Return to the Day When My Pregnant Wife Jumped Off the Building-Chapter 348 Acting in Accord with Heaven_1

"Kid, before the dishes are served, if you can’t explain things clearly, the old man will let you know just how valuable my name is."

In the private room of the Huaiyang Cuisine Restaurant, Shi Qianshan put down the menu and began to threaten with a gloomy tone.

"It won’t take that long, just a matter of one sentence. In half a year, the top-ranked key middle school in the provincial capital will establish a branch in Fanjincheng; the originally planned light rail and the hospital will also start construction."

Xiao Ming took a sip of tea, then curled his lips and tossed the cup onto the table, "Eating Huaiyang dishes and drinking Pu’er, aren’t you afraid you won’t be able to taste the food?"

Shi Qianshan stared directly at him, "How do you know about things that will only happen six months from now?"

"Not only do I know, but Hao Taixing also knows. Otherwise, why do you think his grandson is playing bankruptcy right now?"

Having been in business all his life, Shi Qianshan immediately understood what the Hao Family was up to.

Put simply, it was just a case of getting something for nothing.

They knew about the future plans in advance, so they deliberately spread rumors to cause panic among homebuyers, reducing the number of homes sold at low prices. Later, when prices rose, they would naturally make more.

That was one thing.

Secondly, Hao Xiangyu has certainly transferred most of his assets, and the real estate company itself doesn’t have any valuable property to speak of. Once they enter the bankruptcy liquidation process, the debts they owe would basically be written off.

The most crucial point is that the legal person of that company is not Hao Xiangyu himself.

In other words, with some maneuvering by the Hao Family later on, they could have a new company take over Fanjincheng at a very low price and continue the construction.

Compared to playing it straight, they could at least save half the cost, and the profits would be several times more than expected. The earnings would be huge.

As the saying goes, the business world is like a battlefield, full of cunning and deceit, and talking about it for days and nights would not exhaust the subject. The trick played by the Hao Family is one of the most common higher-level tactics, and it’s especially safe.

Unless we could get concrete evidence of their premeditated plotting, we’re out of luck.

Thinking this through, when Shi Qianshan looked at Xiao Ming again, the look of appreciation in his eyes increased.

Before today, his deepest impression of Xiao Ming was Zhou Jicang’s description of him as an "Aberrant," with a mysterious ability to predict the accurate timing of earthquakes.

Having lived for ninety years through darkness, war, and turmoil, he had seen many wonders and extraordinary people. Except for those who had retreated from the world early on, almost all of those who had made a name for themselves in the mundane world didn’t end well.

He had thought Xiao Ming was one of them, but now it seemed this young man might simply be very clever.

He had a waiter bring a pot of Longjing tea, and Shi Qianshan asked, "If we can’t secure Fanjincheng in the end, would you really give those fifty million to Lei Jianchao for nothing?"

Xiao Ming shook his head, "The likelihood of that happening is small, unless the local lords here dare to defy heaven and not even put you in their eyes."

"But if it’s a fair competition, no one would dare to bid higher than me."

Shi Qianshan chuckled, "If you’re really putting all your hopes on my reputation, then I’d advise you to think things over more carefully.

I’ve been out of the limelight for many years now. Many of the friends from my time have either passed away or retired.

Nowadays it’s the era of the young folks. To them, I’m at best a figurehead, someone to show off when needed but just to give me face when I’m not.

’Shi Qianshan’ is just a name, not a brand, and certainly not something that can be sold for money."

"No wonder they say you’re perceptive!"

Xiao Ming poured a cup of tea for both himself and Fang Muye, "Frankly, I didn’t plan to wave your flag to conquer territories. That would be disrespectful to you, and irresponsible to myself.

Your name, to me, lies in the three words ’Shi Qianshan’ themselves."

You’ve been in business for a lifetime, with wealth that could rival a nation, and have also experienced utmost poverty. Throughout the ups and downs of decades, not a single bad rumor has ever surfaced about you.

Your name is as solid as pure gold. Merchants trust it, and so do the common folk. Ordinary means can’t even scratch it.

It’s like a supreme amulet, capable of warding off any malevolent spirits; they can’t touch it without getting skinned alive.

I might get a beating for saying this, but I just want to use you as a talisman of fortune, to achieve my dreams and make a fortune every day."

Shi Qianshan’s sparse white eyebrows slowly lifted, followed by a burst of hearty laughter.

"Not bad, not bad at all. I’m quite contented that you think this way. This is the most satisfying time I’ve ever been used as a talisman of fortune.

If only those worthless descendants of mine had a mind as clear as yours, living another ten or eight years wouldn’t be out of the question! Ha ha ha ha..."

Why do old fellows always like to swindle people?

Oh well, for someone nearly a hundred years old, playing the good grandson isn’t such a bad deal.

Xiao Ming curled his lips, then continued, "If I’m not mistaken, the more than three hundred million Hao Xiangyu says he owes the bank is his total cost so far.

Adding the debts of downstream enterprises like Lei Jianchao, it should take about five billion to secure the Fanjincheng project.

The last phase of the real estate development is already more than half completed, and the following investment won’t exceed two billion.

A total of seven billion, I’ll put in five and you put in two, with shares divided seventy-thirty. What do you think?"

Shi Qianshan was noncommittal and took out a tobacco pipe from his pocket. While filling it with tobacco, he said, "Calculate the final profit again."

Xiao Ming hesitated not at all and replied directly, "The planned total construction area of Fanjincheng is over two million square meters. Discounting the various public utilities and such, let’s assume two million even.

The current price per square meter there is about nine hundred. Selling now, the profit is eleven billion.

Once it becomes a school district housing, if the unit price is less than three thousand one per square meter, no matter the final profit, I’m willing to pay you an additional ten billion!"

Shi Qianshan paused in lighting his pipe, then sighed and said pensively, "To exchange seven billion for more than fifty billion, in the face of such huge profits, my reputation is worth nothing.

Kid, be careful. This is the kind of profit that even I would envy. The Hao Family will certainly stop at nothing to deal with you, and the likelihood of them resorting to desperate measures is high."

Xiao Ming flashed a grin, his gleaming teeth making Fang Muye across from him feel a shiver of fear.

"Respectfully, for me, Fanjincheng is just a side hustle while hunting for bigger game.

The real thorn in my side that I can’t ignore is the Hao Family’s copper mine they rely on to flourish!"

Even Shi Qianshan, who was usually indifferent to worldly affairs, couldn’t help but be greatly astonished at these words.

"You... you’ve set your sights on taking down the Hao Family this time?"

Xiao Ming spread his hands innocently, "The Red Lotus Society! Just touching it taints you with an indelible misfortune, and yet the Hao, Wu, An, and Chang families dared to dive headfirst into it. Sooner or later they’ll all meet their untimely ends.

If death is inevitable, why shouldn’t it be by my hand?

In the ’Biography of Marquis of Huaiyin’ from the ’Historical Records’, it is said: ’When the heavens offer you a gift and you do not accept it, you will be blamed; when the time comes for action and you do not act, you will bear the consequences.’

I am simply acting in accordance with Heaven. Why should you, old master, be so startled?"