Chapter 12 Renting a new apartment

Mr. James straightened his suit before grabbing a set of car keys and the property file from his desk.

“This way, Mr. Wayne,” he said politely as Jay immediately stood up and followed him out of the office.

The moment they returned to the reception area, the counter lady subtly glanced toward Jay with curiosity. Earlier, she assumed he was just an ordinary customer browsing listings far beyond his budget.

But now, seeing Mr. James personally escorting him out for a VIP property viewing immediately changed the way she looked at him.

After all, Mr. James only handled high-end clients.

When they got outside the building, a sleek black luxury sedan was already waiting near the curb.

Mr. James walked over and opened the back door respectfully. “Please,” he said gesturing for Jay to get in. 

Jay nodded slightly before stepping inside.

Inside the sedan the interior alone screamed luxury. It had Soft leather seats, cool air-conditioning, and a faint expensive fragrance filled the cabin.

Mr. James got into the driver's seat and started the engine. Less than five seconds later, the sedan pulled away from the agency and merged smoothly into traffic.

As they drove through the city, Mr. James occasionally pointed out certain areas and landmarks while explaining why the Skyhall Residence District was considered one of the most desirable places to live in.

“Most residents there are wealthy business owners, celebrities, investors, or foreign executives,” he explained professionally. “Security and privacy are taken very seriously.”

Jay listened quietly while staring out the window. He noticed the farther they traveled, the more exclusive the surroundings became.

In this part of the city, the streets where extremely cleaner with tons of luxury cars along it. There were towering modern buildings made almost entirely of glass.

Even the atmosphere felt different from the part of the city he grew up in.

Roughly fifteen minutes later, the sedan slowly approached an enormous gated complex surrounded by elegant landscaping and tall modern structures.

At the entrance stood two armed guards wearing black uniforms.

The moment the security guards recognized Mr. James's vehicle, the gates swung open without questions. Jay sat quietly, watching everything with growing interest as the sedan drove deeper into the property.

Soon, they stopped in front of a breathtaking skyscraper that looked more like a seven-star hotel than an apartment building.

“This,” Mr. James said proudly as he stepped out of the car, “is Skyhall Residence.”

Jay slowly exited the vehicle, lifting his gaze toward the massive building.

For a brief moment, Jay genuinely felt like he didn't belong in a place like this. But the thought of his current bank balance quickly grounded him.

No. I belong here now, he said inwardly to himself, brushing aside the lingering feeling of negativity.

Mr. James led him toward the entrance where uniformed staff immediately bowed respectfully.

“Good afternoon, sir.”

Jay unconsciously noticed the difference in treatment compared to earlier at the jewelry store.

Nobody here looked at him with disgust or suspicion.

As long as you had money, people treated you completely differently. Just the realization of that honestly felt both amusing and sad at the same time.

A few moments later, they entered a private elevator accessible only to VIP residents.

Mr. James pressed a button and the elevator began rising smoothly till they finally got to the 35th floor. 

Ding.

The elevator made the soft dinging sound as the doors slowly opened.

The moment Jay stepped out, his footsteps unconsciously slowed.

An enormous hallway stretched out before him, illuminated by elegant lighting and lined with polished marble floors. At the very end stood a pair of massive black double doors.

Mr. James walked over and pulled out a key card to unlock the apartment. The moment he pushed the doors open, Jay's eyes widened.

The first thing he saw was the massive living room surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass windows that revealed a breathtaking panoramic view of the city skyline similer to the first listing he had saw on their website online but even better.

Golden afternoon sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, reflecting softly off the polished marble floors and sleek modern furniture.

The apartment looked even more breathtaking in person than it had in the photos.

"This is..." Jay murmured, almost at a loss for words.

A faint smile spread across Mr. James's face as he watched Jay's reaction.

“The apartment has four bedrooms, two guest rooms, a private office, a smart kitchen, and a fully automated control system,” he explained. “There’s also a private balcony and indoor lounge area upstairs.”

Jay slowly walked further inside while taking everything in.

The kitchen alone looked nearly three times larger than his entire apartment back home. More importantly, every corner of the place radiated luxury and comfort.

He slowly walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and gazed out at the breathtaking city skyline below.

Even now, part of him found it hard to believe this place could actually become his home.

