My Courtyard Shelter

Chapter 6: Renovating the Siheyuan

June 1st was International Children’s Day. Xu Dong spent the entire day playing with the two sisters, Ke Ke and her sister, and even bought them several sets of pretty clothes. This time, Xu’s mother didn’t nag—after all, her youngest son had just closed a “big deal,” earning 100,000 yuan in commission alone, which had greatly eased the family’s financial strain. The day after Children’s Day, Xu Dong boarded the high-speed train to Yanjing once again. Now that he had the money, he booked a business-class ticket. Upon arriving in Yanjing, Xu Dong immediately paid the full purchase price for the Siheyuan. The real estate agency worked quickly, and the property transfer was completed the very next day. As for the new property deed, he would likely have to wait about another week. But Xu Dong wasn’t sitting idle. Although the Siheyuan was well-maintained, there were still many areas that needed renovation before it could become the “post-apocalyptic” stronghold he envisioned. After contacting a small local home renovation Company, Xu Dong decided to contract the entire renovation project to the Company. He chose this small, unknown Company mainly because they had their own team of workers, which made communication easier. Additionally, Xu Dong wanted to keep a low profile, and a small company wouldn’t attract much attention. These days, with the real estate industry in decline, competition in the home renovation sector is fierce, and the industry is experiencing severe “involution.” Faced with this windfall of a contract, Mr. Sun, the CEO of “Dafa Decoration,” took it very seriously and even personally led his team to accompany Xu Dong to the Siheyuan. The group first took a general tour of the Siheyuan, which took about half an hour. Upon emerging from the basement, Mr. Sun couldn’t help but express his admiration: “Mr. Xu, with a basement this large, you must have spent quite a bit on this Siheyuan, right?” “Exactly 100 million. These two basement levels account for a significant portion of that—each level is worth about 20 million,” Xu Dong replied with a smile. “In Yanjing, a basement this large is truly a rarity,” Mr. Sun complimented. After all, in the capital, where real estate is extremely expensive, basements—though lacking in natural light—are still a scarce resource. “It was actually this basement that caught my eye in the first place…” After exchanging pleasantries, Xu Dong began to lay out in full the renovation plan he’d been mulling over for quite some time. “First, clear out everything in the basement, then convert it into a warehouse.” Mr. Sun was a bit puzzled. It was just a home—what on earth would he need such a large warehouse for? But since the client was the one calling the shots, he had no choice but to nod and say: “No problem there. There isn’t much in there; we can clear it out in a day or two. But Mr. Xu, I’m not sure what kind of warehouse you’d like it to be?” “Something like a logistics warehouse—the kind with shelving. I’ll send you some pictures later; just build it according to those.” Xu Dong worked for a logistics company himself, so he was very familiar with this type of warehouse—they’re designed for maximum space efficiency. “No problem. As for the shelving specifications…” “Use heavy-duty shelving for me—quality must be guaranteed; price isn’t an issue,” Xu Dong said with a sweeping gesture. “Understood,” said General Manager Sun with delight; he could tell that the man standing before him was someone with deep pockets. Xu Dong continued to outline his requirements: “Also, I want the entire courtyard enclosed, with a steel structure as the main framework, topped with glass and skylights.” The reason for this design was mainly due to the increasing frequency of dust storms following the severe drought; with elderly family members and young children at home, he had to prioritize their health. “Oh, and the glass should be tempered—it needs to be strong enough to support a person standing on it.” “No problem—Company has completed similar projects before,” Mr. Sun nodded. Next, Xu Dong pointed to the Siheyuan house’s roof and requested, “Replace all the roof tiles with ones capable of generating solar power.” “Mr. Xu, are you referring to Hanwa tiles from Hanergy Company?” General Manager Sun asked for clarification. “Yes, exactly those,” Xu Dong nodded, then asked, “Can you handle this?” “Absolutely. Hanergy Company will definitely send technical advisors; we’ll just handle the construction,” General Manager Sun quickly agreed, afraid of letting this sure thing slip away. “Good to hear.” Afterward, Xu Dong led the group into the gatehouse. “Install a large water tank here—one that can hold at least 20 metric tons of water.” “That’s simple. We’ll just have a stainless steel water tank custom-made to fit the room’s dimensions. We’ll just need to temporarily remove the roof to install it,” General Manager Sun replied. “Just handle it however you see fit—I’m only interested in the result,” Xu Dong said, waving his hand. Mr. Sun quickly added, “Rest assured, we guarantee we’ll restore the building to its original condition.” Xu Dong licked his slightly dry lips and concluded, “That covers the general renovation plan. Do you have any questions?” “Mr. Xu, won’t the interior of the house need any remodeling? We have several classic design styles to choose from,” Mr. Sun asked cautiously. In most cases, interior renovation was their core business and the main source of profit—items like flooring, paint, and kitchen and bathroom fixtures offered plenty of room for profit. “I’m in a hurry to move in, so let’s leave it as is for now. I’ll contact you when I’m ready to make changes later.” Typically, after a new home is renovated, it needs to sit vacant for at least a few months to allow formaldehyde to dissipate, and Xu Dong didn’t want to waste that time. Although he was a bit reluctant, Mr. Sun couldn’t get Xu Dong to change his mind, so he simply nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll put together a quote and some renderings. When would be a good time for you to sign the contract?” “I’ll come straight to the Company tomorrow morning. Remember, don’t skimp on costs—use only the best materials,” Xu Dong reminded him. “Understood. There will be absolutely no issues with the quality.” Early the next morning, Xu Dong arrived at “Dafa Decoration” as scheduled. The Company had worked through the night to prepare the design renderings and budget. Mr. Sun nervously handed over the contract. “Mr. Xu, here’s the contract template. Please take a look first—if there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, we’ll make adjustments.” Without further ado, Xu Dong picked up the contract and began flipping through it, sometimes nodding, sometimes frowning—making General Manager Sun’s heart race like a roller coaster. “Mr. Sun, I have no objections to the project budget,” Xu Dong said, setting the contract down. He knew there was some padding in the budget, but he didn’t mind the extra cost. Hearing this, General Manager Sun instantly felt a weight lift off his shoulders. “Tsk, tsk. You really are a big spender. This deal alone will net us at least 300,000.” Xu Dong then changed the subject: “However…” “But what?” Mr. Sun’s expression changed drastically. “I’d like the project timeline to be shortened a bit; half a month is too long.” Xu Dong tapped the table lightly with his finger. “Thump… thump… thump…” Mr. Sun replied hesitantly, “But the Company only has seven or eight renovation workers in total. Besides, the Siheyuan has limited space—we wouldn’t be able to work efficiently with too many people.” “I can pay overtime. For every day the project is completed ahead of schedule, I’ll pay an extra 10,000 yuan. You can hire a few temporary workers to work in two shifts—that shouldn’t be too difficult, right?” Xu Dong suggested. Mr. Sun quickly agreed—as long as Xu Dong was willing to pay extra, everything was negotiable. And so, after some negotiation, Xu Dong eagerly signed the contract and paid a 30 percent advance on the project cost. Before leaving… Mr. Sun patted his chest and promised that the project would definitely be completed by June 10 at the latest.