1After Xiao Ming finished speaking, Yun Shi Yu and Yang Hanqing didn't make a sound for a long while. Shen Siyi wanted to speak up, but didn't dare to.
Even a fool knows how important a subway line that traverses the city center and ends at the airport is.
The most direct result is that real estate prices along its route will skyrocket, especially near the stations, without exception.
Although the slum areas would also see significant price increases, by comparison, they seem rather lackluster.
"Bastard!"
Just as Xiao Ming was waiting to bask in the adulation of the two beauties, both his arms simultaneously experienced severe pain.
Yang Hanqing, like an infuriated mother cat, said bitterly, "Why didn't you mention such important matters earlier?
Do you know how much time I wasted researching the slum areas?"
"You actually saved a business deal involving hundreds of millions or even billions for a last-minute reveal," Yun Shi Yu angrily continued, "Mr. Xiao, such behavior is not only childish but also incredibly irresponsible.
Since it's your first offense, I'll let it slide this time. If there's a next time, I will immediately join Qing in a vote of no confidence against you!"
This is the downside of doing business with friends, especially female friends, because they really don't treat you as superior - they'll hit you as soon as the words come out.
If there's domestic violence at home, would this be considered 'corporate violence'?
There's nowhere to reason with them.
Xiao Ming felt he couldn't encourage this trend, so he rolled his eyes disdainfully and said, "This young master owns the absolute controlling interest in Ruiye, and with Siyi helping me, your efforts to oppose are useless even if you tried to impeach me into the next life."
Yun Shi Yu and Yang Hanqing immediately turned their heads and glared at Shen Siyi in unison.
Shen Siyi wore a bitter expression: "Bro, dear bro! I've practically made myself invisible—can you please just pretend I don't exist?
From now on, I won't come out with you guys anymore. I'll just be a dutiful Chief Logistics Officer, buy things, tease the secretaries, and enjoy my dividends.
Whatever resolution you guys have, I'll support with all five limbs, without intervening."
"Get lost! A dog's mouth can't spit out ivory; I'll find some guys to take care of that fifth limb of yours first!"
Yun Shi Yu scolded, and Yang Hanqing also spat in agreement.
Shen Siyi dared not talk back and felt like crying without tears.
Having deftly shifted the blame, Xiao Ming observed tranquilly, as if a monk in deep meditation.
Yun Shi Yu and Yang Hanqing had a quiet discussion and finally decided: it would be best to buy both plots of land, but if that's not possible, then give up Plot Ding A and ensure Plot Ding B is secured.
The auction for Plot Ding A had already begun upstairs with a starting bid of 120 million, and each minimum bid increase was 200,000.
It's clear to any astute observer that projects involving the transformation of slum areas usually mean a lot of trouble.
Too many low-income residents dwell there, and being too forceful with relocations can easily lead to lawsuits, while being lenient can foster stubborn holdouts; not to mention the final profits are not particularly high—a typical case of much ado about little payoff.
Unless the developer has absolute control locally, or they're willing to take a loss for the sake of making noise and earning approval from the higher-ups, most businessmen have little interest in such properties.
As a result, when the auctioneer announced the start, there were some who raised their bidding paddles, but most only increased by the minimum bid of 200,000, in a tepid fashion. After more than twenty minutes, the price had only reached 126 million.
Just as the auctioneer, tired and nearly giving up, announced the proceedings, a proud voice suddenly pierced the quiet hall.
"130 million!"
The auctioneer perked up, shouting loudly, "130 million! Dabang Group bids 130 million..."
A bid twenty times the minimum, although somewhat showy, wasn't excessively overbearing—at least it spared the faces of those bosses who had backed out, clearly signalling Dabang's determination.
The businessmen present turned their gazes towards the Cao Father and Son area, and even the leaders at the front made a point of turning around and smiling in approval.
Cao Zhining nodded gracefully in response, looking every bit the part, while Cao Bangxi, like a hen that had just laid an egg, seemed eager to throw his head back to the heavens.
