But having money doesn't necessarily mean you can live in a nice place, right? Ye Xiao didn't have an ID card, and if he went to any hotel, it's likely he could stir up trouble. After thinking it over, Ye Xiao hailed a taxi and headed straight for the so-called Tulip District. Ye Xiao needed to be at the Tulip District by 7:30 the next morning, so it was best to find accommodation nearby. Chapter 671 Renting an Apartment

But having money doesn't necessarily mean you can live in a nice place, right? Ye Xiao didn't have an ID card, and if he went to any hotel, it's likely he could stir up trouble. After thinking it over, Ye Xiao hailed a taxi and headed straight for the so-called Tulip District. Ye Xiao needed to be at the Tulip District by 7:30 the next morning, so it was best to find accommodation nearby.

Once Ye Xiao got in the taxi, he told the driver he wanted to go to the "Tulip District."

"Young man, did you say you want to go to the Tulip District?" The taxi driver looked at Ye Xiao with some disbelief upon hearing his destination.

Ye Xiao found the taxi driver's reaction strange. Could it be the Tulip District was some sort of hidden den of dragons and crouching tigers? Was it really so surprising to visit this district?

"Yes, what's the matter? Is it very far?" Ye Xiao thought the distance might be the issue.

After all, in some cities, if the journey was too long, the taxi wouldn't go by the meter but would instead quote a fixed price.

Ye Xiao thought he might be facing such a situation.

"Well, it's not that it's too far. It's within Jinling District, but are you really going to the Tulip District? I've heard the people living there are all either rich or noble, and ordinary people can hardly even get through the gates," the taxi driver warned.

At that moment, Ye Xiao realized what the driver meant. He was wearing very ordinary clothes, or to be more precise, they weren't even average. Tattered clothes weren't really an issue, but Ye Xiao's were also dirty. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he looked like he'd just come back from working on a construction site.

Previously, at the Guard Bureau, Zhang Youchen had beaten and kicked Ye Xiao, so his clothes were dirty. Although Ye Xiao had tried his best to pat off the dust and dirt, no matter how much he patted, they were still somewhat grimy.

Ye Xiao let out a chuckle, looked at the taxi driver, and said, "You don't have to worry about that. Even if I get to the gate of the Tulip District and somebody beats me out with a stick, that's my own problem, isn't it?"

Upon hearing Ye Xiao's words, the taxi driver immediately fell silent. Ye Xiao was indeed right—it was his own business, after all.

"We're not far from the Tulip District, but when we get there, it will still cost at least thirty or forty yuan," the taxi driver now worried whether Ye Xiao would pay after the ride. If it hadn't been for a recent company meeting where they were instructed under no circumstances to refuse passengers, since the taxi industry is also a service industry, the driver might have been tempted to kick Ye Xiao out right then.

"This should be enough, right?"

Ye Xiao slapped a hundred-yuan bill in front of the taxi driver, his expression indifferent!

The taxi driver, picking up the hundred-yuan bill Ye Xiao had handed him, was a little embarrassed. Although a hundred yuan wasn't considered a lot of money now, the gesture hinted that Ye Xiao wasn't short of cash.

The taxi driver, somewhat awkwardly placing the money to one side, let out a chuckle and dared not say anything further.

At this time, Jinling District was extremely crowded, and the taxi driver's skill was quite good, weaving through traffic wherever he could. Yet even so, they were still moving slowly along the road.

"Young man, you're an out-of-towner, aren't you? Did you get lost in Jinling District and end up like this?" The taxi driver, perhaps feeling he had misjudged Ye Xiao, now saw him not as a beggar but started a conversation.

Ye Xiao knew what the taxi driver was thinking and said with a smile, "Yeah, I'm from Minghai City, planning to make a go of it in Bird City. Oh, by the way, since you drive a taxi around Jinling District, you must know of any available rentals around here, right?"

"You're looking to rent? Well, I don't know about high-end places like the Tulip District, but I'm familiar with affordable housing for ordinary people," the taxi driver said with a bitter smile.

Obviously, even though he had looked down on the dirt-covered Ye Xiao, he himself wasn't considered high-class.

Ye Xiao didn't care whether the taxi driver was wealthy or poor; after all, what did it have to do with him?

Ye Xiao said with a smile, "That's fine, as long as there's a place to stay. Of course, it has to be near the Tulip District."

"If you're heading to the Tulip District, is it to see relatives? Why waste money then?" the taxi driver laughed and said, "Just stay at your relatives' place and call it a day!"

Hearing the driver's suggestion, Ye Xiao laughed and replied, "A golden nest and a silver nest are not as good as one's own dog nest, so I'd be more comfortable renting a place with my own money."

"That makes sense. I have a buddy who lives around that area. I'll ask him to find you a place. He might charge a finder's fee, though."

Ye Xiao said, "No problem, it's only right he gets a fee for the trouble. Could it be arranged today? If possible, I can pay the rent for two or three months upfront."

