“The Luo family is making a fuss?”

When Xia Xiaolan received the news, she wasn’t surprised.

People are greedy – when they have one, they want two. Old Man Luo’s tight grip on the land, refusing to sell it to Harold, might not just be about feng shui. Perhaps the old man was greedier, hoping to sell it in a few years for even higher compensation.

This wasn’t entirely unrealistic.

How could land prices in ’85 compare to those in ’90?

Once the golf course project was built, with Harold’s influence, land prices around Xiangmi Lake would likely skyrocket.

Current compensation was reportedly 10,000 yuan per mu.

In a few years, it might reach 50,000 per mu.

If Old Man Luo could outlast time itself and hold onto Jinsha Pool’s 23 mu until after the millennium, the Luo family could become rich overnight!

But Xia Xiaolan couldn’t imagine Old Man Luo would dare to aim for both money and marriage.

Some people’s moral bottom line could always break through Xia Xiaolan’s imagination.

When Ge Jian called her, she was more concerned about the progress of cleaning Jinsha Pool. Regarding the Luo family matter, Xia Xiaolan told Ge Jian to stall: “Old Man Luo wants to meet me? Let him wait. Maybe I’ll see him when I come to Shenzhen, depending on my mood… How are things at Jinsha? Are you ready? This task can only be done by you – I don’t trust anyone else.”

The workers cleaning the garbage had no right to know such secrets.

Xia Xiaolan needed them to witness gold sand being discovered in the pool, not see Ge Jian burying it.

“I’ve bought the gold sand as instructed, from Guangzhou, one kilogram total! The sludge in the pool is almost cleared. Yesterday we could see spring water bubbling up – Master Mao was right, there is live water. About the Luo family’s legend – could it be true? If there was gold sand in the pool, and we add more, wouldn’t that-“

One gram of gold cost dozens of yuan.

A kilogram was 1000 grams – tens of thousands of yuan.

With the company just established and money needed everywhere, Ge Jian hoped to save those thousands.

But Xia Xiaolan disagreed, “How much gold sand could naturally be in the pool? Not enough to cause a sensation. Save small money, lose big money. This is a necessary expense – just do as I say.”

Ge Jian had some doubts but only wanted to save money for Xia Xiaolan, who wouldn’t blame him.

He could voice concerns but couldn’t act independently, especially regarding Xia Xiaolan’s long-planned schemes. In this respect, Ge Jian was better than Chen Xiliang. Ge Jian was suited to being an assistant, able to cooperate with others. Chen Xiliang was born to work alone, very much his own man. Different people had different personalities, and Xia Xiaolan had to handle them differently.

Ge Jian asked when Xia Xiaolan would return to Shenzhen.

She wasn’t sure herself:

“…Wait until people fight over this land. Don’t worry, once the gold sand is discovered, with so many eyes watching, news will spread across the city quickly. The gold sand is bait, it will attract many fish interested in this land. When fish fight over the bait, won’t Jinsha Pool become especially tempting?”

Land prices were driven by speculation.

Only Xia Xiaolan would speculate on land without intending to sell and do so without hesitation.

Without driving up the land price, how could banks believe in Jinsha Pool’s value and grant large loans?

Being nice to Director Pan’s nephew wasn’t enough. Xia Xiaolan preferred win-win situations, disliking coercion. Coerced relationships didn’t last. Not putting Director Pan in too difficult a position would lead to a healthier, more lasting relationship.

Xia Xiaolan had a thought:

“The Luo family’s trouble can be useful. First, have someone spread their feng shui treasure land story, then discover the gold sand to prove them right!”

True business sharks could squeeze oil from stones. While Xia Xiaolan wasn’t at that level, she knew how to utilize waste.

The Luo family were like volunteer performers, promoting Qihang Real Estate for free. Though they were troublesome actors, Xia Xiaolan couldn’t complain – they cost nothing!

After giving Ge Jian detailed instructions, she hung up.

Now she just waited for the results.

She wondered which company would be the first to come knocking.

…

Not seeing Xia Xiaolan, Old Man Luo wouldn’t give up.

He watched Jinsha Pool daily.

Futian Street Office officials warned villagers not to cause trouble before receiving their compensation.

But with two generations of Luo family village chiefs commanding absolute authority in Ganquan Village, villagers were torn.

Old Man Luo compromised, saying they didn’t need to make trouble, just show up daily.

The displaced villagers had nothing better to do anyway.

Old Man Luo was determined to see Xia Xiaolan. He had to personally inspect his future granddaughter-in-law. She was the boss – she couldn’t stay away forever, could she?

So Old Man Luo checked in daily, bringing Ganquan villagers to witness the stinking bamboo ditch’s transformation.

Ge Jian’s team cut down the bamboo grove, cleared the roots, and thoroughly dug out the rhizomes. Bamboo was tenacious – without thorough root removal, it might sprout again in a few years.

Once the bamboo was cleared, the gloomy, dark ditch became wide open.

When Old Man Luo claimed the bamboo was Luo’s family property, Ge Jian ignored him and sold it. Old Man Luo wailed about capitalist bullying, but Ge Jian wouldn’t budge.

The land belonged to Qihang Real Estate now, with no crops on it. If the bamboo belonged to the Luo family, wouldn’t any discovered gold belong to them too?

Ge Jian strongly disliked Old Man Luo, not wanting the Luo family to take advantage of Miss Xia… who was tens of thousands of yuan in gold!

The ditch changed daily.

Bamboo cut, garbage removed, thick layers of bamboo leaves and shoot shells cleared, along with the pool’s garbage and stinking sludge.

It couldn’t even be called a stinking bamboo ditch anymore. The land’s original appearance emerged, with the pool perfectly centered, about two mu in size.

With the sludge cleared, the water gradually became clear. That afternoon, as the sun set, its rays scattered across the water’s surface in golden ripples.

The pool water showed a beautiful golden color, sparkling mesmerizingly.

Luo Yaozong peered in, wondering if his grandfather, drunk, had seen such a sight and invented the tale of golden sand.

As he thought this, workers cleaning the sludge found something yellow and shiny in the black mud, flat and round, about the size of a broad bean.

“Gold?”

“Boss, we found gold!”

Chaos erupted. Some fool’s shout attracted all the onlookers!

Old Man Luo’s cloudy eyes streamed tears: “Gold sprouting from the earth! Grandson, grandfather didn’t lie, it really is gold sprouting from the earth. I saw the pool full of golden light… Our Luo family’s feng shui treasure land, grandson, you must get it back!”

Old Man Luo fainted – not acting this time, truly overwhelmed.

Luo Yaozong’s mind reeled. Real gold?

How much gold lay buried in this pool?

Workers scrambled to grab pieces, and villagers joined in until police arrived firing warning shots to control the scene:

“No private collection! Anyone who found gold must turn it in!”