Available Units

March 12, 2023, 3:30 PM - Vertis North, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines - Orean Place Condominium Building Lobby

Daniel rode the elevator from his penthouse unit down to the lobby, where he planned to meet with Mr. Santos, the general manager of the condominium. As the elevator doors opened, Daniel stepped out and scanned the spacious lobby for Mr. Santos. Soon, he spotted the manager standing by the concierge desk and made his way over to him.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Abelardo. It's a pleasure to meet with you again," Mr. Santos greeted him with a warm smile.

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Santos. Thank you for making time for me today," Daniel replied, returning the smile.

"Not at all. It's always a pleasure to show our available spaces to our valued residents," Mr. Santos said as he led Daniel towards the available commercial units.

As they walked through the lobby, Mr. Santos asked, "So, Mr. Abelardo, what specifically are you looking for in an office space?"

Daniel paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts, then responded, "I'm hoping to find a space that can accommodate my start-up creatives and advertising agency, which will have approximately 20 employees, more or less. I would prefer a private office for myself and two conference rooms - one for brainstorming and internal meetings, and another for meeting with clients. Additionally, we will need a designated parking space for our company vehicles and visitors, a dedicated area for client servicing, an editing and creative room, and, most importantly, a spacious area where our staff can work comfortably. And oh, I also want a recreation room where everyone can unwind and relax when they feel stressed out."

Mr. Santos nodded thoughtfully and said, "I see. Well, we have a few units that might fit your needs. Let me show you our available spaces."

As they walked to the first unit, Mr. Santos quoted the price for both buying and leasing the unit. "This unit might interest you, Mr. Abelardo. It has a spacious open area for your staff, two conference rooms, and a separate room that can be converted into a personal office for you. It also comes with a parking space, and we can provide additional client servicing and editing rooms as needed."

Daniel looked around the unit, impressed with the design and layout. "This looks great, Mr. Santos. Can we take a look at the other units as well?"

"Of course, Mr. Abelardo," Mr. Santos replied, leading the way to the next unit. "This unit is a bit smaller, but it has everything you need. It has a conference room, a small personal office for you, a spacious area for your staff, and a separate room for client servicing and editing."

As they toured the available units, Mr. Santos provided detailed information and quoted the prices for both buying and leasing each space. Daniel took note of the amenities and specifications of each unit, and Mr. Santos answered all his questions patiently, ensuring that he found the perfect space for his agency.

Daniel and Mr. Santos visited one of the most basic commercial units available in the building next, just for comparison's sake. Mr. Santos brought Daniel to this unit so he could see the difference between the basic ones and the more spacious ones. While they walking around the unit, they heard a loud voice coming from another room within the unit. Following the noise, they saw a young man who was also checking the basic unit being assisted by one of the sales/leasing agents of the condominium.

When the sales and leasing agent and the young man saw Mr. Santos, the young man greeted him with respect. "General Manager Santos, it's a pleasure to see you. Do you remember me?" he said.

It turned out to be JM Gonzales, Daniel's ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend who had cheated on him.

"Ah, yes. You're Mr. Gonzales, if I remember correctly," Mr. Santos greeted back. "But if you'll excuse me, I am attending to an important business right now."

When JM saw that it was Daniel who was being assisted by Mr. Santos, his eyes flashed with disdain. He walked closer to them and said, "Mr. Santos, don't be fooled by this person. He's poor and not worth your time. He's just wasting your time. I've already decided to lease this small unit. I doubt he can even afford the cheapest unit in this building."

Mr. Santos's eyes flashed with anger and was about to retort and say that Daniel is the owner of the most expensive penthouse unit in the building and a VIP customer. However, Daniel waved him off and told Mr. Santos to let JM speak.

JM took this as a sign that Daniel could not really compare to him, so he continued to brag and said, "I'll be the one to lease this unit, and I'm even willing to offer 50% more than what Daniel plans to pay for this small unit."

*Ding!*

"Minor Mission Assigned: Overcome Ridicule" Sampaguita's robotic voice suddenly sounded inside Daniel's head, "Let the person showing you ridicule that you are not what he thinks you are without explicitly showing arrogance"

"Reward is Php. 3,000,000 and 50 overcome points)

Daniel suddenly thought of an idea whispered something to Mr. Santos, and then he burst out laughing.

JM looked at him with more ridicule.

Mr. Santos then turned to JM and said, "If that's the case, then you can lease this unit, Mr. Gonzales."

JM's face lit up with smugness, and he looked at Daniel, thinking he had won. He thought Daniel whispered to Mr. Santos that he can't match the increase so he is giving up and whispered out of embarrassment.

But Daniel just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Good for you."

Daniel and Mr. Santos made their way out of the unit and headed towards Mr. Santos's office.

"How much is that unit?" Daniel inquired.

"It's Php. 3,000,000, Mr. Daniel, but since you're a VIP, I can give it to you for Php. 2,800,000," Mr. Santos replied.

"Okay, I'll pay the full price right now. Please prepare the documents, and I'll sign and pay right away. Since Mr. Gonzales wants to lease it that much and even offered to pay 50% more than the normal lease rate, then we'll let him do it. I'll be a happy landlord if that's the case," Daniel said with a chuckle.

Mr. Santos nodded, impressed with Daniel's quick thinking and handling of the situation. "Very well, Mr. Daniel. I'll prepare the documents right away, and we can proceed with the transaction as soon as possible."

As they walked towards Mr. Santos's office, Sampaguita's robotic voice sounded inside Daniel's head once again. "Minor Mission Complete: Overcome Ridicule. Congratulations! You have earned Php. 3,000,000 and 50 overcome points."

Daniel grinned to himself, feeling a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. He knew he had handled the situation well and turned it to his advantage.

Daniel and Mr. Santos arrived at the latter's office shortly after their discussion. As soon as they entered, Mr. Santos got to work on preparing the necessary documents. It didn't take long before he handed over the paperwork to Daniel. Without any hesitation, Daniel quickly scanned through the documents, signed his name, and paid the full amount.

"Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Santos. I appreciate all the information and guidance you've provided. I will definitely take all of this into consideration and get back to you soon about my decision regarding the space for my startup," Daniel said with gratitude.

Mr. Santos nodded and smiled, happy with the transaction. Daniel waved goodbye and headed back to his unit upstairs, feeling relieved that everything went smoothly.

As he left, he couldn't help but think that maybe everything happens for a reason. If it weren't for JM's rude remarks and arrogance, he wouldn't have thought of that idea and earned Php. 3,000,000 in the process. Plus, he would also receive monthly payments from JM leasing the unit.

"Life is full of surprises," he thought. "It's up to us to make the most of them."