"Damn it, I really can't stand that bastard's show-off attitude," Shen Siyi spat in contempt.
Xiao Ming smiled faintly, "If you can't stand him, just play with him. Bid, 140 million!"
Shen Siyi became excited, raised his bidder card high, and shouted the price Xiao Ming had mentioned.
Who is this? Even daring to throw Dabang's face on the ground!
The originally noisy venue fell silent, and almost everyone looked over. Cao Bangxi's face looked as unpleasant as if he had swallowed a fly, and Cao Zhining also frowned.
The only two who were happy were the auctioneer and the leaders.
"140 million! Maohe Real Estate raises the bid by 10 million, offering 140 million! Is there any boss willing to offer a higher price..."
The auctioneer's voice was high-pitched, making Cao Bangxi's forehead vein throb. Without even thinking, he raised his bidder card again.
"150 million!"
The businessmen erupted into an uproar.
What's going on?
This isn't an auction for jewelry or antiques, where spoiled heirs compete in bidding just to make others sneer.
To be so impulsive over land related to urban development is simply ludicrous.
Some leaders had already started to frown, and Cao Zhining was even more furious. He scolded in a low voice, "You reckless fool, who told you to bid?"
Realizing his impulsiveness, Cao Bangxi was annoyed but didn't dare to retort. He could only make excuses, "Sorry Dad, I was confused by Shen Siyi's provocation. I thought since we were going to raise the bid anyway, so I..."
"But you can't just raise it by 10 million like that, do you have so much money you can't spend it all?"
Cao Bangxi bowed his head and fell silent.
"Dare to raise bids without asking your old man again, and I'll have you roll back home!" After cursing one more time, Cao Zhining let it be.
Meanwhile, someone else asked Shen Anhe, "Isn't that your second son over there? Why is he bidding on behalf of Maohe Real Estate?"
Shen Anhe snorted, "He made some money speculating on futures a while ago and got cocky. He joined someone to start a small company and is now causing trouble. I can't be bothered with him!"
"Causing trouble? It doesn't seem like it! I saw Miss Yun of the Yun Family with him too! Isn't this young lady known for her intellect?"
"Uncle Wang, you're overthinking it, it's just Miss Yun by herself," Shen Siqi said with a sneer, "Even if she's talented, in the face of the veterans in the business world, isn't she still just a newbie?"
"Oh, so it's unrelated to the Yun Family!"
"Of course it's unrelated! It's just a few foolish kids flinging money around, the Yun Family doesn't care to deal with them..."
Listening to Shen Siqi rattling on and airing Shen Siyi's dirty laundry, Shen Anhe became displeased.
Although he wasn't fond of his second son, whatever happened within the family behind closed doors was their own affair. How could he betray their own to outsiders? Didn't he have any sense of being an elder brother?
Coughing to interrupt Shen Siqi, Shen Anhe said indifferently, "Raise the bidder card, 160 million."
Shen Siqi was stunned, "Dad, we didn't plan to buy this plot of land!"
"Just do what I say and bid, will you? Stop talking nonsense!"
Confused, Shen Siqi dared not disobey. Glancing in the direction of the Cao Father and Son, he raised his bidder card.
By this time, Shen Siyi and Cao Bangxi had already made alternating bids, both at the base price, so the current price was 150.04 million.
Shen Siyi was about to add another 200,000 when he heard a familiar voice bid 160 million. Hesitant, he wondered whether to continue.
Xiao Ming's mouth twitched upwards as he pressed down Shen Siyi's half-raised hand, saying, "Don't go against the old man; we'll let the Cao Family have this round."𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
At the same time, Cao Bangxi abruptly turned his head, glaring at Shen Siqi from a distance.
Others thought he was angry at being targeted by the Shen brothers, but only he and Shen Siqi knew that his anger stemmed from a sense of betrayal!