They had a pleasant conversation, and Pan Ge even invited her home for a meal.

In the end... it didn't amount to much. She just made a normal friend and learned a little about Han Lie's past indiscretions, which made her laugh heartily.

In return, Pan Ge told her about Han Lie's impressive presence in Magic Capital, enthusiastically praising her fiancé.

Liu Lianlian must see Han Lie in a new light now, right?

Han Lie didn't care, nor did he pay any attention. What she thought was utterly unimportant to him.

「On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Han Lie attended a financial industry gathering.」

He distributed over twenty business cards and got acquainted with all the top brass in Dream City's financial sector. The conversations were dry and uninteresting, hardly worth mentioning.

However, one assessment became increasingly clear: the looming shadow crisis was truly about to erupt.

The period from the previous year through 2020 was a fascinating historical phase. The explosive growth and subsequent complete eradication of P2P companies was merely a microcosm, representing the reckless, untamed expansion of the entire financial industry.

Han Lie had initially considered capitalizing on this area. This industry, and everything connected to it, was just too tempting.

He could devise an incredibly profitable—yet ostensibly legitimate—scheme in the blink of an eye.

However, the moment he tentatively broached the subject, he was shut down. So, he could only regretfully turn a blind eye, feigning ignorance.

Forget it. I'll just stick to stock trading. As long as I'm not too transparent about it, it should be relatively safe...

After the gathering, the next event was a private meeting. It was led by the top executive from Dream City's Universe Bank, and included Han Lie, Shen Cheng, the leading figure from CITIC, the head of the city's investment platform, and a senior representative from Mining Province Trust Company who had rushed over specifically. It was just this small group, and they went out for another round of serious drinking.

Not a word of business was discussed; it appeared to be purely an exercise in strengthening connections.

But Han Lie wasn't convinced.

He feigned ignorance despite understanding perfectly, emptied every glass offered, and successfully drank all the middle-aged executives under the table.

On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, when the executives invited him for another meeting, Han Lie had already arrived in Magic Capital.

Family matters were temporarily settled. In the evening, after entrusting Han Zhiyuan to Cheng Shi's care, Han Lie accompanied his father-in-law to Cai Ye's home for a visit. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Cai Ye's home... was an entire building.

But Cai Ye and his wife only occupied a 65-square-meter, two-bedroom apartment, renting out the rest.

Then, in their cramped living room, a loan totaling 1.2 billion yuan was settled in a remarkably simple, even cursory, manner.

Cai Ye was still a bit reluctant. "Grandnephew, the interest I'm asking for isn't high. Can't you borrow a bit more?"

Han Lie could only manage a wry smile. "Uncle Cai, I really can't use that much... By the way, could you find some time to go to Dream City and take a look at those two buildings I'm planning to buy?"

"Why bother looking at those?"

Cai Ye waved his hand impatiently. "No need! Aren't all buildings pretty much the same!"

Great, he's unhappy because I borrowed too little...

What kind of people are Panzi's friends?! 'Outrageous' doesn't even begin to cover it.

But Cai Ye, for all his extravagance, wasn't greedy.

The loan interest was set at 7% per annum—genuinely not high, perhaps even quite low.

Anyone else would have taken as much as they could get; they could easily make at least a 5-point profit just by relending it.

But Han Lie truly couldn't utilize that much capital.

This was mainly because, given the current trading volume in the stock market, having too much money was genuinely unhelpful.

Never mind that some 'big shot' had supposedly pumped 20 billion into the market in a single day back in 2015, looking effortless. Let him try entering the market now.

That kind of play isn't possible now, you know?

Buying index ETFs offered obvious profit potential, but it wasn't the optimal time. He would unnecessarily incur at least six months of capital costs.

Han Lie might be extravagant in his spending, but in investment, he was meticulous down to the last cent—the hallmark of an outstanding finance professional.

Their discussion was nearing its end. They agreed to sign the contract the next day and left the gift—again, tea leaves brought by Panzi's father. It seemed his father-in-law had somewhat resigned himself to the situation, adopting a 'what's done is done' mentality. He had brought the tea from his own stock, leaving with it in hand without a word, wearing an expression of worldly disillusionment...

Having a daughter is like this. No matter how sweet and joyful it is initially, the day your 'little padded jacket' starts 'leaking air' brings immense pain. And the worst part is, you can't even fight back...

Then Han Lie and his father-in-law said their goodbyes and headed home.

Going 'home,' in this case, meant Lie Lie moved directly into the Pan family residence, at Annie's strong insistence.

