The Shadow Tycoon
Copyright© 2026 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 67
“Sir, this house has only stood for three years since it was built. It’s still a new house. If its owner weren’t in urgent need of money...” The Account Manager from the real estate company pressed her lips together and revealed a smile whose meaning needed no explanation. “It might never have been placed on our sale list at all!”
That was the age they lived in. Everyone believed they ought to be respected, ought to be valued, and behind that demand stood an enormous market. So whether it was a bank, a real estate company, or any other service industry, so long as someone did business, he, she, or it was a manager.
Account Manager was the most common title, then after-sales manager. Many people probably had never thought about what it looked like when they called these managers, or when those managers called them.
But people liked it. “A manager is personally providing me with service” was always something worth boasting about.
The house in front of William stood in a newly developed middle-class community. In truth, it had been completed only two years and ten months ago.
It had independent front and back yards, and in the back yard there was a swimming pool, not particularly large.
The main structure had three floors above ground and one below, covering two hundred and twenty square meters, not counting the yard.
William now had some money in hand, more than two hundred thousand dollars altogether. It was hard to imagine that just last month “he” had still been despised by Eleanor’s parents for being unemployed, and had broken up with his girlfriend because of it, while this month he had already earned more money than many people would ever make in a lifetime.
Fate was amusing like that. Of course, more than fate, it was personal ability. Not everyone possessed that kind of ability. Only William did.
Once he had money, continuing to live in that little room above the tavern was no longer suitable. He needed a house to hide certain private things, and so he chose this place.
The residents in a newly developed middle-class community had not yet grown cold toward one another. About half the households here were newly elevated middle-class families, and for such people, the thing they needed most urgently at this stage was a richer network of human connections.
Community social life was an excellent way of making friends. They would enthusiastically get to know every person in the neighborhood, while considering whether those people might be of some use to them.
In a few years, they would lose that enthusiasm, because the overwhelming majority of neighbors had nothing whatsoever to do with their lives. Other than saying good morning in the morning, good afternoon at noon, and good evening at night, there would be no further contact.
But for now, everyone was active. And activity meant warmth and a sense of responsibility. When William had need of it, this pack of fool ... kind-hearted, warmhearted people would eagerly help him, and would spread certain things for him in the course of helping.
“Open the door. I want to go in and have a look around...” Resting his hand on the round cap of the stair rail, the smooth, warm feel under his palm was pleasant. He glanced back at the Account Manager and gave his instruction.
The Account Manager’s expression changed slightly. She immediately piled a smile onto her face and swayed her hips as she walked up the steps.
It was summer. In weather like this, everyone wished they could go naked, because the clammy feeling of clothes soaked through with sweat was truly unbearable.
After opening the door, the Account Manager invited William inside. It had to be said, the design of the house was excellent. Its original owner had likely hired a capable designer to plan this home for his family.
Practical, beautiful, fashionable, simple without losing elegance, with excellent lighting and ventilation, and none of the rotten mildew smell one found in houses that had sat unused for some time.
Almost everything inside had already been moved out, leaving only a bare shell. William went through every room, and also took a look down in the basement. He was very satisfied.
It was not like the work of certain designers who, in order to create more rooms and make the house appear more suited to a large family, ended up making every room cramped.
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