The auction venue at Ye City Court was spacious, and there were many attendees. Each company sent multiple representatives and consultants, filling the hall that could hold two to three hundred people to capacity!
Since the establishment of the Qiong Island Special Economic Zone in April this year, Ye City’s land prices have been changing monthly. Whoever could secure any of the three plots the Ye City government was auctioning would certainly profit.
If profits from land speculation weren’t enough, one could develop projects themselves. With land in hand, any approach was viable.
Companies like Chengrong, Yuhua, or the Wilson family, not knowing how high land prices might rise—perhaps to millions per acre—cared less about immediate price increases and more about development opportunities.
Land trading was a one-time deal; self-development was long-term. Even without specific development plans, acquiring land in promising locations offered both offensive and defensive possibilities, aligning with corporate development interests!
Small investors like Meng Guanchao, lacking funds for extensive development, focused on quick profits through land speculation.
Xia Xiaolan stood in the middle, using project development as a cover for her true purpose of land speculation.
Was Zhu Suizhou also purely interested in land speculation?
Perhaps that was his initial thought—make money in Qiong Island, then return to manage Asia. However after the major shareholding changes in Asia, with Xia Xiaolan becoming the major shareholder, Zhu Suizhou’s plans might have shifted. Now that returning to take over Asia seemed impossible, he might be focusing entirely on Qiong Island, developing his independently established ‘Yangfan Real Estate.’ That’s why even Sheng Xuan came this time.
Sheng Xuan’s daughter was just a few months old, not even a year, yet she left her child in Shang City—she must be quite determined this time.
Liu Yong separated from Meng Guanchao’s group and sat beside Xia Xiaolan, whispering: “This Zhu keeps buying land and mortgaging it, using the loans to buy more land—is nobody monitoring this? I see Meng Guanchao and others are quite tempted. Watching land prices constantly rise, they’re reluctant to sell what they have and want to buy more. Inspired by Zhu Suizhou, they’re now seeking ways to get bank loans.”
Liu Yong felt uneasy.
He was among the earliest private business owners to deal with bank loans domestically. Previously, when seeking loans from Director Wu, he had even gradually purchased numerous government bonds that nobody wanted—bank directors had to distribute them as assignments. Liu Yong saw it as mutual help; Director Wu had supported him and Xiaolan when they most needed funds, so when he had means, he reciprocated by buying government bonds. It wasn’t bribery but helping Director Wu fulfill his quota.
The path to wealth was unstoppable—this year, government bonds became redeemable, and Liu Yong’s investment not only avoided losses but earned a profit. There were business opportunities in government bonds; if Liu Yong hadn’t expanded his business so much, he would have been reluctant to let go and would have invested more effort in bond trading!
Even Liu Yong, familiar with and profiting from bank loans, felt this underlying unease.
It wasn’t that only he and Xia Xiaolan should get bank loans while others shouldn’t.
Rather, he and Xia Xiaolan invested their loans in actual operations, and construction projects that would generate returns to repay the loans promptly.
Real estate development loans followed the same principle—using land as collateral to borrow money for construction, and repaying immediately once properties are sold.
But Zhu Suizhou’s approach was different—borrowing to buy land, not selling even at a profit, hoping for even higher prices. This was normal enough; he could choose not to sell until reaching his target price.
However, not repaying bank loans while using the land as collateral for more loans, continuing this endless cycle—where would it end?
If it were just Zhu Suizhou doing this, that would be one thing, but his approach inspired Meng Guanchao and others. Everyone wanted to hold rather than sell land, only buying more. The market needed both buyers and sellers to function. Constantly holding and buying with bank loans—Liu Yong calculated that ultimately, the banks were essentially buying the land!
What would banks do with so much land? They weren’t building houses!
If more people followed Zhu Suizhou’s approach, would they eventually buy up all of Qiong Island’s land… And when they couldn’t find more buyers, how would they repay the bank loans?
The deeper Liu Yong thought the more his unease grew. In the auction hall, he broke into a cold sweat from his realization.
After Liu Yong shared his concerns, Xia Xiaolan was amazed—could her uncle think that far ahead?
If even her uncle could see this, Xia Xiaolan didn’t believe those clever people couldn’t. Yet in her previous life, Qiong Island’s real estate bubble kept growing until it finally burst… Either enormous profits had blinded reason, or everyone harbored wishful thinking, playing ‘musical chairs’—why would the music stop when it was their turn?
Someone would surely buy.
They would certainly escape in time.
Madness and optimism coexisted as everyone’s eyes turned red with greed.
This wasn’t the place for heart-to-heart talks, so Xia Xiaolan could only whisper back: “Zhu Suizhou is Zhu Suizhou—his actions are his business. We won’t follow him. As long as you and I don’t get too greedy, we can profit from Qiong Island and withdraw safely. Even Zhu Suizhou won’t collapse immediately—Qiong Island’s land prices still have room to rise, and he has a reliable source of funds. Let’s see how his Yangfan Real Estate develops next!”
If he could calm down and focus on two projects, he might slightly wake from the land speculation frenzy.
If he didn’t develop any projects, establishing Yangfan Real Estate solely to hoard land, Zhu Suizhou’s chances of a safe exit would be very slim!
Xia Xiaolan already had plans—she wouldn’t watch idly as Qiong Island’s land prices were driven to millions per acre. When she withdrew, she would burst this bubble early. Anyone too slow to retreat would have to accept their losses.
Liu Yong grinned; Zhu Suizhou’s money source was Sheng Xuan.
Sheng Xuan was quite daring, risking her future for Zhu Suizhou. If he couldn’t repay the bank loans, she would fall with him.
Of course, as husband and wife, their interests were naturally tied together. If Sheng Xuan was willing to risk everything for Zhu Suizhou, that was their business!
Du Zhaohui waited until Liu Yong and Xia Xiaolan finished whispering before approaching: “How about Plot No. 2? I want to bid on Plot No. 2!”
Many ears were perked up listening, yet Du Zhaohui didn’t lower his voice at all.
Plot No. 2 was 69 mu, the smallest of the three plots up for auction. Given Du Zhaohui’s character of buying not the most suitable but the most expensive, how could he be interested in Plot No. 2?
This was misdirection, meant to confuse others. Now over 80% of the individual investors in the hall must hate him, as Plot No. 2 had been their most achievable target!