Chapter 22: Lying Down

Chapter 22: Lying Down

Tang Yun could feel the delight spreading throughout his body, due to Kuang Yanhe's teasing remarks and the doting laughter evident in his eyes.

Previously, Tang Yun had never seen him smile in this manner. Most of the time, Kuang Yanhe appeared indifferent, even serious, with a slight furrow in his brow as if pondering over countless problems.

How could someone's appearance differ so much between smiling and not? He seemed like an entirely different person—no longer aloof or haughty. Genuine, delicate emotions flooded those jade-like eyes.

Perhaps it was an illusion. Or maybe Kuang Yanhe was merely amused by his clumsy acting. Still, this illusion excited Tang Yun, his heart raced and didn't subside even as they exited the elevator.

Tang Yun had felt this kind of excitement before. On his first movie date with his first love, the anticipation kept him awake, and in the minutes before their rendezvous, his heart raced as if electrified.

But after breaking up with Shen Ji’en, no matter how attractive others were, his heart remained calm. Admiration without fluttering emotions. Thus, in his subsequent relationships, he seemed unassailable, and even upon realizing he'd been deceived, he never hesitated to cut ties immediately.

Tang Yun once believed that only youthful naivety could produce such passionate heartbeats.

Seeing Tang Yun's hand pressed to his chest, Kuang Yanhe asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

Tang Yun shook his head, not daring to meet his eyes. "I'm fine. Might've just had too much coffee today. Feeling a bit palpitated."

The salesperson opened the door, handing each of them a pair of disposable shoe covers, then gestured inside, saying, "Here, let me introduce our construction philosophy and craftsmanship. Our high-quality finishes are not just simple add-ons. The difference lies in the workmanship."

"Many interior design firms have only been in business for a few years. Regardless of whether they might suddenly close or offer post-sale warranties, some don't even have proper blueprints. Quality depends on their experience, and while there might be conscientious craftsmen, others might cut corners."

Kuang Yanhe had already reviewed the layout and interior design on the computer. During the initial sale of Mo Xiang Academy, Xiang Heng's marketing team had sent someone undercover to scout, documenting all the house types and interiors.

Such actions are hardly a secret in the industry, much like how a supermarket owner might send someone to scout a newly opened competitor to adjust their own pricing and promotions.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

The room had a selection of beverages and bottled water. The sales manager offered them to the pair while continuing, "Our finished interiors demand rigorous craftsmanship. We've completed over 150 projects nationally, with over 400,000 units. Our craftsmanship has evolved to its eighth generation, with comprehensive systems in place for hidden works, waterproofing, and safety."

Tang Yun had started to sweat earlier, making it hard for him to open his bottle. Just as he considered using a tissue to grip it, Kuang Yanhe handed him an already opened one.

"Thank you, Kuang…" Tang Yun nearly misspoke in surprise, "...brother, what do you think of the interiors here? Is it to your taste?"

Kuang Yanhe swiftly opened another bottle, replying, "I'm flexible, it's mainly up to you."

Tang Yun remarked discerningly, "I feel this kitchen is a tad small. There seems to be no space left once the refrigerator is placed."

The salesperson assured, "Don't you worry about that. Our cabinets offer ample storage space, and the countertop can bear a good deal of weight. Placing things like rice and flour is absolutely no problem."

Tang Yun was caressing the pristine countertop, about to find another flaw when Kuang Yanhe suddenly leaned in and whispered affectionately into his ear, "Darling, would you like to sit on it to feel it out?"

Kuang Yanhe's eyes were curved, evoking mysterious thoughts. Tang Yun was momentarily overwhelmed by this gesture.

Is he flirting? Is he really?

But it's Kuang Yanhe! Would he openly flirt in front of others?

"What are you even talking about..." Tang Yun squeezed these words through gritted teeth, nudging Kuang Yanhe with his elbow.

Kuang Yanhe took a step back, looking wronged, "She said the countertop is very sturdy. I just thought maybe you'd want to test it out and see if it holds up."

Tang Yun felt a strong urge to bang his head on the countertop.

The saleswoman, being astute, intervened, "Rest assured, our countertops are very durable. If you want to climb on it for cleaning or any other purpose, there's absolutely no problem."

"Alright then..."

Tang Yun's mind felt like it was scalded with boiling water, bubbling hot. Kuang Yanhe leaned casually against the refrigerator, shooting him a suggestive look, mouthing: "Absolutely no problem."

Damn it! He's clearly just teasing him!

Leading them back to the living room, the saleswoman gestured upward, "Please look above at our gypsum board ceiling craftsmanship. The south can be quite humid, and once the ceiling absorbs moisture, it's easy for screws to rust. Fixing it after it's rusted can be cumbersome. So, we treat every screw hole with rustproof paint. Most other home improvements or real estate developers skip this process to save money."

