The room fell silent for a moment. Even the assistant stopped typing.
Shiao Kyan actually froze. Her eyes widened just a little, and even though she tried to hide it, the shock was clear on her face. For someone in her field, this request bordered on impossible. A renovation of this scale usually took at least a month. Sometimes longer. Even with the best workers, they still needed time. Heavy doors, security systems, windows, rooftop setups, water filtration, wiring, panel installation, all of this needed many steps.
Five days was not tight. It was suffocating.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but when she looked at Bai Li's expression, she saw the calm seriousness in her eyes. Bai Li was not joking. She was not exaggerating either. Her expression said one thing clearly: this is the only condition and it will not change.
Shiao closed her mouth again. She understood the meaning behind that look. When a client came with that level of determination, there was no point trying to talk them down. She could only accept it. Of course, this also meant one thing. With that time frame, the cost was going to shoot through the roof. They would need multiple teams working day and night. They would need specialists brought in quickly. It would require extra pay for overtime, rush shipping, extra safety checks. But at the end of the day, money was not her concern. The client said budget was not a problem, so she simply had to deliver.
At that moment, the door opened, and the receptionist entered holding a tray. She placed the black coffee in front of Bai Li and gave a polite smile before quietly leaving.
Shiao cleared her throat gently. "Well, Miss Bai, please enjoy your coffee for now. I will discuss a few things with my assistant. Please make yourself comfortable."
Bai Li nodded and lifted the cup. The smell of strong, freshly brewed coffee drifted up, warm and calming. She took a slow sip and let the taste settle on her tongue. Meanwhile, Shiao stepped to the corner with her assistant.
Bai Li could hear only faint whispers, but she could guess what they were talking about. Time, manpower, cost, schedules, availability. She remained patient, sipping her drink slowly.
After about a minute or two, Shiao returned and took her seat again. She straightened her suit jacket a little, took a deep breath, and looked serious. The assistant stood right behind her, holding the tablet like it was some kind of sacred object.
Bai Li placed her cup down and waited quietly.
Shiao finally spoke. "Miss Bai, our company will definitely finish your renovation within the next five days. We will bring in multiple teams, work day and night, and assign our most skilled personnel for every part of the job. But because of the scale and time limit, the total cost will be around ten million yuan."
She paused to let the number settle before continuing, "This price includes the materials, the labor fees, the advanced systems, rush delivery charges, and special grade equipment. I hope you will be satisfied with this."
Then she handed the tablet to Bai Li. "This is the digital contract. If our work does not meet your standards, the company will redo everything free of charge."
Bai Li blinked slowly. 10.5 million yuan.
She expected a high price, but hearing the number still sent a small jolt through her. Her heart tightened for half a second. That was a massive amount of money. It felt like someone had reached into her bank account and scooped out a chunk the size of a small car.
But she also knew she had no choice. The apocalypse was coming. Electricity would fail. Water systems would collapse. Buildings would turn into death traps. Without these upgrades, this apartment would not be safe.
And she needed it safe.
She exhaled softly and nodded. "Understood. I agree."
She signed the contract on the tablet, then flipped through the physical papers that Shiao provided and signed those too. The assistant collected everything like a treasure. Bai Li then made the payment. Watching ten million vanish from her account hurt a little. She felt it in her chest. It was not pain, but something close to a deep sigh that got stuck halfway.
Still, she pressed the confirm button. Payment successful.
Twenty minutes later, everything was done. Contract signed, money sent, project approved. Bai Li stood up and reached out her hand. Shiao took it immediately, smiling much wider than before. Clearly, she was thrilled. A deal worth ten million was rare, and it would bring her a huge bonus at the end of the year.
"Happy cooperation, Miss Bai," Shiao said warmly, shaking her hand with both of hers. "Our workers will start today as soon as possible. We will meet you in your apartment at twelve in the afternoon to begin preparations."
Bai Li nodded calmly, even though her heart was still thinking about her poor bank balance.
Then Shiao added, almost casually, "Oh, and one more thing. You must have already gotten permission for the solar panels and the use of the rooftop from the building management, right?"
Bai Li smiled. A soft, natural smile that hid every lie perfectly.
"Yes," she said smoothly, "everything is already taken care of."
Though it was not a complete lie as she will soon get all the permissions that she needs. She just needs to spend a bit more money.
..
..
After coming out of the building, Bai Li looked towards the sky. The day was just like a sunny day without any unpredictable weather.
She took out her phone and opened the bank account to take a look and seeing the previous amount of 28 million yuan drop to just 7 and half million yuan was truly heartbreaking and it hasn't even been 24 hours since she came to this world.
Bai Li laughed slightly before she quickly made a call to the building. Now that she had already closed the deal with the renovation company, it was now time to get the permissions needed for the use of the rooftop and the renovation itself.
.
.
.
To be continued.
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