Chapter 225 Financial Difficulties
The movements were unhurried, as if dispelling the summer heat, or perhaps concealing an inner struggle.
He kept his eyes down, his gaze fixed on the crack in the corner of the table. He never looked up at Zhao Lin, but listened quietly to him without saying a word.
The silence carried a hint of composure, and also concealed a few unfathomable depths, as if he were repeatedly weighing the weight of each word in his heart.
If you really didn't want to buy it, you would have refused outright long ago.
They wouldn't listen to all that you said, nor would they keep you sitting for so long.
But now he neither nodded nor shook his head, just listened without any change in expression. This hesitation precisely indicated that there was still a chance for things to turn around.
Zhao Lin's heart immediately lit up, as if he had grabbed a piece of driftwood. He quickly adjusted his tone, his face beaming with an even warmer smile, his voice filled with sincerity and helplessness: "Li Hongwei must have mentioned it to you. I really want to build a toy factory here. I just bought this land a few days ago, and the procedures are almost complete, but the problem lies in the later stages—the water and electricity are still not connected, so even if the factory is built, it can't be used."
"Renovation is an even bigger money pit. Just the basic projects like hardening the factory floor, partitioning the walls, and waterproofing the roof can cost tens of thousands of yuan. Every single one of them is real money, and each and every one of them makes it hard to even breathe."
He paused, sighed, and his voice revealed a hint of weariness and anxiety. "As you know, my little workshop is in an alley in the west of the city. How much money can I make in a month? I've been scrimping and saving, penny by penny, and it's only after these past few years that I've managed to scrape together enough for the down payment on this piece of land. But the money for the renovation... I haven't even seen a glimpse of it, let alone saved enough."
"So I'm here today because I really have no other choice but to shamelessly beg you for a favor. Could you... perhaps give me a break and lower the price a little? Even if it's just a few thousand less, it would be an immense favor to me."
As he spoke, he secretly observed the man's expression, afraid of missing even the slightest change in his emotions.
He actually already had a plan in mind.
A few days ago, Li Hongwei had drunk too much and mentioned at the dinner table that this boss was in a hurry to cash out and wanted to leave and head north, and go south to Guangzhou to try his luck.
The south is booming; there are opportunities everywhere to set up and open factories.
As long as you act quickly, whoever goes will make money.
The fact that this boss is willing to sell the land shows that he really can't wait much longer—time is the most valuable thing.
The opportunity lies at this delicate juncture; it all depends on who yields first and who makes the first move.
The man finally raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over like a knife, staring directly at Zhao Lin's face.
His gaze wasn't angry, but it was extremely oppressive, as if it could see through the deepest scheming in people's hearts.
His voice was low and his tone left no room for argument: "If I weren't in a hurry, I wouldn't even glance at this land. Fifty thousand is my bottom line. I can only offer you a little less than a thousand. Forty-nine thousand is the most I can offer. Any more than that, and I'm truly out of options."
Zhao Lin wasn't annoyed; he still had a smile on his face, even more humble than before.
He placed his hands on his knees, leaned forward slightly, and appeared exceptionally sincere: "Boss, you may not be aware of the current situation in the South. In Guangzhou, industrial zones are expanding rapidly, with rows of five-story standard factory buildings springing up everywhere, and the investment policies are particularly lenient. Rents are low, labor is cheap, and exports are convenient. Whoever goes there will make money. The key is that whoever gets there first will reap the rewards; if you're a step behind, you won't even get the soup."
"It's not that I don't want to leave, it's that I really can't leave."
He gave a bitter laugh, lowering his voice as if speaking his heart to a friend, "You don't know, I have a family to support, seven children, and an elderly mother, all of whom depend on me. Nine people in a family, what doesn't cost money for food, drink, and basic necessities? If I could really get away, I would have gone south long ago, why would I be here haggling with you?"
“But this piece of land is my last chance. You’re in a hurry to sell it because time is money; I have the money ready. If we reach an agreement today, I can make the payment on the spot without any delays.”
He emphasized his words, a hint of urgency flashing in his eyes, "Tomorrow you can take the money, buy a train ticket, and head south without wasting a second. Isn't that a great deal? If you can be a little more lenient, even just three thousand less, I'll sign immediately, and the money will be in my account right away."
The boss's expression changed slightly after hearing this. He tapped his fingers twice on the table, then suddenly slammed the contract on the table with a loud "bang." The sound wasn't loud, but it carried a sense of anger and decisiveness: "So how much can you actually offer? Stop beating around the bush and just say it!"
Zhao Lin said no more, but silently took out a dark blue passbook with worn edges from his pocket. The cover was yellowed, indicating that it had been used for many years.
He handed over the passbook with both hands, his movements steady and light, as if he were handing over his lifeline.
He has practically turned his entire fortune upside down lately – he settled accounts with his small workshop ahead of schedule, borrowed from all the relatives and friends he could, and even used the deposits paid by several old customers when they placed orders to tide him over.
By piecing together the money from various sources, a full 30,000 yuan was raised, not a penny more, not a penny less.
The boss glanced at the number on the bankbook, a cold smile creeping onto his lips, his tone sarcastic: "Thirty thousand? Are you kidding me? This land has a red certificate, the property rights are clear, the market price is fifty thousand, not a penny less. Your thirty thousand isn't even a fraction of that, far from enough."
Zhao Lin neither argued nor explained.
He slowly took the passbook, his movements calm, as if the negotiation had never happened.
He tucked the passbook back into his pocket, gently concealing it with the hem of his shirt, then stood up, straightened his collar, and said in a calm but firm voice, "Alright, then I won't keep you from doing business any longer. Sorry for the intrusion. I'll go and see if there are any other opportunities. I wish you great success, and I hope we can cooperate again someday."
After saying that, he turned and walked out, his steps steady and without the slightest hint of dishevelment.
Shen Cuifen got up immediately after him, lowered her head and followed behind him. The two of them went out the door one after the other.
When I arrived at the bus stop, the sky was already turning gray, there were few people on the street, and the wind made the shadows of the trees sway.
Shen Cuifen looked around to make sure no one was paying attention before lowering her voice and almost whispering in Zhao Lin's ear, "Mom, are we really just going to let it go like this? We've already given them 30,000, and they won't even take it. Are we just going to leave like this?"
Calculate?
How could that be?
Zhao Lin stood by the platform, gazing at the empty road in the distance, but his eyes were anything but empty.
He knew perfectly well that if he revealed his hand and the other party didn't respond, he couldn't keep crying and begging.
The more anxious you are, the more guilty you appear.
If you make people feel that you absolutely have to buy, then every word you say next becomes a weakness, and the other party will only raise the price on the spot.
But if you turn around and leave decisively, it might make people suspicious: Is he really broke?
Or do you have other plans?
Does he really not care about this land?
Could he have already contacted someone else?
Although 30,000 in cash is not much, it is valuable because it is "cash".
People who are eager to cash out are most afraid of waiting.
Perhaps we should leave first.
wait.
Once the boss calmed down, he realized the significance of the 30,000 yuan in cash.
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