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Chapter 2589 Dilemma

The Jingcheng No. 2 and Jingcheng No. 3 projects started construction almost simultaneously.

The success of Jingcheng No. 1 has provided Mingju Real Estate with ample cash flow and bank credit.

This time, with both plots of land developed simultaneously, funding allocation, construction organization, and material supply were all tied to a single timeline.

However, the entire company's machinery has been set in motion, with all links working closely together, and the pace of progress is even faster than when it was the Beijing No. 1 project.

The pre-sale permit was obtained even faster.

Suning did not hesitate much in pricing, setting the opening price of the two projects at 5888 yuan per square meter, the same as Jingcheng No. 1.

They also had the sales team spread the word: Mingju Real Estate's projects will maintain quality and only increase in price; all future land acquisitions within the Third Ring Road will adhere to this standard.

On the opening day, the sales offices of both projects opened at the same time.

This time, the long queues that used to form before dawn at No. 1 Jingcheng did not reappear.

But the flow of people never stopped; people were coming and going from morning till night.

Several groups of people were always gathered around the model, and the sales staff were flipping through the floor plans and filling out purchase agreements one after another.

The speed at which red dots were put on the sales control board was not as frantic as it was back in Beijing No. 1, but if you count them every day, the sales speed is still quite considerable.

During a routine meeting, the clear-headed Zhang Jie made a very practical statement: "Jingcheng No. 1 is for creating a sensation, while Jingcheng No. 2 and Jingcheng No. 3 are for long-distance running. Creating a sensation relies on momentum, while long-distance running relies on stability. At our current pace, we are already the fastest among projects that are opening at the same time in Beijing."

Zhuangzhuang was assigned to the sales office of Beijing No. 3, while Shen Ranran stayed at the sales office of Beijing No. 2.

The two of them are no longer the clueless newbies they were during training. They can now handle the whole process—receiving clients, explaining the model, calculating down payments and monthly installments, and closing deals—quickly and efficiently. They've honed their communication skills and observational abilities.

……

That day, in the sales office of Jingcheng No. 2, Shen Ranran was wearing a dark business suit, her hair tied up, and light makeup. She was standing at the front desk organizing customer registration forms.

A person walked in through the door.

This person is quite different from the ordinary people who usually come to look at houses.

He was wearing a dark overcoat with the collar open, over which he wore a shirt and a sweater, and a watch on his wrist that looked like a cheap brand.

He was probably in his early forties, in good shape, with a clean-shaven face and a meticulously shaved beard.

Upon entering, the customer did not head straight for the model like most customers. Instead, he slowed down, scanned the entire sales office layout, and then his gaze fell on Shen Ranran.

Shen Ranran looked up, her professional instincts prompting her to immediately greet him, "Sir, welcome to Beijing No. 2. Is this your first time here?"

The man nodded. "This is my first time here. Could you introduce me to the place?"

Shen Ranran led the people to the sand table and began to explain according to the standard training procedure.

Speaking at a measured pace, her finger pointed from the main gate of the residential complex on the model, tracing the layout: "This row consists of eleven-story low-rise buildings, with two elevators serving four units per floor. The main units are two-bedroom apartments of 68 square meters and three-bedroom apartments of 88 square meters. All units are designed for cross ventilation, with balconies in the living room and bay windows in the master bedroom. The central green space in the middle of the complex boasts a greening rate of 35%. The south side is planned for underground parking, so there will be no cars on the surface, ensuring the safety of children and the elderly playing in the complex. The ground floor of the building on the north side will house commercial facilities, including a supermarket and convenience store."

The man listened attentively, unlike some clients who frown upon hearing the price, or investors who immediately ask about rental returns.

The person listened quietly, nodding occasionally, and asking questions when Shen Ranran paused, such as "What is the distance between this building and the building in front?", "Is the kitchen open to the outside?", and "Which property management company is in charge?"

Every question they asked hit the nail on the head; it's clear they've seen a lot of houses.

Shen Ranran answered them one by one, and answered them steadily and confidently.

She now knows these data so well that she can answer any question a client might ask.

After hearing this, the man turned around and, instead of looking at the floor plan like a typical customer, looked at Shen Ranran and asked, "What's your name?"

Shen Ranran was stunned for a moment.

It's common for customers to ask what their surname is, but it's rare for them to ask their first name directly.

Shen Ranran immediately replied politely, "Sir, you can just call me Xiao Shen."

The man took out a business card holder from his coat pocket, pulled out a business card and handed it to him. "My surname is Chu, Chu Caiyuan. You don't need to call me 'Mr.,' just call me 'President Chu.'"

