Start with push-ups to gain experience

The old factory street on a weekend.

The electric scooter hummed as it sped by, weaving through the gaps in the flow of people.

Fang Cheng led a middle-aged man wearing black-rimmed glasses, avoiding vehicles, into the tenement building.

The man's surname is Liu, and he is a senior designer at a well-known architectural firm in Dongdu.

The two walked up the cement steps, one after the other, until they reached the ninth floor.

“Mr. Fang, I have checked the relevant information, and this building is over thirty years old.”

Designer Liu pushed up his glasses, his gaze sweeping over the black electrical wires tangled like a spiderweb at the top of the stairwell:

"If a complete renovation is to be carried out, in addition to the surface painting, the most crucial thing is that the water and electricity pipe network must be completely rearranged."

"Especially the drainage pipes, the cast iron pipes are basically all old and need to be replaced with high-quality PVC pipes."

Fang Cheng nodded, walked to the window in the stairwell, and pushed open the dusty glass.

The light from outside shone in, brightening the dimly lit corridor considerably.

"The pipeline upgrade is fine; everything must be done with the best materials."

Fang Cheng turned around, looked at Designer Liu, and gave instructions;
"In addition, the security system of the entire building must be so comprehensive that there are no blind spots."

"High-definition cameras must be installed at the entrances and exits on the first floor, in the stairwells and corridors, as well as in the corners of the exterior walls, and connected to a separate central monitoring room."

Designer Liu took out his notebook and quickly jotted down notes:
"I understand. Many old residential areas are now focusing on security during renovations, which is a plus. Mr. Fang, you have considered this very carefully."

Fang Cheng smiled slightly upon hearing this.

Little did he know that the reason he spent so much money on this surveillance network was not to prevent thieves at all.

With this comprehensive system, the pressure on Hammer and Monkey to keep watch from the outside will be greatly reduced.

Once Utopia or other unscrupulous forces send people to investigate, they can immediately detect suspicious traces and gain the upper hand.

In fact, Fang Cheng had long harbored the idea of ​​buying the entire tenement building.

Previously, the reasons were twofold: insufficient funds and an unstable political situation.

Now, he has successfully passed the special investigation team exam and has an official public office as a cover.

Although there are still threats from the Noah Organization and Utopia, for the time being they seem to be wary of their own identities and show no signs of taking action.

The overall environment is relatively stable.

More importantly, money is no longer an issue.

Two months ago, after cracking the Chen family's curse case, Chen Xu'an, as a new member of the Illuminati, directly donated 50 million in organizational funds and gave Fang Cheng 20 million in personal compensation.

The bounty on the other side of the Bridge of Helplessness has been settled, totaling 20.02 million. Half of it was converted into Night City credits, and the other half went into his private account.

In addition, there was the ten million yuan he received for eliminating "Poison Scorpion," a senior executive of the Red Tiger Gang, for Chen Chen, as well as the gold bars and millions of yuan in cash he took from the Poison Snake Gang's safe.

These major items combined amount to a huge sum of money.

In addition, the antiques and gold Buddhas consigned by Xu Sanduo have already been sold for more than two million yuan, and the antique shop's first-quarter dividend is another eight and a half million yuan.

Including his salary of over 300,000 yuan earned at the club, his total personal assets have exceeded 60 million yuan.

Fang Cheng is now a genuine tycoon.

Moreover, just a few days ago, his strength and agility attributes both broke through the 80-point mark.

His greatest source of confidence lies in the qualitative leap in his abilities.

He no longer needed to be constantly on edge and train hard in seclusion like before, and he was finally able to find some free time to take care of his personal matter of buying a house.

The process of negotiating with the landlord went more smoothly than I had imagined.

Fang Cheng hinted that he wanted to take over the entire building.

The greedy landlady couldn't wait to offer an exorbitant price, which she considered a "rip-off."

She was even afraid that Fang Cheng would change his mind, so she urged her husband to quickly take him to complete the transfer of ownership.

After signing the papers, the landlord patted Fang Cheng on the shoulder and praised him as "a promising young man".

Perhaps in the couple's view, the old-fashioned apartment building, located in a less desirable area, was not worth the price at all.

Fang Cheng appeared calm on the surface, but he was secretly overjoyed.

With the future economic development and urban expansion of Dongdu, the demolition compensation for this piece of land on Jiuchang Street could conservatively double.

Even without demolition, properties located in densely populated old urban areas will only become more valuable.

As for his mother Li Biyun's reaction when she learned that her son had bought the entire building, Fang Cheng still finds it funny when he thinks about it now.

Li Biyun scolded him for wasting money and complained that being a landlady and managing tenants was too troublesome.

