Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 100 Boss Lu's Splurging Purchase
"Ah? Oh! The road guide is really an expert, haha."

Xu Kaitong changed his previous professional image of being impartial and honest, and the noble intellectual who had no choice but to work as an intermediary finally became a little lively.

Concubine Liu Yi was probably the one who least believed Lu Kuan could tell fortunes, and her life experience in the United States also made her skeptical about Lu Kuan's statements.

Xu Kaitong originally wanted to just go back to the studio and draw some pictures, but when he saw that the customer was really knowledgeable and guessed that the order could be successful, he started to take it seriously.

"The road guide is an interpretation based on feng shui. Actually, from the perspective of our professional architectural design, this is all the wisdom of our ancestors."

"Beiping is located in the North China Plain, with the overall terrain being high in the northwest and low in the northeast. Therefore, the drainage in the courtyard is discharged from the southeast corner gatehouse into the alley."

"The southeast is also the outlet of warm and humid air currents, so opening the door here is good for ventilation."

Concubine Liu Yi nodded continuously as she listened. She walked to the middle of the courtyard and looked around, wondering, "Why are all the roofs in this courtyard sloping inward? Won't the courtyard be flooded if it rains?"

Xu Kaitong smiled and said, "This is for better drainage. It gathers first and then flows out from the southeast corner."

After saying that, he adjusted his glasses and smiled at Lu Kuan, "Director Lu, do you also have research on this?"

"Haha, is Xu Sheji testing me?"

He paced around for a few steps, pointed at the windows and eaves, and said, "There are no windows on the outer walls of the courtyard house. The windows all face inward. This is to attract wealth and prevent theft."

"As for the four roofs sloping toward the courtyard that you mentioned, Xiao Liu, for those who practice cultivation, sunlight and flowing water are both elements that conform to the laws of nature."

“When the sky is clear, the sunshine pouring down is called the shower of gold; when it rains, the wind and rain are called the streaming of silver.”

"Sprinkling gold and flowing silver are both auspicious signs."

The little god was online for a limited time, and Liu Xiaoli and her daughter listened to him talking with shining eyes.

Women of all ages are always interested in buying houses and decorating and designing them themselves.

"Mom, why don't we buy a courtyard house and live there? It feels really comfortable. What's the word 'small path' called? It's down to earth!"

Liu Xiaoli looked around and nodded slowly. It was not something that she couldn't consider.

When the time comes, I will ask Lu Kuan to arrange the Feng Shui for myself and bless my daughter to have a bright future!
Lu Kuan didn't have time to talk nonsense with Xu Kai anymore. He revealed his true intentions and said, "Designer Xu, I'm buying it sincerely. If you have any treasures, don't keep them to yourself. Just take me to see them. Money is not a problem."

Finally, he added, "The subsequent repairs, renovations, and procedures with the Cultural Relics Bureau and the Housing Authority are all up to you. It's all covered."

Xu Kaitong gritted his teeth. He did have a courtyard that he liked, but with his financial resources, he didn't know when he would be able to afford it.

Let's just see if this deal can be closed first. Whether it's the agency fee or the subsequent business, you can make a lot of money.

"Okay, let's go to Gongjian Hutong and take a look."

A few people got off the car and walked in from the back street of Jingshan. On the left was a high brick wall from the Ming Dynasty, and on the right was an ordinary house. It was very narrow at first, but only passable for one person.

All the way to what he called Courtyard No. 2, the legendary "Ice Cellar Palace".

"This courtyard was originally the residence of Wang Deshan, who supplied ice to Empress Dowager Cixi. He would draw ice from the moat at least four times a year to store for Empress Dowager Cixi to use for preserving seasonal fruits like lychees."

Boss Lu followed him inside. The gate faced west, and in front of him was a two-meter-high gray screen wall.

Xu Kaitong pointed at the screen wall and said, "The one carved in the middle is called 'Five Blessings Holding Longevity'. Look at the pavilion in the front left and the kitchen a little further back. This follows the rule of 'kitchen on the left, guardhouse on the right'."

"And this courtyard doesn't have a reverse house. The original reverse house was occupied by the ice storage."

"The kitchen is adjacent to the East Wing, and across from it is the West Wing. You can take a look in the courtyard. There are still residents there. I greeted them before I came here."

Lu Kuan looked at the location with the map in his hand, and became very interested in this Ice Cellar Palace!
Next to Beihai Park, it is 5 kilometers south to Tiananmen Square and Wangfujing, and north through Gulou West Street and Xinjiekou Outer Street, then turn left to reach Jimen Bridge where Beijing Film Academy is located.

There is a saying that describes the life in a courtyard house: ceiling, fish tank, pomegranate tree, husband, fat dog, and fat girl.

Imagine a quiet night, leisurely strolling in such a small courtyard, it is quite artistic.

Looking around the courtyard again, in addition to the carved beams and painted buildings of the side rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and pavilions, the furnishings in the courtyard are also unique.

