He did not respond to the ambiguous praise, simply stating, “The tea is quite good.”
Off to the side, Ling Qingzhou let out a mocking chuckle.
“What’s the big deal about two billion? It’s not like we can’t afford it.”
Yi Hansheng added, “Of course, we can afford it—the real question is whether the Lou Group can pay up!”
Jiang Fuyue, however, remained calm. “Don’t worry, they will.”
That evening, He Yongjing reported the past three days’ progress to Fang Ye. He could clearly sense the increasing silence from the other end of the line. Even through the phone, the suffocating pressure was palpable.
Finally, when he mentioned the words “two billion,” Fang Ye erupted—
“Ridiculous!”
Cold sweat poured down He Yongjing’s back, his hand trembling as he held the phone.
“Two billion! Do they really dare name such a price in front of the Lou Group?!”
He Yongjing also wondered—where did this small real estate company get the audacity?
Was it Liang Jingru who gave them courage?
Fang Ye snapped, “Tell them to take it or leave it. If they don’t want to sell, so be it!” Then, he hung up abruptly.
But He Yongjing knew—backing out wasn’t an option.
Qingtong Street was directly connected to the adjacent shopping center. Once developed, its value would far exceed two billion. However, at the moment, two billion was indeed well beyond the budget.
Fang Ye’s response was understandable. He wasn’t genuinely walking away—he was putting on a show to intimidate the other party and prevent them from arbitrarily inflating the price.
He Yongjing carried out the order immediately, responding the next day: “two billion is impossible—the most we can offer is five hundred million.”
In reality, their ideal price was around six hundred million. Quoting a lower amount left room for negotiation.
This was a well-established industry tactic. Once He Yongjing made the offer, he expected the other party to counter, signaling that the deal was halfway done.
But unexpectedly, the other end hung up on him with a loud bang.
He Yongjing dared not act rashly. This was a crucial stage in the negotiation; any misstep could send the wrong signal.
He called Fang Ye for guidance.
A long silence followed before Fang Ye finally said just one word—
“…Wait.”
And so, they waited. Three days passed. Yet, not a single person from Yufeng reached out.
He Yongjing and his team were growing restless.
“Chief He, perhaps they really don’t care if they sell or not.”
“Hanging up on us was already a statement, wasn’t it?”
“I don’t think waiting any longer will change anything.”
“Should we check in with Chief Fang again? The longer we drag this out, the worse it is for us.”
That night, as He Yongjing debated whether to call Fang Ye, his phone rang first—
“Chief Fang.”
“Have they reached out to you?”
“No.”
“Not even once?”
“Not once.”
“…”
After a long pause, Fang Ye finally said, “I’ll go to Linhuai myself tomorrow.”
He Yongjing was stunned—so the one who truly couldn’t sit still was Fang Ye.
A Clash of Titans
As soon as Fang Ye arrived in Linhuai, he immediately requested a face-to-face meeting with Yufeng’s leadership.
This time, they didn’t outright hang up on him. Instead, they told him to wait while they “consulted with the decision-makers.”
He waited for two full hours.
Finally, Yufeng agreed to the meeting—but not with the company’s top executive. Instead, they sent an investor.
Fang Ye’s veins bulged as he barely suppressed his anger. “Fine.”
He wasn’t the head of the Lou Group, so naturally, he wasn’t important enough to meet Yufeng’s top brass. Their message was clear—
You’re not qualified.
Since becoming the CEO of the Lou Group, Fang Ye hadn’t experienced such blatant disdain and humiliation in a long time.
He had never wronged Yufeng Real Estate. In fact, he hadn’t even heard of them before this.
That confusion persisted—until the next day, when he finally met Yufeng’s investors.
Or rather—two of them.
“Yi Hansheng? Ling Qingzhou?” Fang Ye chuckled. “So it’s you two.”
Yi Hansheng pulled out a chair and sat down. “What’s wrong, Chief Fang? Surprised?”
Fang Ye sighed. “Time flies. It’s been twenty years… I never expected to meet old friends again.”
Ling Qingzhou gestured for him to sit and casually adjusted his glasses. Unlike Yi Hansheng, he wasn’t as blunt and unruly.
Pouring a cup of tea, he personally placed it in front of Fang Ye, smiling warmly. “Since you’re in Linhuai for business, there’s no avoiding us. Otherwise, what have we been doing all these years?”
Fang Ye’s expression froze.
Back in the capital, he could rely on the Lou Group’s influence to command respect.
But here in Linhuai, he was nothing more than a stranded dragon, outmatched by the local kings.
Ling Qingzhou raised his cup. “Come, let’s toast to our reunion after twenty years—with tea instead of wine.”
Yi Hansheng immediately chimed in, “Now that’s a good idea—this will be fun.”
Fang Ye reluctantly raised his cup. His calculating gaze darted between Ling and Yi, trying to gauge their intentions.
If they had reconciled and were ready to dredge up the events of twenty years ago, then back when he…
Those flaws in his past dealings—wouldn’t they all be laid bare?
Yi Hansheng leaned back and smirked. “Fang Ye—ah, I suppose we should call you Chief Fang now. Never thought you’d end up at our mercy one day.”
He added with amusement, “Do you still remember the bidding case for the Pengshan Theatre all those years ago? Recently, we stumbled upon something very interesting. And guess what? It involves you.”
Fang Ye’s face turned pale.
