Chapter 44
It's not that Hu Zhenzhen is stingy or unwilling to pay for the land.
Instead, this Mr. Zhang made an outrageous demand, quoting a figure several times higher than the actual price.
The land includes a small hillside and is located in a remote area with a small river running through it. The scenery is somewhat wild, but from a development perspective, its value is not high.
The terrain is poor and the land is barren, making it unsuitable for either agriculture or commercial development.
Hu Zhenzhen had inquired about the original price of this piece of land.
When Mr. Zhang bought it, it only cost him 40 million.
He had tried to develop this land over the past few years, but none of his attempts were successful. It seemed like the land was about to become a liability, yet he still dared to ask for such a high price.
If Hu Zhenzhen really gave it to them, she would truly become a sucker in other people's eyes.
She's a bit vain and hates this kind of thing.
Since it's a seller's market now, and Hu Zhenzhen can't set the price, she might as well kick over the trading table and go to another company.
“Tell Zheng Xing that since that’s the case, we’ll choose the more remote and distant piece of land.”
S City is a semi-tourist city, and the prime locations have long been bought up and developed into various scenic spots.
There are very few vacant lots left. Some are too small, and some are too rugged to be developed. Even if the price is lowered, they still can't be sold.
Hu Zhenzhen originally wanted to take the easy way out and buy a similar piece of land directly from someone else, but now it seems that this idea is going to fall through.
Mr. Zhang's land is located in the north of S City, bordering H City.
These border areas have always been the most difficult to develop.
Urban resources will not be allocated to such places. Each city has its own agenda, fearing that spending money will only boost the economy of the neighboring city.
I reckon Mr. Zhang didn't think about these things when he bought the land, which is why he couldn't accomplish anything.
The other piece of land that Hu Zhenzhen mentioned is in the west of S City.
This piece of land is actually larger, but it is also more remote, with almost no supporting facilities around it. Buying it means starting everything from scratch.
Even the workers' meals had to be decided by Hu Zhenzhen.
However, compared to the exorbitant demand of 200 million, the 60 million for this piece of land seems like a very good deal.
Since Mr. Zhang wanted to sell the land to her at a high price and was trying to raise the price on the spot, Hu Zhenzhen decided to retaliate in kind. She also had a wicked idea and deliberately made Zheng Xing appear to still be interested in the land.
When the business deal was going well, it had already reached the final step before the transfer.
Later, in order to raise the price, Mr. Zhang used a dirty trick. He had his brother wear a fake skin to compete with Hu Zhenzhen, which directly raised the price to 200 million.
He dared to do this, so naturally he had to bear the risks.
Hu Zhenzhen smiled slightly and spoke casually on the phone.
"Since they're so reluctant to part with that land, let them keep it themselves."
Mr. Zhang was still playing cards, drinking, and smoking cigars with his good buddies, his mind filled with thoughts of how to spend the 200 million yuan he received.
"Mr. Zhang, something terrible has happened!"
The secretary barged into his office, immediately drawing a frown from Mr. Zhang. "How many times have I told you, don't keep saying bad things. You have to say 'good things' for good things to keep happening."
Before the secretary could even speak, he scolded her, leaving her unsure whether to open her mouth or not.
Seeing her hesitant look, Mr. Zhang was not satisfied.
"Alright, speak now, what is it?"
"Ms. Hu, Ms. Hu has given up bidding on that piece of land!"
"What?"
It wasn't Mr. Zhang who spoke up, but his business partner who was playing cards with him: "What should we do? Can we contact Ms. Hu and say that we're willing to lower the price by half, and ask her if she's interested in buying?"
What's your rush!
Mr. Zhang stood up and forcefully pressed the man back into his seat.
"In this business, it's all about shrewdness; if you panic, you'll lose."
"But……"
"No buts. Mr. Hu is playing hard to get. Can't you see that?"
His calm demeanor reassured his partner.
Are you so sure she's playing hard to get?
Mr. Zhang pondered for a few seconds, then tapped his index finger on the back of the chair a few times. "I'm 99% sure."