Finally, it's the comparison phase. Tang Yun, slightly excited, subtly touched Kuang Yanhe's wrist. Kuang Yanhe responded with an "I got the message" glance.

"You know," Tang Yun said, pretending to inspect the area the saleswoman pointed to, "My house didn't have this rustproofing, and I had to get it fixed later. It was such a hassle."

Kuang Yanhe nodded in agreement, lifting his phone to record a video of the room, not pointing the camera at anyone in particular.

Seeing the two being receptive, the manager grew more confident and asked, "Mr. Tang, where do you reside?"

"Jewel Court, near the Foreign Language School. I'm not sure if you've heard of it."

What Tang Yun mentioned was the best-selling property in the southern city by Xiang Heng.

According to Kuang Yanhe, the project sold out within just three days of pre-sales.

At that time, the policies weren't as stringent as they are now. Some even bought seven or eight units at once, making this property a fierce competitor among contemporaneous developments.

The real estate boom during the Jewel Court era is unlikely to be replicated in the future.

The manager, being in the same industry, was familiar with the surrounding projects. Upon hearing "Jewel Court," he gave a long nod of recognition, "I'm aware of Xiang Heng's project. It has been on the market for quite a while now."

"Indeed," Tang Yun glanced around, clicking his tongue in slight regret, "The homes here are better, ready to move in immediately."

The manager continued, "It's already a blessing to get a house! To be frank, I have a relative who bought a property from Xiang Heng. It's almost been three years, and they still haven't received their unit."

Without feigning excessive surprise, Tang Yun observed the room's details, casually asking, "Why is that?" He was cautious not to overact and appear unnatural.

"Government approvals fell through."

Finding this absurd, Kuang Yanhe chuckled, "Why were they not approved?"

The manager lowered his voice, "I'll tell you, but it's just between us..."

Tang Yun nodded earnestly, "Of course."

From the moment they entered the sales office, Tang Yun's noise-cancelling recording device in his pocket had been activated, capturing their entire conversation.

Wan Sheng spread rumors that Xiang Heng's properties were illegal constructions, faced potential demolition risks, had renovation safety hazards, and some developments were even involved in collective lawsuits due to Xiang Heng not honoring contracts.

After hearing this, Kuang Yanhe was extremely agitated. He went to the balcony to smoke. He had suspected Wan Sheng might spread rumors, but didn't expect such baseless claims. It was like a female artist taking a slightly sensual photo with a dark background, and then tabloids insinuating she's involved in illicit activities.

Spreading rumors is easy, but the negative impact they inflict on a corporation is immeasurable and hard to counteract.

Following his anger came waves of deep disappointment and heartache. This was just the tip of the iceberg. How many negative stories existed behind the scenes that he didn't know about? Perhaps he would never find out in his lifetime.

Reality is blunt and brutal.

At some point, businesses that operated with reverence and kindness became laughing stocks in the industry. He wanted to make a change, but felt helpless.

After viewing the model apartment and garage, Kuang Yanhe added the salesperson on WeChat, bid farewell, and without looking back, plunged into Tang Yun's car. Any longer, and he felt he might pass out from anger.

Noticing his grim expression, Tang Yun tentatively asked, "Would you like to visit Jingming for a look?"

"Let's go take a look."

"Alright." Tang Yun obediently adjusted the destination.

On the way, Kuang Yanhe transferred the data from the recorder to his phone, asking, "Is this evidence sufficient? Can we file a lawsuit?"

"Oh dear," Tang Yun mused, "you're so naive. If we sue now, they'll just say, 'Oh, that was just an uninformed temp of ours spouting nonsense. We apologize and will terminate him immediately.' Then what would you do?"

Kuang Yanhe was taken aback, "So, what do we do? Find more people to extract more statements?"

Tang Yun snapped his fingers, "Smart. But that alone won't suffice. We also need to engage them in WeChat conversations and screenshot crucial information. Evidence in the form of images and text will have a higher chance of being accepted by the judge."

Having already added the salesperson on WeChat, Kuang Yanhe said, "You can guide me on how to communicate with them later then."

"Of course. Just send me screenshots whenever. But," Tang Yun paused, "there's another approach, more challenging and time-consuming. But if we get evidence, it'll be game over for them."

"Go on."

"Remember how you mentioned that salespeople all follow the same script? If someone could infiltrate Wan Sheng's sales department and obtain core documents, or record evidence of senior officials fabricating rumors, our evidence chain would be complete. It's like investigative journalists going undercover in illegal factories—you catch my drift?"

"I get it," Kuang Yanhe's admiration for Lawyer Tang grew, "The ingenious tricks of a practicing lawyer!"

"That sounded... ambiguous. Was it meant to?"

