Chapter 24: Shoot This Land
The expert Qiao Yizi found was a professor in the History Department of B University, who had extensive experience in studying Ming and Qing furniture.
When I heard that Professor Qiao had discovered some antique Huanghuali furniture during his Siheyuan renovation project, I was immediately excited to see it myself. I couldn't leave after seeing it. Firstly, there was a lot of furniture, and secondly, it wasn't just a patchwork. It was all designed as a set specifically for this house, and it was likely the original furniture when it was built.
The tables, chairs, stools, screens, antique shelves, beds, and cabinets all come in sets, all with a consistent overall style and decorative patterns, reminiscent of the Ming Dynasty, from the mid-Qing period onwards. While not as ornate as the late Qing, it possesses a more time-honored, unadorned charm.
"This item is definitely a cultural relic. We need to coordinate with the original owner and the unit that originally occupied the house to confirm its ownership. In theory, it is not recommended to be taken out of the country." The historian gave a conclusion.
Lin Ruoyan had no choice but to contact the unit that had previously occupied the property to inquire whether the property belonged to them and whether they had known about it at the time. Fearing any involvement in previous legal disputes with the previous owner, they denied any involvement, stating that they had only used the ground-floor rooms and had done nothing else to the courtyard except add some exposed wiring and install a few lightbulbs. They had no idea what was in the basement.
The original owner called back and said he now had a large business overseas and didn't want to be too involved with domestic cultural relics, fearing it would affect his immigration review. He insisted on following the purchase agreement and let the newly acquired Lin Ruoyan handle everything. If I had to offer a suggestion, the original owner suggested leaving the furniture on display in the house. If he ever returns to China for a visit, he could bring his children and grandchildren to see it.
Historians also believe that Lin Ruoyan spent four million to buy this courtyard house, and the original old furniture was clearly stated in the contract to be included in the purchase price, so it was impossible for Lin Ruoyan to donate it to the country for free.
The state would have paid for the acquisition, which, based on market prices, would have required millions in funding. The application process was incredibly cumbersome, and no research institute would have had the funds or time to invest in it. After all, this isn't a celebrity's former residence. While the furniture might appear to be made of high-quality materials, its research value might not warrant a multi-million dollar investment.
After weighing the pros and cons, the historian suggested that Professor Qiao persuade Lin Ruoyan to set aside some space when renovating the courtyard house to house the furniture. It would be best if this could be used for display and to provide convenience for researchers. To put it bluntly, the institute wanted to conduct research for free, refusing to pay, and instead let Lin Ruoyan retain ownership of the items and find a place to store them.
Professor Qiao felt a bit embarrassed to speak up, so he shamelessly and nervously told Lin Ruoyan about the matter. To fulfill his old friend's request for cultural relic preservation, he temporarily adjusted the plan and squeezed out several rooms to specifically house these old objects. This would serve as a display while also not hindering the daily living needs that Lin Ruoyan had originally requested.
Old objects also have their practical value. How magnificent would that set of tables and chairs be when placed in the main hall of the courtyard? The carved wooden frame bed is also a good option. Lin Ruoyan herself is not used to sleeping on it, so she can put it in the guest room. Normally, there are not many guests, so this is a place to display folk antiques, where scholars can visit and conduct research, and guests can stay overnight to enjoy a fresh and decent stay. With careful maintenance, both can be maintained without delay.
From Professor Qiao's tactful explanation, Lin Ruoyan understood that the furniture wasn't particularly valuable for research. The experts told her to keep it for her own use, and the original owner suggested keeping it as a keepsake. She didn't insist. After all, the value of the furniture now wasn't nearly as high as it would be ten years from now, and everyone involved had already distanced themselves from the matter. She had a recording and a notary confirming the items were hers, so she didn't have to worry about future trouble.
She could sell it when she really needed the money. But after eight months, the furniture wouldn't appreciate much, and if she couldn't make 100 million, why bother? According to the rules of the waste system, she was paid monthly, not daily, so if she couldn't make a profit of 100 million, she shouldn't worry about it. Wouldn't it be better to leave it to her son for more than a decade, when a pair of chairs could sell for tens of millions?
