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The landlord simply didn't believe it. "With their penniless appearance, they're destined to stay here forever. An apartment? Can they afford more than ten thousand a month? When they ask about the rent, I'll increase it."

Finished his speech, the landlord spat out his cigarette butt and left the village house in his flip-flops.

Uncle Ming was left shaking his head, hoping that the Chu sisters could find a cheaper yet better place.

The apartment was located in Tsim Sha Tsui. As Zhang Jiande pushed open the window, he could see a vast bay in the distance. Turning sideways, he called Chu Yuening over to take a look.

The interior of the apartment was cozy, with a small living room and two bedrooms. There was a light purple floral-print sofa, and a thick round rug by the feet.

"This location is fantastic," Zhang Jiande praised. "If I were to live here, I'd have beautiful dreams every night."

"Here's the situation with the landlord," he continued, sharing some information. "They just graduated from a postgraduate program in the UK this year and decided to stay for work, bringing their parents along. So the apartment is now empty."

Chu Yuening leaned against the window, feeling the sea breeze on her face. She was also quite satisfied; the apartment faced the sun, and if the sunlight shone down, it would illuminate the living room perfectly.

"How much is the rent?"

Zhang Jiande gave a cryptic smile and then made a hand gesture for five. "Five thousand yuan. I negotiated a friendly price with the landlord since we're acquaintances. Otherwise, an apartment like this would cost over eight thousand a month."

Chu Yuening, having researched the rental market, knew that five thousand yuan per month was indeed a bargain. She was surprised. "The landlord agreed to rent it?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't she?" Zhang Jiande didn't elaborate on the negotiation process but continued, "The landlord is well-off. I told her that if the apartment is rented, it'll be to two girls, and she readily agreed without much thought."

"The room comes fully furnished, with a water heater, fridge, and everything. You can move in right away." Zhang Jiande then asked, "Think it through. If you want it, I'll help you secure the place."

Chu Yuening pondered.

Her budget for rent was usually around three to four thousand yuan.

At five thousand a month, it wasn't significantly more than her budget.

With the sugary drink stall bringing in almost ten thousand yuan a month and the feng shui consultation adding another ten thousand, even if it was less, their combined income would amount to twenty thousand.

Considering daily expenses and meals, the five-thousand-yuan rent wouldn't put too much strain on her finances.

"I'll take it!"

As Chu Yuening finished speaking, the silent Chu Yi suddenly exclaimed with excitement, "Sis, are we really going to rent such a beautiful house in Hong Kong?"

"Rent! Sis is making money!" Chu Yuening was utterly tired of the damp conditions in the village house, devoid of any sense of living. Every day was just about getting through numbly, sleeping wherever possible.

The thought of moving into a warm and dry apartment invigorated her, making her eager to pay the rent immediately.

"Brother De, when can we sign the contract?"

In Hong Kong, people were quite rule-abiding and had a strong legal consciousness; contracts were signed for all sorts of matters, big or small.

"If you like it, we can sign the contract anytime," Zhang Jiande replied promptly. Soon after, he found a landline to inform the landlord. The landlord, who seemed to be in a hurry to return to work in the UK, agreed smoothly to the contract signing.

Since the landlord was in the UK, the rental payment method was decided as a one-month deposit and three months' rent in advance.

After Chu Yuening completed the payment, she also exchanged bank account details with the landlord, arranging to make future payments via bank transfer.

Exiting the apartment, they stepped out into the bustling city.

She felt energized, her purse emptied, but instantly reignited with the motivation to earn more. After discussion, Chu Yuening decided to move while it was still daylight.

"Big Sister, have we finally started living well?" Chu Yi asked, barely containing her excitement as she clung tightly to Chu Yuening, handing over the carefully preserved five hundred yuan.

"Keep it, you've already paid the rent. We won't have any money if we need it later," Chu Yuening said, taking the money and gently patting Chu Yi's face. With a smile, she added, "Our lives will only get better. Come on, let's go back and start moving."

Back at the village house, they quickly packed their belongings. Fortunately, there wasn't much to begin with, so the task was easily accomplished. Soon, there was a knock on the door.

Chu Yuening peered out.

Qiao Xing stood at the entrance with the landlord. He smiled apologetically, "Am I disturbing you by coming so late?"

Chu Yuening first invited Qiao Xing in before turning to the landlord, ready to discuss the matter of vacating the room.

But the landlord spoke first, puffing on a lady's cigarette, "Young lady, I'm here to inform you that the landlords in Yuanzhou Village are all raising the rent. Fifteen hundred is too little; starting next month, you'll need to pay eighteen hundred."

"Eighteen hundred?" Chu Yuening thought she must have heard a joke, "Other tenants pay that for better houses. You're talking about raising the rent for a room where the paint is almost completely peeled off, leaving just bricks?"

"Don't try to manipulate me. If you have the guts, don't rent it out at all. Don't think I don't know that you chose this place just to save three hundred dollars."

Assured that Chu Yuening wouldn't move out due to its proximity to both Chu Yi's school and Temple Street, the landlord felt justified in raising the rent.

Confident of her success, she lingered, eager to hear the tenant confirm the increase.

"Oh, well, since you've decided to raise the rent, I won't be renting it anymore." Chu Yuening smiled faintly before slamming the door shut, leaving the landlord pounding on it from the outside.

"What do you mean? What do you mean you're not renting?"

"How about this? Let's drop the matter of the rent increase, and you can continue staying..."

The landlord grew increasingly anxious; she wasn't foolish.

The house had been neglected for years, and losing the Chu sisters as tenants would make it difficult to find another unsuspecting victim.

She had been certain of successfully hiking the rent, only to end up shooting herself in the foot.

After knocking on the door for what seemed like an eternity, it remained firmly closed. Frustrated, the landlord plucked a cigarette from her mouth, contemplating burning a hole in the door. But, remembering that the property belonged to her, she realized that damaging it would only make it even harder to rent out. Defeated, she reluctantly left.