Chapter 38: Waking Up to a Fait Accompli

When Chen Siyuan returned to the hotel with Liu Yifei and Chen Zehan, Liu Xiaoli had just woken up.

"Where did you all go? I didn't see you when I woke up," Liu Xiaoli asked while brushing her hair.

Liu Yifei and Chen Zehan looked at each other, saying nothing. Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I took them to visit the Beijing Film Academy."

"The Film Academy? Didn't you just get back from there? Why go again?" Liu Xiaoli paused her brush, looking puzzled.

"With a crowd of officials trailing us, how could we possibly see the real Film Academy?"

"And so?"

"So we sneaked in, without alerting any of their leadership."

Liu Xiaoli shook her head and continued brushing. "So, did you see anything different?"

"It’s quite nice," Liu Yifei added.

Chen Zehan looked at his sister and said, "Whatever my sister likes, I like too!"

"By the way, Xixi has already registered," Chen Siyuan said suddenly.

"Registered... registered for what?" Liu Xiaoli stopped brushing again.

"She’s already registered for the Film Academy’s entrance exams."

Liu Xiaoli looked at Chen Siyuan, feeling a mix of amusement and frustration. "You just went and registered? Why keep it from me? Do you really think I would have objected?"

"It’s not that, Mom. A teacher from the academy actually invited her to register," Chen Zehan bravely stepped forward to explain the truth.

Liu Xiaoli blinked, confused about how this had all come about. Chen Siyuan smiled and recounted the events of the day. Upon hearing the story, Liu Xiaoli understood immediately and shot him a sidelong glance. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"I wouldn't call it 'on purpose,' just seizing an opportunity."

Liu Xiaoli was speechless. He was truly a gold-standard lawyer. With this maneuver, Liu Yifei’s admission to the Beijing Film Academy was practically guaranteed, and the school even owed Chen Siyuan a favor. It was a good thing he was her husband.

"Should we buy a house in Beijing?" Liu Xiaoli asked suddenly.

Chen Siyuan slapped his thigh. "If you hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten. We really should buy a place. Let’s go take a look later; wherever you like, we’ll buy."

Chen Siyuan didn't need to invest in real estate for profit; for him, it was a necessity.

"Let’s go take a look together, then." Liu Xiaoli didn't know exactly how much money Chen Siyuan had, but she knew he could afford to buy property in Beijing without any burden.

"Dad, it needs to have a large courtyard. My sister needs to practice her sword dance, and I need to train," Chen Zehan requested first.

Liu Yifei happily ruffled his hair; her little brother was so thoughtful, always putting her needs first.

"A place with a large courtyard in Beijing means either a villa or a traditional 'siheyuan' (courtyard house) near the old city center," Chen Siyuan noted, as Chen Zehan’s requirements ruled out most other options.

"Wouldn't a siheyuan be inconvenient?" Liu Xiaoli had never lived in one, but she had heard they could be troublesome, especially regarding plumbing.

"If it’s an old-fashioned one, there might be some issues, but we can buy one and renovate it. That would solve those problems," Chen Siyuan replied instantly.

"Dad, then do we need to buy a ready-made villa to live in for now?" Liu Yifei asked. Since they were choosing between the two, and a siheyuan wouldn't be ready immediately, they would need a villa in the interim.

"Yes. We’ll look for a suitable siheyuan first, as the renovation is a big project. As for the villa, it’s just a stopgap; we’ll find something we can move into right away."

"We should find someone reliable, right? We don't want to be taken for fools," Liu Xiaoli cautioned, though she knew Chen Siyuan was unlikely to be cheated.

Chen Siyuan smiled. "The connections are already there." He dialed the number for Jiang Nanning from the Ministry of Commerce.

Upon hearing the request, Jiang Nanning laughed. "Mr. Chen, you’ve come to the right person. I’m a true Beijinger. I’ll come find you right now."

"Thank you, Assistant Jiang."

"It’s no trouble at all. See you soon."

Chen Siyuan hung up, satisfied. A real estate agent couldn't compare to an official from the Ministry of Commerce.

***

"Sir, I need to take some time off."

"What for?"

"Mr. Chen Siyuan is looking to buy a siheyuan in Beijing. I’m going to show his family around to find a suitable one, to ensure they stay here."

"That’s a good thing! Go ahead. If you need any support, let me know, and I’ll coordinate it."

"Yes, sir!"

***

Jiang Nanning arrived at the hotel shortly after.

"Mr. Chen!"

"Assistant Jiang, sorry to trouble you."

"Not at all, Mr. Chen. I happen to know of a few excellent courtyards whose owners are looking to sell."

After some pleasantries, Jiang Nanning led them to the heart of the old city. "There aren't many suitable siheyuan left in Beijing due to historical issues with clear titles, but there are a few well-preserved ones with clean ownership."

He led them to Beichizi Street, located conveniently near Chang'an Avenue and Wangfujing. The courtyard was adjacent to the Forbidden City—an excellent location. It was in great condition with no lingering legal issues. Aside from being slightly small, it was perfect. Renovation would mostly just involve upgrading the plumbing and electrical systems.

After looking around, Chen Siyuan realized this was the very same courtyard that Rupert Murdoch would buy in a few years. If Murdoch had chosen this one, it was definitely a solid investment.

"Assistant Jiang, this is quite nice. Small, but that has its own charm."

"The owner is a university professor whose child settled abroad, so they’re looking to sell."

"Alright, keep this as an option. Are there any others?"

"There’s a large one near Houhai—over 3,000 square meters. But the total price will be very high, and the renovation costs will be even greater."

Chen Siyuan immediately recognized this one as well—the same courtyard a Russian tycoon would eventually buy for 110 million, only to spend 300 million on renovations. If he bought it now, it shouldn't cost that much.

"Let’s go take a look!"

If it was suitable, Chen Siyuan didn't mind beating the competition to it.