"I'll have to ask about that first!"

Soon afterwards, the taxi driver started to call his buddy. As he spoke, he turned to Ye Xiao and asked, "Do you have a copy of your ID card?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Xiao couldn't help but smile wryly. So Xia Mingyue knew how useful a copy of his ID card would be, having made so many copies for him. Ye Xiao immediately took out two copies and handed them to the driver.

The driver, holding the steering wheel in one hand, looked at the copies of the ID card and talked to the person on the other end of the phone.

The call didn't last long before it ended.

"Kid, you're in luck," the driver said to Ye Xiao, "My buddy just happens to have a two-bedroom apartment available. The rent isn't expensive: it's two thousand a month, and you need to pay a minimum of three months' rent upfront. Plus, my buddy said there's a five hundred yuan agency fee. What do you think? Can you do it?"

At this point, Ye Xiao couldn't help but pat his pocket, which contained just under eleven thousand yuan. If he had to pay the rent upfront, it would mean that he was about to dish out six thousand five hundred yuan all at once.

Moreover, Ye Xiao found himself with a newfound respect for Xia Mingyue and Fang Jing, the two ladies who had meticulously calculated his salary. Could they have known that his rent would be two thousand yuan? Somehow, they had set his salary at exactly that amount!

Seeing Ye Xiao's wry smile in the passenger seat, the taxi driver thought he was finding the rent too expensive and quickly added, "Kid, my buddy really did me a favor with this rate. If it wasn't for me, he probably wouldn't rent it out at this price at all. You have to understand, the place you want is near Tulip District, a prime location. And you may not be aware of the property prices in Bird City, but in Central District, you couldn't rent an apartment for less than three thousand five hundred a month."

Ye Xiao nodded and said, "Alright, just take me straight to your buddy's place. I need to get my living situation settled, and then I'll visit my relative. It'd be perfect for me to pick up some things on the way—after all, my relative is some kind of official in Central State, and it wouldn't look good to bring something too shabby."

"Oh? Someone from Central State? Who is it?" The taxi driver asked, clearly surprised. At the same time, he was subtly regretting having charged Ye Xiao an extra two hundred yuan.

Ye Xiao replied with a smile, "His name is Qian Shuangyue, do you know him?"

"Qian Shuangyue? Oh my, are you talking about that Qian Shuangyue from the region?"

"Yes, that's him. Why, are you friends with him? That would be perfect," Ye Xiao said with a smile. "We can go together later."

"No, no, no," the driver demurred, "I've only heard of his name. Qian Shuangyue is indeed a high official. If you're his relative, you must be someone important yourself."

Shaking his head, Ye Xiao laughed and said, "What you don't understand is that this Qian Shuangyue... Well, how should I put it? He hardly acknowledges people from our family. As far as seniority goes, I'm actually his uncle. But there's no helping it; the man is not ordinary now."

Ye Xiao certainly knew the taxi driver might be trying to con him. That's why he claimed to be Qian Shuangyue's relative, which made the taxi driver a lot more respectful.

Continuing to play his part, Ye Xiao fabricated the relationship between himself and Qian Shuangyue, managing to keep the driver baffled and taken aback.

In short order, they finally arrived near the Tulip District, where the taxi driver showed a newfound warmth to Ye Xiao, and pointed out the location of Tulip District. Another five minutes passed, and they arrived at a run-down building complex.

"Why so slow?" a burly man asked the driver as he arrived, raising his voice.

"There was traffic on the road. By the way, this young man here wants to rent a room!"

The burly man had already noticed Ye Xiao and thoroughly sized him up. He looked like a student and not someone the burly man considered significant.

"Hello!" The burly man said with a smile, extending his hand, "I'm Niu Chuang, but you can call me Brother Niu."

"Hello, Brother Niu. My name is Ye Xiao. Here's a copy of my ID card!" Ye Xiao smiled and extended his hand for a handshake with Niu Chuang while preparing to take out the copy of his ID card.

But just as he shook hands with Niu Chuang, Ye Xiao felt a significant force from Niu Chuang's grip. He looked up at Niu Chuang, who was chuckling, clearly trying to test Ye Xiao. Moreover, Niu Chuang kept increasing the pressure.

Ye Xiao responded with a slight smile, "It seems like Brother Niu has a pretty good impression of me!"

"Of course, I found you very likable!" Niu Chuang declared, continuing to tighten his grip. He had expected Ye Xiao to cry out in pain by now, given how strong he was—and Niu Chuang knew his own strength.

However, instead of the pained expression he expected, Niu Chuang saw a smile on Ye Xiao's face.

Niu Chuang was instantly puzzled. Why was Ye Xiao still smiling? Didn't he realize his hand must be hurting?

But at that moment, Niu Chuang suddenly found that Ye Xiao was, in fact, starting to increase his own grip strength.

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