He had indeed thought about this question.
Besides the land he owns, S also has only a few plots of land listed on the auction website, each with its own differences.
Compared to those places, the land he owns is practically a feng shui treasure.
This piece of land is located between a small county and the city center. Due to its poor terrain, no village has ever been formed, and no farmers have come to cultivate it. It has just been abandoned.
It was precisely because of this desolation that the cleanup work was much less troublesome.
In addition, there is a main road near the land, which facilitates transportation. If construction really starts, this road will solve a lot of problems, whether it is transporting things out or in.
Mr. Zhang carefully examined the plots of land that had not yet been sold.
They're all in the corners and edges; let alone main roads, you'd be lucky to even have a paved road.
In addition, being far from populated areas, it's hard to imagine how much more money would be spent on transportation if development were to take place there.
Upon careful consideration, Mr. Hu should realize that choosing this piece of land was the most correct decision.
Mr. Zhang explained this reasoning to his business partner.
His analysis was so logical that the secretary almost believed him. If she hadn't just received a call from President Hu, she probably would have admired her boss's insight.
"But Mr. Zhang, Mr. Hu did call."
“Impossible,” Mr. Zhang waved his hand, his words full of certainty. “Besides this place, where else could she buy land?”
The secretary, somewhat afraid to look at his expression, spoke cautiously.
"Mr. Zhang, it seems that Mr. Hu has already bought the land, and I heard that he has even transferred the project funds."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Zhang immediately glared at his secretary. "What did you say? Say it again."
"Ms. Hu has already bought the land and really doesn't plan to do business with us."
"How is that possible!"
Mr. Zhang stood up abruptly, bypassed the secretary by the door, and strode towards the secretary's desk.
There was a document on it, recording what Hu Zhenzhen had just said.
Mr. Zhang refused to believe it and went to the official website for land auctions on his computer.
One piece of land that had been listed for who knows how many years was actually auctioned off.
"She really bought it? How could she buy it!"
This result was completely different from what Mr. Zhang had imagined.
In his expectation, Hu Zhenzhen might delay or try to lower the price. Mr. Zhang even had a bottom line in mind: he would make a move on the land as long as it cost 150 million.
Unexpectedly, Hu Zhenzhen acted unpredictably. He had just raised the price, but she didn't even try to negotiate and went straight to buy other land.
"I knew it!"
The business partner was extremely anxious and paced back and forth in the office.
“I told him right away that we should sell quickly. This Mr. Hu might not be a patient person. Why did you insist on waiting for the best price? Now look what happened, we're stuck with this.”
"Can't we ask Mr. Hu again? Even if we sell it at the original price."
Mr. Zhang swallowed his bitterness and couldn't complain. He had to put on a brave face and said, "Wouldn't we lose money if we sold it at the original price? We've invested a lot of money in this over the years."
"That's a small loss, but if you can't sell them, you'll really lose a lot of money."
The partner was still clear-headed. "What can we do with this land? You and I have tried everything we could, and apart from selling bottled water next to the bus stop, we haven't made any money from the other projects."
He whispered words of comfort, "Don't worry about saving face, Mr. Zhang. If you don't humble yourself now, you'll really miss your chance."
“Okay,” Mr. Zhang lowered his head and agreed, seeing how anxious he was. “I’ll call her right now and see if I can salvage the situation.”
Hu Zhenzhen is picking out the most beautiful flowers in the backyard.
The vase on the dining table needs fresh flowers. Her recent hobby is flower arranging, and she often comes to the small garden to pick a few flowers to add different vitality to the dining table.
When Chen Kai came over with the phone, Hu Zhenzhen had just cut a red rose branch.
"Boss, Mr. Zhang is on the phone. He wants to talk to you."
Upon hearing that it was Mr. Zhang calling, Hu Zhenzhen understood immediately. With a smirk, she took the phone from Chen Kai's hand.
"Hello, Mr. Zhang, what's the matter?"
