The Amazing Son In Law Chapter 97
The next morning, Charlie took the villa key and access card given to him by Zeke and drove to the Thompson First Sales Center with Claire.
Soon, they arrived at the Thompson First Sales Center, where they found a large crowd in front of the entrance. It appeared that the residents of Aurous Hill were indeed very interested in the real estate at Thompson First Development Co. Even those who couldn’t afford it turned out to broaden their horizons.
Claire observed the throng and said to Charlie, “Charlie, there are so many people here. Since we can’t afford it, maybe we should just leave?”
Charlie smiled and replied, “Wife, since we’ve come all this way, why should we leave now? Besides, I really want to see what’s out there, will you accompany me?”
Reluctantly, Claire said, “Alright, it’s a good opportunity to see what the top-tier Thompson First Development Co. looks like.”
Upon entering, they noticed many visitors gathered around the large sand table as a guide explained the general layout of the Thompson First Development Community.
The real estate project developed by Thompson First in Aurous Hill is quite expansive. Surrounding the property are high-rise residential buildings, which feature relatively standard apartments ranging from 120 to 240 square meters, starting at a hefty price of $80,000 each.
At the heart of this extensive development is the villa area, renowned for its standalone houses and gardens. The villa sizes range from 300 square meters to over 1,000 square meters, complete with courtyards and basements, making the price exceedingly high at $130,000 per square meter.
In short, the villa given to Charlie by Zeke White is valued at a staggering $130 million!
The guide continued, “We provide exclusive property management and security services for the esteemed villa owners. Even though ordinary residences and villas share the same community, there’s a wall separating the villa area from the regular homes!”
“The outer residential zone is already quite secure, as no outsiders are permitted entry. The villa area, however, is even safer. To put it plainly, if a thief manages to infiltrate the outer residential area, he would never get past the villa area’s security. Therefore, villa owners can feel completely secure here!”
At that moment, a woman shouted in anger, “This is too much, right? You expect the owners of the ordinary residences to act as shields for the villa owners?”
Many people around nodded, it seemed they shared her sentiment.
Charlie recognized the voice and looked up, spotting a woman heavily made-up. It was Wendy, Claire’s cousin.
Why is she here?
Both Charlie and Claire exchanged surprised glances, and as they looked next to Wendy, they saw her father Christopher, her mother Hannah and her brother Harold!
Could it be that their family intends to buy a house?
Claire whispered to Charlie, “Look, Uncle and his family are here, maybe we should go!”
Charlie shook his head, “Why should we leave just because they’re here?”
Claire replied, “Aren’t you worried they’ll try to bully you again?”
Charlie smiled softly, “Don’t worry, I’ve dealt with so much pressure over the years that I’ve toughened up!”
“Alright then…” Claire nodded in agreement.
Just then, the guide addressed Wendy, who had voiced the complaint, with a smile, “Madam, we at Thompson First have always regarded villa owners as our most distinguished clientele. Our private swimming pools, upscale sports clubs, high-end fitness centers, golf courses and Michelin-starred restaurants from Italy are all located in the villa area, exclusively for villa owners!”
Wendy retorted angrily, “So what you’re saying is that the owners of the high-rises outside don’t count? We’ve paid our dues too! Why are we barred from access to these amenities?”
The guide quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, but we do have a clubhouse in the high-rise area. If you purchase a property there, you can use the clubhouse.”
Wendy pressed, “But why can’t we access the high-end health center? Can’t I play golf there?”
“No.” The guide replied, “Our facilities are specifically reserved for villa owners. I truly apologize for the inconvenience.”
Harold chimed in angrily, “What’s the deal here? We’re considering buying one of your largest 240-square-meter apartments for around 16 or 17 million! After spending so much money, we can’t use the facilities? Seriously, believe it or not, I might just walk away without buying anything!”
The guide answered with a smile, “To be honest, the reason we constructed this project alongside the standard residential area is due to city regulations that prevent us from developing a pure villa zone, as they believe it would waste land and space! So we built these ordinary residential buildings and all amenities here are strictly for villa owners! If you cannot accept that, feel free to purchase a villa, or simply don’t buy anything at all. Frankly, our units outside are performing well in fact, 80% were sold shortly after opening!”
Harold’s expression shifted to one of displeasure. He had thought that by threatening not to buy, he would gain leverage, but he was taken aback.
The guide’s implication was clear, if you want something, feel free to walk away.
Upset, Harold exclaimed to his family, “Let’s go. I’m not buying! We can go somewhere else with our money!”
Hannah, his mother, protested, “Why leave? I like this place and don’t want to buy elsewhere!”
Harold tried to reason, “Mom, living here just means being at the mercy of the villa owners, right? It’s not ideal being treated differently!”
“You don’t understand anything!” Hannah replied, “Even if the high-rise apartments aren’t as nice as the villas, the communities here in Aurous Hill are still the best! Besides, the villa your grandmother has is outdated.”
Christopher, standing beside them, concurred, “Your grandmother’s villa is indeed quite old and the surroundings are remote. There are no amenities, if you want to buy a pack of cigarettes at night, you have to drive quite a distance. This place is much more complete.”
He then added, “I agree with your mother, we will buy here!”
Harold sighed, realizing he was only putting on a show for the guide and now he felt embarrassed.
In his frustration, he suddenly spotted two familiar figures, sparking immediate interest. He exclaimed, “Oh, Claire, Charlie, what are you two doing here?”
Claire hadn’t expected Harold to spot them, and seeing that his voice drew the attention of his family, she laughed awkwardly and replied, “Charlie and I just came out to take a look.”
Harold immediately scoffed, “What’s this? With your family’s modest means and your useless husband, you think you can buy a home in such an upscale place as Thompson First Development Co.?”