"If you heard ambiguity, then maybe it's your ears at fault." Kuang Yanhe extinguished his cigarette on a wet tissue, bundled it, and tossed it into the car trash bag, "I'll get Yan Chu on it."

"Hold on..." Tang Yun, ever cautious, said, "How can you be sure that whoever Yan Chu sends doesn't know the salespeople at Wan Sheng? What if they're friends, former colleagues, or even related?"

Kuang Yanhe replied, "I'll get someone from out of town."

Tang Yun nodded, "That works. We can discuss further if issues arise."

Holding the bottled water given by Wan Sheng's salesperson, Kuang Yanhe threw it aside in frustration and opened a peach-flavored soda from Tang Yun's car.

Tang Yun wanted to mention that he had already taken a sip and didn't find it particularly tasty. But seeing Kuang Yanhe gulp down half of it, he swallowed his words.

"Is it good?" Tang Yun asked.

"It's alright," Kuang Yanhe inspected the bottle's production date, "though it seems a bit flat."

At a loss for words, Tang Yun replied, "Maybe it's been in the sun for too long."

Jingming Jiayuan was close to Moxiang University. After passing two traffic lights, as Tang Yun parked the car near the sales office, a uniformed security guard approached, asking their purpose.

"We're here to view the properties," they said in unison.

The security guard led them into the sales center where a young male sales representative, surnamed Zhang, introduced himself as a property consultant. He began by inquiring how they heard about the development before taking them on a tour of the model layout, discussing the company's reputation.

Tang Yun whispered to Kuang Yanhe, "Is the marketing jargon in the real estate industry all borrowed from each other? Why does it sound so familiar?"

Kuang Yanhe murmured back, "You should ask Yan Chu about that. She's in charge of this. I think others copied her."

Tang Yun was curious, "How can you be so sure it's others copying her?"

Kuang Yanhe replied with a smirk, "Your question is like asking a fruit seller if his melons are sweet. I can't say she copied others, right? I trust the dedication of my subordinates."

Jingming Jiayuan primarily offers medium to small-sized units across twenty-four buildings. The sales representative showed them a two-bedroom apartment.

As soon as Tang Yun walked in, his attention was drawn to a unique set of cat-shaped ceramic bowls on the dining table.

"Look at this." Tang Yun picked up a plate, "Doesn't the pattern remind you of the Code Napoleon?"

Kuang Yanhe asked, "Do you like it?"

"Absolutely, it's adorable," Tang Yun remarked, pulling out his phone to search for a similar set online.

Kuang Yanhe seemed to sense his intentions, leaned in, and whispered, "We have these cat bowls in our sales center. They've always been promotional gifts. I'll get you a set later."

"Really?" Tang Yun whispered excitedly, conscious of not letting the salesperson hear.

With a casual demeanor, Kuang Yanhe strolled past the dining table to inspect other items, saying, "It's just a set of bowls. Why not?"

Tang Yun grinned, "Thanks, big brother."

"It's nothing," Kuang Yanhe turned away, his expression hidden from Tang Yun.

Although it was just a tour, the constant walking wore Tang Yun out. Spotting a sofa, he sat down, leaving Kuang Yanhe to continue exploring with the sales representative.

The sales rep at Jingming Jiayuan was different from others they encountered. He was candid and forthcoming. When stumped, he would awkwardly scratch his head and chuckle, admitting he'd have to check with his superiors.

Despite taking up a considerable chunk of his time, the young salesman remained patient and amiable, even offering Tang Yun a chilled iced tea.

"You seem tired. Would you like to view the bedroom? It has great natural lighting, with windows on both the south and west sides. This is the last unit of this layout available."

Seeing his enthusiastic sales pitch, Tang Yun couldn't resist and followed him inside. It was as if a magnet had been placed on his behind, pulling him instantly onto the bed as he entered the room.

He spread his arms wide, flopping backward with surprise, exclaiming, "Oh! This mattress is so soft!"

The salesman said with a beaming smile, "If you purchase now, both the bed and the mattress are complimentary."

Tang Yun moved his arms as if swimming, slightly lifting his chin towards Kuang Yanhe, saying, "You should try it. It's incredibly soft. I've never felt a mattress like this before."

Perhaps swayed by Tang Yun's words, Kuang Yanhe sat at the foot of the bed, leaning back just like Tang Yun did. Before Tang Yun could retract his hand, it inadvertently touched the back of Kuang Yanhe's hand, feeling a slight chill from his skin.

Tang Yun froze for a moment, waiting for Kuang Yanhe to pull his hand away. But for some reason, Kuang Yanhe remained still, seemingly unfazed by the touch, his gaze fixed on the salesman with a serious demeanor.

There they lay, hands against hands, listening to the salesman describe the unique craftsmanship of the bed.