Mr. Zhang on the other end of the phone was no longer as aloof as before. As soon as Hu Zhenzhen spoke, he immediately replied, "Mr. Hu, there may have been some misunderstanding between us before. Could we discuss the matter of that land in the North District again?"
"That piece of land in the North District," Hu Zhenzhen said lightly, with a hint of nonchalance, clearly not taking his words seriously.
“I don’t want to buy that piece of land for now. I think the piece of land in the west district is better. I talked to the leader and bought it.”
Her words shattered Mr. Zhang's last hope, and he struggled to utter a single sentence.
“But we had already discussed it beforehand, and you also said that you were very interested in the land in the North District.”
Hu Zhenzhen never expected that he would still have the nerve to mention the words "it was agreed upon".
He was the one who broke the contract first, but now the implication in his words is that Hu Zhenzhen is the one who didn't keep her word.
"I am interested, but business is business. Mr. Zhang is not a child anymore. I don't need to tell you about this."
Hu Zhenzhen had no intention of wasting any more words with him and hung up the phone directly.
"Mr. Hu, could you please reconsider? I—"
Before Mr. Zhang could finish speaking, all that could be heard was a "beep" sound.
He gritted his teeth, straining so hard that the veins on his forehead bulged, before he managed to stop himself from throwing the phone.
"I've been in the northern district of S City for so long, and no one has ever dared to humiliate me like this."
Mr. Zhang cursed, rolled up his sleeves, and, unable to contain his temper, slammed his fist on the table.
The secretary working outside was startled by the sound and quickly lowered her head, not daring to even glance in that direction.
Even though his business partner had known him for many years, he was startled by his sudden outburst. He glanced at the tattoo on his arm and said, "Fine, if things have really come to this, I'll accept it."
Instead, it was General Manager Zhang who spoke up, "Why should we admit it?"
"She's played us for a fool, and now she thinks she can just let it go like this?"
The partner cautiously began, "But Mr. Hu is so rich, what can we do if we don't acknowledge him?"
Mr. Zhang raised his head, his eyes showing a fierce look he hadn't seen in a long time. "Since we can't do business, let's do something else and let Mr. Hu understand the consequences of messing with people."
The partner didn't dare to say anything, letting Mr. Zhang do as he pleased.
He knows Mr. Zhang too well; provoking him at this time would likely ignite a volcano that's about to erupt.
After thinking for a while with a gloomy face, General Manager Zhang asked him, "Isn't this General Manager Hu making quite a splash on Xijingmen Street lately?"
The partner's nanny came from Xijingmen Street, and he nodded.
"Yes, it seems like everyone there really likes her."
Mr. Zhang quickly searched online for Hu Zhenzhen and Xijingmen Street.
He actually managed to find some information.
Hu Zhenzhen actually bought the entire Xijingmen Street and even built a hospital there, offering discounted medicines.
She put on a compassionate act when dealing with these commoners.
Mr. Zhang scoffed.
If she were truly that generous, she wouldn't have refused to spend the 200 million to buy the land, making him look bad.
"Since President Hu has played us, we'll return the favor and play her on her own turf."
The partner didn't understand what Mr. Zhang meant at first, but he realized it when he saw Mr. Zhang pick up the iron ring on the table and put it on.
"This isn't good," the partner said worriedly.
"It's too dangerous for me to cause trouble now, having only retired from crime for two years."
Mr. Zhang's anger subsided a bit. He glanced at him sideways and said, "You're too timid. Two years have passed. Things that no one cared about before will be brought up again now."
"but……"
Before he could even speak, he was interrupted by General Manager Zhang.
"No buts. I know you're timid, and I didn't ask you to come along. Just wait here for my good news."
The partner felt much relieved that he didn't have to go, and didn't want to waste his breath trying to stop Mr. Zhang.
"Then be careful and remember to bring plenty of people with you."
Mr. Zhang knew perfectly well, and casually sent out a message: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing, and the brothers know what I'm doing too."
Unlike the scoundrels who caused trouble before, Boss Zhang and his men were real veterans who had been entrenched in the North District for a long time.
