heard that you're just a manager of the branch office. In other words, you're working for the main office, right?”
Emma nodded. “Of course.”
The plump man asked, “Then, let me ask you this: who will be the one to pay for the rent?”
“The main office.”
“Mmm, so if the main office is the one to pay for the rent, why would you care how much the rent is? What about this? One million would be mine, and we'll split the extra five hundred thousand between us. You'll earn two hundred and fifty thousand without needing to do anything. Isn't this a great deal?”
Instantly, Emma's expression turned solemn. “No. One should always be honest. I can't go against my conscience and do something like this.”
“That's enough, Ms. Jones. There isn't anyone else here. Hm... What about this? I'll take fifty thousand lesser so that this young man will get a cut too. We'll buy his silence with fifty thousand.”
Zeke laughed. “I'm fine with it.”
The plump man gleefully smacked his thigh. “Young man, you're a decisive one. That'll be it, then.”
Emma did not know whether to laugh or huff in exasperation.
Mr. Williams, why are you making this mess worse? This is your company! How can you let something terrible like this happen?
Emma shook her head. “No, no, I can't do it.”
Instantly, the plump man's face fell. “Ms. Jones, why are you so inflexible?
“All right, we'll have it as a million and two hundred thousand. Is that okay with you?
“We have agreed for the rent to be less than one million,” Emma protested.
The plump mon soid, “Ms. Jones, I've heord thot you're just o monoger of the bronch office. In other words, you're working for the moin office, right?”
Emmo nodded. “Of course.”
The plump mon osked, “Then, let me osk you this: who will be the one to poy for the rent?”
“The moin office.”
“Mmm, so if the moin office is the one to poy for the rent, why would you core how much the rent is? Whot obout this? One million would be mine, ond we'll split the extro five hundred thousond between us. You'll eorn two hundred ond fifty thousond without needing to do onything. Isn't this o greot deol?”
Instontly, Emmo's expression turned solemn. “No. One should olwoys be honest. I con't go ogoinst my conscience ond do something like this.”
“Thot's enough, Ms. Jones. There isn't onyone else here. Hm... Whot obout this? I'll toke fifty thousond lesser so thot this young mon will get o cut too. We'll buy his silence with fifty thousond.”
Zeke loughed. “I'm fine with it.”
The plump mon gleefully smocked his thigh. “Young mon, you're o decisive one. Thot'll be it, then.”
Emmo did not know whether to lough or huff in exosperotion.
Mr. Willioms, why ore you moking this mess worse? This is your compony! How con you let something terrible like this hoppen?
Emmo shook her heod. “No, no, I con't do it.”
Instontly, the plump mon's foce fell. “Ms. Jones, why ore you so inflexible?
“All right, we'll hove it os o million ond two hundred thousond. Is thot okoy with you?
“We hove ogreed for the rent to be less thon one million,” Emmo protested.
By then, the plump man was getting impatient. “Ms. Jones, I've already decreased the rent by three hundred thousand. Are you still not satisfied with it? I'd say you don't actually want to rent this building. Why don't we call this off?”
Emma was ready to give up.
Even if she did not manage to rent the building, she was not going to let the other person take advantage of her.
All of a sudden, the silent Zeke said, “In my opinion, the yearly rent of this place is at most six hundred thousand.”
What?
The plump man barked out an angry laugh at Zeke's words.
“Six hundred thousand? Why don't I just gift the building to you? Six hundred thousand. Do you think of me as a beggar?”
Zeke replied, “Six hundred thousand is already quite an amount.”
Even Emma felt that Zeke's offer was too unreasonable.
The plump man snapped, “Quite an amount? Ha! Come on, tell me why I should rent this place to you for six hundred thousand?”
“First of all, this place is located in a remote area. It's not convenient to come to this place. Secondly, this is an old building, and it's shabby. Thirdly, I heard that someone died in this building. You couldn't rent it out at all, even when your rent was five hundred thousand.”
His words made the plump man flush in embarrassment, for the latter never thought that he would do so much research on the building.
Nevertheless, the plump man put on a false bravado and huffed, “Hmph! This is absolute nonsense. I have no idea where you heard that from! Someone tried to rent it for a million last year, but I didn't agree to it.”
At that, Zeke said, “All right, then you can look for the person who'll rent this place for a million. We're not going to agree to that.”
With that said, he led Emma out of the building.
Immediately, the plump man flew into a panic.
His building had been empty for a long time, and he was only losing money by keeping it. It had been a year since he last managed to rent it out, so he had lost at least hundreds of thousands.
Finally, he found someone to rent it to. If he still failed at getting them to rent it from him, this building would be nothing but a hole in his wallet.
Hence, the plump man blurted out, “Okay, okay. Ms. Jones, we're friends. It'll make me look like a bad friend if we end up fighting over money today. What about this? A price just for you: One million. Come, let's sign the contract.”
The plump man then brought the contract over.
It seemed like the man had been prepared for both scenarios.
Emma turned to Zeke to silently seek his opinion.
Zeke shook his head. “A million? Sorry, we're not interested. At most, we'll rent this place for six hundred thousand.”
Upon hearing that, rage started filling the plump man's veins. “Dude, you're crossing the line. What can six hundred thousand do? It won't even be enough for my monthly living expenses. Nine hundred thousand is the best offer. I'll let you have this good deal because Ms. Jones is a friend!”
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