Two rows away, Sheng Xuan looked up with cold eyes.
Plot No. 2 was also what Zhu Suizhou wanted. The remaining Plot No. 1 at 122 mu and Plot No. 3 at 135 mu were even larger—those without substantial capital shouldn’t even dream of acquiring them.
While Du Zhaohui was creating a diversion to hide his true target, Sheng Xuan believed he genuinely wanted Plot No. 2. Seeing him arrive with Xia Xiaolan, she assumed this was Xia Xiaolan’s deliberate move to thwart Zhu Suizhou’s plans… Overthinking was an illness requiring treatment. When Asia wasn’t involved, Xia Xiaolan and Zhu Suizhou’s interests didn’t conflict at all. Qihang had no intention of buying land this time—what did Zhu Suizhou’s success or failure matter to Xia Xiaolan?
But since Sheng Xuan wanted to shoot death rays with her eyes, Xia Xiaolan wasn’t about to let her feel comfortable. She earnestly played along with Du Zhaohui’s act:
“What a coincidence! I also think Plot No. 2 is excellent—not too big, not too small, perfect for development. I hadn’t expected Director Du to be interested too. Looks like our companies will have to compete!”
She even seriously analyzed with Du Zhaohui what kind of project could be done with the 69-mu plot. It took Du Zhaohui a moment to realize Xia Xiaolan was spinning tales. Others who didn’t know her well listened intently, apparently completely convinced.
Meng Guanchao, being more familiar with Xia Xiaolan, smiled bitterly: “Director Xia, Qihang’s ‘Haitian Garden’ hasn’t even opened for sale, and you still have quite a bit of land. You should leave some soup for us to drink.”
Xia Xiaolan just smiled without responding.
Last year, when Meng Guanchao’s group bought land in Qiong Island, they were also gambling big. Xia Xiaolan had signed a preferential transfer agreement with them to stabilize their confidence.
Before the special zone’s establishment was confirmed, they hadn’t sold their land to Zhu Suizhou, but afterward, they hadn’t transferred it to Xia Xiaolan either.
This was normal—everyone wanted to maximize their profits. It was a preferential transfer, not a mandatory one. If Meng Guanchao’s group thought prices would rise further and didn’t want to sell now, Xia Xiaolan wouldn’t blame them.
However, several people close to Meng Guanchao who had also signed preferential transfer agreements with Xia Xiaolan sold their land to Zhu Suizhou after the provincial special economic zone was established, unable to resist his above-market offers.
Since Xia Xiaolan had specified market price purchases, while Zhu Suizhou offered above market rates, these people hadn’t technically breached their contracts… but it still made Xia Xiaolan uncomfortable.
Without these premium acquisitions, Zhu Suizhou wouldn’t have gradually accumulated 300 mu of land.
Those who sold to Zhu Suizhou now regretted it. Though they’d made money, land prices kept rising. Other businesses seemed less profitable than continuing to speculate on land, so they’d all come charging back to participate in today’s auction!
While it was understandable for these people not to sell to Xia Xiaolan, they’d lost face with her. Naturally, she wouldn’t be completely open with them anymore. Though her performance with Du Zhaohui wasn’t meant to deceive them specifically, she wouldn’t feel sorry if they fell for it.
This was business.
If she hadn’t successfully collaborated with Du Zhaohui multiple times without issues, she wouldn’t trust him either. These people needed to learn to distinguish truth from lies through their costly lessons!
He Shi’en was eager to join in, but Tang Yuanyue shot him a warning glance: “Sit quietly. You’re not bidding, so what’s there to discuss? Shi’en, from the moment you entered this auction hall, your first lesson began. Listen carefully to what others say, remember it, and think about it.”
What people said wasn’t necessarily true.
Would Chengrong Group bid on Plot No. 2?
Tang Yuanyue doubted Du Zhaohui was truly interested in Plot No. 2, but if the price was right, why not buy it?
Ultimately, it was because Chengrong didn’t lack money. While 69 mu would be huge in HK, it was nothing in Qiong Island, and development wouldn’t cost much either.
Tang Yuanyue didn’t take Du Zhaohui’s ambiguous words to heart.
Since Yuhua and Chengrong were peers, Tang Yuanyue could understand Du Zhaohui’s thinking, but others might not—especially not someone He Shi’en’s age. Tang Yuanyue hoped he would calm down, observe, and think for himself!
Tang Yuanyue didn’t want to educate the He family, but his marriage to He Zhitong was stable—divorce was out of the question unless necessary. If He Shi’en proved too incompetent and ruined the He family in the future, he would have to clean up the mess.
Better to teach He Shi’en when the opportunity arises than worry later.
But watching He Shi’en fidget in his chair, he hadn’t absorbed the lesson.
Tang Yuanyue didn’t force his brother-in-law. Young people were drawn to beauty—He Shi’en wasn’t the only one transfixed by Xia Xiaolan. Youthful admiration wasn’t shameful.
More embarrassing was Du Zhaohui, who used to dominate HK gossip columns!
Tang Yuanyue was still angry about Du Zhaohui’s earlier words.
Yes, He Zhitong wasn’t particularly clever, but most privileged young ladies were similar. She wasn’t worse than others… Comparing He Zhitong to self-made Xia Xiaolan—that bastard Du Zhaohui was deliberately hitting a sore spot.
…
“Suizhou, they’re doing this on purpose!”
Sheng Xuan gritted her teeth.
Plot No. 2 was only 69 mu, but the expected transaction price wouldn’t be less than 150,000 per mu, requiring over 10 million in funds.
Plots No. 1 and 3 were too large—she and Zhu Suizhou hadn’t even considered them. Compared to the major capital players, Yangfan Real Estate’s bank-borrowed funds couldn’t compete.
But Du Zhaohui from Chengrong Group ignored Plots 1 and 3, targeting the smallest Plot 2 instead. Sheng Xuan saw this as Xia Xiaolan deliberately causing trouble.
It wasn’t easy for her and Zhu Suizhou to do business—was Xia Xiaolan just unable to bear seeing them succeed?
Women tend to be more sensitive and overthinking during pregnancy and the first year or two after childbirth due to hormones. Combined with her existing negative impression, Sheng Xuan’s view of Xia Xiaolan grew increasingly extreme.
Zhu Suizhou put down his documents and held her hand: “Xuan, this is Ye City government’s first auction after opening approvals. What’s disrupting our plans isn’t Xia Xiaolan’s group, but the government’s chosen method of land transfer.”
Previously, anyone wanting to buy land could negotiate directly with the Ye City government.
Price per mu, location—everything could be settled through multiple discussions.
Now the government held all the cards—area, location, transfer price, all beyond control. This feeling drove Zhu Suizhou crazy.
He hoped today’s bidders wouldn’t be too frenzied, allowing him to secure a plot.
Yet he also felt that high auction prices for all three plots wouldn’t be bad—afterward, land prices across Ye City would rise, making his 300 mu more valuable.
Though Sheng Xuan had studied abroad and was more sophisticated than most women, she wasn’t truly a businessperson. After having a child, she’d become even more impatient. Zhu Suizhou felt he could be more strategic than Sheng Xuan’s impulsiveness.
But was that true?
Someone tapped the gavel announcing “Auction begins,” and the entire hall quickly fell silent.