The land in the north is poor, and there are fewer people, so the security is relatively poor.
Mr. Zhang and his gang had been together since their youth, and had amassed quite a fortune over the years.
A few years ago, when the development of the North District began, the authorities also began to pay attention to the security of the North District. That's when they discussed giving up their criminal activities and using the money to do legitimate business.
However, thinking about it is one thing, doing it is another.
Being a businessman requires talent and learning.
Clearly, Mr. Zhang and his brothers lacked the talent and had not received any training; they entered the market recklessly.
They were somewhat lucky; they bought a piece of land at the beginning. Although they lost money on the land, it was still a fixed asset, giving them a chance to turn things around.
Mr. Zhang clearly saw Hu Zhenzhen as an opportunity to turn his life around.
Unexpectedly, Hu Zhenzhen directly bought another piece of land, completely ruining their plans.
Mr. Zhang stormed out the door.
After living a life of luxury for several years, it's time for him to loosen up and avoid losing his former skills.
He was wearing an inexpensive iron ring, but for what he was about to do, the iron ring was more effective than any gold or silver.
The outer side of the iron ring has wavy protrusions, which can cause significant damage when in contact with someone's skin.
Simply put, it means the blows are exceptionally painful.
Mr. Zhang has liked wearing this kind of ring since he was a teenager.
Even after he became successful, he didn't throw away these old items; he just kept them in a drawer.
I never thought I'd need them again.
When he went out, his underlings were already waiting by the car.
"Brother Zhang, where are we going?"
These are all his good brothers from before, and they still call him Brother Zhang.
"Go to Xijingmen Street."
Mr. Zhang stepped into the car, took off his somewhat restrictive suit, unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt, and rolled up his sleeves.
"The brothers haven't gone out to play in a long time, so let's go to Xijingmen Street and cause some chaos there."
The young man driving him in the front row chuckled.
"Whether the North District is in chaos or not is up to Brother Zhang. Who was so blind as to mess with you? Today, your brothers will stand up for you."
"Let's go! Xijingmen Street!"
They used to act recklessly because of their numbers.
If not everyone in the North District avoids him, he's at least someone no one dares to mess with on the street.
In the office, the secretary, who had been ignored all along, quickly took out her phone after Mr. Zhang left.
[Brother, something bad has happened! Someone is going to cause trouble on Xijingmen Street.]
Yang Lin was having dinner at home when he received the message from his cousin.
Upon seeing this message, his expression immediately changed.
[Those guys from the North District?]
Yes, Mr. Yang has already left.
When the secretary saw Mr. Li come out of the room, she quickly put away her phone and pretended to be working diligently.
"Print out another copy of the quotation you submitted to General Manager Hu and bring it to my office."
Fortunately, Mr. Li didn't pay attention to her. He only said this one sentence before turning around and going back to his office.
The secretary breathed a sigh of relief and then sent a message to Yang Lin.
Yes, it seems they brought quite a few people.
That's all she knows.
Yang Lin thanked her, then, without even finishing his meal, immediately stood up and called Hu Zhenzhen.
"Boss, someone might be coming to cause us trouble."
It's currently the final exam week at Beiguan Elementary School, and Jiang Chen has exams every day. Hu Zhenzhen has also turned down most of her work to spend more time with him.
When Hu Zhenzhen received Yang Lin's call, she had just put the flowers in the vase.
"Who's going to cause trouble?"
"I don't know if you know Zhang Changlu from the North District. He's the owner of Changli Plants."
As soon as Yang Lin mentioned the North District, Hu Zhenzhen guessed who it was.
After all, the phone call had only just ended, and Hu Zhenzhen wasn't about to forget Mr. Zhang's name.
"How do you know he's going to cause trouble? Has he arrived yet?"
Seeing that Hu Zhenzhen didn't take General Manager Zhang seriously, Yang Lin became secretly anxious. "I have a cousin who works for him. She gave me advance notice and told me to be careful."
He finished speaking quickly, and then hurriedly explained the seriousness of the matter.