The renovation of the courtyard house is progressing steadily. Professor Qiao has taken charge of all the design work, including office decoration, so Lin Ruoyan doesn't have to worry about anything.
Her son, Lin Mengxi, was being teased about Go by Uncle Yu, so he'd hide in his bedroom reading when he had some free time, refusing to go out with her. She also had to avoid Zhou Wei, who was either out shopping or visiting old friends. She'd definitely asked her to accompany her to introduce her to someone. She could only lie, saying she was busy with company matters, leaving early and returning late every day.
Uncle Yu then took a look at Lin Ruoyan's difficulties. It turned out that her real estate company had just been established and was in urgent need of buying land. However, while Beijing already had a bidding and auction system, the information wasn't completely transparent, meaning any company could bid for land.
Yu Youyu was a well-known figure in Beijing, so he immediately used his connections to solve Lin Ruoyan's urgent problem.
In fact, the CY District Development Committee also hopes that some non-state-owned real estate developers can participate in and revitalize the land auction market. After all, they have a lot of difficult plots to deal with.
For example, there's a piece of land that's currently a thorn in the sidelines. Large state-owned enterprises are sceptical of this small, remote plot outside the Fourth Ring Road, while private enterprises, unsure of the merits and intricacies of the project, hesitate to hand it over. The possibility of it failing to sell properly due to poor planning is a serious concern. This is the capital, and land auctioned at high prices must be quickly developed into housing to address the housing needs of the people. If anyone speculates and hoards the land without developing it, the committee members will undoubtedly face serious consequences.
When he heard that Mr. Yu’s younger generation ran a real estate company, and it was a branch of a very powerful company like the Lin Group, he thought it was reliable and immediately sent him an invitation to bid for the land.
Lin Ruoyan took a look and saw that to enter the market, she had to prepare a cash deposit of 30 million, which had to be deposited into the official designated account. There were also some subsequent transaction procedures, but these were no problem for her.
The plot's location and other information were readily available, and the auction would be held in a hotel conference room a week later. She took a look at the information, and it seemed increasingly familiar. She suddenly remembered a reference to this plot of land in a book.
There's a plot in the book where Fang Yue, representing a southern real estate company, seeks to gain access to the auction through the Lin family. Besides Old Yu's connections, the Lin family also has other connections in the city. While not in real estate, they can introduce relevant personnel. If the Lin family is willing to help introduce Fang Yue to the development committee, Fang Yue's application to participate in the auction will be easily approved.
However, in the original novel, Fang Yue was extremely disgusted by the actions of the real daughter at the party, so she had no choice but to bypass Lin Ruoyan and go through Li Yiqi's channels. Li Yiqi studied at a prestigious university and naturally understood the future development trends of Beijing. Real estate development must have great potential. Since the Lin family was not involved in real estate, she thought it would be better to introduce Fang Yue to Lin Ruxu.
Fang Yue had a successful project in the south and was very optimistic about Lin Ruxu and the Lin Group. If they could combine forces, with so many of Lin's industrial subsidiaries supplying Fang Yue with building materials and equipment, wouldn't Fang Yue, who specialized in development, also earn a profit? Alternatively, the Lin Group could simply invest in Fang Yue's real estate company and wait for the dividends.
At the time, real estate companies in Beijing, regardless of their origin, were required to register a local company specifically for the project, facilitating management. These companies typically included multiple shareholders to balance interests, such as the landowner and major Beijing corporations. Li Yiqi's recommendation was legitimate, and it was also intended to aid the Lin family's future development.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing that her brother was going to cooperate with Fang Yue, the real daughter threw a tantrum and ruined the deal. Later, Fang Yue found other partners and successfully bought the land. She developed a small residential community, solving the housing problem for the newly arrived population in Beijing. She received a series of awards and gained both fame and fortune.
Because Lin missed out on a partner who was a professional in real estate, he was unable to develop in the real estate sector in the future.
Lin Ruoyan stared at the project's location carefully and suddenly had a bold idea. Since Old Yu had arranged this opportunity for her, she might as well buy the land and use it as her main outlet for spending money for the next eight months.
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