Chapter 132: No Great Pressure

Su Mu did not even consider the truly top-tier luxury estates in Beverly Hills; it was not a matter of whether he wanted to buy one, but simply that he lacked the funds. Those sprawling properties were few and far between. Most homes were standard villas with floor areas of one or two hundred square meters and front and back yards—sufficient for a family. Their prices fluctuated within the one-million-dollar range depending on factors like the age of the building, location, and renovations, without significant variance.

Su Mu knew, in fact, that investing this money instead of buying a house would be the more prudent choice. In regions where property prices remained stable, there would be no dramatic short-term rise or fall. Cash could be turned into more money, whereas buying a house was primarily for security; earning a profit from it was unlikely, and failing to earn meant a loss.

He was only considering this because he now had the means and wanted to provide a better life for his family. Otherwise, he would not be buying a house yet. He was not at an age where he needed to settle down, and with both of his companies showing promising prospects, they required capital for development. Fortunately, mortgage loans were an option, allowing him to pay off the house in installments. Given the current profitability of his company, Penguin, the burden would not be too heavy. Even for a house priced at seven or eight hundred thousand dollars, he could manage.

Mrs. Hubble, the real estate agent assisting him, had over twenty properties on the market. From these, he selected four to view, with prices ranging from five hundred thousand to nine hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Su Mu was most intrigued by the nine-hundred-fifty-thousand-dollar property: a two-story house with over 160 square meters per floor, a square swimming pool in front, and a large garden spanning over three hundred square meters. It had been recently renovated, though its location was slightly peripheral—otherwise, it would surely have been a seven-figure property. The price was a bit high, so he decided to wait until after the tour to make a final decision.

Buying a house was a major life event, and one could not be too cautious. Mrs. Hubble soon pulled up in a silver Maserati to drive them to the viewings.

They started with the nearest house, just a block away. After introducing the surrounding amenities, she pulled up in front of a black house priced at over six hundred thousand dollars. A "For Sale" sign was staked into the flat lawn, featuring Mrs. Hubble’s photo and the slogan: "Finding your home starts with me! Call xxxx..."

After touring the interior, where Mrs. Hubble enthusiastically described the oak floors and luxurious chandeliers, Su Mu’s first impression was poor. Having just seen the dimensions of the larger property, the 130-square-meter single-story house felt cramped—it was even smaller than the old place in Chinatown.

It was not that two-story houses were inherently more expensive than single-story ones; some single-story buildings had decades of history and had housed celebrities or tycoons, which boosted their value. Sensing Su Mu’s dissatisfaction, Mrs. Hubble remained unfazed and beamed, "Shall we look at the others then?"

"Yes, it's a bit small. Don't bother showing me the other single-story one. Let’s go to the one priced at seven hundred and seventy thousand dollars."

Su Mu’s decisiveness pleased Mrs. Hubble. Previously, she had equated Chinese clients with poverty, but it was clear now that there were many wealthy individuals among them, and recently, many Chinese had been coming to buy homes.

"Let’s go, then! This is just the most ordinary house in my inventory. I could even connect you with sellers for twenty-thousand-square-foot estates. Today, I will definitely help you find your dream home..."

They toured the two-story house priced at seven hundred and seventy thousand dollars. It had been built only six years prior, and the owner had lived elsewhere for ten months of the year, hiring a cleaning service to maintain it. It felt much more comfortable. The pool was small, serving more as a decorative feature than anything else, suitable only for a soak. The surrounding environment was slightly better than the previous house.

Su Mu thought it was quite nice, but he kept his thoughts to himself and proceeded to the property listed at nine hundred and fifty thousand dollars. From the outside, it looked even better than the previous two. However, upon entering, they found the television smashed, the mirrors shattered, and even the white walls splattered with coffee—it looked as if it had been robbed.

Mrs. Hubble, who had been boasting about how new the house was just minutes before, was stunned. She hurriedly explained, "I am so sorry, there must have been some unexpected trouble. When I brought people to see it two days ago, it wasn't like this. Please give me a moment; I need to call the owner and find out what happened. My God, this is absolutely terrible..."

It turned out the newlywed couple living there had fought and decided to divorce; they had smashed everything in the house the previous night.

The house was no longer viewable. Mrs. Hubble looked like a squirrel that had lost its pinecone, her face clouded with gloom as she drove. She knew Su Mu had been very satisfied with that property, and losing the deal meant losing a large commission. No one enjoyed such setbacks, especially in a cooling economy where sellers far outnumbered buyers.

"What do you think? The landlord is willing to lower the price. It would only take a little money to renovate, making it cheaper than the original price, and I will hire someone to take care of all that for you. Actually, someone just entrusted me with another house nearby. It’s even better than the one we just saw, though the price is slightly higher—about 1.2 million dollars."

Fearing the price was too high, Mrs. Hubble added, "But the neighboring houses are all priced above 1.4 million. Overall, it’s still very cheap. The company is having some issues and is eager to sell to recoup funds; otherwise, I believe it’s worth 1.6 million."

When Su Mu left his house that morning, he thought a two-hundred-thousand-dollar home was quite good. Upon arriving in Beverly Hills, his mental price range had climbed to six hundred thousand, and he had been ready to commit to the nine-hundred-fifty-thousand-dollar house before the fiasco. Unconsciously, he now felt that 1.2 million and 950,000 were not that different. He spoke up, "Alright, let’s go take a look. Can I buy it with a mortgage?"

"Of course! The vast majority of people buy homes with mortgages. Aside from the ultra-wealthy, who would pull out hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in cash all at once?"

Hearing this exchange, Li Ping'an and Du Zhong looked at each other, realizing that Su Mu had changed. That was 1.2 million dollars! Americans loved credit-based consumption, and Su Mu had been influenced by it. Since he could earn over a million dollars in two months with very promising profit margins, he subconsciously felt that buying a house of that price was no longer a big deal—he could afford it.

His mindset was shifting; he felt empowered. Having achieved success at a young age, even the most composed person would see their outlook change to some degree. A five or ten-year mortgage did not feel like much of a burden to him.

Mrs. Hubble sensed that Su Mu’s pockets were bottomless, and her expression brightened. She laughed, "You will surely be satisfied with it. It hasn't been cleaned yet, but the house has never been lived in since it was renovated. The owner has properties all over the world and rarely stays in Los Angeles. You could move in the moment you buy it; it is truly a dream home."

Turning a corner up a hill, a brand-new house with an enormous front yard appeared before them. It was a modern design with white walls and a red roof, featuring a floor-to-ceiling glass wall. The water in the swimming pool shimmered with blue light, and several palm trees grew in the yard. Two peacocks, one blue and one green, strolled across the lawn at the entrance. With the price point reaching into the millions, what lay before Su Mu was a truly top-tier luxury estate, leagues above the one he had lived in at Menlo Park.