Chapter Forty-Five: One Price for All

“Haha, young man, you must be joking.” Wang Jintong was first taken aback, then burst into laughter. With his high status and power, it was rare for anyone to speak to him like this, and Chu Dong’s playful words amused him.

“I’m not joking, I mean it. I’m working so hard just to save up for my wedding fund. Otherwise, I’d have gone home long ago to take naps.” Chu Dong spoke indifferently, not caring about the chairman’s title; after all, it had nothing much to do with him.

“Naps?” Wang Jintong was puzzled.

“I mean sleeping all day, you’ve never heard that expression?” Chu Dong explained.

“It’s really the first time I’ve heard it, haha. Young man, have a seat. It seems there was something unresolved just now—would you mind letting this old man in on it?” Wang Jintong sat down first and gestured for Chu Dong to join him.

“You can just ask your Manager Tang. I have things to do—every minute costs me hundreds. If I’m delayed, no one’s going to compensate me.” Chu Dong smiled but remained standing.

“Earlier, I offered fifty million for the plot of land close to our development, but Mr. Chu turned around to leave…” Manager Tang was sweating.

“So that’s what happened. May I ask, young man, what price do you have in mind?” Wang Jintong asked Chu Dong with a smile.

“When I bought this land, I didn’t plan on making much profit. As long as it’s enough for two lifetimes, that’s fine. At worst, I could sell it at cost and not lose anything. But your offer was too low. If I had countered, it might have embarrassed such a big company like Haifeng Group, so I let it go.” Chu Dong deliberately kept Wang Jintong in suspense, rambling on without naming his price.

“You’re really shrewd, young man. Normally, I wouldn’t get involved in such matters, but since we’ve met today, I’ll say this: a flat price of ninety million—I doubt you’d lose out?” Wang Jintong paused, stroking his chin.

Chu Dong’s expression looked as if he’d been startled, then he gave a thumbs up. “That’s what I call a true boss—bold and decisive. Just like that, you raised the offer by forty million. Most people wouldn’t dare even dream of it.”

“So, what do you say?” Wang Jintong looked at Chu Dong with a smile, thinking he’d settled it.

By rights, this price was still below market value, but he figured Chu Dong must have done his homework before buying the land. Truth be told, aside from Haifeng, no one else would take it, not even for fifty million. If the project didn’t work, the land wouldn’t sell; even if it were a golden goose, it wouldn’t lay any eggs—utterly useless. Now, with a single sentence, Wang Jintong had offered ninety million, which was already generous. In fact, after dealing with Tianxiang for so long, he’d lost patience; otherwise, even fifty million might’ve been too much.

Chu Dong shook his head with a look of regret. “Chairman Wang, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. Someone already offered one hundred and fifty million, and I didn’t sell. I believe the development value of this land is far greater, so I’m not willing to let it go cheap. In fact, before I came, I told Manager Tang I had an appointment with a major livestock farmer to discuss a partnership. If no one values this land, I’ll just build a piggery and raise pigs for a few years. The returns may be modest, but it’s still better than leaving it idle.”

“Raising pigs? Young man, you’re quite a character. Haha…” Wang Jintong’s eyes widened in surprise, then he laughed heartily.

It was the first time he’d heard of anyone spending a fortune on land only to develop animal husbandry. Besides, land use is strictly regulated by the state; even if Chu Dong wanted to use it for livestock, it wouldn’t be approved. He assumed Chu Dong was just making things up.

“That’s right, I already checked with the city. The land was barely approved in the first place. I thought about getting the municipal government to take it back, but the price they offered was too low, so I refused. I told them if all else failed, I’d raise pigs, and to my surprise, the officials agreed. They said as long as it gets developed, they don’t care what I do. There’s really nothing else I can do.” Chu Dong spun his tale with a straight face.

“Young man, have you heard the story behind this land? It used to belong to Tianxiang, but after several years, it still wasn’t developed—it’s not so simple. Even if you want to build a piggery, you’d have to be able to pull it off,” Wang Jintong remarked, his expression darkening as he realized Chu Dong was only playing around.

“Oh? So you mean…” Chu Dong seemed hesitant, as if intimidated by Wang Jintong’s words.

“I mean, you should take your profit and let it go. Sometimes, it’s wise to recognize the situation.” Wang Jintong stroked his beard and spoke calmly.

“Heh, I’m young and inexperienced; I could really use guidance from someone of your stature.” Chu Dong replied with a look of sincere respect.

“Not at all, not at all. Anyone can see you’re no ordinary man. One day—” Wang Jintong assumed Chu Dong had come around. After all, ninety million was a safe profit; given Haifeng’s strength, perhaps Chu Dong would let go of his hopes for huge gains. Pleased with himself, he was about to finish his compliment, but Chu Dong interrupted.

“One day is too far off. Right now, it’s just a bit hard to swallow having such a good deal snatched away by you,” Chu Dong cut in, uninterested in flattery—after all, compliments don’t pay the bills.

“So, are you satisfied with this price?” Wang Jintong frowned, a bit annoyed at being toyed with by a youngster.

“Think about it. This land, not to mention its proximity to your development, has excellent geology—lush mountains and clear waters. With a bit of effort, it could become an ideal site for villas. Just for that, the value far exceeds ninety million, don’t you think?” Chu Dong gestured the number nine with his fingers at Wang Jintong.

Wang Jintong’s eyes lit up. He had indeed considered what to do with this land. At first, he thought he could build a few mid-rise buildings and sell them for a good price—at six thousand per square meter, making tens of millions would be easy. If real estate prices rose, it could even fetch a hundred or two hundred million. But hearing Chu Dong’s words was like waking from a dream. If the land were developed into private estates and sold as such, the profits would be far greater. After all, the concept of a country estate had yet to be introduced domestically. China had no shortage of wealthy individuals—buying mansions, yachts, even private jets was common—but no one had ever heard of someone buying an estate to live in. Once such a market emerged, buyers would surely follow. That piece of land could be divided into six small estates—the idea alone made Wang Jintong’s heart race, as if a mischievous hand were tugging at his heartstrings.

“Young man, you see, we’re serious about this. Yet you still haven’t named your price. Surely that ‘For Sale’ sign you put up isn’t just a joke?” Wang Jintong was as shrewd as ever. Though he desperately wanted Chu Dong’s land, he kept his composure.

“I don’t have time for games.” Chu Dong sighed, finally sitting next to Wang Jintong and pulling his chair closer. “This is how I see it: I simply don’t have enough funds on hand. All I can do is dream. So yes, I genuinely want to sell. But at ninety million, I just can’t bring myself to do it.” He waved his hand dismissively.

“Name your price, then.” Wang Jintong decided that as long as Chu Dong didn’t ask for something outrageous, he’d agree.

“Three hundred million…” Chu Dong drew out the words.