It's all his fault for being an artist!

Chapter 38: Securing 9, Housing Prices, Buying Hair Ties

"That's it?"

"That's all."

"Is this the help you promised me?"

"You don't know anything. Try your skills first and see if what you're saying is true or false."

"So what happened? And what was the result?"

Wang Huiming stiffened his neck and pressed his old classmate for answers, one question after another.

"Are you blind? Can't you understand a drawing?" Sun Yifeng pointed at the sketch, his face full of disdain.

"Whether he's your student or not, his sketching skills are so poor, what else is there to say? He's a shoo-in for the preliminary exam, so start preparing for the second round of questions."

Wang Huiming listened to his remarks.

Although I felt a little indignant about the teasing and mockery.

But I know my old classmate has very high standards, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to become a teacher at Yuhang Academy of Fine Arts.

Since he can make a completely unrelated comment, it also shows that there are no other things to criticize about the visuals.

Analysis that adds icing on the cake is far less important than providing timely help in times of need. There's no need to go to such lengths. Just let Cheng Wang perform normally; the first test isn't too difficult.

Cheng Wang asked, "What about the colors? Should Teacher Sun take another look?"

Sun Yifeng patted Cheng Wang's shoulder with his fleshy hand.

"No need, young man, you're quite capable. Judging from your skill level, you have a similar flair to me back in the day, and you're definitely better than your teacher, Mr. Wang."

"As you said, when it comes to the style of college entrance exams, looking good is more important than anything else. I think you definitely understand color."

Wang Huiming retorted angrily, "You better explain yourself! What do you mean by 'anyway, better than your teacher Wang'? What were your grades in your university major courses? Could they be higher than mine?"

Sun Yifeng didn't hold back at all, revealing each other's past misdeeds: "At your age, you still have the nerve to brag? Back then, the school sent two spots to Repin University, how come I got one but you didn't?"

"Don't you understand the importance of being courteous?"

"Oh my goodness, we have to thank Teacher Wang for his humility in allowing a veteran artist to shine."

"..."

"Two teachers?" Cheng Wang silently raised his hand, abruptly interrupting the conversation:

"So that means I shouldn't worry about the preliminary exam for the Yuhang Academy of Fine Arts?"

Sun Yifeng replied casually, "No problem. Keep up the style I saw today and keep drawing like this. I'll contact you later for the interview class; this part might require some intensive training."

Wang Huiming added, "Xiao Cheng, do your best and help our class get a student admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts. Also, Principal Wu asked me for your work; I'll keep the few you brought today."

"Okay, I'll definitely live up to everyone's expectations!"

Cheng Wang patted his chest and confidently guaranteed.

After thinking for a moment, he took down the sketch based on Li Xixi from the drawing board.

"Teacher Wang, I'd like to take this sketch with me. The other works should be sufficient in both quantity and quality for the principal, right?"

Wang Huiming was slightly taken aback: "The best one? I was planning to pick it out separately to show Principal Wu. Do you need it?"

"As a memento."

Cheng Wang grinned and kept moving his hands, rolling up the sketch paper and stuffing it into the drawing tube behind him.

"This is to commemorate Cheng Wang, a future outstanding graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts, and his first work in the style of an art exam."

"Don't talk nonsense, just go back now."

"Alright!"

Before leaving the studio.

Behind his head, Cheng Wang could vaguely hear two middle-aged teachers talking in a boastful manner.

"Shouldn't the principal have taken this student away from you if he's already in your class?"

"Then you don't understand. When Xiao Cheng first came in, his skill level and talent were just average. Fortunately, I patiently taught him and supervised him every day, and finally he improved."

"That's amazing? Teach me sometime. The guys working on my projects all look dumber than me, they don't have that kind of intelligence that Cheng Wang has."

"Ahem, Lao Sun, let's go to the office. I've hidden a jar of good tea there, and my wife doesn't even know."

"..."

A man is a boy until he dies!

