Chapter 37: Encountering the Landlord Couple Again

Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Encountering the Landlord Couple Again

"The Glacial Spire?" Rian Sinclair blurted out upon hearing the reward.

Nearby, Auntie Alden, who was tidying up, chimed in, "Do you know of The Glacial Spire, Miss?"

Rian nodded.

"That place is truly remarkable!" Auntie Alden continued. "It’s considered a landmark of Argent. At 623 meters and 115 floors, it’s the second tallest building after Central Tower.

"No one knows which prominent family acquired it. According to local reports, construction began six years ago, and it was only completed today.

"The exterior design is absolutely stunning, too. At night, it looks like a giant crystal standing in the middle of the city. It’s already a famous spot for internet influencers, but so far, not a single person knows what the interior looks like.

"Probably only the designers and the owner of The Glacial Spire know. I wonder if the building will be leased out—isn’t Donovan currently looking for office space?"

Rian listened to Auntie Alden’s introduction while she ate. At the mention of Donovan Sinclair, she paused her meal. "Auntie Alden, contact Donovan and ask him to come over in a bit."

Auntie Alden nodded. "Right away, Miss."

When Donovan arrived, Rian was in the first-floor living room teasing her pet, Bandage. Seeing him walk in, she had him wait in the reception room.

"Miss, do you have any instructions for me?" Donovan stood up as Rian entered.

"Have a seat." Rian gestured.

Donovan nodded and sat down.

"Do you have any thoughts on the company’s location yet?" she asked.

Donovan nodded and pulled a few documents from his briefcase. "Miss, we currently have three options. The first is to lease floors in Central Tower. They have six floors open for rent.

"Although the location is excellent, I think six floors are too few if you plan to scale up significantly. The second option is a plot of land. According to market observations, the government plans to develop the surrounding area in the future.

"Buying the land and building on it ourselves is a good choice, but it would take too long. I don’t recommend it for our immediate needs, though it could serve as a future development project. It’s guaranteed to be profitable in the long run."

Rian nodded. "And the last one?"

Donovan paused. "The final option is what I consider the most advantageous: leasing space in The Glacial Spire. It’s located in the center of Aethelgard, with heavy foot traffic and fully equipped surrounding facilities.

"Furthermore, it was only recently completed. From what I’ve gathered, the owner hasn’t started leasing it out yet. Many people are eyeing this hot commodity, so we could set our sights there."

Rian nodded after listening. "Go ahead and arrange the land purchase you mentioned. If you see a good plot, buy it. As for The Glacial Spire... which floor do you like?"

"Huh?" Donovan was dumbfounded for a moment before he reacted. "It would be ideal if we could lease multiple floors. Honestly, if so many people weren’t already eyeing the place, I’d want to take down the entire building."

Rian nodded. Initially, she hadn’t planned on leasing out The Glacial Spire to the public anyway, but she had wondered if a hundred-plus floors would be too large just for them. However, hearing Donovan’s words dispelled that thought.

It wasn’t too large at all.

"Then you can arrange the setup at The Glacial Spire however you see fit. That building is mine. Since we’re not leasing it out to the public, you’ll need to figure out the purpose of each floor."

Donovan stared at her in shock. "Boss, you’re incredible!"

"If you’re short on funds, contact me," Rian said with a nod. "You’re in charge of the company’s internal affairs; handle the staffing issues yourself."

"One more thing." Rian tapped her fingertip lightly on the table. "The corporate properties under my name will likely increase in the future. You need to be prepared for that."

Donovan nodded, thinking to himself that no matter how many properties she acquired, it couldn’t possibly be too much to handle.

The future Donovan would desperately wish he could travel back to this exact moment and slap himself twice across the face.

They discussed a few other matters until noon. Rian only had three classes this week, and the rest of her time would mostly be spent writing her thesis.

When she walked out of the room, Auntie Alden saw them and said, "Miss, since you and Donovan were busy, I made Sichuan cuisine for lunch, just like back in your hometown."

Rian smiled and nodded, then called out to the others in the house, "Let’s eat together."

Later, Rian drove down the main road. She hadn’t originally planned on going out, but since Donovan was busy with company affairs, she had to go sign the land contract herself.

Upon arriving at the agreed location, Rian pushed the door open and walked in, only to see some exceptionally familiar faces.

Under their shocked gazes, Rian slowly took a seat.

Across from her, an elite-looking man in a suit asked curiously, "Hello, Miss. My name is Peter Collins." He glanced at the people beside him. "Does Miss Sinclair know them?"

Those two were none other than her former landlords, whom she hadn’t seen for two days. Rian reviewed the contract again, examining it more closely than before. She hadn’t expected the chosen plot of land to include the property of this rent-collecting couple.

Because the location was poor and they hadn’t received any indication of government expropriation in recent years, they couldn’t sell it for a high price. Not to mention, the couple only owned the building and didn’t even hold the property rights to the land itself.

Peter smiled and said, "It would be great if you knew each other. This couple is unwilling to sell."

Rian’s expression remained indifferent. She took a sip of the tea on the table. "By the way, from what I understand, the land is only leased to them, not sold. So, I should be negotiating with you, not the people who leased it to build a house."

Peter’s smile stiffened for a moment. He had only brought the couple along because they had offered him a kickback; he was just doing them a favor. The final say, after all, rested with his firm.

"I’m very sorry, Miss Sinclair. The people in that area are quite poor. If we demolish it, where will they live?"

Hearing his words, Rian’s smile completely vanished. She set her teacup down. "Mr. Collins, I am a businesswoman, and I prioritize profit. If you are unwilling to sell, then I simply won’t buy it. That way, I won’t be tearing their community apart."

Peter broke out in a cold sweat. Rian was clearly indifferent about whether she acquired this plot or not. He hadn’t expected this complication when he came to sign the contract.

The landlord couple also turned deathly pale. They had no idea that Rian, who had vanished for two days, would be sitting across from them right now, casually discussing buying the land their neighborhood sat on.

The landlady suddenly seemed to realize something. She abruptly stood up, threw herself to her knees before Rian, and pleaded through her tears and snot, "Rian, I’m begging you, please don’t buy this land! If it’s demolished, where will all of us live?!"

Her husband also wore a sorrowful expression. "That’s right, Young Miss Sinclair. You lived there for years; you know the situation there. Argent is a place where every inch of land is worth its weight in gold. If you tear it down, where will they ever be able to afford rent?"

Rian looked at the two of them putting on their little act with a hint of amusement. "Then tell me, what should I do?"

The landlady immediately replied, "Spend more money to buy it!" Realizing she sounded a bit too eager, she quickly shifted her tone back to sorrowful. "Rian, you know how it is over there. What will the people living there do if it’s demolished?!"

Rian looked at the couple, then shifted her gaze to Peter Collins, only to see him smiling silently. She understood now—they were trying to extort a higher price on the spot.