Reborn in the Hong Kong entertainment industry in the 1980s

Steven strongly agreed with Hu Xiaoxiao's decision to work as a waiter, saying, "Being a waiter is good. You don't need any skills. Anyone can do it as long as they have hands. As long as they have a good attitude and are willing to work hard, that's fine."

Then he asked Hu Xiaoxiao where she planned to live, "I suggest you rent a cheaper place first, and save money after you find a job. If you can buy a house in Gangcheng, you'll have a place to live in the future."

"How much does it cost to rent a house?" Hu Xiaoxiao had realized that everything cost money, and the little money she had seemed to disappear quickly with the expenses.

"It's very cheap, just a few dozen dollars a month. I'll take you to find it later." Steven was determined to help him to the end.

Besides, Hu Xiaoxiao had done him a great service, and his promotion was practically guaranteed. He could be considered to owe Hu Xiaoxiao a favor.

Hearing that the rent was cheap, Hu Xiaoxiao finally smiled.

However, when Steven led her to the rented place, she looked up at the dilapidated house and the cramped room that was barely big enough to sleep in, her brows furrowed so deeply that a fly could be trapped in it.

"Don't like it? Then let's go to another one." Steven led Hu Xiaoxiao to the next room.

This old housing area is all rented out, and it's crowded and noisy. There's basically no soundproofing; once you're inside, you can hear everything that's happening outside.

It was another cramped room.

Not only was it cramped, but it also had no windows, and as soon as you opened the door, a damp smell hit you.

Hu Xiaoxiao covered her nose and stared at the dark, damp floor, where several cockroaches crawled across the wooden bed.

The current season is the transition between spring and summer, with frequent rain, humid air, and often humid weather.

In a poorly ventilated room, even breathing feels difficult.

Hu Xiaoxiao, who loved pleasure, wouldn't even glance at it. She only gave it one look and left.

Steven yawned, his sleepy eyes almost closed. "What kind of house are you looking for? All the houses around here look the same."

Hu Xiaoxiao stood by the roadside, looking around, then pointed to several relatively new-looking buildings over twenty stories high in the distance and asked, "Are those buildings for rent?"

Steven pointed to the building and was so surprised that he perked up. "You really dare to dream. That building was only built a few years ago, and the rent is already several thousand."

Very expensive?

It's expensive, that's for sure.

It suits her status perfectly.

"Over there." Hu Xiaoxiao took the lead and walked towards the destination.

Steven shook his head speechlessly: This mainland girl is small in stature but bold in her courage. She has only been in Hong Kong for a few days and has not even settled down yet, but she dares to live in a house with a rent of several thousand dollars. She doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth.

Steven felt that Hu Xiaoxiao needed to experience the harsh realities of life.

The development is called Royal Mansion, and consists of three high-rise buildings in a U-shape. It was completed and handed over three years ago.

Steven went to the real estate agency downstairs in the Royal Mansion to inquire about rental information.

The real estate agent was a handsome young man surnamed Chen, whose English name was Ban.

Due to certain unique reasons in the port city, most people in the port city have two names: a Chinese name and an English name.

The Chinese name is the given name, while the English name is mostly used in the workplace and for communication.

Steven's name is his English name; his real name is Wang Linjia.

Aban led them to the roadside and pointed to the three buildings above, saying, "The one on the left is Building A, the one in the middle is Building B, and the one on the right is Building C. There are two elevators and six units per floor, mainly two- and three-bedroom apartments."

The monthly rent is 3,000 for a three-bedroom apartment and 2,500 for a two-bedroom apartment.

“That’s too expensive,” Steven said. “Give me a more reasonable price.”

"Sir, this price isn't expensive. Nowadays, house prices are around four thousand, and the location isn't even that great. In this location, with such a good building and good property management, renting a place for two or three thousand is normal."

The tenants here are mostly executives from nearby companies, and many foreigners also like to stay here.

Aban pointed to a few blond, blue-eyed foreigners who had just come down from the side and said, "Look, these foreigners came down from up there. If you want something cheap, there are old buildings a few blocks away that cost only a few dozen a month."

Steven looked at Hu Xiaoxiao and said, "Think about it. Renting a place here is convenient and comfortable, but the expenses will be very high."

Without hesitation, Hu Xiaoxiao said, "Right here."

"Okay, I'll go get the keys and take you upstairs to choose a room." Seeing that business had come in, Aban immediately went into the company to get the keys and led them upstairs.

It was Hu Xiaoxiao's first time riding an elevator, and she found it very interesting. She watched Aban operate the elevator and memorized the details.

There's a big difference between upstairs and downstairs in high-rise buildings; it's noisy downstairs, and you can even smell car exhaust.

The air upstairs is much better, the view is wider, and there's plenty of sunshine.

Hu Xiaoxiao naturally wanted to choose the best. The three-bedroom apartment had better natural light and a larger balcony than the two-bedroom apartment, so she wanted to choose the three-bedroom apartment.

Steven's lips twitched as he listened. How many days could the little money she had last her? "If you live alone, just rent a two-bedroom apartment. That will save you an extra five hundred."

"I'm not comfortable living in a two-bedroom apartment." It's no different from the place where she was confined; there's no light and no view, and I'm tired of living there.

Unable to persuade the young lady, Steven tried to negotiate a lower price with Aban.

Aban is not worried about not being able to rent out his properties and refuses to lower the rent. "If I calculate the price lower, what if the landlord asks me to make up the difference? I can't possibly subsidize you every month, can I?"

Looking for something cheaper? I have a unit here, on a high floor, fully furnished and equipped with all appliances, ready to move in. Excellent view and fresh air. Three bedrooms, rent the same as a two-bedroom unit. Interested?

"Is there trouble with that house?" Steven immediately sensed something was wrong.

If it were any other tenant, Ah Ban would have gotten away with it, but since the other party was a police officer, he didn't have the guts.

Ah Ban honestly stated, "The landlord is a seafood business owner who bought the place for his mistress. Who knew that the first wife would find out about it and bring people to stab the mistress. This matter caused a huge uproar, and the officers should know more about it than I do."

Although Steven wasn't in charge of this area, he vaguely remembered what Aban said. After thinking for a moment, he realized it was something from last year and asked, "Is it the apartment on the second to last floor of Building B?"

The news of a wife killing her husband's mistress is a hot topic that citizens love to gossip about, and Steven naturally heard a lot of it.

Steven also knew what happened next: his first wife's family had connections, and she hired a top lawyer, so the sentence wasn't harsh. She was sentenced one day and released on bail the next, and is now living a carefree life.

“That’s right, it’s this one. After the incident, that apartment became difficult to rent out. Someone who didn’t know the truth rented it before, but after less than a week, they got sick, complaining that there was a ghost, and even refused to pay their deposit and insisted on getting a refund.”

"Are you kidding me? This is supposed to be a haunted house. You're recommending a haunted house to a girl?"

"Officer, you want both flat skin and beautiful looks? There's no such thing as a free lunch. If it were, would it even be your turn?"

Steven was about to refuse on Hu Xiaoxiao's behalf when Hu Xiaoxiao spoke up, saying, "Take me to see."