1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 153: Hold the thigh!
Ronan pretended to be calm as he entered the meeting room, but in fact he was completely unsure, with countless chaotic thoughts in his mind:
Blanco called so many helpers here, could it be that he wants to bargain with me?

Or do they want to "bully me" and force me to agree to something?
Or will I be held accountable for those recent 'complaints' from tourists?
Mistake.

We should bring some big men to support the show.
He found a place to sit down, and kept reminding himself in his heart:

Don't be anxious or feel guilty. If you have the ability, you can open a restaurant anywhere.

If Lourmarin is not accessible, go to another village.

You don't have to work hard for Lourmarin!
Blanco was as kind as ever, and said to Ronan with a smile:

"I'm sorry it took so long to give you the news."

Ronan smiled faintly:
"Understand, this is really not a small matter."

Blanco pointed to his colleagues and said:
“The commercial street is a project that all departments in Lourmarin are very concerned about, so colleagues from all departments are here too.”

Ronan nodded as if facing a formidable enemy, but said nothing.

Whatever your idea is, come on!
Blanco opened the notebook in front of him and said solemnly:
"After several rounds of internal consultation and evaluation, we can agree to your 'cooperation method'. The government will open up the purchase rights of the 'commercial street' to the outside world. Not only you, but everyone can buy the shops there."

The words "Why don't you agree" were already on Ronan's lips, but he swallowed them back.

Ok?
agreed?
Blanco's reply was so unexpected to Ronan that he didn't respond at all.

Blanco praised silently in his heart:
"He is indeed a man who can accomplish great things. He is so happy that I clapped my hands in excitement when I heard the news! There is hope for the future of Lourmarin!"

Blanco suppressed his joy and continued to introduce the government's final decision:
"However, we need to agree on several 'lease terms'. Signing different lease terms will result in different final 'purchase prices' for the house."

Ronan began to get nervous again.

He was not sure whether the government really agreed or just pretended to agree.

These people are eager to let him open a restaurant here, so it is possible that they do some misleading things.

The lease term won’t be extended to ten or twenty years, right?

Do you have to wait until my son gets married before the ownership can be transferred to me?

"Which gears are they?" Ronan asked calmly.

"Three, five, or ten years, there's no point in going any longer." Blanco shrugged with a smile. "The 'right to buy' hasn't been activated for so many years, which means the store isn't making money. So what's the point of continuing to operate it? It's time to find a new owner."

Ronan was a little surprised.

The lease period is set reasonably.
He asked the most important question:
“What are the purchase prices for different lease terms?”

Blanco continued to flip through his notebook, introducing Ronan and his colleagues around him, speaking slowly but clearly:
"In the future, the commercial street will provide shop owners with two ways of cooperation. One is direct purchase, with the selling price being 8.5% off the current market price. The other is rent first and then buy. The 'right to buy' can be activated at any time during the lease term. The purchase price for a 3-year lease is 8.5% off the market price of the month when the clause is activated, the purchase price for a 5-year lease is 9% off the market price of the month when the clause is activated, and the purchase price for a 10-year lease is 9.5% off the market price of the month when the clause is activated. The remaining amount paid during the lease term, except for management fees, maintenance fees and insurance fees, can be used to offset the house price."

Blanco looked up and smiled at Ronan:
"But you don't have anything to pay for the house, so I'm giving you the cost price."

Ronan was completely unable to respond to Blanco's smile, and his expression became extremely solemn.
He had just asked Louis yesterday about the current market price of Lourmarin.

The current land price per square meter is around 1600 francs, which is still expensive even with a 8% discount. It is still a house he cannot afford.

As if he had heard Ronan's thoughts, Blanco reported the data of the building king for him:

“The building with the best location on the commercial street has a main building area of 140 square meters and a backyard area of 218 square meters.”

Ronan leaned back in his chair and touched his forehead awkwardly:
"Even if you buy it now, it will cost more than 40 francs after the discount."

Maybe 50 yuan in three years? Or 60 yuan?
In short, house prices in Provence are rising every year.

This 'leak' is totally out of reach. It's too expensive!
Blanco closed his notebook, looked at Ronan and asked:
"How about it?"

Ronan smiled bitterly and replied:
"How about what?"

Blanco smiled and spread his hands:

“How is this collaboration?”

Ronan shook his head repeatedly:

"It's too expensive, Blanco. I'm afraid that this price will scare the villagers to death. They will never make that much money in their lifetime. I admit that this price is in line with the market conditions, but those who can come to Provence and buy a house at the market price are rich people from outside, not locals."

Blanco laughed happily:
"Why not let the villagers hear about the government's 'subsidy plan'?"

This is the effect he wants.

