Chapter 120: Real Estate Tycoon

Chapter 120 The Real Estate Tycoon

1,500 pounds, a sum that could not be considered a small amount of money in 19th century England, or indeed the world.

In London, ninety percent of the population earned less than one hundred pounds a year.

In the case of high-paying trades such as construction and machine building, a diligent and skilled skilled laborer could get about sixty to one hundred pounds a year, depending on the type of work and technical ability.

As for some jobs that require a certain level of knowledge, such as company employees, they can also earn a stable income of more than 70 pounds per year.

If one is engaged in the textile industry, which is a highly competitive and low-paying light manual labor industry, then even a strong-aged male without any illness or disease can only get about 30-50 pounds a year at most.

The lower profit margins in the textile industry also drove factory owners to employ large numbers of women and child laborers.

According to them, the textile industry was not very labor intensive, and it was a waste of labor to employ adult male workers.

But in reality, one look at the price of labor is all it takes to see what they are thinking, as women’s wages are usually half of those of men.

As for child laborers, their prices were even less than one-third of those of adult male workers.

And because of the lack of physical strength, child laborers and female workers are also easier to manage than adult male workers, a supervisor with a whip can make the looms in the factory squeak and squeak.

But if they employ a group of adult males, then the textile factory owners most likely will not dare to play this kind of ‘hardcore management’.

Because most of them have a vivid memory of the ‘Luddite Movement’ that smashed their machines and burned their factories more than a decade ago.

Because of this, the 19th century British textile factories can be said to prove with practical action, in the end what kind of place is called ‘brother do not go, that is a black factory’.

That is to say, 1500 pounds is approximately equivalent to the income of a technician master with absolutely excellent technical ability for 15 years, the income of a decent company clerk for 20 years, or you can also sign a 50-year lifelong labor contract with a skilled and literate housemaid, or generously pay the salary expenses of a hundred child labor textile factories for a year.

As Arthur walked along behind the real estate agent and Elder and the others, he cupped the two bills in his hand and looked them over and over, searching them carefully, before realizing that he seemed to have become a bit of a little Greenwich Borough millionaire in a flash.

Agareth leaned down to look at the two tickets, and the Red Devil pushed up his monocle as he hemmed and hawed.

“Arthur, how does it feel? Told you, it’s better to have wealth than a conscience! Let’s go, hurry up, let’s go buy a classy cottage first, then hire a housemaid to take care of your daily life, and don’t forget to rent a high-class carriage with a well-dressed and skillful driver. And last but not least, remember to hire a good French cook, I don’t want to eat all that cheap roadside food with all sorts of unknown toxins!”

Hearing this, Arthur counted on his fingers and couldn’t help but frown.

“I don’t know the prices in London, but I do know that you have to pay at least 80 pounds a year just to rent a fancy carriage, and if you add in a skilled coachman, that’s a net outlay of about 150 pounds a year. The French cook, as you call him, together with the housemaid, would add up to that figure, I expect. Spending money like that, I guess it won’t be long before I have to become poor again.”

But the Red Devil, apparently not caring so much, entreated, “My dear Arthur, how can you become poor? Aren’t you all set to become the underground king of the East End of London?
Fred’s little scoundrel can afford to open a detective agency, you take his plate, get two cooks and maids, so what?
Arthur, look at me. Don’t look at me now, but when I was in hell, I had a lot of followers, and I had a lot of little brothers who were yelling in the streets. Whoever I told to eat, I told to eat. Whoever I told to move out tomorrow, he had to move out.

A big man, should have a big man’s demeanor! Arthur, listen to me, just this once, you’ve been working so hard for so long, shouldn’t you be enjoying yourself?”

Arthur glanced at the Red Devil, he knew just by looking at the smile on the guy’s face that he must not be holding any good water in his stomach.

He opened his mouth and said, “Enjoy the enjoyment? I can’t deny this request of yours. But you’re right about one thing, if I had listened to you in the first place, I would indeed have become a big shot long ago now.”

The red devil smiled and rubbed his hands together, “Who says otherwise? So you’ve figured it out?”

Arthur pulled out his pocket to light a cigarette: “Figured it out? If I had, I’d have my head plastered all over the streets of Great Britain with a bunch of zeros underneath, and whoever captured me could really use a good time.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Arthur lifted his leg to follow in the footsteps of Elder and the others.

The Red Devil couldn’t help but stare in disbelief at the sight of his rising right eye adorning Arthur’s back, the size of which was almost like a small cottage.

He cursed, “Arthur! Fuck you! Why haven’t you figured it out yet? It’s not your lack of ability that causes you to be poor, it’s the fact that you prioritize earning money after your conscience!”

The crowd’s footsteps stopped at the entrance of Central Avenue, the most expensive house in the Greenwich District, and the real estate agent walked up to Arthur with a smile on his face, nodding his head and introducing him.