At first, Pan Ge feigned indifference, acting perfectly natural. It wasn't until her mother went upstairs without preparing the guest room that she realized something was amiss.

"Wait a minute... What does Mom mean by this?"

Lie Lie chuckled mischievously. "I'm not sure either... How about we go back to our room and take our time figuring it out?"

"I don't want to~~~"

Everyone knows how to handle such a coy refusal, right?

「On the seventh day of the first lunar month, Han Lie signed the contract with Cai Ye and had it notarized.」

By the afternoon, the money was in his account.

The very next day, Pan Dajun brought his team to Magic Capital. Facilitated by Liu Minghao, the two signed an agreement for the complete sale of the project.

The payment was to be made in three installments.

The first installment of 650 million yuan was transferred that day.

The second installment of 350 million yuan would be paid upon the completion of landscaping and refined interior finishing.

The final payment of 150 million yuan was to be deferred for six months after everything passed inspection. Any quality issues would lead to one outcome: deductions.

Ownership of the property complex effectively transferred to Han Lie once the first payment was made.

Naturally, the transaction entity was a property management company wholly owned by Han Lie under Han Shi Holdings.

Using the Hong Kong-invested Phoenix Holdings for the acquisition could have saved about 5% in taxes. However, Lie Lie wasn't short on cash and had no interest in exploiting such minor loopholes at the state's expense.

With this, Han Lie became the full owner of Dream City's most prestigious real estate project, Dream Garden.

These two high-rises not only occupied a prime central location but also boasted a generous plot ratio and an exceptionally fine environment. Even in the future, when housing prices might experience a sustained downturn, this property would remain as solid as a rock.

After all, it was a scarce resource. While it might be difficult to liquidate during the toughest economic times, the comfort and convenience of living there were undeniable.

Therefore, even at present, selling these ninety units wasn't considered particularly difficult.

However, to maximize their value, Han Lie needed to wait patiently for the real estate downturn to pass and for his investment track record to become more compelling.

The ultimate profit would eventually be reflected in the net asset value of his private equity fund—a case of all roads leading to Rome.

Having settled this matter, Han Lie immediately threw himself into the remaining projects.

Gu Yong's area required little oversight. The remaining projects, including those with Mo Yin Bank and SPD Bank, were very demanding, as they involved various state-owned enterprises, massive project sums, and stacks of paperwork exchanged with all parties that piled higher than a person.

However, these mostly involved following standard procedures—tedious, but not requiring excessive mental effort. Well, that wasn't entirely accurate.

To be precise, each company had its own risk control or internal regulatory department. To clarify risks and delineate responsibilities, Han Lie spent several days attending various social functions with them.

Before the Lantern Festival, drinking was essentially part of the job—a concept the post-2000s generation might find hard to grasp...

However, a significant development greatly aided Han Lie in these social engagements:

For less formal drinking gatherings, Panzi would definitely make time to accompany him.

Consequently, Han Lie witnessed Panzi's true standing.

Among Magic Capital's state-owned enterprises, regardless of whether they were city-administered or centrally administered, the top executives were all exceptionally courteous to Old Pan.

This wasn't solely due to money; influence is something that wealth alone cannot fully encompass.

Therefore, despite some minor setbacks, the two key projects progressed at a relatively swift pace.

The only exception was Gao Diaomao, who seemed to cause one problem after another, creating constant headaches.

On the evening of the ninth day, Han Lie didn't stay at the Pan family's house. He went out to meet Sister Ting, who had returned to Magic Capital for filming. Suddenly, Bai Yushuang called him.

She sounded frantic over the phone. "Lie Lie, Gao Shen and my sister got into a fight! What should I do?!"

"Gao Shen dared to lay a hand on your sister?" Han Lie, not taking it too seriously, replied nonchalantly, "They're not really in the same league, are they...?"

It really wasn't that I look down on Gao Shen. The man has some psychological issues; he can't possibly stand up to Bai Yuqiu.

"No! They really fought!" Bai Yushuang's voice jumped two octaves in panic. "My sister's face is swollen!"

Han Lie shot up, his expression instantly turning grim.

"Stay home. I'll pick up Xiaoxue in a bit, and I'll take her to see what's going on."

After bidding farewell to Sister Ting and stepping outside, his anger momentarily subsided, and Han Lie couldn't help but sneer.

Well, well, Little Greenie. You've even got the guts for domestic violence now?

You really are eager to meet your maker, aren't you...

Where's Liu Dalue? Time to get to work and sort this out!