Growing Further and Further Apart

“The rent definitely cannot be lowered. Considering the large area they’re leasing, we can offer some reduction on the property management fees. If President Yang insists on a price cut, you can stand your ground. Cathay Insurance isn’t our only option,” Xiao Yao said firmly.

Recently, leasing out office space in Taigu Tower had been going smoothly, with seven or eight companies still in negotiations. Although securing a major tenant like Cathay Insurance was important, it wasn’t indispensable. Chen Xingwen wasn’t surprised by Xiao Yao’s decision.

Chen Xingwen replied, “I feel President Yang is quite sincere. I’ll do my best to keep Cathay Insurance here.”

“If the Cathay Insurance contract is finalized, there’ll only be the eighteenth floor left unleased in Taigu Tower, right?”

“That’s correct, Boss. Do you have any plans?”

With the support of the Ninefold Wealth Talisman, Xiao Yao was prepared to raise the rent again. “Eighteen is an auspicious number. There’s no rush to lease the last floor. I plan to increase the future rental price to five thousand yuan per square meter. We can use this last floor as an experiment and see how the market responds.”

“Office leasing has been booming lately. Raising the rent shouldn't be a problem, but jumping straight to five thousand yuan seems a bit steep, doesn’t it?” Chen Xingwen thought the move was too bold and wasn't fully on board.

“I believe it’ll be fine. It might even further boost Taigu Tower’s reputation. If we manage to lease the last floor at five thousand yuan, it will instantly establish Taigu Tower as the province’s premier office building.” Xiao Yao remained confident in the Ninefold Wealth Talisman’s effects.

With the boss’s decision made, Chen Xingwen could only comply. “I’ll give it a try and report back as soon as I have news.”

After Chen Xingwen left, Xiao Yao thought that would be the only good news for the day. Unexpectedly, before the end of the workday, the eighteenth floor also received a leasing inquiry.

A gaming company named Jinhui Networks expressed interest in renting the entire eighteenth floor. Though they grumbled about the high rent, they ultimately accepted the terms.

While contracts with Cathay Insurance and Jinhui Networks had yet to be formally signed, their intentions were solid. In just one day, all remaining office spaces in Taigu Tower were leased.

The magic of the Ninefold Wealth Talisman had begun to reveal itself.

Though this year only one floor was leased at five thousand yuan per square meter, from now on, any office coming available would start at that price.

For an office building outside a first-tier city to command five thousand yuan per square meter annually was no small miracle.

The return on investment was astonishing!

Taigu Tower’s total leaseable area was around 120,000 to 130,000 square meters. At an average of five thousand yuan per square meter per year, the annual rent would be 650 million yuan.

If office space rents for five thousand yuan, the three basement supermarket floors and six above-ground commercial floors would fetch even higher rates. Once operations stabilize, annual rent surpassing 700 million yuan would be a certainty.

The market value of the tower was fifty billion yuan, Xiao Yao’s actual investment was thirty billion, and a stable annual income of over seven billion would make anyone envious.

That was Xiao Yao’s minimum expectation. As for the ultimate effects of the Ninefold Wealth Talisman, he had yet to discover its limits; further exploration was needed.

Next year, Taigu Tower’s rents would continue to rise, only pausing when the occupancy rate dropped below eighty percent.

Having seen the power of the Ninefold Wealth Talisman firsthand, Xiao Yao spent his spare time practicing the crafting of Wealth Talismans and Feng Shui Talismans.

Taste Pavilion would open in half a month. He planned to place both a Ninefold Wealth Talisman and a Ninefold Feng Shui Talisman in his office there.

The upcoming Hero’s Banquet at Taste Pavilion was already highly anticipated, boasting strong market appeal. With these two talismans in place, he was confident the opening would set the city alight.

In the blink of an eye, the weekend arrived. After dinner, Xiao Zhenshan said to Xiao Yao, “I promised my colleagues I’d host a dinner tomorrow night. Old Xin suggested bringing our families along. Do you have plans tomorrow night? If not, come with me. Your Uncle Xin specifically asked to see you.”

“A gathering of your old colleagues—am I really suitable?” Xiao Yao was reluctant and didn’t want to attend.

“I didn’t invite anyone I’m not close to, just a few old friends you know well. The main thing is that Xiao Di will be there too. If you don’t go, it wouldn’t be right,” Xiao Zhenshan explained.

Bai Yuzhen quickly asked, “When did Xiao Di come back? I haven’t seen her in a year. She’s so busy with work, it’s rare she has time to return. If we’re free, we should definitely get together.”

Xiao Zhenshan replied, “She just got back yesterday, only for three days. Since Xiao Di started working in the Magic City, we and Old Xin’s family haven’t all been together for two years.”

“All right, I’ll go with you tomorrow,” Xiao Yao agreed, though unwilling, for his parents’ sake.

Xin Chengyou was Xiao Zhenshan’s best friend, both college classmates and longtime colleagues. Years ago, when Xiao Zhenshan lost his government job due to a second child, it was Xin Chengyou who ran around and managed to get him into a state-owned enterprise.

Now Xin Chengyou was a deputy general manager. Xiao Zhenshan’s smooth career owed much to his old classmate’s support.

Because of their friendship, the two families were close, gathering several times a year.

Xin Chengyou and his wife Yu Shan were both warm, easygoing people who cared for Xiao Yao. If it were only these two elders, Xiao Yao would be happy to attend.

His reluctance stemmed not only from the prospect of socializing with a large group, but also from not wanting to see Xin Chengyou’s only daughter, Cindy.

Cindy was two years older than him. Their relationship had been good before high school, but after Cindy went to university, especially after earning her master’s degree and joining a foreign firm in the Magic City, they had little in common.

Xiao Yao felt Cindy had become increasingly materialistic, while Cindy thought he lacked ambition. Each meeting ended in discord.

For two years now, they hadn’t met alone, but even when accompanying their parents, they always managed to clash awkwardly. Because of their fathers’ friendship, though they’d drifted apart, they were forced to maintain a veneer of harmony.