Buying a Luxury Home

“Right this way, sir,” the Gucci sales associate said, leading Willy Morgan to the men’s section after noticing the Ferrari key in his hand. The associate assumed Willy might be a lesser-known celebrity and quickly guided him through the store for a shopping spree.

Outside, Mr. Banana and Mr. Apple, the livestreamers, waited patiently with their phones pointed at the Gucci store entrance.

Meanwhile, the livestream chat was buzzing with speculation:

“Maybe he really is the car owner after all. He’s been inside for a while, probably shopping! This is Gucci, one of the top six luxury brands! Who could afford that without serious cash?”

“I’m not convinced. Some people just like to window-shop luxury stores even if they’re broke.”

“Are you talking about yourself?”

“Mind your own business!”

“It’s simple, just wait until he comes out. Mr. Apple, keep the livestream going and go inside to ask him. Mr. Banana, keep following him.”

“This feels like a detective game, but isn’t this a bit unethical?”

“Don’t you want to know? A guy dressed in rags driving a million-dollar car?”

“I’m curious, but still…”

After about twenty minutes, Willy Morgan walked out of the Gucci store, now dressed in brand-new Gucci clothes, looking completely transformed. His appearance was striking, catching the eyes of several passing women.

“It’s true—clothes make the man! If I were wearing that, I’d look better than him!” said someone in the chat, clearly envious.

“Mr. Apple, he’s coming out! Go ask him!”

Willy noticed Mr. Apple and Mr. Banana outside the store, getting the distinct feeling that he was being followed. He quickly turned and left, prompting Mr. Apple to slip into the store.

“Hello, sir. May I help you? And your phone?” The Gucci sales associate who had served Willy earlier was immediately on guard.

“Uh, we’re doing a show, and that person was one of our platform’s featured celebrities. Can you tell us how much he spent here?”

“That customer bought around a dozen outfits and accessories, totaling $685,000! He’s a big spender! Do you have more celebrities like him? We’d love to have them shop here too! And…”

Before the associate could finish, Mr. Apple turned and left. The livestream chat had already exploded with comments clearing up Willy’s situation.

“See? The guy’s loaded! He just dropped $700,000 on clothes like it was nothing! That’s enough to buy a house!”

“Man, the gap between people is insane. I’m only making $4,000 a month!”

“You’re doing fine at $4,000 a month! I’m only pulling in $2,800.”

“Mr. Apple! Where did the rich guy go? Keep following him!” urged the chat. Under pressure, Mr. Apple and Mr. Banana continued to secretly tail Willy Morgan.

Willy spent some time buying daily essentials and skincare products, items he was quite familiar with. Back when he was trying to keep Olivia happy, he’d done a lot of research on high-end brands—not on the ingredients, but on the prices. Olivia would often talk about how certain classmates had bought expensive La Mer or Helena Rubinstein products. Willy, recalling those times, bought everything he had learned about, not caring if it was meant for men or women. If women could use it, so could he.

“Sir, this La Mer 21-day renewal serum and these other items total $24,211.”

“No problem.”

“Sir, this Helena Rubinstein set comes to $9,728.”

“I’ll pay with LINE Pay.”

“Sir, the La Prairie serums and rejuvenation creams together total $49,885.”

“Just scan me.”

After a whirlwind of transactions, Willy was exhausted. He checked his phone—only twenty minutes had passed! He suddenly gained a new level of respect for those who could shop all day.

“Hello, sir. Are you interested in checking out some real estate? We have the best properties in Los Angeles—Silver Lake Enclave!” A real estate agent, noticing Willy dressed in Gucci and carrying multiple high-end skincare products, decided to pitch to him.

“Absolutely! I’ve been meaning to look for a new place,” Willy said. Ever since he’d won the lottery, he’d been thinking about upgrading his living situation. Whether or not he stayed in Los Angeles long-term, a new house was definitely in order.

“Please have a seat, sir. I’m an agent with Silver Lake Enclave. You can call me Mr. Zheng. Let me give you a brief overview of our properties.”

“Sure, go ahead. What are the prices and sizes?”

“Silver Lake Enclave is located on Financial Street in the economic district of Los Angeles. It’s surrounded by three top hospitals and two national-level key schools, along with three…”

“Stop! I don’t care about all that. I just want to know when I can move in if I buy it now. Do you have any models or sample rooms I can see?”

“Yes, of course! Silver Lake Enclave is fully furnished with top-of-the-line interiors. Our refrigerators are German-made Gaggenau, our washing machines are…”

“You’re off-topic again! I don’t need to know the brand of every appliance. If I don’t like something, I can replace it. What are the prices, sizes, and available floors?”

“Ah! My apologies, sir! Silver Lake Enclave features large, single-floor units with one unit per floor. The tallest building has 28 floors, meaning only 28 owners per building. The best floors are between the 21st and 23rd floors, with each floor offering 1,108 square meters. Because we’re holding an event at the Universal Shopping Center, you can purchase the best floors today at a promotional price of $120,000 per square meter.”

“So, each unit costs around $13-14 million?”

“Yes, sir! And if you buy today, we’ll cover your property fees for two years and provide additional services!”

“What other floors are available?”

“Sir, since today is the first day of our event, the units in the building, including the king unit at Silver Lake Enclave, haven’t been sold yet.”

“Perfect. My lucky number is 23. I’ll take the 23rd floor. Go ahead and prepare the contract. Let’s get this done, and I’d like to move in as soon as possible.”

“Yes, sir! The 23rd floor is the best choice! If you’re concerned about the price, we have lower floors available too… Wait, what? Prepare the contract?” Mr. Zheng was stunned. Was buying a house really this straightforward?

“Yes, get on with it. I’m short on time. Oh, and if there’s a garage, make sure it’s close to my unit.”

“Of course, sir! I’ll take care of it immediately!” Mr. Zheng couldn’t believe his luck. He had been selling houses in Los Angeles for five or six years and had never met a client like Willy—a buyer who dropped over $10 million on a home as if it were nothing!

Meanwhile, Mr. Apple and Mr. Banana noticed that Willy hadn’t left the real estate booth for a while, suspecting he might be looking at property.