Persuading Amanda
After wiping the dirt that latched onto her curvy figure from the fall, Amanda stood up and went back to her desk.
Sitting across from Matthew now, she asked, "Why do you want to sell them, though? Those things are going to be cash cows in a few years. And they are the only reason you are able to live so comfortably right now. So if you sell them, while you would be able to live lavishly for a while when that money runs out, you'll have to work slave hours just to stay afloat."
Even though Amanda could just sell Matthew's properties without giving him any input, that would hurt her consciousness. Hence, she tried to dissuade him from making a decision that could ruin the livelihood of his family.
"I'm moving away from New York. Owning those properties while living so far away from them is going to be more of a pain than they're worth. I also plan to use the money I get to buy some land where I'm moving to." Matthew explained as he drank his cup of water.
"Oh! Where are you moving, stud?" Amanda asked curiously.
"Does it really matter? Just hurry and help me find a buyer for those three properties." Matthew spoke as he palmed his forehead.
Amanda was truly an enigma, and even he, with his 5000 years of social experience, couldn't tell what she was thinking. At first, he thought that she liked him and that the reason she constantly flirted with him was to build feelings. But now, with her casual, curious words, it seemed that she didn't.
'Women are truly the most complex creatures.'
"You're right. It doesn't matter. But since you were so rude to me a few minutes ago, I won't help you until you sate my curiosity!" Amanda spoke as she reclined in her chair, as if to show her attitude.
Exasperated, Matthew gave in. He was in a rush and had no time to play with this woman, no matter how stunning she looked.
"I am moving to the Midwest. Colorado specifically." Matthew spoke blankly.
"Why are you moving?" Amanda spoke with a bright smile. "And this is interest. So answer, or I won't help."
"I got a very luxurious internship offer. But I am required to move to their headquarters to accept it." Matthew decided to tell the same lie he told Eva so as not to leave any discrepancies in case the two women knew each other.
"Oooh. Little Matthew is going up in the world. Are you going to forget your big sister Amanda when you become a rich tycoon?" Amanda teased.
Hearing Amanda's teasing words, Matthew felt a slight tinge of pain in his heart. Though he didn't stay on Earth for long in his previous life, Matthew could easily guess that Amanda died during the first week of Earth's metamorphosis.
The first week after Earth's metamorphosis had the highest death count. In that one week alone, almost 2 billion people died. And most of those deaths came from coastal regions. Economic capitals like New York, Beijing, and Mumbi were the worst, with almost all of their inhabitants dying in the first week.
And Amanda, being a simple mortal girl with no strength to her name, surely couldn't have survived that. Even if she had gotten lucky and been out of the city during the first week, the next few weeks after the metamorphosis weren't much better either. The population didn't have a downward spike like the first week, but it still went down steadily at a rapid pace.
This would continue for months until cultivators started to appear and lead humanity into a much safer time.
So, while Amanda's words were only for teasing, they made Matthew feel bad for the woman who helped him so much in the three years he knew her.
'Brat, you can always take this woman in as a maid. Though her talent is pathetic, her face isn't. She could liven up the force you make later.' Senior Wudi's voice came in as Matthew was feeling conflicted.
Though the idea was pleasant, it wasn't practical. It wasn't as if Matthew could tell her about the future and declare her his maid. Amanda would call the police before he could finish his story.
'Brat, why do you always first think of telling them about the future? Just take the woman out to the Midwest with you, and then as the world goes to sh*t, make her stay by your side.' Senior Wudi scolded him, 'For a Divine Lord, you sure are stupid.'
"Matthew, are you okay? You look lost." Amanda asked concernedly as she interrupted his thoughts.
She thought her words were a little too careless, as Matthew lost focus right after she said them, and to her, it looked like he had started thinking deeply about them.
"It's fine if you forget about me. My real estate agency is taking off now. So, if anything, I won't be much worse off than you." Amanda spoke as she tried to dispel some of the odd atmosphere her previous words might've created.
"No, I wasn't thinking about your words, Amanda, but something else. Right! Amanda, do you want to come out to the Midwest with me? I could use an extra hand when moving. And the twins always liked being around you." Matthew spoke as he flashed a bright smile.
Stunned at his sudden offer, Amanda didn't know how to respond. But seeing his face waiting for an answer, she started to think about it.
"But wouldn't that be too intrusive? I mean, going out all the way to Colorado just to help you out seems like a lot, doesn't it?" Amanda said.
While the idea was fine, as she could use a simple vacation out of the state, being the third wheel to their family didn't give her a good feeling.
"No, if anything, bringing you along would be great. At first, I planned to sell the properties before I left New York, knowing that I wouldn't get their full value. But if I bring you along, we could negotiate with buyers while out of state. It's a win-win!" Matthew persuaded.
Hearing Matthew's sensible and persuasive words, Amanda's will teetered toward his side. Thinking a little further, she eventually agreed.
"Then… Give me a day or two to get ready. If I am going to follow you so far, I need to prepare. I can't just get up and leave without informing the people around me." Amanda answered.
"Great! Then let's discuss the money. How much money do you think I can get from the three properties?" Matthew asked as his eyes seemed to glisten.
Whether it was his current or previous life, Matthew was always either poor or dead broke. So whenever he'd get a large sum of money, he'd always get excited.
"Well, it depends, Matthew. The real estate market isn't like normal shopping. Even though most properties have a fixed price, it's always fluctuating. So while your pieces of land are valuable, since you have a short deadline, most people would try to wait you out and try to get the best price." Amanda explained.
After that, Amanda would continue speaking about various things that could lower or raise the value of the three properties, giving Matthew a headache. So before she could continue to finish her thoughts, Matthew cut her off.
"Then can I trust you and get the best price?" Matthew spoke simply.
Matthew was no businessman, and just hearing her speak about real estate made him feel stupid. So, wanting to end the potential conversation before it started, Matthew put the burden on her.
"Of course. Who do you think I am, Matthew? I'll milk those buyers for all they're worth!" Amanda spoke proudly as she patted her plump chest.
Ignoring the physics that followed, Matthew shook Amanda's hand before leaving the office. Staying any longer would make him feel stupid, and he trusted her to be able to finish the job well.
Back in his car, Matthew began to think about his next move. Matthew had the idea of searching New York for a Spiritual Qi Vein for his use, but that would take too long, and he could spend an entire day without finding one, making it not worth his time.
And without the ability to cultivate any further, Matthew didn't know what to do for now.
I'll kill Lance then. There's nothing better to do." Matthew spoke casually as he started up his car.
While he had already used the Spiritual Qi Veins that would make their lives intersect, Lance had still killed his siblings. Even if he had killed Lance once in a different timeline, the fact remained.
And as long as there was a Lance in front of Matthew, he'd kill him.
Finding Lance's real estate agency didn't take long, but after he parked near it, Matthew was faced with a problem: how to kill Lance without having it linked to him.
Even though he was a half-step Qi Refining Realm cultivator and could lift thousands of pounds over his head easily, getting away with a crime in this day and age was hard. Not only were there cameras that covered most of the streets, but there was also an extremely advanced forensic scientist behind every precinct who could also catch Matthew.
Thankfully, Matthew didn't need to think too long, as just before he went mad trying to figure out how to execute his plan, Senior Wudi's voice once again rang out in his head.
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