Cheng Wang regrets not taking out his phone to record the scene.

Teacher Wang, you probably don't want your students to know that there are things like this happening behind the scenes—

Hmm? Something's not right?

The character in the story is wrong!

He quickly walked out of the art studio campus, hailed a taxi by the roadside, and sat in the back seat.

"Young man, where are you taking the taxi?"

"Master, go to Yunjingyuan."

If you ask what profession is best at chatting, Cheng Wang believes that sales can only rank third.

The taxi driver and the barber were tied for first place.

Before the car seat had even warmed up, the driver, quite outgoing, started chatting about everyday things.

The driver turned around ahead.

"Yunjingyuan, a high-end residential area? I heard it's the most expensive place in the area, with prices approaching 4 yuan per square meter, almost as high as the city center. Do you live there?"

"No, I went there to find a classmate."

"Oh, I see." The taxi driver seemed thoughtful.

"What I'd like to say is that the houses over there are really not worth the money. The location is terrible, and the subway isn't planned to go there. I don't understand who would buy a house there."

"At 38,000 or 39,000 per square meter, they might as well just rob people!"

"I also think that the newly built houses are very empty now, unlike the lively alleyways of the past."

"Hey, young man, you used to live in that alleyway? Let me tell you..."

The driver continued talking non-stop, making the short drive seem even more hectic.

Cheng Wang cooperated seamlessly, showing no trace of student demeanor, responding with mature and steady manner, and speaking eloquently.

While talking to the driver, I was thinking about the house price he casually mentioned.

Since 2015, housing prices have been driven up across the country, and the market has entered a period of unhealthy development.

Especially in Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen, these cities are enough to rank among the top three.

My family's old house was demolished in 2018. Because I didn't have a rural household registration, I was only allocated one resettlement house, which is only big enough to accommodate a family of three.

This one set of resettlement housing, located in the suburbs, with an ordinary layout and an alarmingly large shared area, was priced at 6 yuan per square meter at the time.

That same year, I had just graduated from university and entered the workforce.

Looking at this price, even if you can't afford a single penny, you'll find it acceptable; your mindset has undergone a significant change without you even realizing it.

Now, when drivers hear that the Yunjingyuan residential complex, a high-end, fully-furnished community, costs less than 4 yuan per square meter, they complain incessantly.

Cheng Wang felt a deep sense of melancholy.

In 2014, how many ordinary families could have predicted that just one year later, starting in 2015, the real estate boom would reach such a terrifying scale?

Tan Yuguan, a friend from my art studio, is a typical local rural resident. Last year, his family received nine apartments as compensation for their demolished house.

The house was just handed over, and I overheard their parents complaining that they couldn't afford to do renovations.

Two years later, he suddenly transformed into a hidden multimillionaire.

In his previous life, after failing the college entrance examination, Tan Yuguan started his own business, and almost all of his initial capital came from this.

He later married a local woman who also owned five houses. Together, the two families acquired 14 houses, making it a model of modern marriage alliance.

What to do if you have no money?

Why not just sell two houses?

fate.

It's really a magical thing.

My parents have saved up for so many years by living frugally, and I can also cover some of the expenses myself.

I need to find a way to persuade them to make some investments for the future while it's still early 2014 and they can still afford a house.

I may not know everything else, but at least I know clearly where schools will be built and where subway lines will be opened in the surrounding area.

No matter which you choose, you're guaranteed to make a profit; the only difference is how much you can earn.

Cheng Wang added another item to his schedule.

A short while later.

The taxi stopped in front of Yunjingyuan.

He packed the test papers he needed for tutoring into his backpack and took them with him when he left home in the morning.

The building where Li Xixi lived was easy to find; she had been there once or twice in her previous life.

As he strolled to the building entrance, a thought struck him, and he turned around and strode quickly to the nearest convenience store outside the community.

Pulling back the curtain, Cheng Wang caught a glimpse of the boss listening to radio 103.7 and asked a question.

"Boss, do you sell hair ties here?"