"Sir... you're not joking, are you?"
This is the second time Ye Xiaoqian has asked this question today, but her feelings are completely different. Just now, she felt a sense of pleasure, wondering if the other person had lost their mind. Now, she feels a sense of anger, wondering if the other person has lost their mind!
11,000 per square meter?
Can this thing really be sold at a discount?
Why don't these corrupt officials just rob it?
"I'm so busy all day, how could I have time to joke with you?" Zhou Haitao looked at the other party with disdain. "If you don't have money, just say so, Proprietor Ye."
"I..."
Ye Xiaoqian took a deep breath and forced a smile, "Sir, isn't this price... a bit unreasonable?"
Ten thousand taels per square meter? Wouldn't a larger restaurant or shop start at a million taels?
Is this prefect obsessed with money?
"I also think it's a bit too cheap..." Zhou Haitao nodded, "However, Liuzhou is still in the recovery period. In order to help Liuzhou regain its vitality as soon as possible, you have no choice but to make this painful sacrifice..."
"That really puts the Prefect in a difficult position..." Ye Xiaoqian said through gritted teeth.
"Hmm, it's clear that Manager Proprietor Ye, being a woman, understands things better than the average businessman." Zhou Haitao mimicked Chen Qing's tone. "If everyone could understand your good intentions, the government wouldn't have to work so hard."
"Sir, please don't joke around!" Ye Xiaoqian interrupted him directly, realizing that the person in front of her was much more shameless than he appeared.
"Please, sir, state a reasonable price!"
"This is a truly fair price!" Zhou Haitao frowned immediately, his previous disdainful attitude returning. "Does Ye Dang think I'm just joking?"
"Ten thousand per square meter?" Ye Xiaoqian sneered, "What? Does the Prefect intend to sell South Street for billions of taels of silver?"
"How could you think that?" Zhou Haitao looked at the other person in astonishment.
"Isn't that right?" Ye Xiaoqian said coldly.
"Of course it's more than that!"
Ye Xiaoqian: "..."
Zhou Haitao pulled out a planning map from who-knows-where and spread it out, saying, "This time, the master only plans to sell a quarter of the real estate on South Street; the rest will be reserved for future development."
"Only... only a quarter of it?" Ye Xiaoqian stared blankly at the strange lines and plans on the blueprint, her eyes twitching slightly.
It sounded utterly absurd, but looking at the strange lines on the drawing, she felt that the other person might not be joking...
"So, if Proprietor Ye wants to buy real estate, he should act quickly." Zhou Haitao pointed to the area on the blueprints that were ready for sale. "If you're too late, the price won't be the same as today!"
Ye Xiaoqian laughed in exasperation upon hearing this, "Do you really intend to raise such an exorbitant price?"
"Of course it will go up..." Zhou Haitao found the other person's expression amusing, because it was exactly the same as his own expression when he had broken down and asked Chen Qing the other day.
Thinking it over, he imitated Chen Qing's serious expression and said, "Moreover, the price increase will be very rapid. After this period, it's no joke that land here will be incredibly valuable."
"The Prefect is certainly confident!"
" Proprietor Ye buy it or not?"
"Buy them!" Ye Xiaoqian gritted her teeth and pointed to several places on the blueprint. "Here, here, this one, and the Jade Tree Pavilion, we want them."
"Is that all you bought?" The fat man shook his head and sighed, looking like he was wasting time. "As expected, Proprietor Ye is still a woman at heart; she lacks magnanimity."
"You..."
Ye Xiaoqian trembled with anger. She had traveled through Jiangnan for several years and had faced questions about her gender before, but never had anyone looked at her with such contempt, as if she were poor. What did they mean by lacking magnanimity? Weren't they just implying she was broke?
The fat man's expressive face, especially his "get lost, you poor bastard" attitude, was truly infuriating.
"Who do you think you are, daring to talk about my family like that..."
"Shut up!" Ye Xiaoqian stopped the rude remarks from her attendants. Trying to calm herself, she said casually, her smile no longer presentable, "I've failed in my duty to manage my subordinates. My apologies, sir."
"It's alright..." Zhou Haitao waved his hand casually, displaying the attitude of a deputy official who wouldn't stoop to the level of a commoner, which made the other party's eyelids twitch even more violently.
Suppressing her anger, Ye Xiaoqian lowered her voice and said, "If we only want to buy that small area, will you sell it to us or not?"
"Sell it," Zhou Haitao nodded, "But not like what Proprietor Ye just said."
As he spoke, he pointed to the planning map and said, "Those locations that Proprietor Ye just pointed out are the best locations. If you take them all, how will we sell the ones we have later?"
"Then what should the gentleman do?"
"Starting from a single point, we can expand to the whole area." Zhou Haitao pointed to the planning map. "With the limited space that Proprietor Ye buying, we can only choose one good location. The remaining area can only be selected from the shops around that location that are not on the street."
"What??"