But these past few days, as she walks among her neighbors, she talks to everyone she meets about her son buying an apartment, and the wrinkles around her eyes smooth out with a smile.

Hoping one's son will become a dragon is, after all, every mother's wish.

Fang Cheng had already put on a show regarding where the money came from.

He had Xu Sanduo personally visit him with large and small bags, insisting that the two of them were now running an antique shop together.

Fang Cheng has a sharp eye and managed to snag a priceless antique, which he then sold for an astronomical sum.

With Xu Sanduo, the big boss, vouching for her, and her uncle chiming in, Li Biyun naturally believed him without a doubt.

Reaching his front door, Fang Cheng took out his key from his pocket and turned the key to open the security door.

"Engineer Liu, come in and take a look."

The house wasn't big, only about 60 square meters, but my mother kept it very tidy.

The sofa cover was washed until it was slightly white, and the red pine wood floor was polished until it shone like a mirror.

Designer Liu changed into spare slippers and went inside.

He looked around, took out a laser rangefinder, and projected a red dot onto the wall.

He then raised his hand and tapped the surrounding walls to determine their thickness and internal structure.

After completing the overall assessment, he began to speak:
"The space is indeed a bit cramped, and the lighting area is also small. If we want to build a large single-level apartment on the top floor, we would need to take down at least two rooms from the adjacent apartment and open up the non-load-bearing structure."

"Afterwards, the overall load-bearing structure will be redesigned, and the south side can be transformed into a full-length window, which will greatly improve the indoor lighting rate."

"I've already bought the two apartments next door."

Fang Cheng then took over the conversation, calmly saying:

“Yesterday, I reached an agreement with both families, giving them a penalty and compensation. The amount is enough for them to rent a better house nearby and save some money. They will move out as soon as they have settled into their new homes in the next few days.”

A hint of surprise flashed in Designer Liu's eyes, then he nodded and replied:

"Mr. Fang is truly efficient and decisive. If we combine the two units on the west side, the total area would be nearly 200 square meters. What are your specific living needs?"

Fang Cheng thought for a moment and then made a request:

"It's just my mom and me living here. We only have guests occasionally, so we don't need anything too complicated. We just need a spacious room with good natural light."

Designer Liu nodded slightly and offered professional advice:
"Since there is plenty of space, we can combine the living room and kitchen into one unit, the master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom, and also reserve a study for you."

"In addition, waterproofing and insulation are paramount for the top floor, so this area needs to have a new waterproofing layer laid..."

Renovating an entire building, plus decorating a large single-level apartment, is a big business for the firm. He was extremely serious and responsible, talking incessantly. The two discussed a few more details inside, and then Designer Liu put away his notebook.
"Mr. Fang, I understand the situation. I will provide you with a first draft of the design within three days."

"It's troublesome."

Fang Cheng escorted Engineer Liu downstairs, and the two shook hands on the roadside before saying goodbye and leaving.

Watching the silver sedan merge into the traffic at the street corner, Fang Cheng turned around and went back up the stairs to the ninth floor.

As soon as I stepped out of the stairwell on the ninth floor, a "whoosh" sound came from the corridor.

The green iron gate to room 906 was pushed open, and Zhou Xiumei poked half her body out.

Today she was wearing a light yellow loungewear set, her hair casually tied back, making her look exceptionally beautiful and refined.

"Brother Cheng, are you done with your work?"

Upon seeing Fang Cheng return, Zhou Xiumei's eyes immediately curved into crescent moons as she softly asked.

"Yes."

Fang Cheng nodded with a smile.

Zhou Xiumei then stepped aside and opened the inner wooden door:
"My mom made some American ginseng and black chicken soup. She invited you in to have a bowl."

Fang Cheng waved his hand, about to politely decline.

He Huiqin came out of the kitchen wearing an apron and holding a soup ladle in her hand:
"Acheng! Stop dawdling at the door and come in! Auntie has been simmering this soup all afternoon, you have to try it."

Having said that, Fang Cheng had no choice but to change his shoes and go inside.

The layout of the Zhou family's house was similar to that of the Fang family's house, but the area was slightly larger. However, with more people, it felt more crowded.

The old-fashioned color TV in the living room was on, playing traditional opera programs.

Grandma Zhou sat in a rocking chair, wearing reading glasses, and dozed off with her eyes half-closed.

Zhou Xiumei's younger brother, Zhou Peng, was squatting by the coffee table, fiddling with several plastic Ultraman figures in his hands.

He was clearly a young man, but his cheeks were still round and chubby, giving him the innocence of a seven or eight-year-old child.

Hearing the noise, Zhou Peng looked up and grinned, "Brother Fang Cheng!"

"Pengpeng was so good today."

Fang Cheng walked over and patted his head.

"Acheng is here, have a seat."