Lu Kuan pointed to the front and said to Xu Kai: "This main room is quite rare. It has five levels of stairs."

Following his words, Concubine Liu Yi walked to the front of the main house and looked at the door lintel that was seven or eight meters high. The green bricks and gray tiles supported by the big red columns contrasted with the tall poplar trees behind the house, creating a scene of prosperity and prosperity.

She suddenly felt that her big villa with a dog park was not so fragrant anymore!
Xu Kaitong had been secretly observing the expressions of the others, while flattering them to the utmost: "Guide, you have a keen eye. This staircase is indeed extraordinary. This kind of stepping stone must be a whole piece, implying that a single word can change the world."

"Everyone, look up and take a close look at the first and second beams directly above the steps. Everywhere else is painted with large, black-lined, gold-dotted spiral patterns, but this one features a four-clawed dragon, a design that only appeared before the mid-Qing Dynasty. Furthermore, the spiral pattern of twin dragons and the imperial seal were exclusively used by the royal family and are both extremely precious!"

"Look, how many times a month do you have to come and see me? If you don't have money, don't even come in!"

A woman with a pointed chin and monkey-like face came out of the main room and started pouring water in a basin without saying a word.

Lu Kuan quickly pulled away Liu Yifei, who was still staring at the four-clawed dragon on the beam, and managed to escape.

Xu Kai's trouser legs were soaked, and he awkwardly asked everyone to leave the yard first.

The intellectual smiled wryly and said, "I'm embarrassed today, Director Lu."

"What's going on?"

"Ten families live in this courtyard. They are all descendants of the Ice Cellar King. They own the property together."

"I brought clients here several times, but they were always kicked out because we couldn't reach an agreement. Over time, these people didn't like me anymore."

Due to many historical issues, it is normal for Beijing courtyard houses to have complex property rights issues, which is also one of the important factors for the sluggish transaction volume of courtyard houses.

Boss Lu looked at his watch and led everyone to the restaurant to see what the procedures were for taking over the yard.

Xu Kai politely invited Lu Kuan and others to take a seat, and then he leisurely introduced the market situation of this courtyard.

"The Ice Cellar Palace covers an area of ​​approximately 627 square meters, and the current market price is around 7000 to 10000 yuan per square meter."

After he finished speaking, he stared at Lu Kuan's expression, seeing that he looked surprised but also disappointed.

Xu Kaitong gritted his teeth and said, "Director Lu, I can still offer more..."

"Consult the people there as quickly as possible to resolve the shared property rights issue. My household registration will be transferred to Beijing in August."

"There are also two courtyards on the left and right of the Ice Cellar Palace. Please ask for their prices for me as well. I want to buy them together."

To be honest, the 600-square-meter courtyard house is not that big, so I just took advantage of the low price and took in the two 300-square-meter houses next to it and renovated them together.

Xu Kai was choked by Gou Da Hu's two words and felt deeply the disparity of life.

Lu Kuan's surprised expression was simply because he thought the price was too cheap. Actually, before 2004, the transaction volume for courtyard houses had always been like that.

In the 90s, Fang Long was deceived by the real estate agent and bought 50 courtyard houses at 8 yuan each, including an old house of Kang Youwei.

It was not until the successful bid for the Olympic Games in 2001 that the real estate market in Beijing gradually became hot.

In addition, the city has identified more than 40 historical and cultural areas, and the transaction volume of siheyuan houses began to gradually increase, and it became increasingly popular after 2004.

If Mr. Lu had bought it before the Olympic bid was successful, it would have been much cheaper.

Xu Kai was stunned for a moment and began to calculate the total investment for Gou Da Hu. Buying the courtyard house was just the beginning. The money spent on actually living in it was almost as much as the purchase price.

"Director Lu, the purchase price of around 600 million is definitely enough. If you want to expedite the eviction of the tenants, you'll have to accept the price increase from these tenants. They're used to cheating and love asking for exorbitant prices."

"Then there's the cost of repairs and renovations. I'll need to make a plan based on your requirements to estimate the budget, but based on past experience, a minor modernization will cost at least as much as the purchase price."

Boss Lu smiled as he peeled some shrimp in his hand and said, "Hurry up. I'll have the company's assistant connect with you. Please negotiate as soon as possible."

"We need to come up with a plan as soon as possible. We still have to submit it to the Cultural Relics Bureau and the Housing Authority for approval."

Xu Kaitong's face flushed with excitement, and hesitantly said, "Guide, there's another fee, which is... which is..."

"Your agency fee is what it should be. I don't have much time to focus on this matter. I might need you help later."

"Xiao Xu, just remember, we will have many opportunities to interact in the future. If you find a good house, just tell me as soon as possible."

"Yes! Director Lu! I'll also go check out the prices of the two rooms next door. Are you planning on renovating them then?"

"Let's open it up together. As for how to renovate it reasonably and in compliance with regulations, you can come up with a plan first."