“Mr. Hastings, I heard that your budget for this home purchase is 1500 pounds?” Arthur sniffed, his heart was a little apprehensive, even though he thought that 1500 pounds was a lot of money, based on the painful memories of his last life, he still had great doubts about being able to purchase a decent property.

Although the Greenwich district was a suburb of London, but then again, it was also a suburb of the capital region, so the house prices here shouldn’t be too low, right?
Arthur forced himself to calmly say: “You look at the introduction for me, get a small set will be fine. I need two rooms, one for me and the other for the fat gentleman next to me.”

When the real estate agent heard this, he couldn’t help but laugh, “Sir, you are really joking. I can’t find a two-bedroom apartment for 1500 pounds in Greenwich, you’re looking for the kind of house with gorgeous and upmarket decoration, I can introduce to take you to the Financial City, Westminster, or a few newer lots in London’s West End.

There are a lot of new, spacious apartments being built in the West End. As for the houses in the Financial City and Westminster, although they are a little smaller, but after all, their locations are there, and most of the people living there are upper class gentlemen in the political and banking circles, which will definitely help to expand your social circle.”

“I can afford a house in Westminster and Financial City?”

“Of course!” Just after the real estate agent finished his words, he suddenly realized that a drop of water had fallen on his face, he hurriedly drew out the umbrella he was carrying, opened it and stepped forward to cover Arthur’s head, “Mr. Hastings, this way please.”

“Ah …… is that so?” When Arthur heard this, even his waist couldn’t help but straighten up a bit, he subconsciously squared his collar, then put both hands behind his back, a faction of a leader inspecting the countryside: “Then you first tell me about this little house in Greenwich.”

Who knows that when the real estate agent heard this, not only did he not introduce it, but on the contrary, he politely shoved the umbrella into the hands of Dumas who was on the side.

Embarrassed, he spoke, “This gentleman, please hold the umbrella for Mr. Hastings while I rummage through something in my bag.”

He took out a brand-new document from the small leather bag he was carrying, and then poked his head respectfully at Arthur and spoke, “Mr. Hastings, do you see this house with the gray chimney and red roof at the entrance to the street?”

Arthur took a glance at the house, which was a small two-story wooden structure, judging from the brand new white facade, the house should have been renovated in the past two years.

And judging from the number of windows, at least four families should be able to live inside, not only Arthur and Dumas could live here, even Elder and Darwin could come in and rub a bed.

Arthur nodded, “It doesn’t look too bad, let’s go in and take a look?”

“No, no, you hold your horses.” The real estate agent spoke again, pointing to a three-story apartment building in front of him, “I also represent that building, and it’s likewise being listed for sale.”

Arthur saw this, rubbed the stubble on his chin, and spoke, “I just want to buy a house for my own residence, apartments and all, I haven’t considered it yet. I haven’t decided if I want to buy a house to collect rent.”

Elder, who was overwhelmed by the rain and squeezed under the umbrella as well, muttered and spoke, “That’s right! It’s not like votes in London are worth much, so if you want to invest in fixed real estate you might as well go back to the country and get a farm.”

Who knows that when Arthur heard this, he just shook his head, “I haven’t even thought about the votes, the money of the votes is not related to me.”

Elder couldn’t help but frown when he heard this, he slapped Arthur on the back of the head, “Are you stupid? Why don’t you want the money given for free?”

“Of course I want the money given for free.” Arthur raised an eyebrow and said, “But according to Scotland Yard’s internal regulations, police officers can’t obtain the right to vote and be elected even if they are rich, so the amount of real estate has no value to me in any political sense.”

When the real estate agent heard this, he laughed and said, “So you are a Scotland Yard police officer? But that’s fine, even if you don’t have the right to vote, you can still rent out the property! Although the price of houses in London rises slowly, the return rate of renting it out is not low at all.”

“Is that so?” Arthur glanced at the three-story apartment in front of him and seemed to be a bit moved, “Then let’s go check out the apartment first?”

He was just about to take a step when the real estate agent interrupted him again, speaking, “No, no, Mr. Hastings, you misunderstand me.”

“What? Weren’t you going to show us the apartment in front of us and this little two-story detached building in front of us?”

The real estate agent smiled and pulled out the piece of paperwork in his hand as he pointed to the apartment and then to the small detached building beside him.

“What I mean, Mr. Hastings, is that if your budget is fifteen hundred pounds, then it starts with this two-story detached building next to you and goes all the way to that apartment in front of it, plus a grocery store sandwiched between them.

I’ll tell you what, even if I take a loss, these three houses are priced at a total of £1,500 and sold to you collectively.

If you think that’s a good price, then sign this document in my hand. At noon today, I will go to the landlords to discuss the details, we can go to the notary’s office in the afternoon to close the transaction, and you can move in at night.

As for the apartment building, you don’t have to worry about the empty rooms, the apartment building is now full, you can just collect the rent as usual every month. What do you think?”

(End of chapter)