44 Renting a Shop

The man smiled and greeted her. “Hello, I’m Jesse, the landlord.”

Vivian nodded with a smile. “Hello, Mr. Jesse. My name is Vivian. I’d like to see your store.”

Jesse quickly took out his key and opened the door. “My store is very good. It’s a small three-story bungalow. Although it was built in the last century, it’s very well preserved. The wooden handrail, window frame, and floor inside are all carefully maintained by me. Also, the last tenant was in the jewelry business, so the interior decoration is very high-end. What business does Miss Vivian plan to do?”

Vivian followed Jesse through the door. “I’m in the clothing business.”

Jesse complimented her. “The clothing business are great. There are a few shops nearby. It’s almost done. It’s perfect for you!”

Vivian smiled. “Let me take a look first.”

The decoration was good, but it did not match the style of the clothing store that Vivian wanted to build. She had to renovate it again, but the space was big enough, covering more than 200 square meters. Three floors were just enough for her clothing division. The first and second floors were for display, and the third floor was for the reception area for high-end customers. If she were to launch an haute couture series in the future, it would be able to fit.

Overall, Vivian was satisfied, but she still looked indifferent. “Mr. Jesse, how much is the rent?”

Jesse was an honest man. He didn’t deliberately raise the price because she was from the outside town. “10,000 a month, and you must pay two third as a deposit. I’ll pay for the maintenance of the house during your rental period as long as it’s not intentional destruction.”

Seeing that Jesse’s price was exactly the same as she had inquired before, Vivian knew that this was his standard rent. It was very unlikely that he would lower the price, so she asked, “Mr. Jesse, do you have any other shops in good locations?”

Jesse thought that she felt it was too expensive, so he was going to recommend other stores. He had a lot of stores, but he didn’t have many. “Yes, there are some cheaper ones. There’s a shop in the busiest part of the city center, and it sells shoes now. It’s next to W&W Mall, but it’s only one floor, 168 square meters, and costs 3200 Yuan. There’s no need to worry about rent there. Whoever rents it will get rich!”

“The owner of that shoe store is getting bigger and bigger, and now he thinks my store is too small, so he doesn’t want to rent it anymore. The lease period is up next week, and if you like it, you don’t have to wait long.”

Vivian tried to recall and had some impression of the shoe store.

That place was perfect for middle-tier clothing displays, but the rent was expensive. However, even if the price was high for shops in good locations, there was no need to worry about rent. Thinking that these two places were quite to her liking, Vivian was too lazy to look for another one. However, as usual, she asked, “Boss, if I rent both of these places, do you think you can reduce the rent?”

Jessi smiled. “I don’t know how to bargain, so I’ll give you a fixed price. I’d rather not rent otherwise. You can ask around.”

Vivian could only silently sigh. This was the confidence of having more stores!

Vivian no longer bothered about the rent. She decided to fight for other benefits. “Okay, I won’t haggle over the price. If there’s no problem, I’ll sign a three-year contract with you. You see, I’m quite a forthright person. Can you give me a month’s rent-free as support for the shop’s renovation?”

It was rare for Jesse to see such a forthright tenant. He was in a good mood and didn’t care about the monthly rent. “No problem!” he said.

After visiting the store, Vivian and Jesse signed the contract. Vivian paid the deposit and rent and got the bungalow’s key. She would get the key to the shoe store next week.

Vivian did not expect things to go so smoothly. She was supposed to be on a two-day business trip, but she could return in the afternoon of the same day. However, she had to arrange for someone to come and supervise the renovation after she returned.

By the time Vivian flew back to S City, it was already seven o ‘clock in the evening. She excitedly brought M City’s specialty home to see her son, only to find that the house was dark.

Vivian turned on the lights and searched the house but couldn’t find Leon. She quickly called him, but it was turned off. She panicked, and all kinds of tragic stories of kidnapped children appeared in her mind.