"Boss, Zhang Changlu used to run rampant in the North District with a bunch of thugs. In the last two years, several of his men have been arrested, and he's only become more obedient and started doing business. If someone like him comes looking for trouble, we can't afford to be careless!"
Yang Lin's tense tone reminded Hu Zhenzhen.
She really didn't know that this Mr. Zhang had such a gangster past.
The ease on Hu Zhenzhen's face disappeared as she carefully considered how to handle the situation.
Giving them money is impossible.
Doing so will only fuel their greed, making them even more arrogant and allowing them to continue extracting money from Hu Zhenzhen through threats.
There needs to be a valid reason to call the police.
Mr. Zhang hasn't done anything yet, but by the time he does, it will be too late to call the police.
Hu Zhenzhen pinched the bridge of her nose, all because of a single word, "Xiao Jin."
[Xiao Jin, how much money do I have in my account right now?]
Hu Zhenzhen was asking about the system account, not the money she earned from her various businesses.
[73 million remaining, host!]
Seventy-three million is enough.
"Chen Kai, take the suitcases from the warehouse, we're going out for a bit."
Chen Kai subconsciously started moving, and when he got to the warehouse and saw the row of suitcases, he realized that he had forgotten to ask the boss how many he wanted to bring.
He simply pushed all ten suitcases out.
"Boss, how many should we take with us?"
Hu Zhenzhen didn't even turn her head, and shouted loudly, "All of them!"
Chen Kai didn't know what she was going to do, so he quickly started moving the suitcase.
There are too many boxes; it would take two cars to fit them all.
Besides Liu An, Chen Kai also called driver Xiao Wen to drive a separate car specifically to carry these suitcases.
"Boss, where are we going?"
"Xijingmen Street, but before we go there, let's go to another place first."
At this moment, Zhang Changlu and his men had arrived at Xijingmen Street.
The six identical cars parked together were quite conspicuous. The twenty-odd people who got out of them were all tattooed, and passersby glanced at them and then consciously avoided looking at them.
Their car was parked near the hospital.
Aunt Li had just brought her child out of the hospital. The child looked curiously at the twenty or so people on the roadside and asked her, "Mommy, what do those people do?"
Aunt Li looked up and quickly pressed her child's finger down.
"Let's go home."
Even after two years of experiencing life there, Zhang Changlu hadn't lost any of his roguish charm.
He overheard the conversation between the mother and daughter nearby and gave a sly laugh.
"Today we'll stand guard at the hospital entrance and see who dares to enter this hospital for treatment."
Upon hearing this, the patients who were standing at the hospital entrance quickly left.
I don't want to cause trouble.
This is the first thought that most ordinary people have when they see them.
Anyway, the hospital is right here, and you don't necessarily have to come to see a doctor today. If these thugs want to stay here, then come back tomorrow.
Not everyone is born with a chronic disease.
Some acute illnesses cannot wait.
Several small business owners from the neighborhood were carrying a young man who was unconscious, trying to get him into the hospital, but they were stopped by Zhang Changlu and his group.
"Can't you see us? We're not allowed into this hospital now."
His henchman shoved one of the bosses, succinctly preventing them from going to the hospital.
“My nephew suddenly had chest pain and is now unconscious. Please, have mercy and let us in. If we are delayed, someone could die.”
"I said no entry, and that means no entry," the henchman rolled his eyes, shoved the man back a few steps with his baseball bat.
"You might still have time to turn around and find another hospital."
"But time is of the essence, someone could really die!"
"Damn it, can't you understand human language?!"
The younger brother grew impatient and immediately slammed the baseball bat down on the man, making a dull thud.
Mr. Zhang was sitting in a chair by the door watching the scene unfold. A smile played on his lips.
"Don't cripple them. We're not thugs."
He deliberately raised his voice, "If you want to blame someone, blame Hu Zhenzhen. Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt has its debtor. She's the one who offended me, which is why I'm here today."
