Dean Liu was pondering what to do to increase everyone's enthusiasm for buying houses when Lin Chen stopped him.

"Dean Liu, I have something I'd like to ask you for help with."

Since joining the design institute, Lin Chen has achieved considerable success in his work, especially in designing the central processing unit for power plants, which directly solved the problem of domestic substitution of key components. He has left a good impression on Dean Liu.

"Xiao Lin, please tell me what's on your mind." Dean Liu stopped and looked at him with a smile.

When Lin Chen mentioned wanting to reserve a building, he was completely stunned.

"Xiaolin, do you know how much it costs to buy a building? That's a huge sum of money."

He couldn't believe that someone would be so generous.

Lin Chen looked serious:

“Dean Liu, this is my wife’s idea. If you don’t think it’s suitable, then I’ll reserve two units. If we can reserve an entire building, we’re willing to pay the cost price and will definitely not take advantage of the design institute. As for the money, my wife runs an import and export trading company and has made some money in the past two years.”

Seeing how serious he was, Dean Liu's face lit up with delight. He immediately led him to his office and called over the relevant personnel to discuss the feasibility of the matter.

After listening to Lin Chen's idea, the person in charge raised only one concern: "Don't think that everyone is not interested in buying a house now. In a few years, if they want to buy a house again, but find that all the houses have been bought by Lin Chen, they will definitely be resentful. They may even want to ask the design institute for an explanation. At that time, it may be difficult to quell the public's grievances."

Lin Chen reiterated, "The design institute is currently offering us a price of 81 square meters. We can offer it at cost price, ensuring the design institute doesn't lose out, and no one can say anything about it."

After careful consideration, Dean Liu finally agreed to sell the property to them at 151 square meters.

The authorities finally approved four buildings, and the funds will be disbursed soon. With the addition of a 20% advance payment, construction can begin.

After returning home, Lin Chen immediately shared the good news with Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning studied the blueprints he brought back. It was a six-story building with three units and a total of fifty-four households.

The total area is over 4,000 square meters, and the 20% down payment is around 130,000 yuan.

She quickly took the money and went with Lin Chen to the design institute, where they signed a purchase contract with the relevant department.

The house will be delivered three years later.

Full payment is required upon delivery.

Jiang Ning didn't care; even if she paid off all 600,000 yuan now, it would be a piece of cake.

After she paid the money, she received a thick stack of contracts, which stunned everyone around her.

Xie Miao, in particular, thought she had secured two apartments and was walking around with her chin down after receiving the contracts. But when she saw the contracts in Jiang Ning and Lin Chen's hands, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Impossible! How could you buy so many apartments at once?" Xie Miao blocked their way.

Many people followed her in questioning her.

Lin Chen stepped forward and explained to everyone in as calm a tone as possible:

"Please don't get agitated. The design institute sold the houses to the families of its employees in an open and fair manner. Anyone who wants to buy can do so, and Director Liu welcomes them all. We bought these houses at 151 square meters each. If you have any objections, you can raise them with Director Liu."

With that, he led Jiang Ning back to the Crown car.

As they left in a haughty manner, everyone started discussing it.

"They're such nouveau riche! Lin Chen's wife is so beautiful and so rich, she just throws around a whole building."

"I've seen his wife on TV. She was so glamorous when she bought that Crown car. And her figure is so graceful, absolutely stunning."

Hearing these comments, Xie Miao became even more embarrassed and stamped her foot, yelling at them.

"He just has a few stinking bucks, and he owns a company. How can his job compare to the work at our design institute!"

Working at a design institute is considered semi-government-affiliated; it's stable and offers good benefits—who wouldn't envy that?

On the other hand, those who run their own businesses, braving wind and rain, begging and pleading for a little money, earn only hard-earned cash.

She's not envious at all!

At this moment, Jiang Ning and Lin Chen drove to the entrance of the courtyard house. When they got out of the car, each of them carried a stack of contracts home.

Everyone had already left work, and when they saw them come in, they all went up to help.

Lin Chen quickly stopped them, "Forget it, don't get involved. These contracts are arranged by serial number, so as not to mix them up."

After taking the contract back to their room and locking it in the closet, the two returned to the front yard and told everyone about buying the house.

"You guys actually bought an entire building!" Gao Baoliang exclaimed excitedly as he set out the bowls and chopsticks.

Wang Xiufen had already prepared the meal, and Lin Chen also went over to serve the dishes.

“You’ve all seen the contract. My wife always acts on her ideas immediately.”

Song Jia also brought out the dishes. Her gaze swept over everyone and she noticed that Lin Qiao had not returned yet. She asked Luo Guangming what was going on.

Just as Luo Guangming was also confused about the situation, the phone rang, and Luo Guangming quickly answered it.

As expected, it was Lin Qiao calling. She had received a work call when she was off work and needed to handle it immediately.

"Honey, be careful. Do you need me to pick you up?"

Luo Guangming frowned.

Lin Qiao was very anxious on the other end of the line. She told him not to worry, that Meng Jiao was leading a team of several colleagues to conduct an interview at a writer's home. She didn't know how late they would be working, so he wouldn't need to take over.

Luo Guangming nervously put down the phone and then ate with everyone.

At the dinner table, everyone continued discussing the issue of buying a house.

People tend to think that as long as there's enough housing, there's no need to spend money on housing.

Jiang Ning, however, believed that the real estate market would undergo tremendous changes in the future, and that the building she bought would become a golden goose laying golden eggs for her.

"What do you think?" Gao Baoliang asked Luo Guangming.

Luo Guangming was distracted and clearly hadn't heard what they were discussing. He looked up blankly.

What did you say?

Lin Chen looked at him, "Xiao Qiao only comes home late one day, you don't need to worry so much, do you?"

But he just couldn't control his uneasy feelings. Even after finishing his meal, he looked out the door several times, but when he didn't see Lin Qiao, he became even more anxious.

He called the publisher again, but no one answered.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but his nerves were on the verge of snapping when the phone suddenly rang again.

He rushed over to catch it, knocking over the cup on the coffee table and spilling the tea inside.

Wang Xiufen picked up a rag and silently began to wipe.

Then I heard Luo Guangming's voice on the other end of the phone.

"Are you Lin Qiao's husband? Come to the People's Hospital quickly, she has injured her leg."

Luo Guangming felt a wave of dizziness and slumped onto the sofa.