thebusnovel Chapter 13 From Renting to Buying
Chapter 13 From Renting to Buying
The morning air in Jinan was still a bit chilly, but the sunlight had already brightened. Ling Yun pushed his jingling bicycle, weaving through the streets and alleys near the North Gate of Shandong University. His gaze swept over the rows of shops along the street, searching for a suitable target.
His gaze finally settled on a two-story building facing the street.
The building is somewhat old; the white paint has peeled off in parts under the sun and wind, revealing the red bricks underneath. But its location is excellent, very close to the north gate of Shandong University, with a constant flow of people and a wide view. On the white wall next to the door, the word "For Rent" is written crookedly in red paint, followed by a phone number.
Ling Yun's eyes lit up. He stopped his bicycle, walked closer, and peered inside through the crack in the doorway. The interior was extremely spacious; the first floor was a large open space, covered in dust, but with high ceilings and no unnecessary partitions. An open-air concrete staircase on the outside led to the second floor, which appeared to be about the same size as the first floor.
"Five hundred square meters...it has to be at least five hundred square meters." He muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming with excitement. This was exactly what his ideal internet cafe would look like!
He wrote down the phone number and used a public phone at a corner grocery store. A middle-aged man with a loud voice and a slight local accent answered, introducing himself as surnamed Sun and named Sun Yong. Hearing that someone was interested in the house, he quickly rode his motorcycle over.
Sun Yong was around fifty years old, wearing a brown leather jacket, with his hair slicked back and a shrewd businessman's expression on his face.
"Young man, are you looking at this house?" Sun Yong sized up Ling Yun, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes at his youth, but he still took out his key and unlocked the rusty padlock. "Come in and take a look. This place is spacious and bright! It used to be a supply and marketing cooperative run by the neighborhood committee, but it went bankrupt and has been vacant ever since."
Ling Yun followed him inside, and a musty, dusty smell hit him. He didn't care and carefully examined every corner.
The house is indeed structurally sound, built of red bricks with precast concrete floor slabs. Although the interior requires complete renovation, there is no structural damage. The water and electricity lines are old, but the main trunks are intact.
Lin Yun had even started planning in her mind the location of the bar, the arrangement of the computers, and how to separate the office area and the VIP area on the second floor.
"Boss Sun, how much is this house for rent?" Ling Yun dusted off his hands and asked directly.
Sun Yong took out a cigarette and offered one to Ling Yun, who politely declined. He lit it himself, took a deep drag, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. "Young man, to be honest, I'd actually rather sell this house." He paused, observing Ling Yun's reaction. "Renting is too much trouble, and I need the money urgently."
"Sell?" Ling Yun raised an eyebrow slightly, this was a bit unexpected. Although he had just made a profit of more than 300,000 yuan from the stock market and had plenty of funds, his original plan was to rent a house, not buy one. At present, his funds were still generating more returns in the stock market.
"Yes, sell!" Sun Yong's tone became more certain. "Look at this location, right at the entrance of Shandong University! It's definitely going to be prime real estate in the future. If it weren't for some cash flow problems in my factory, I really wouldn't be willing to sell this family business."
He quoted a price: "Two hundred and fifty thousand! The house and land together, a total of 500 square meters, clear title, and only in my name!"
Two hundred and fifty thousand! Ling Yun quickly calculated in his mind. That's an average of five hundred yuan per square meter. In Jinan in 1996, especially for a street-front building that wasn't newly built, had a decent location but was of ordinary architecture, this price was quite reasonable, even somewhat attractive.
But Ling Yun showed no delight. Instead, he frowned and began his expert bargaining: "Boss Sun, this price... isn't low. Look at this building, it's older than me. The plumbing and electrical wiring will all need to be replaced, the paint is almost completely peeling off, and the renovation will cost a fortune. Besides, the term 'ancestral property'... there shouldn't be any disputes over the ownership, right? What if I pay and then some distant relatives suddenly appear?"
"Hey, young man, what are you saying!" Sun Yong was getting a little anxious, his voice rising an octave. "The property rights are absolutely clear! The property certificate and land certificate are both in my hands, in black and white, with only my name, Sun Yong, on them! You can check them at the housing management bureau! As for the renovations, which homebuyer doesn't renovate? At this price, you can ask around all over Jinan, you definitely won't find another place like it!"
"Two hundred thousand," Ling Yun announced a number.
"Impossible! Two hundred and forty-five thousand is the lowest I can imagine!"
"Two hundred and one thousand. Mr. Sun, I sincerely want it, but my funds are limited."
"Two hundred and forty thousand! That's the lowest I can go; this is already a loss for me!"
After several rounds of intense negotiation, the price was finally settled at 220,000 yuan.
"Deal!" Ling Yun extended his hand and shook hands firmly with Sun Yong. He could sense that although Sun Yong seemed to be in pain, there was a deep sense of relief in his eyes. It seemed that his factory's funding gap was indeed imminent.
"However, Mr. Sun," Ling Yun's tone shifted, his expression turning serious, "words are no proof. We must follow the proper procedures. First, we need to check the records at the housing authority to confirm that the property rights are clear, without any seizures, mortgages, or disputes. Second, we need to sign a formal 'Real Estate Purchase and Sale Contract,' with every clause included. Third, the payment for the property and the transfer of ownership must proceed simultaneously. I need to see my name on the new property certificate before you can receive the full payment."
Sun Yong was taken aback, clearly not expecting this young man to be so knowledgeable and logical. He had originally thought it might just be a simple agreement, or even a cash transaction. "No...no problem! We'll do it your way! I, Sun Yong, conduct business with integrity!"
Over the next few days, Ling Yun practically wore himself out. He dragged Sun Yong along to the Jinan Municipal Real Estate Administration Bureau located on Jingqi Road. The lobby was somewhat dimly lit, and there weren't many people there. The staff members slowly flipped through the paper files.
The search results came back quickly; the property rights were indeed clear, registered under Sun Yong's name, and there were no other encumbrances. Looking at the "Property Ownership Certificate" and "State-owned Land Use Certificate" stamped with red seals, Ling Yun felt somewhat relieved.
Next, he hired a law firm to draft a detailed real estate sales contract. The agreement clearly stated the information of both the buyer and seller, the location and size of the property, the transaction price, the payment method, the time of title transfer, the allocation of taxes and fees, and the liability for breach of contract. He also added a clause emphasizing that the property was a "clean title" and guaranteed to be free of any potential disputes.
On the day of signing, it was still at the real estate transaction hall. Ling Yun paid the deposit via bank transfer. Looking at his name and the enormous amount on the agreement, Sun Yong's hands trembled slightly, while Ling Yun remained unusually calm.
The transfer process was more complicated than expected, requiring the submission of ID cards, original property and land certificates, sales contracts, and payment of deed tax and other fees. However, Lingyun was meticulous and well-prepared, and all procedures proceeded smoothly.
When the last stamp was affixed and the staff informed Lingyun that the new property certificate would be issued in a month, Lingyun knew that the matter was settled.
Ling Yun returned alone to the empty two-story building once again.
This will be the port where his dreams take flight.
The sign for "Starry Sky Internet Cafe" will soon be lit up here.
The code for "Spark Software" will soon be typed here.