If you just hand over your cards, the other party may not think it's a good deal, so you need some small negotiation strategies.

"Subsidy plan?" Ronan's eyes regained vitality.

Is this not the final price?
Can it be cheaper?

Blanco opened his notebook again:

"I said that the government has never thought of recovering costs through selling or leasing the land. Our goal is to drive as much economic growth as possible in Lourmarin in the future, so there will be a lot of 'free space' in each building. However, this policy is limited to local villagers."

Ronan's newly rekindled vitality was extinguished again.
He pointed at himself and said dejectedly:
“But I’m not a local villager.”

France does not have a 'household registration book', but has a strict household registration system.

Ronan's registered residence is still in Paris. He has never moved here.

You are telling me about policies that have nothing to do with me. Do you want me to get so angry that I will bang my head against the wall?

Blanco paused his introduction and said with a bright smile: "The criteria for determining whether someone is a 'local villager' is determined by the local government."

Ronan's eyes widened.

In just one minute, his mood went up and down like a roller coaster.

Blanco asked Sylvie beside him:

"Do you think Ronan is a native villager of Lourmarin?"

Sylvie shook her hair coyly and said in a low voice:
“Is there any Lourmarin villager more Lourmarin than he?”

Blanco asked Claude again:

"What do you think?"

Claude gave Ronan a friendly smile:

"When those tourists reported him, they treated him as a 'local villager'. I think it will be difficult for Ronan and Lourmarin to put aside their relationship, right?"

Blanco asked a few more people, and they all kindly confirmed Ronan's identity as a villager of Lourmarin.

After Blanco asked everyone, he looked at Ronan with a smile:
"From the moment I heard you say to the reporters, 'I love Lourmarin', I regarded you as a member of this village. It has nothing to do with the information written in the municipal system. Ronan, please remember that Lourmarin loves you too."

Ronan brought so much vitality to Lourmarin.

He is undoubtedly the one who has contributed the most in the village.

Doesn’t this mean everything?

Ronan was both excited and moved, and kept expressing his gratitude to everyone.

Blanco brought the topic back and said cheerfully:

"Then let's see what policies you can enjoy as a local villager of Lourmarin. The yard of that house will be used as 'free area'."

This time Ronan lost his composure completely and gripped the chair with both hands.

A 218-square-meter large yard with a view of the Luberon Mountains and the Château de Lourmarin is free?

Someone nearby immediately calculated the specific number for Ronan.

"So the price of that building, after a 8.5% discount based on this month's market price, is about 19 francs."

Ronan was overwhelmed with joy.

19 can only buy a thatched house in other parts of Luberon.

You'd be a fool not to buy at this price!
I love Lourmarin!

"The following is the second 'government subsidy policy'." Blanco continued to flip through his notebook.

Ronan leaned forward and asked Blanco in disbelief:
"How many 'subsidy policies' have you come up with?"

Blanco laughed at himself:
"Many, many. We sincerely hope that the villagers can join this project. In the future, Lourmarin will definitely make a qualitative leap. Why should we leave the wealth to people from other villages? We hope that the government's 'sincerity' can bring confidence to the villagers."

Ronan looked at the people in the room, some familiar and some unfamiliar, with a complicated look.

He seemed to know why Lourmarin would achieve a "curve overtaking" in the "great upgrade" of Provence's tourism industry in the future.
"You will definitely succeed." Ronan said firmly.

After his ups and downs, Ronan's mood started to rise again.

Blanco then talked about three or four policies in a row, all of which were irresistible.

The Lourmarin government showed all their sincerity, and Ronan naturally also showed his sincerity.

On the same day, he signed the first contract for the Lourmarin Commercial Street project with the government.

Ronan chose a lease term of 3 years.

During the three-year lease, he can activate the "purchase clause" at any time and purchase the building at a 3% discount on the then current market price.

At the same time, the Lourmarin government also provided Ronan with a 1 franc "decoration fund" to encourage Ronan to decorate a beautiful restaurant like a tourist attraction.

The building is expected to be delivered at the end of July or early August, and the fund will be sent to Ronan around that time.

Ronan had nothing in his hands when he entered the government office, but when he came out he had a thick folder in his hands. Many villagers on the way asked Ronan what it was.

"contract."

"What contract?"

"High Street Contracts."

"Ah? You're going to open a store on the commercial street?"

“Yes, I’m going to open a restaurant there.”

"Are you crazy?! The commercial street is a scam by the government, how can you believe what they say?"

Ronan held the contract and looked back at the Lourmarin government behind him thoughtfully:
"A deceptive trick? This is clearly a 'ladder' to wealth."

He was determined to hold on to this thick thigh!

(End of this chapter)