Ye Xiaoqian couldn't hold back any longer and stood up abruptly. "Are you all crazy? You're going to force us to sell those shops that aren't facing the street? And they're also going to be 11,000 yuan per square meter?"
Zhou Haitao curled his lip upon hearing this. Actually, he also thought his father had gone crazy, but who cares, as long as he's having fun.
So he said in a serious tone, "If you, Proprietor Ye, are unwilling to buy, please don't waste my time. I am busy with many matters and have no time to haggle with you here."
"You!!" Ye Xiaoqian was truly enraged this time, nodding repeatedly. "Fine, fine, I'd like to see how the Guizhou Prefecture will sell this shop!"
With that, he turned and left!
The fat man watched the other woman's departing figure, then greedily glanced at her buttocks, which were clearly more shapely than those of women from Jiangnan. He took a breath, snapped back to reality, and looked at the planning map again, sighing softly.
It didn't go very smoothly as expected. I knew there was no way it would sell like this...
Hopefully, the adults in the Shen Family will tone it down a bit when they're extorting money from them, and at least get some of it to pay their salaries.
Now he's almost given up hope that the adults will give him money to hire an accountant. If they don't give him money soon, he'll have to write to his father and ask for it. If he becomes an official and still has to ask his family for money, he'll probably be drowned in his father's spittle.
--
Chen Qing was also thinking about her family at this moment.
After all, according to the timeline, my mother and the others should have arrived in Liuzhou by now. Surely they haven't been kidnapped by that scoundrel emperor and taken to the capital as hostages, have they?
However, not long after, his men reported that General Yuchi Feihong had come to visit.
After tidying himself up, Chen Qing went to the hall. There were quite a few people sitting in the hall, and there was a very eye-catching woman who made Chen Qing take a few more glances.
The people in the hall were none other than Yuchi Feihong and several members of the Shen Family, who were all looking curiously at the legendary prefect.
He was younger than she had imagined. Yuchi Feihong nodded slightly; this more accurately described him as refined and elegant.
"Why is my lord staring at me like that?" Murong Yunji asked with a giggle.
"Uh... cough cough..." Chen Qing coughed lightly, "I just thought the girl's clothes were quite fashionable, so I took a few more glances out of curiosity."
"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Murong Yunji shifted the position of her gleaming thighs. "What is fashion?"
Ah, it means exposure...
Chen Qing almost blurted out something like a typical nerdy guy, but he held back and changed his wording. "It just means it's more cutting-edge, not old-fashioned."
"Hahahaha!" Murong Yunji laughed heartily, "You have such a sweet tongue, my lord."
"No problem, no problem..." Chen Qing smiled and took the seat of honor.
"This must be General Yuchi?" Chen Qing asked, looking at the scarred man.
"Heh..." Yuchi Feihong chuckled. The centipede-like scars and exposed teeth made him look incredibly ferocious even in broad daylight.
"Greetings, Your Excellency the Prefect."
"General, you're too kind." Chen Qing glanced at the wound and said, "General's injury... I'm afraid you'll need to see a professional physician. None of the renowned doctors in Liuzhou have returned yet. Perhaps you should go to Nanming Prefecture... no, return to the capital for a checkup?"
"Thank you for your concern, Prefect!" Yuchi Feihong grinned and said, "It's just snake venom, nothing serious, no need for such trouble."
"My lord, this doesn't seem like snake venom," Chen Qing said, squinting. "Your wound is grayish-white and stiff like dead flesh; it should be..."
Upon seeing the depths, Chen Qing's eyelids suddenly twitched, and a chill instantly rushed to his head!
Holy crap, really?
Yuchi Feihong was an extremely perceptive person. When he saw Chen Qing's strange gaze, his heart skipped a beat.
This kid knows what that thing is?
"Oh, it's just a minor injury, nothing serious!" Yuchi Feihong interrupted Chen Qing directly, then glanced at the Shen Family sitting behind him and said, "I've heard that some of the Shen Family's juniors have offended you, sir. I'd like to plead on your behalf; I wonder if you would be willing to grant me this favor?"
The Shen Family members were taken aback, not expecting that Yuchi Feihong, with whom they had no prior connection, would be willing to mediate on their behalf.
This doesn't match the rumors of his tyrannical nature at all.
Chen Qing glanced at Yuchi Feihong, then at the somewhat astonished Shen Family, and almost instantly understood the situation.
The Shen Family behind Yuchi were unaware of the details of the injuries on his face.
He said that because he wanted to get rid of those troublesome guys quickly so he could discuss serious matters with him!
His time is running out...
Chen Qing closed his eyes and sighed inwardly.
This time, I really can't help him. If the Shen Family leaves, and I wait a while... I'm afraid I'll kick the bucket here!
"I'm sorry..." Chen Qing refused outright, " The Shen Family members have openly attacked an official, a matter concerning the face of the court. This time... General, your face cannot be spared!!"
Please read on! Please read on!