Shen Ranran took the business card and looked down. It had the name of a film and television company printed on it, and the title was "Chairman".

She has a natural sensitivity to the film and television industry; her eyes clearly flickered when she saw those words.

Chu Caiyuan had been paying attention to her reaction and caught this sudden change.

Chu Caiyuan smiled, not immediately pointing it out, but instead steered the conversation back to the apartments, "Xiao Shen, are there still any floors available for those apartments you just introduced?"

Shen Ranran put away the business card, quickly walked to the sales control board and glanced at it. "There's one two-bedroom and one three-bedroom unit left on the sixth floor of Building 2, Unit 2, and one three-bedroom unit left on the eighth floor. Which type of unit are you considering now?"

Chu Caiyuan walked to the sales control board, looked up at it, and then pointed a few times. "I want both the two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments on the sixth floor, and I also want the three-bedroom apartment on the eighth floor. Also, are there any other good floors in Building 3?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Ranran's heart skipped a beat, and she was overjoyed.

But he didn't show it on his face; he had already opened the register and was saying as he checked, "There's a two-bedroom apartment on the fifth floor of Building 3, and two three-bedroom apartments on the seventh floor. They're in the best locations."

Chu Caiyuan waved his hand, "Alright, I'll take those three apartments in Building 3 too. Six apartments in total, calculate the total price for me."

Shen Ranran was genuinely stunned this time.

A person came to see the apartments. It was their first visit, and after sitting down for less than half an hour, they asked for six units.

The No. 2 Jingcheng development has been open for a while now, and it's not uncommon for someone to buy several units at the same time, but this is the first time Shen Ranran has seen someone pick out a unit so casually, as if buying groceries.

After calming myself down, I took out my calculator and started calculating, my fingers clicking away.

After calculating, he wrote the total price on a piece of paper and pushed it in front of Chu Caiyuan.

Chu Caiyuan glanced at the number and nodded. "Okay. Prepare the contract."

Shen Ranran asked, "Are you paying in full or taking out a loan?"

Chu Caiyuan said, "Full payment. The money will arrive within three days."

Shen Ranran wrote this sentence in the remarks column of the register and called her colleagues to help prepare the subscription agreement.

After everything was arranged, Chu Caiyuan did not rush to leave.

Instead, he sat down on the sofa in the rest area, pointed to the chair opposite him, and said to Shen Ranran, "Xiao Shen, please sit down. Now that we've finished discussing business, I'd like to talk to you about something else."

Shen Ranran hesitated for a moment, but since the client wanted to chat for a bit, she had no reason to refuse, so she sat down opposite him.

Chu Caiyuan placed his hand on the armrest of the sofa and leaned back slightly. "Xiao Shen, you've seen the business card I just gave you. I work in the film and television industry. I've been in this business for over ten years. My company isn't big or small, but we still manage to release a few films every year."

Shen Ranran said, "President Chu works in film and television, so he must have met a lot of people."

Chu Caiyuan smiled. "I've met quite a few people, but not many are like you." "..."

"Your physical attributes are excellent. Your height, face shape, and temperament make you memorable on screen. What the industry lacks right now is your type—someone with distinctive features, not just the kind of generic beauty. And when you were showing me the house earlier, I was observing you the whole time. Your manner of speaking, your pace, and the relaxed way you interact with people are all great qualities for an actor."

After hearing these words, Shen Ranran's professional smile did not disappear, but her eyes changed and became complicated.

Shen Ranran sat there, silent for a few seconds before speaking: "President Chu, do you mean you want me to act?"

Chu Caiyuan said, "Yes. Our company is about to start a new drama, an urban drama, and we haven't been able to find a suitable actress for the second female lead. Before coming to see the house today, I hadn't thought about these things at all, but when I saw you, I felt that the role could be finalized."

Chu Caiyuan spoke very seriously, not with the half-hearted politeness often found at drinking parties.

Shen Ranran could tell that this person wasn't teasing her.

My mind suddenly became chaotic.

Shen Ranran sat there, looking at the business card in front of her, feeling as if two little people were fighting in her mind.

One is herself, and the other is also herself.

Why did you travel all the way from Huzhou to Beijing?

It's certainly not for selling houses.

Actually, Shen Ranran had the same idea as Xu Shengli and the others. She left her stable life in her hometown and ran to Beijing, all for the sake of entering the entertainment industry.

I know I'm good-looking, and I know I have talent.

No matter how well she did at the sales office, it had nothing to do with her original dream.

But now, the boss of a film and television company is sitting across from her, telling her that there is a ready-made role waiting for her, and she doesn't even need to go through the hassle of auditions or spend a whole day waiting outside a film set just for a spot as an extra.

