## Chapter 124: The First Step to the Top
Arthur flipped through the property listings in front of him, his peripheral vision catching the real estate agent leaning in close to Lionel, whispering something in his ear.
Lionel listened intently, his face betraying a flicker of surprise. He shook his head helplessly, then turned to Arthur with an apologetic smile. “Excuse me, Mr. Hastings. That six-bedroom suite in Regent’s Crescent I mentioned earlier…”
Arthur looked up and asked, “Is there something wrong with it?”
“No, no, no,” Lionel waved his hand dismissively, “Why would I offer you a problematic property? It’s just that our company received news this morning that the suite was requisitioned by the government. But if you have any preferences, I can still help you inquire about any other properties in Regent’s Crescent that might be up for sale.”
“Requisitioned?” Arthur pondered. He had heard of Regent’s Crescent before. Opposite it lay Regent’s Park, a reserve that the recently deceased King George IV had set aside for himself during his regency.
George IV had intended to build a garden palace there for himself and other royal nobles. However, before the construction was complete, he ascended to the throne and naturally moved into Buckingham Palace.
As a result, the garden part was converted into a park, and the palace part was turned into a row of villas, which is what became Regent’s Crescent.
It was arguably one of the most sought-after luxury residential areas in London over the past decade, so Arthur had never considered buying property there.
He had 1500 pounds, but that was hardly a significant sum among the residents of Regent’s Crescent.
He knew Rothschild had been giving him favorable treatment, but there were degrees to it. If the previous stock tips could be considered normal investment advice within the bounds of the rules, then the current property acquisition was almost blatant money-giving.
The difference was, people couldn’t really pin anything on him for hearing a few stock inside tips, but buying a high-end property at a low price was a real risk of causing trouble.
Besides, even though he had been in this world for a few years, he hadn’t forgotten the old saying back home: “A gift horse should not be looked in the mouth.”
Arthur understood perfectly what he could and couldn’t do.
Before Arthur could speak, the Red Devil, in his familiar seductive voice, began to stir Arthur’s greed.
Agareus rubbed his hands and cackled, “Arthur, what are you waiting for? Haven’t you read *Paradise Lost*? Mammon built a palace for Satan called *Pandemonium*. Now, as the Satan of the mortal world, don’t hesitate. You won’t take it, someone else will, so why not accept this invitation from Mammon?”
Arthur glanced at the Red Devil. He had thought this guy had changed his ways recently, but now it seemed that was just because the opportunity hadn’t presented itself yet. As soon as the opportunity was ripe, this devil would start scheming again, eager to push him into the abyss.
Arthur smiled and said, “It’s alright, Lionel, Regent’s Crescent wasn’t on my radar anyway. We can look at other detached houses and apartments, like Bayswater near Hyde Park, or near Lancaster Gate, I think those are both very good options.”
Arthur’s words were short, but the information they conveyed was enough to make Lionel overjoyed.
Because Arthur hadn’t addressed him as Mr. Rothschild, but had directly called him by his name, it showed that his efforts had successfully drawn them closer.
And Arthur’s subsequent words indicated his refusal of this blatant money-giving, suggesting that he wanted to find a house that matched his own financial means.
Lionel smoothly changed his address for Arthur as well. He smiled and asked, “Oh, Arthur, you’re sharp! Those two areas are also very good choices. They may not have the grandeur of Regent’s Crescent, but they are quieter and you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Hyde Park after dinner. I know you are also very famous in the field of scientific research, forgive me, I should have thought of that, scientists like you prefer a quiet and comfortable research environment.”
He leaned forward slightly, his hand resting on the property listings, and with a flick of the page, a detached house for sale in Hyde Park appeared before Arthur.
“How about this one? London W2, Bayswater, 36 Lancaster Gate, a three-story detached house.
Lancaster Gate is much closer to your future office at 4 Whitehall Street than Greenwich. It is south of Hyde Park, so you can see the beautiful scenery of the Royal Gardens from your home. Not far to the north is St. Mary’s Hospital, and next to it is the Paddington business district.