The silence, the comfort, the luxury—everything felt worlds apart from the cramped apartment he had called home for years.

After a few moments, Jay finally turned to Mr. James.

"Is it possible for me to move in today?" he asked.

Mr. James was slightly caught of guard by the question at first, but he quickly smiled professionally.

“Of course, sir,” he replied smoothly. “That is, if you’re ready to complete the payment and documentation process today.”

Jay nodded calmly. “ Of course I’m ready.”

Hearing that, even Mr. James became a little more respectful in his attitude, because most clients at this level usually spent days or even weeks deciding before making payments and yet Jay was ready almost immediately.

“Very well then,” Mr. James said politely. “We can head back to the agency right now and finalize everything.”

Jay gave a small nod before taking one final glance around the luxurious apartment with a faint smile unconsciously appearing on his face.

Soon... this place would officially be his.

A few minutes later, the two men went back into the private elevator and headed downstairs.

Not long after, the black sedan drove them away from Skyhall Residence and back toward Evasy-Real Estate Agency.

Once they arrived, Mr. James personally escorted Jay back into his office.

“Please have a seat, Mr. Wayne,” he said while walking toward his desk.

Jay took a seat as Mr. James immediately began preparing the property documents and lease agreements.

For the next several minutes, the office was filled with the soft rustle of papers and the steady tapping of a keyboard.

Once everything was in order, Mr. James neatly stacked the documents and slid them across the desk toward Jay.

“The annual lease for the apartment $480,000,” he explained professionally. “Additional expenses including private security registration, maintenance fees, resident access setup, parking allocation, and other administrative costs bring the total amount to $514,000.”

Jay glanced at the total briefly. Half a million dollars just like that.

A few days ago, hearing such an amount would have nearly stopped his heart But now, he simply pulled out his phone.

“Alright,” Jay said casually. “Let’s do it.”

Mr. James quickly provided the company payment details and a few seconds later Jay successfully made the payments. 

Beep.

Transfer Successful.

The payment notification instantly appeared on the office computer.

Even though Mr. James had expected Jay to pay, seeing someone transfer over five hundred and fourteen thousand dollars with no stress still shocked him internally.

He quickly regained his professional composure afterward.

“Congratulations, Mr. Wayne,” he said respectfully while standing up. “The property is now officially under your name for the duration of the lease.”

Mr. James opened one of his desk drawers and carefully took out a sleek black key card. He handed it to Jay along with a luxury folder containing the apartment documents, neatly arranged inside.

"This is your personal access key card," he explained as he handed it over. "It grants you access to the building entrance, the private elevator, the parking garage, and your apartment."

Jay accepted the key card slowly and briefly couldn't help but stare at it quietly in his hand. 

It looked ordinary and yet the small object represented something far bigger.

A new life.

Mr. James handed over the remaining documents afterward.

“These are your lease agreements, resident registration papers, parking authorization, and emergency contact information,” he continued professionally. “If there’s anything you need moving forward, feel free to contact me personally.”

Jay nodded slightly before placing the documents carefully into the luxury bag containing his watch.

Then he slowly stood up.

“Thank you,” he said calmly.

But inwardly... 

He still couldn't fully process everything that had happened today.

This morning, he had woken up in a run-down apartment. Now, just hours later, he was holding the key card to a fully furnished luxury residence in one of the most prestigious districts in the city.

The system truly had the power to change his entire destiny and it was happening quite faster than he could ever imagine.

Jay shook Mr. James’ hand one last time before turning toward the office door.

“It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Wayne,” Mr. James said respectfully.

Jay gave a faint nod. “Likewise.”

With that, he walked out of the office carrying the luxury bag that contained both the rare Eclipse Tourbillon watch and the documents to his new apartment.

Moments later, Jay stepped out to the reception area with a faint smile on his face as he made his way toward the glass exit doors.

The joy and satisfaction welling up inside him were impossible to hide. For the first time in years, he truly felt like he was finally escaping the miserable life he was living.

Jay pushed the glass doors open and stepped outside before pausing briefly at the top of the three stairs overlooking the bustling city streets ahead.

“I need to get a car if I’m going to live in a high-standard place like that,” Jay muttered quietly to himself as the thought crossed his mind.

After all, it would honestly feel ridiculous living inside a luxury residence worth hundreds of thousands of dollars while still relying on random taxis to move around the city.