Who wouldn't be tempted by something like this?

But another voice was tugging at Shen Ranran's heart.

She's doing very well at Mingju Real Estate now. She hasn't been officially employed for very long. The company offers her good benefits, her superiors value her, and she gets along well with her colleagues.

I recently received my first large bonus.

Although Zhuangzhuang won the sales champion title, her own performance was also quite good.

She's really determined to compete with Zhuangzhuang in the second project in Beijing.

This path is on the right track, and every step is getting better.

If I leave now, I'll be throwing away everything I've worked so hard to gain a foothold in.

And is it really possible for Chu Caiyuan to keep his promise?

Even if what Chu Caiyuan said is true, is it possible to succeed in the film and television industry just because you've entered it?

There are plenty of actors who play minor roles, get replaced, or have no audience after filming. Why does Shen Ranran think she must be an exception?

Chu Caiyuan was a worldly man, and he could tell from the expression on Shen Ranran's face that the girl was in turmoil.

Instead of urging her, he stood up from the sofa and said, "Xiao Shen, you don't need to answer me now. Once you've got the contract sorted out, the house issue won't be forgotten. Think carefully about what I told you today. My phone number is on that business card; call me anytime you've made up your mind. The new film won't start pre-production until next month, so you still have time to consider."

Shen Ranran also stood up, holding the business card in her hand. "Thank you, President Chu. I will seriously consider it."

Chu Caiyuan smiled, nodded, and turned to leave.

As he reached the door, he turned back and said, "Xiao Shen, some opportunities in life only come once or twice. When they appear, don't let them slip away."

Shen Ranran nodded at him and didn't say anything more.

After Chu Caiyuan left, Shen Ranran returned to the front desk alone, put down what she was holding, and stood there in a daze for a long time.

A colleague patted Shen Ranran on the shoulder, bringing her back to her senses. "Ranran, you just closed a deal for six sets? That's impressive!"

Shen Ranran forced a smile, "I was lucky."

Shen Ranran's colleague didn't notice her strange expression and was still excitedly calculating her commission for the order.

Shen Ranran listened to those numbers, things that would normally make her happy, but today they didn't evoke any feelings in her.

Shen Ranran flipped Chu Caiyuan's business card over again, then put it into her bag.

……

When she returned to "Winter is Gone and Spring is Coming" that evening, Shen Ranran stood at the door for a few seconds before pushing it open and going inside.

Zhuangzhuang has returned and is sitting on the edge of the bed organizing client information.

Looking up at Shen Ranran, he immediately sensed that she had something on her mind.

Zhuangzhuang put down the documents, patted the seat next to her, and said, "Ranran, come and sit down."

Shen Ranran sat down and recounted the events of the day from beginning to end, including how Chu Caiyuan appeared, how he bought six houses, how he handed her his business card, and how he invited her to act in a play.

Shen Ranran took the business card out of her bag and handed it to Zhuangzhuang in front of her.

Zhuangzhuang took the business card and looked it over. "Do you want to go?"

Shen Ranran said, "I don't know."

Zhuangzhuang said, "Ranran, I'm asking you if you want to, don't say you don't know."

Shen Ranran bit her lip. "I want to go. You know I came to Beijing to act. If this opportunity had been presented to me three months ago, I probably would have accepted without hesitation. But..."

Zhuangzhuang picked up the thread: "But you can't bear to give up your current job, and you're also worried that Boss Chu is unreliable."

Shen Ranran said, "Yes. I'm afraid that if I quit my job and join a film crew, I won't be able to film anything, and in the end, I won't even be able to come back."

"Ranran, let me say a few words to you. First, your current job is the most suitable legitimate career I've ever seen for you. You're doing such a good job that even if you don't go into acting, you'll definitely go far. Second, if acting is something you can't let go of, then why don't you give it a try? Every time you sell a house, you'll think, 'What if I had gone into acting?'"

Shen Ranran's eyes almost welled up with tears after hearing this. "Hmph! How awful! You only know how to say things that hurt people's feelings."

Zhuangzhuang put the business card back in Shen Ranran's hand. "Ranran, you don't need to rush into a decision. Didn't Boss Chu say that the new movie won't start preparations until next month? You still have time to think. But whatever decision you make, I'll stand by you."

Shen Ranran clutched the business card in her hand. "Zhuangzhuang, it's so wonderful to have you by my side."

Zhuangzhuang smiled and pulled Shen Ranran closer to her. "Of course, we're best friends who came together in the training room."

"Ah."

...(End of this chapter)