Chapter 601 - 601: Underestimated

Zhao Yuan had no idea he'd been misunderstood. He was even more clueless that a malicious person was plotting to ruin his reputation.

Zhao Yuan led the Bone Woman out of the apartment complex and found a nearby restaurant. They had just sat down when the owner came over, beaming with enthusiasm. "Hey, it's you! It's been a while."

Zhao Yuan had eaten at this restaurant a few times before. His appetite had left the owner in awe and made him the man's favorite customer. After all, a single person who could eat enough food for ten or twenty people was a welcome sight at any restaurant—except, perhaps, an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Zhao Yuan could only exchange a few pleasantries with the enthusiastic owner.

The owner then got down to business. "So, what'll it be? The usual? Thirty dishes and a big bucket of rice to start?"

'Jeez,' Zhao Yuan thought. 'In their eyes, I don't eat by the bowl—I eat by the bucket.'

Unfortunately for the owner, he was destined for disappointment this time.

Zhao Yuan had now entered the Qi Listening Realm. While he still needed to eat, his appetite had returned to normal. He no longer had to rely on a massive amount of food to sustain his body's high energy consumption.

So he said, "I don't need that much. Just a plate of stir-fried pork, a serving of seaweed and egg drop soup, and one bowl of rice will be fine."

"Huh? That's it?" The owner's first reaction was that he must have misheard. After Zhao Yuan confirmed the order, he asked with concern, "Why so little? Are you not feeling well?"

Zhao Yuan could only offer a wry smile and say, "I'm fine. I just haven't had much of an appetite lately."

Thankfully, the owner didn't press the issue. He glanced at the Bone Woman sitting at the table with Zhao Yuan and thought to himself, 'Ah, I get it. He must have brought a date. He's too embarrassed to pig out in front of her, so he only ordered a small amount of food.'

The deeply disappointed owner could only comply with the order.

The food arrived quickly. Zhao Yuan finished his meal in no time, paid the bill under the owner's mournful gaze, and left.

After heading to the parking lot and getting into the Mercedes G55 SUV, the Bone Woman asked, "Master, where are we going now?"

Zhao Yuan thought for a moment before saying, "There's no specific destination. Just start driving. We're going to cover every district and every street in Rongcheng City."

There was no other way. The Information Leaf hadn't yet provided any knowledge about feng shui, so he couldn't just look at a map and pick out a location with good feng shui in Rongcheng City. However, his Qi Observation Technique wasn't just for observing the Yin Yang and Five Elements on people and Ghosts; it could also be used to analyze the lay of the land. He planned to activate his Qi Observation Technique and drive through the entire city. It was a brute-force method, but he was determined to use it to find a place with exceptional feng shui to call home.

"Yes, Master," the Bone Woman replied. After studying the car's navigation map for a moment, she planned a route and started driving, chauffeuring Zhao Yuan as they began to cruise through Rongcheng City.

Along the way, Zhao Yuan kept his eyes wide open, constantly observing his surroundings. He took in the feng shui of one real estate development and residential community after another, committing each one to memory.

They drove until well after five in the afternoon.

Fortunately, Zhao Yuan had reached the Qi Listening Realm and possessed enough Wish Power and Qi. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to sustain the Qi Observation Technique for so long.

Still, using the Qi Observation Technique for so many hours had left him exhausted.

But the results hadn't disappointed him.

Using his Qi Observation Technique, he had gotten a general sense of the feng shui across Rongcheng City and had shortlisted several locations with particularly good energy.

Zhao Yuan didn't know if there were any houses for sale in those areas that met his requirements, but that didn't matter. He could just consult a professional.

Just then, Zhao Yuan spotted a branch of a national real estate agency by the side of the road. He instructed the Bone Woman, "Pull over."

The Bone Woman did as instructed, pulling the car over to the curb. After getting out, Zhao Yuan told her, "I'm going into this agency to ask about some properties. Find a place to park nearby, then come meet me."

"Yes." The Bone Woman nodded, opening the car's navigation system to search for a nearby parking lot.

Zhao Yuan, meanwhile, walked into the real estate agency.

Pushing the door open, Zhao Yuan saw several employees sitting at a reception desk. When they saw him come in, one of them stood up and asked, "Hello, welcome. How can we help you today?"

"I'd like to ask about some properties," Zhao Yuan answered.

The employee, a man in his early thirties, sized up Zhao Yuan discreetly before saying, "You're looking to rent, I assume? Please have a seat and a glass of water. I'll get a consultant for you right away."

Although he'd been misunderstood, Zhao Yuan didn't bother to correct him. He followed the employee to a reception room and sat down.

The employee then left the reception room, went down a narrow corridor next to the front desk, and entered the main office area.

He scanned the room, then called over to a fresh-faced young woman in her early twenties. "Mu Han, a rental client just came in. You go handle it. Try to close the deal. You've been here for almost a month, and you haven't closed a single sale or rental. If you want to get off probation, you need to start trying harder!"

"Yes, I'll do my best. Thank you, Brother Tan," Mu Han said, her face full of gratitude.

The man waved his hand. "Go on, now. Don't keep the client waiting."

Mu Han hurried out of the office area and toward the reception room.

After she left, a colleague asked curiously, "Tan Xiong, what's gotten into you? Passing off your own client? That's not like you."

Tan Xiong lowered his voice. "Didn't you see? He's just some poor student. A guy like that is only looking for the cheapest place. Even if you make a deal, the commission is peanuts. Besides, I bet there's a good chance he'll just walk away in the end. Since that's the case, why should I waste my breath on him?"

The colleague's face lit up with understanding. "Ah, so that's it. Tan Xiong, you're a sly one. Not only did you dump the trouble on Mu Han, you even made her grateful for it."

Being called sly didn't bother Tan Xiong in the slightest. He just laughed. "Haha, she's a rookie. You have to let them struggle and face a few setbacks. How else will they improve? I'm teaching her how to grow. Of course she should be grateful to me."

"Aren't you afraid you might have misjudged him? What if you just let a whale walk away?" his colleague teased.

Tan Xiong snorted with laughter. "Misjudge him? Are you kidding? My eyes are famous for being sharp as a hawk's. I, Tan Xiong, never make a mistake!"