Inflated

"Ah, Manager Long, what happened? What do you mean by investment failure?" Tang Shizhe hadn't expected this Manager Long to be such a decent person; even while drowning in debt, he was still willing to pay the breach-of-contract penalty and had even called ahead to notify him.

"It's a long story. I invested in a company that makes security software. I thought it was a guaranteed profit, but I didn't expect to be retaliated against. I lost everything; all my savings have gone down the drain."

"The boss of that company is my uncle. Not only did he lose all the money, but he might even end up in prison. Since he's in such a state, I don't have the heart to ask him for the money back. Sigh, I shouldn't have invested in the first place!" Mentioning his sore spot, Manager Long's tone grew even more bitter.

"Shield?" Tang Shizhe asked softly and cautiously.

"Yes, that's the company." Manager Long sighed.

"Ha, haha, Manager Long, you need to look on the bright side, don't lose heart!" Tang Shizhe hurriedly laughed it off. He hadn't expected that a roundabout turn of events would lead to him ruining his own landlord. Tang Shizhe couldn't help but marvel at how small the world was; to think these things could be connected.

"Manager Long, I don't know how much you intend to sell the factory for. If the price is right, I would like to buy it." Tang Shizhe thought about it and decided to purchase the factory after all; after all, he had already invested several million in various renovations.

Besides, he had grown accustomed to this base and found it quite comfortable. Since there was an opportunity to buy it, it was naturally for the best.

"A flat price of thirteen million. The factory and the land will be yours. If it weren't for the creditors breathing down my neck, I wouldn't want to sell it so cheaply! But you must pay the full amount within two days!" Manager Long gritted his teeth and stated his bottom line.

Tang Shizhe knew this price was already a significant discount; he guessed that the man really wanted to sell to recoup his funds.

"Alright, that price is acceptable. Come over at nine tomorrow morning to sign the contract. We'll sign and transfer the funds simultaneously!" Tang Shizhe nodded, agreeing to the price. Manager Long seemed like a decent person, and Tang Shizhe didn't want to take advantage of his misfortune to drive the price down further.

"You're a straightforward man, brother!" Manager Long laughed twice, his voice noticeably brighter than before. Thinking that he could get the money by tomorrow, he felt an immediate sense of relief.

After hanging up, Tang Shizhe rubbed his chin. Was this factory area too small now? With the number of Splitters increasing, he really should expand his territory.

"Tang Yi!" Tang Shizhe beckoned.

"Here, Boss. What is it?" Tang Yi hurried to Tang Shizhe's side.

"Tomorrow, go and contact the owners of the surrounding factories. See if they are willing to sell their vacant lots. We can offer a premium!" Tang Shizhe pulled out his phone map and drew a circle around his factory, highlighting three large, distinct factory areas.

"Understood, I will contact them tomorrow." Tang Yi nodded; he also knew it was time for the base to expand.

At eight o'clock the next morning, Manager Long drove over early; he didn't have the patience to wait until nine.

Tang Shizhe had only just woken up. After a quick wash, he welcomed Manager Long into the study, where Zhao Yin, who had just arrived, respectfully poured tea for Tang Shizhe and Manager Long.

"The secretary Brother Tang found is truly beautiful. I'm envious, truly envious," Manager Long complimented while sipping his 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 of someone who had successfully shown off.

"This is the transfer contract. Take a look, and if there are no issues, we'll sign it." Manager Long didn't waste time, pulling a thick stack of documents from his bag.

"Let me see." Tang Shizhe took the contract, glanced over it briefly, and handed it to Zhao Yin. "Take a careful look. If there are no problems, I'll sign the contract with Manager Long."

Zhao Yin took the contract, sat on the nearby sofa, and began to scan it at a glance. Naturally, all the content she saw was synchronized and shared with Tang Yi and the others.

"Brother, shouldn't you have a lawyer look at this?" Manager Long asked, puzzled, seeing Tang Shizhe let his beautiful secretary review the contract.

"No need, I trust Manager Long, and my secretary understands the law." Tang Shizhe said with extreme ease. One had to know that his university major was law, and furthermore, he had made Tang Yi and the others spend the entire night flipping through several professional books. He could now fully analyze the traps in the contract himself.

Moreover, having ten people analyzing the contract simultaneously was far more effective than any lawyer.

"Boss, there are no issues." Zhao Yin placed the contract back on the table and nodded softly. She had now fully mastered Zhao Yin's original voice.

"Manager Long, happy to do business with you." Tang Shizhe signed his name with a flourish on the contract.

Once the bank opened in a while, they could go and process the transfer. He would leave the subsequent paperwork to Tang Er.

As for the newly born Tang Eleven and Tang Twelve, because they still needed time to acclimate, Tang Shizhe didn't intend to entrust them with major responsibilities yet.

Currently, these two new Splitters were busy studying biology-related knowledge.

"From now on, this place belongs to you, Brother Tang!"

"I won't disturb your work any longer. Goodbye!" Having sold the factory so smoothly, Manager Long was also very happy; he needed to rush back and handle his own mess.

Tang Shizhe hadn't expected that, only a few months after gaining the Splitter ability, he would already own a large piece of land and a factory.

And as Tang Yi went to contact the owners of those vacant factory areas, the land and factories under his control would only increase.

At this moment, he looked at the factory area with a sense of belonging; after all, it was now his property.

The factory needed renovation, the open ground needed paving, and the perimeter walls needed to be rebuilt.

With nothing else to do, Tang Shizhe began to calculate how to renovate and modify his base. With more money in hand, he naturally couldn't treat himself and his group of Splitters poorly.

Just as it turned dark, Tang Yi returned to the base.

"Boss, I have contacted them all. The three vacant factory areas total 120,000 square meters, with a combined asking price of 97 million. Because we are initiating the purchase, there is quite a premium."

"If we acquire all three areas, plus our current factory, we will own 140,000 square meters of land, five large factory buildings, and four office buildings." Tang Yi took out a notebook and reported to Tang Shizhe.

"Buy them, buy them all!" Tang Shizhe waved his hand. It was only 97 million; he could still afford it. Including the 13 million spent today, the total was 110 million. This would leave him with 82 million remaining.

"I'll give you 15 million for renovation costs. After the acquisition, tear down all the walls and rebuild them, repave the roads, and renovate all the factory buildings!"

"I'll give you the design plans later!" Tang Shizhe waved his hand and returned to his room.