Because of the existence of Xijingmen Hospital, this area became prosperous, forming a small market and becoming one of the most bustling places on Xijingmen Street.
There were quite a few people at the entrance, and they all heard what Mr. Zhang said.
"Don't let him provoke us, everyone. Even if I were to blame someone, it wouldn't be Miss Zhenzhen!"
Some young people in the crowd spoke up for Hu Zhenzhen.
When Zhang Changlu was refuted, his face immediately turned ugly, and he gave his subordinates a wink.
Within seconds, the young man was pulled out of the crowd and beaten in full view of everyone.
Zhang Changlu wanted to tell them that since he was here today, no one was allowed to say a good word about Hu Zhenzhen!
The younger brother excitedly swung the baseball bat, but after only two hits, he was kicked from behind, rolled on the ground, and cried out in pain.
"Mr. Zhang has quite a temper. In this civilized society, he still dares to beat people in the street."
It was Hu Zhenzhen's voice.
Realizing this, Zhang Changlu stood up, a fake smile on his face, "President Hu, don't talk nonsense. I'm just an innocent passerby. It's all captured on CCTV. The beating has nothing to do with me."
Hu Zhenzhen stood on the other side of the road, staring at him expressionlessly, and clapped twice. "That was a brilliant explanation, but you should say that to the police."
"police?"
Mr. Zhang scoffed, "I'm a model citizen, I didn't do anything. The police can't just arrest me because I sat outside the hospital for a while, can they?"
That move of his was truly disgusting.
The surrounding residents were disgusted, their eyes burning with barely suppressed rage.
Fortunately, Hu Zhenzhen had also prepared a way to retaliate in kind.
She pulled out a suitcase from behind her and kicked it over.
The loosely fastened suitcase instantly came apart, revealing a mountain of red banknotes that scattered before everyone's eyes.
Hu Zhenzhen raised her chin and took the megaphone from Chen Kai's hand.
“Take off one of those thugs’ clothes across the street, and I’ll give you 50,000.”
A warm summer breeze blew, carrying away two red banknotes.
Aunt Li, who lives nearby, leaned out the window and saw this scene; she could almost smell the ink on the banknotes.
The scene was quiet for a moment; the usual hustle and bustle was gone, leaving only the low chirping of insects and the occasional sound of passing cars.
The way everyone was repeating their actions was chilling.
After glancing at the mountain of money, then at Hu Zhenzhen, all eyes finally fell on Mr. Zhang and his group across the street.
How many clothes can a group of twenty-odd people have in total?
Hu Zhenzhen doesn't need to calculate this; the people will naturally give her the answer.
She slowly raised her hand, "The one in the middle, the boss, costs 200,000."
If Hu Zhenzhen simply gave orders to this group to deal with these thugs without any real understanding, everyone would have reservations.
But when she poured a mountain of money into it, the effect was immediately different.
The kind-hearted citizens stared intently at the twenty-odd people with a gleam in their eyes. In an instant, the situation reversed, and they went from being the oppressed to the predators.
There were just too many people.
When they all joined forces and surrounded him, Mr. Zhang couldn't help but swallow hard.
"Charge!"
Someone in the crowd shouted something, and a group of middle-aged men and women suddenly displayed their agility and rushed towards the group of thugs.
Mr. Zhang's men tried to drive them away with sticks.
But with so many people, the baseball bat isn't that powerful.
The uncle, who had been carrying goods for years, reached out and snatched the stick from their hands.
Mr. Zhang was horrified and wanted to escape in the chaos.
As soon as he turned around, he was met with dozens of pairs of eyes watching him intently from inside the hospital.
There are wolves in front and tigers behind.
He himself chose the place to commit evil, wanting to prevent people inside the hospital from getting out and people outside from getting in.
Unexpectedly, what he did harmed others ended up harming himself, trapping him in the crowd so he couldn't escape.
Hu Zhenzhen took a sip of the chilled watermelon juice Chen Kai handed her and watched the spectacle unfold from the other side of the road.
Liu An withdrew from the other side. "Boss, the person has been taken in."
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