Zhou Yongnian, who was sitting at the other end of the sofa, put down his newspaper and greeted him warmly.

Today he was taking a rare day off at home, wearing only a loose t-shirt and shorts.

Although he was recently promoted to senior inspector, his work has not become easier.

Instead, he often has to go to the front line to investigate cases, and the wrinkles around his eyes seem to have deepened a bit more than before.

Fang Cheng pulled over a plastic stool and sat down at the table:

"Uncle Zhou, you didn't go to the station today?"

"Take a day off in lieu of leave."

Zhou Yongnian looked at Fang Cheng, his eyes revealing a subtle scrutiny and caution.

He Huiqin came out carrying a bowl of steaming soup, placed it in front of Fang Cheng, and smiled broadly:

"Acheng, your mom told me the other day that you passed the exam for that... special search team? She said it's a legitimate civil service position!"

News always spreads quickly among neighbors.

He Huiqin didn't understand what the special search team actually did.

All I know is that it's a law enforcement agency similar to the police force, with a secure and respectable job.

But Zhou Yongnian is different.

As a senior inspector within the system, he was well aware of what the Special Investigations Team was all about.

That is a special department that operates above the regular policing system and is dedicated to handling all kinds of extreme cases.

The members inside are not ordinary people; each one is a special talent with exceptional abilities.

Zhou Yongnian picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said in a slightly complicated tone:

"The work of the special search team is quite dangerous and carries great responsibility. The fact that you were able to get in, Acheng, shows that you are very capable. If you work hard there, your future is limitless."

Fang Cheng nodded and calmly replied:
"Uncle Zhou is right. I will act cautiously and do my duty."

He Huiqin stood to the side, her gaze towards Fang Cheng increasingly satisfied, almost as if she were sizing up her own son-in-law. She smiled and interjected:
“You’ve always been a reliable kid. Now you not only have a secure job, but you’ve also bought this whole building.”

“I ran into Old Li from next door downstairs this morning. He said you gave them a large sum of money for resettlement and praised you for being generous in handling things.”

Looking at Fang Cheng's face, Zhou Yongnian seemed to see the shadow of an old friend from years ago, and couldn't help but sigh:
"Acheng, if your father were alive today, he would be very proud to see how successful you are now."

The atmosphere in the living room froze for a moment after those words were spoken.

Zhou Xiumei stopped pouring water and glanced at Fang Cheng with concern.

The fact that Fang Cheng's father was falsely accused and died unjustly has always been a painful topic that the Fang family avoids discussing.

Seeing this, He Huiqin glared at her husband, quickly wiped her hands on her apron, and tried to smooth things over:
"Hey Lao Zhou, why bring this up on the weekend! Biyun and Acheng are doing better and better now, Lao Fang must be happy in heaven."

As he spoke, he turned to look at his daughter, who was standing silently to the side, and urged her:
"By the way, Xiumei, didn't you say before that your agency wanted to sign you but you couldn't make up your mind?"

“Acheng is studying law, and he happens to be here today, so quickly take out the contract and show it to him.”

"Oh."

Zhou Xiumei responded, turned around and quickly walked into the bedroom, taking out a transparent file bag.

Then he took out the bound paper contract and handed it to Fang Cheng.

Fang Cheng took the contract and began to read it.

The cover prominently displays Starsea Entertainment's standard artist contract.

He quickly scanned the various clauses, then looked up and asked:
"Have you been in contact with Cheng Jiashu recently?"

Zhou Xiumei nodded and answered truthfully:
"After the audition ended that day, I didn't reply to them right away. Later, Sister Zhang Hui... who is Teacher Cheng's agent, took the initiative to call me and even drove over to take me to visit the company. I made a special trip to see Teacher Cheng and talked with him."

"The conditions they offered were too good. Not only did they exempt me from the three-year trainee period and directly sign me to a B-level artist contract, but they also promised to tailor-make an EP for me as long as I make it into the top ten in this new talent competition."

Fang Cheng ran his fingers along the edge of the paper, his gaze lingering for a moment on several key clauses such as "penalty for breach of contract" and "resource allocation".

Xinghai Entertainment did not set any traps in this contract.

The terms are quite generous, with a high base salary and a commission rate far lower than the industry's exploitative standards for newcomers.

Clearly, Cheng Jiashu had made a special effort to speak on his behalf, or rather, out of respect for "Bai Xiao".

"The contract is fine."

Fang Cheng closed the folder and handed it back to Zhou Xiumei:
"Xinghai Entertainment is one of the most powerful companies in Dongdu. With their resources behind you, your future path will be much easier."

"Brother Cheng, actually... I'm still a little nervous."

Zhou Xiumei took the document and held it to her chest, looking down at her toes, and said hesitantly. (End of Chapter)