Or, if you like, you can go to the Paddington Police Station at Scotland Yard nearby after dinner and supervise and visit the work progress of these subordinate police stations.
One could say that all the location conditions of this house perfectly meet your needs. Oh, I forgot to tell you, this used to be the residence of a Baronet, but he had some problems with his investments, so he’s eager to sell it.
Outside the house is a small private garden, not very large, but elegant and neat. If you have the inclination, you can tend to some flowers and plants outside.
Through the garden’s gravel path, as you enter, you’ll see the living room, dining room, and kitchen on the first floor.
And after going up the spiral staircase, the second floor has six bedrooms and three bathrooms, with a configuration of four large and two small bedrooms.
When the original owner lived here, the four large bedrooms were one for his own use, one for receiving guests, and the other two were for his two children. The two smaller ones were for his housekeeper and cook.
As for the attic on the third floor, that was the original owner’s private art studio, which you could also convert into a personal research laboratory if you need to.
I’ve seen this house in person, the maintenance is excellent, a typical Baroque style. The original owner put a lot of effort into the interior decoration, and the interior design is quite luxurious.
I can assure you, if the owner wasn’t in a hurry to sell, you wouldn’t be able to get such a bargain for 850 pounds.”
Arthur took a deep breath upon hearing this.
After Lionel finished speaking, it was almost as if he had to buy the house.
He rested his hand on the armrest of the sofa, stroking his chin and turning to ask, “This is worth 850 pounds?”
The real estate agent standing beside him wiped his sweat with a handkerchief. He thought Arthur was complaining about the high price. He apologized, “Actually, 850 pounds is a bit expensive for this area, but considering the interior decoration, we gave it this valuation.
To be honest, the owner originally listed it for a thousand pounds, but since no one was interested for a long time, he gradually lowered it to 850 pounds. If you really decide to buy this house, I’ll go talk to the owner again tomorrow, there should be a chance to lower the price a bit more.”
Arthur, finally understanding the true value of the house, nodded immediately.
“You’ve been very busy today, so don’t bother going to see the owner again to negotiate the price. I’ll take this house. However, I only have 500 pounds on hand at the moment, I wonder if your company offers a mortgage service?”
The real estate agent sighed in relief. A stone that had been pressing on his heart finally landed. He enthusiastically took out the documents tucked under his arm and asked, “So, Mr. Hastings, your mortgage requirement is 350 pounds. Our current mortgage interest rate is 2%. If you…”
Lionel heard this and waved his hand slightly to the real estate agent.
The real estate agent, taken aback by the gesture, quickly realized something. He hurriedly replied, “Oh, oh, right. Mr. Hastings, it’s actually not very cost-effective for you to take out a mortgage with us. Since you are a friend of Mr. Rothschild, you can go to Rothschild Bank to handle a special channel mortgage business. I’ll go over there and ask for you now.”
With that, he quickly put away his documents and rushed out of the transaction hall.
Lionel finally nodded in satisfaction.
He took a pen from his jacket pocket and then pulled out a piece of paper from the coffee table, scribbling on it before pushing it towards Arthur with a smile.
“Arthur, with your credit, getting a special loan from Rothschild is almost a certainty. So, I took the liberty of calculating the ten-year loan interest rate for you, just refer to this information for repayment.”
Arthur took the paper and glanced at it, then looked up at Lionel and asked with a smile, “350 pounds principal, 10-year loan, monthly repayment of 3 pounds and 8 shillings, isn’t this loan interest rate too low?”
Lionel shook his head slightly upon hearing this. He leaned forward with a smile.
“Arthur, you don’t understand. Loans are all about the borrower’s credit. In my opinion, your credit is more solid than the British government, so you get a lower loan interest rate than British government bonds, which is obviously reasonable. Rothschild rarely does high-risk business, we pursue steady income and long-term stability.”
(End of Chapter)