“Mr. Meng wants to sell the land?”
Xia Xiaolan was somewhat surprised.
The Ye City government’s land auction had just ended, and its impact was already evident. If the city government could sell land for over 200,000 yuan per mu, why couldn’t these speculators who held land do the same?
So, the entire market price had risen!
Stimulated by the auction, the local real estate market had become like a wild horse breaking free—of course, just freed from its reins, the horse was somewhat bewildered and uncomfortable, taking only tentative steps. If no one stopped it, it would raise its hooves and gallop away, with no reins able to catch it until it ran itself to death or someone managed to hunt it down!
At such a time, no one would sell land. Those who came to invest in Qiong Island after the province’s establishment were merely bold, but people like Meng Guanchao who dared to buy land last year based on mere rumors were extraordinarily bold… With land prices rising so well, why would Meng Guanchao want to sell?
Xia Xiaolan was both surprised and puzzled.
Meng Guanchao uncomfortably wrung his hands, “Yes, I’m considering it.”
Oh, considering it, but hadn’t firmly decided whether to sell or not?
Xia Xiaolan understood.
“The priority transfer agreement remains valid until April 13th this year. After that deadline, Mr. Meng’s decision about when to sell won’t concern me.”
Xia Xiaolan came to Qiong Island last December. After the Ye City land auction ended and Haitian Garden’s opening sales, it was now late January of the new year. By April 13th this year, it would be exactly one year since Qiong Island’s administrative restructuring.
Meng Guanchao hadn’t expected such an answer – not harsh, but too lenient.
Was Xia Xiaolan suggesting he hold onto the land and wait another three months to see price movements?
The temptation was too great; Meng Guanchao couldn’t refuse. He sighed:
“President Xia is a generous person.”
Xia Xiaolan just smiled.
Whether to sell land and when to sell were always difficult decisions for those who had experienced Qiong Island’s real estate boom. Those who couldn’t escape in time would go bankrupt and jump from buildings, while those who left too early would be filled with regret.
If Xia Xiaolan bought Meng Guanchao’s land now, he would likely not appreciate it afterward, feeling he had left too early!
So Xia Xiaolan didn’t urge Meng Guanchao to sell; when to exit had to be his judgment.
Some people were satisfied with two or three times the profit, while others found even tenfold profit insufficient. Xia Xiaolan didn’t know which type Meng Guanchao was, so she simply left the choice to him!
However, it seemed Meng Guanchao hadn’t completely lost his head yet, coming to ask about the transfer agreement when things looked promising—was he feeling uneasy like Uncle Liu Yong?
Stimulated by the auction and inspired by Zhu Suizhou, Xia Xiaolan had heard that some people were now copying Yangfan Real Estate, not selling land but mortgaging it to get more bank loans to buy more land.
Preferably in Ye City.
If the government stopped releasing land, they’d buy from private owners.
If private owners wouldn’t transfer, they’d buy elsewhere in Qiong Island.
Since Ye City’s government had opened the door, proving that approval policies across Qiong Island had loosened, other counties and cities would question why only Ye City could sell land—they could sell too!
Just that investors weren’t as optimistic, with prices nowhere near Ye City’s.
Those with less money would speculate on housing instead.
Xia Xiaolan felt the entire island’s real estate market heating up. After seeing off Meng Guanchao, Ying Jinchuan, and Ge Jian came in to discuss Haitian Garden’s sellout:
“After repaying bank loans and taxes, Haitian Garden earned 10.7 million for Qihang.”
This wasn’t a large project, and pricing wasn’t higher than the two Pengcheng developments, yet profits were considerable.
Why?
Because the Haitian Garden’s land price was too cheap. For HK real estate developers, land was one of the biggest costs, but in Ye City, land costs were lower than other construction costs!
Bought at an average price under 50,000 yuan per mu, selling when land prices exceeded 200,000 yuan per mu—if they couldn’t make money from this, Xia Xiaolan might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes.
But when Ge Jian asked if Xia Xiaolan would develop new projects next, she hesitated.
Because Qihang Real Estate still held considerable land.
Qihang Capital had also bought some land; combined, they held more than Zhu Suizhou’s 300 mu.
“Spring Festival is approaching. Let’s finish the remaining work and give employees their holiday. Let them enjoy the New Year properly. Whatever projects the company plans can wait until after the festival!”
Unknowingly, a new year had arrived.
The lunar New Year hadn’t come yet, but even the Laba Festival had passed. Once entering the last lunar month, the old year’s tail gradually disappeared.
Xia Xiaolan not only wanted to give employees a holiday; she wanted one herself.
Although many tasks awaited her—like year-end accounting for several businesses, deciding whether to start construction on the land Zhou Cheng gave in Lu City and how to build if they did—she had too many things to do… A person who doesn’t want to rest can always find plenty of work, but Xia Xiaolan wants to rest. Money was endless, but she needed time to spend what she earned!
So she quickly handled her remaining work and announced she had “closed her pen” for the year.
“Why do I need my signature on everything? Why did I hire so many employees?”
She earnestly taught Bai Zhenzhu how to be a lazy boss, but Bai Zhenzhu listened without taking it to heart.
Xiaolan might talk nicely, but if she stayed idle for over a month, she’d find life meaningless—wouldn’t her joints rust?
Admittedly, after these years of interaction, Bai Zhenzhu understood Xia Xiaolan well.
Zhou Cheng wouldn’t get his New Year holiday until February 10th, the fifth day of the lunar New Year.
Xia Xiaolan stayed at Zhou Cheng’s workplace until February 1st before leaving Qiong Island. She wanted to stay and spend Spring Festival with him, but Zhou Cheng wouldn’t have any holiday during those days and might be too busy to attend to her.
Zhou Cheng told her to return to Beijing first and wait for his holiday.
Xia Xiaolan had arrived in Qiong Island on the same flight as Du Zhaohui and now left the same way.
“I thought you’d returned to HK already!”
Du Zhaohui was animated, “Why would I rush back to HK? I bought another 200 mu of land in Qiong Island, right around Ye City!”
Well, making money was indeed joyful.
Spring Festival meant reunion for most people, but achieving a reunion in the Du family was difficult.
It was impossible to find anyone from the Du family to spend Spring Festival with Du Zhaohui, and he probably didn’t want to experience any father-son warmth with Du Chengrong.
While Xia Xiaolan could previously invite Tang Hong’en to spend New Year together, she couldn’t bring herself to invite Du Zhaohui.
Tang Hong’en was different from Du Zhaohui.
Exactly how they were different—Xia Xiaolan had an answer in her heart but never wanted to examine it deeply.
She looked at Du Zhaohui seriously:
“The newspapers say you’re dating a new TVB actress. Can she spend Spring Festival with you?”
The smile froze on Du Zhaohui’s face.
“…I thought you didn’t know about that.”