Starfish Seafood Processing Company has just signed a seafood export contract to the EU market. Starfish needs a specialized freezing equipment priced at $$20,000$ with a useful life of $5$ years, with an estimated salvage value of $$2,000$ at the end of the $5$th year. The company has determined that this new equipment will help them save $$8,000/$year in electricity costs over the $5$ years. The company is considering the following financing options for purchasing this new equipment: Option $1$: Purchase the equipment for $$20,000$ and put it into use immediately. Option $2$: Lease the equipment with an annual rental payment of $$4,800/$year$,$ with payments beginning one year after the start of the lease. Note that: The company applies the straight$-$line depreciation method for all fixed assets, the corporate income tax rate is $35\%,$ the company can borrow long$-$term at an interest rate of $12\mathrm{.}31\%$ per year $($before tax$),$ and the company's WACC is $12\%.$ Requirement: Please advise the company on whether to choose the option to purchase or lease the asset. B$$y gi$$