I believe Yang Sisi is telling the truth because she has always been this kind of girl; she would give everything for the person she likes, and her values are very simple, so she would not judge a person or thing as good or bad based on right or wrong.
But precisely because of this, she gives off an immature vibe. Although she's already shouldering the burdens of life, the judgment formed by the first impression is deeply ingrained. So even seeing her changes, people still feel she's not mature enough. This perspective is probably like parents looking at their own children; it's hard to truly believe she's grown up.
But I still feel touched and a desire to protect her arises within me.
Yang Sisi seemed to read my mind. She tucked her skirt in and said with a hint of disappointment, "I know you'll think I'm immature just because I'm saying this… but my understanding of maturity is different from yours. You only look at appearances, at words and actions… but I think to judge a person's maturity, you have to look at their heart. I also have a mountain and an ocean in my heart, which is why I love Dali just like you… but we're not entirely the same. The ocean in my heart is very blue, and the mountains are beautiful, but your mountains have no trees, and your ocean is gray… but you can't assume that someone else's optimism and happiness are immature just because you lack sunshine in your heart and are always somber!"
After a moment of contemplation, I replied, "Yes, you're right. I am a deep person. I'm not as open as you, so the same sunlight can illuminate a whole area in your heart, but here it only shines on a tiny bit, like a fingernail."
"As long as the light shines through, it's like a spark. As long as it doesn't go out, it will surely burn brightly one day... and you will truly be happy!"
I took out a cigarette, lit it, and said nothing more.
After a long silence, Yang Sisi changed the subject and said to me, "I'm quite curious, how did you manage to double the value of the house and actually sell it?"
"Our studio has an information advantage..."
"I still don't understand. Aren't there still some vacant shops in Jiulongju? Why don't the people who want to buy your shops contact a few more places to take a look?"
"The owners are all from out of town, it's not that easy to contact them... We had to pull some strings to get their contact list... Even so, of all the owners we contacted, only Cao Xiaobei and one other owner were truly serious about selling; moreover, the shops in Jiulongju are already worth this price, so sooner or later someone will break through the existing price structure..." I smiled at this point, then continued, "The shrewdness of Wenzhou people isn't reflected in haggling over existing prices, their shrewdness is used to judge the market, especially..." The real estate market is constantly changing... If you miss it today, the price will be different tomorrow. They make a living by speculating on properties; they know the value of a place better than anyone else... As for me, I make money by exploiting market cracks... I make small money, while these speculators make big money... Just you wait and see, this Wenzhou guy will definitely find a way to buy more shops in Jiulongju. Since they were willing to spend 2.2 million yuan to buy a shop from me, they'll definitely find a way to sell it for double the price... That's fine, saves me the trouble of raising prices myself!
I tried to comfort myself like this, because the hope of getting the money was getting slimmer and slimmer...
I really made a terrible mistake. Not only did I fail to buy the shops from Beijing residents, but I also let Wenzhou people set their sights on the Jiulongju property market. It will only be more difficult to continue this strategy in the future, since my financial resources are no match for the Wenzhou real estate speculators.
Yang Sisi then asked, "Is real estate speculation really that profitable?"
I took a drag of my cigarette, squinted, and replied, "Take Renmin Road, which we're all familiar with, as an example... Seven or eight years ago, Renmin Road wasn't as bustling as it is now. The shops along the street were mostly used by locals for both residential and commercial purposes... Then the Wenzhou real estate speculators came. They drove supercars, with bundles of cash in their trunks, and negotiated rental deals with the locals... Back then, they offered 40,000 to 50,000 yuan a year for a 100-square-meter shop. The locals thought the Wenzhou people were foolish and rich because they only rented out shops for 20,000 to 30,000 yuan a year. After agreeing on the price, the Wenzhou people rented 70-80% of the shops along the street, with contracts starting at 15 years... Now you can see the situation on Renmin Road. The owner of the Ostrich Bar just renewed his contract with a Wenzhou person for a 130-square-meter shop, paying 3 million yuan a year in rent, and only signing for one year... Tell me, who's short-sighted, the locals or the Wenzhou people?"
"Yes, there are so many people lining up to buy houses in Shenzhen that start at 8 million yuan... I used to think they were just rich fools, but actually they are the ones with real foresight!"
I nodded, took another deep drag of my cigarette, and couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. I had once been a victim of exorbitant housing prices, so I was inevitably extremely sensitive to this issue.
After a moment of silence, Yang Sisi spoke to me again, "Michael... could you help me buy a few shops in Jiulongju? If they appreciate in value, we can split the profits in half."
"Stop joking, where did you get the money from?"
Yang Sisi grinned mischievously: "Have you ever heard the saying 'Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse'?"
"What's the meaning?"
Yang Sisi took out a wallet from her pocket, then pulled out one of the cards and said to me, "My dad probably foresaw this day, so he deposited some money with me. He said that this money should never be used unless absolutely necessary, because it's our family's life-saving money... My grandma also deposited some."
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