"Ah, Boss Long, what happened? What investment failed?" Tang Shizhe hadn't expected Boss Long to be such a decent guy. Even though he was drowning in debt, he was still willing to pay Tang Shizhe the penalty—and had even called ahead to let him know.
"It's a long story. I invested in a company that makes security software. I thought it was a sure thing, but someone retaliated against them, and I lost everything. All my savings went down the drain."
"The company's owner is my uncle. He's not only lost money but might end up in prison. With him in this state, I can't bring myself to ask him to repay what he owes me. Sigh, I shouldn't have invested in the first place!" The mention of his sore spot made Boss Long's voice sound even more bitter.
"Shield?" Tang Shizhe asked carefully in a low voice.
"Yeah, that's the company." Boss Long sighed.
"Ha, haha, Boss Long, try to look on the bright side. Don't lose heart!" Tang Shizhe hurriedly laughed it off. He hadn't expected to take the long way around and ruin his own landlord. He couldn't help marveling at how small the world was. Somehow, everything was connected.
"Boss Long, how much are you planning to sell the factory for? If the price is right, I'd like to buy it." Tang Shizhe thought it over and decided to buy the factory. After all, he'd already invested several million in renovations.
Besides, he'd gotten used to this base and found it quite comfortable. If he had the chance to buy it, all the better.
"One price: thirteen million. The factory buildings and the land are all yours. If my creditors weren't hounding me, I wouldn't sell so cheaply! But you'll have to pay the full amount within two days!" Boss Long gritted his teeth and named his bottom price.
Tang Shizhe knew the price was already heavily discounted. Boss Long must truly have been eager to sell and free up some cash.
"Deal. That price works. Come by at nine tomorrow morning to sign the contract. We'll sign it, and I'll transfer the money right away!" Tang Shizhe nodded in agreement. Boss Long seemed like a decent man, and Tang Shizhe didn't want to take advantage of him by trying to drive the price down further.
"You're a straightforward guy!" Boss Long laughed. His voice sounded much more cheerful than before. The thought of getting the money tomorrow put him at ease.
After hanging up, Tang Shizhe rubbed his chin. Wasn't the factory complex getting a little cramped? With the number of Splitters increasing, he ought to expand his territory.
"Tang Yi!" Tang Shizhe beckoned.
"Here, boss. What is it?" Tang Yi hurried over to his side.
"Tomorrow, get in touch with the owners of the factories nearby and find out whether they're willing to sell those vacant properties. We can offer above market price!" Tang Shizhe pulled up a map on his phone and drew a circle around his factory complex, marking three much larger properties nearby.
"Sure. I'll contact them tomorrow." Tang Yi nodded. He knew it was time to expand their base.
At eight the next morning, Boss Long arrived early by car. He couldn't wait until nine.
Tang Shizhe had only just gotten up. After a quick wash, he ushered Boss Long into his study. Zhao Yin, who had just arrived, respectfully poured tea for Tang Shizhe and Mr. Long.
"You've got quite a beautiful secretary, Brother Tang. I'm jealous," Mr. Long said with a complimentary smile as he took a sip of tea.
"Not at all, not at all. She's not that pretty." Although Tang Shizhe said she wasn't pretty, he couldn't hide the smug look in his eyes.
"Here's the transfer contract. Take a look, and if everything's in order, we can sign it." Boss Long didn't waste time. He took a thick stack of contracts out of his bag.
"Let me see." Tang Shizhe took the contract, skimmed through it, then handed it to Zhao Yin. "Read it carefully. If there are no problems, I'll sign it with Manager Long."
Zhao Yin took the contract and sat down on the sofa nearby, scanning it rapidly. Naturally, everything she read was shared with Tang Yi and the others in real time.
"Brother, aren't you going to have a lawyer look it over?" Mr. Long asked, puzzled to see Tang Shizhe leave the contract to the beautiful secretary beside him.
"No need. I trust you, Boss Long, and my secretary knows the law." Tang Shizhe replied breezily. After all, he'd majored in law at university. What was more, he'd had Tang Yi and the others stay up all night reading several specialist books. He could now analyze the contract for hidden traps himself.
Besides, ten people were reviewing the contract at once. That was far more useful than a single lawyer.
"Boss, everything's fine." Zhao Yin put the contract back on the table and nodded gently. By now, she had learned how to imitate Zhao Yin's voice.
"Boss Long, it's a pleasure doing business with you." Tang Shizhe signed his name on the contract with a flourish.
Once the bank opened, they could go and transfer the money. He'd leave the remaining paperwork to Tang Er.
Tang Eleven and Tang Twelve, who had only recently been born, still needed time to adjust, so Tang Shizhe wasn't ready to entrust them with important responsibilities.
The two newly created Splitters were currently studying biology.
"This place belongs to you now, Brother Tang!"
"I won't keep you from your work. See you!" Boss Long was delighted that he'd managed to sell the factory so smoothly. He hurried off to go home and sort out his mess of a situation.
Tang Shizhe hadn't expected that just a few months after gaining the Split Ability, he'd own a vast stretch of land and a factory.
And once Tang Yi got in touch with the owners of those vacant properties, he'd have even more land and factories.
Now, looking at the factory complex, he felt a sense of belonging. After all, it was his property.
The factory buildings needed renovation, the open areas needed paving, and the walls needed to be rebuilt.
With nothing else to do, Tang Shizhe began planning how to renovate and refit his base. He had more money now, so he naturally couldn't let himself or his Splitters go without.
Just after dark, Tang Yi returned to the base.
"Boss, I've contacted them all. The three vacant properties cover a total of 120,000 square meters, and the asking price is 97 million in all. Since we approached them with offers to buy, the price is quite a bit higher than usual."
"If we buy all three properties, along with the one we already own, we'll have 140,000 square meters of land, five large factory buildings, and four office buildings." Tang Yi took out his notebook and reported the details to Tang Shizhe.
"Buy them. Buy them all!" Tang Shizhe waved a hand. It was only 97 million; he could afford it. Adding the 13 million he'd spent today, the total came to 110 million. He'd still have 82 million left.
"I'm giving you 15 million for renovations. After we buy them, tear down all the walls and rebuild them, repave the roads, and renovate every factory building!"
"I'll give you the designs later." Tang Shizhe waved a hand and returned to his room.
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