Liu Xiaoli and her daughter looked at the road as if they were buying vegetables. After a few rounds of negotiation, they decided to make a deal. They were also a little dumbfounded.

Liu Yifei nudged her mother with her elbow, and Liu Xiaoli finally reacted. She smiled at Xu Kaitong and said, "Xiao Xu, we want to buy some too. Can you find us a few sets of the same quality as today's?"

Xu Kaitong was surprised: "Ah? Your daughter is not with Director Lu..."

Then he slapped himself lightly on the lips and apologized repeatedly: "I'm sorry, I misunderstood. Leave it to me. Let's exchange a phone number later."

The little girl was shy and stole a glance at Lu Kuan who was eating shrimps calmly. Seeing that he didn't refute her, she secretly cursed him for being shameless!

Xu Kaitong was so excited that he went back to finish the paperwork halfway through his meal. If the store hadn't opened for a year, this opening would be enough to support him for several years.

Liu Xiaoli looked at the young director who spent 10 million without blinking an eye, and her perception of him was refreshed again today.

Looking at him and Liu Yifei joking and joking, the two of them are so well matched from appearance to age. If they were on a university campus, they would really look like a young couple...

Hey, this kid is good in every way, except that he is a little too self-conscious...

She doesn't want her daughter to find a boyfriend who works in a high-risk industry like director in the future. There are too many temptations and few people can resist.

"Xiaolu, what are your recent work arrangements? Xixi has also started preparing for her role in Tianlong."

Ever since Lu Kuanguangsu slapped him in the face last time, everything inside Hongxingwu is now implicitly based on his arrangements and plans.

Although he does not have the largest shares, Lu Kuan has considerable say in Liu Yifei's acting and career arrangements.

The reason is very simple. Whoever controls the resources controls the right to speak.

Both the production of the EP and the establishment of the "Legend of Sword and Fairy" project depended on him alone.

Boss Lu glanced at the girl who was concentrating on eating and said, "Don't stop practicing your morning exercises. In addition to performing basic skills every day, I contacted Zhang Yadong's studio and went there to practice my singing skills."

The beef in Liu Yifei's mouth instantly lost its flavor, and she said with a bitter face: "Xiaolu, I really can't sing..."

"This kid, call the guide!"

Liu Xiaoli slapped her daughter lightly. Although she knew Lu Kuan would not be angry, she still had to show her attitude.

"Don't worry, the songs I've chosen for you are easy to sing, and the themes are in line with your youthful temperament. Just act like yourself and act cute."

Boss Lu selected five songs for her, and they performed them in Xiao Jin's studio, with one humming and the other composing the music.

"You're still in the initial stages. You need to try everything. We can figure out the future later."

Being an artist who is multi-talented is like being a distributor. As long as the distributor has the channels, he can make money no matter what he sells.

Once an artist becomes popular, people will pay for his or her performance in all three areas. Lu Kuan allows Liu Yifei to concentrate on improving her acting skills. It is right for her to love acting, and it is also right for her to try multi-faceted development.

One is an ideal and the other is reality. After all, the agency needs to make money, and she has an entire Red Star Wood team behind her.

"Xiaolu, I'm not too sure about the role of Wang Yuyan. Can you tell me about the play?"

Liu Yifei has now developed a dependent mentality on Lu Kuan. Boss Lu has become her large power bank, the kind that is plug-and-play.

"Just read Jin Yong's original novels more, and the director will naturally guide you when filming."

Lu Kuan slapped his head and remembered something: "I hired an intern assistant. In a few days, she will accompany Xiao Liu. She will first be her assistant, and then gradually take on the work of image design and character creation for her."

Liu Xiaoli was stunned. Although she was extremely unwilling in her heart, it was for her daughter's future development after all, so she did not refute it rashly.

Boss Lu glanced at the girl who was still feasting and said, "You should eat less recently. Just make sure you have enough nutrition, otherwise you will turn into a pig when you walk on the red carpet."

"Xiaolu, what do you mean?!"

Liu Xiaoli laughed so hard that her mouth almost reached her ears!

"This time the timeline was quite tight. The deadline for the Venice Film Festival was the end of June. We could only make a rough cut of the sample film and sent it to Marco Muller through the relationship of Professor Tian from the Beijing Film Academy."

"He himself highly recognizes the quality of the film, and the jury has also promised to extend the timeframe for submitting the film after the festival deadline. It shouldn't be a problem for it to enter the main competition."

Concubine Liu Yi's own dullness contrasted sharply with her mother Liu Xiaoli's ecstasy.

She didn't care at all about walking the red carpet or singing.

Since her trip to Hong Kong, her only goal has been to constantly hone herself, improve her acting skills, and become a real actor.

Liu Xiaoli has already started planning to prepare a dress for her daughter. After all, it is her first time walking on the red carpet in Venice, one of the three largest red carpets in Europe.

　This palace was purchased by a Siheyuan agent named Zhang in the early 2000s and used as a private residence. It is quite private. I can't find any pictures of it online.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)