Chapter 10: Profiteering from a Fire

Chen Yang felt Liu Qingqing's behavior today was a bit odd; her attitude toward Zhao Xiaoli was overly harsh, as if there were some story behind it.

Considering Liu Qingqing was helping him haggle, Chen Yang, even if curious, did not press further.

Surprisingly, Zhao Xiaoli's professional attitude was exceptionally good; no matter how Liu Qingqing made things difficult for her, she always wore a smile.

She invited Chen Yang and Liu Qingqing into her office, poured two cups of water, then called to relay Liu Qingqing's request to lower the price to Liu Shijie.

A few minutes later, she hung up and told Liu Qingqing, "President Liu said that if your friend only wants one unit, out of respect for you he can waive the fee. If you intend to invest and buy several units, the minimum is 2,800 per square meter. He also said he hopes you can understand his current difficulties."

Liu Qingqing nodded satisfactorily, gave Chen Yang a slightly proud look, and said, "How about it? Isn't there a lot of benefit in marrying a wife like me?"

Chen Yang agreed inwardly but did not respond. Instead, he told Manager Zhao, "Manager Zhao, can we go see the ready‑to‑move‑in units? I'd like to look at all floor plans under 100 square meters."

Zhao Xiaoli said no problem, asking Chen Yang and Liu Qingqing to wait in the office while she made arrangements.

After she left, Liu Qingqing quickly grabbed Chen Yang's arm, speaking in a cute‑but‑fierce tone: "Senior, you still haven't answered my question!"

Chen Yang said, "Whoever can marry you must have cultivated good fortune in a past life."

Liu Qingqing remained dissatisfied, correcting him: "No one else—only you."

Chen Yang knew she wouldn't let it go without an answer, so he said, "How about we try getting along for a while? If we click, we continue; if not, we go back to being friends."

Liu Qingqing happily hugged Chen Yang and said confidently, "Rest assured, you'll be my man for life—you won't get away."

Chen Yang hated to dash her hopes. Dating is one thing, marriage another. Between them, besides personality differences, there is a huge gap in status—this isn't something that can be bridged just by suddenly winning a twenty‑million prize.

Zhao Xiaoli soon returned, holding a bunch of keys. Under her guidance, Chen Yang selected a unit consisting entirely of small floor plans.

After viewing the ready‑to‑move‑in unit, he felt the room layout was quite good, with nice ventilation and lighting. Such a property would be in high demand whether rented out or resold later.

"Manager Zhao, if I purchase an entire unit, do you have any other discounts?"

Chen Yang's remark startled both Liu Qingqing and Zhao Xiaoli present. Liu Qingqing had thought Chen Yang was merely picking out the free welfare housing her cousin had given him. Zhao Xiaoli initially judged from his clothes that he was just a live‑in gigolo; his patience in touring the unit was solely out of deference to Liu Qingqing's status.

"Senior, if you find the unit too small, we can choose a larger flat instead," Liu Qingqing whispered, urging Chen Yang. She felt it would be necessary later to have Zhao Xiaoli sign a confidentiality agreement; this must not be leaked back home.

"Mr. Chen, you really want to buy an entire unit?" Zhao Xiaoli didn't think Chen Yang looked wealthy at all, but as a professional salesperson she patiently confirmed the matter.

"That's right." Chen Yang nodded seriously and added his idea: "I hope that, based on 2,800 per square meter, each unit comes with a free parking space."

Zhao Xiaoli said she needed to consult President Liu, then stepped aside to make the call.

After she left, Liu Qingqing quietly told Chen Yang, "Senior, we've taken this joke a bit far. My older brother will surely laugh at me when he finds out."

Chen Yang smiled and asked, "Have you been following the school forum lately?"

"I often browse the school forum. When Tang Kun that bastard slandered you, claiming you had an improper relationship with Senior Lin Wei, I even helped curse him!"

"Not that—I mean the World Cup incident where someone won a ten‑million prize."

"You wouldn't be suggesting… that the person who won the ten‑million prize is you, would you?" Liu Qingqing looked at Chen Yang, half‑disbelieving.

Chen Yang nodded.

Liu Qingqing still didn't believe it. As a fellow fan, she noted that this World Cup had frequent upsets, overturning many people's expectations. She had followed the discussion posts and later media reports about the ten‑million‑prize winner, but could never figure out what kind of expert could hit all results with fifty‑times precision.

Moreover, she never imagined that this expert was actually her favorite senior.

"Senior, pinch me once so I can believe this isn't a dream."

Chen Yang firmly pinched her cute face—smooth and tender!

Feeling the pain, Liu Qingqing punched Chen Yang's chest with her small fists and pouted, "Annoying! You hurt me."

Chen Yang rubbed her soft hair and teased, "No need to say—it feels quite nice."

Liu Qingqing gave Chen Yang a sideways glance, then after a moment asked curiously, "Senior, why are you buying so many properties?"

"Investment!" Chen Yang said, not wanting to hide it from her, and shared his thought: "Life and transport here are very convenient, with hospitals, schools, and shopping centers nearby. The future appreciation potential is huge."

"Really that good? Why can't my brother sell his units?" Liu Qingqing, aware of her cousin's financial situation, added that for this development he is being chased for debts everywhere.

Chen Yang said, "The main consumers in the market are still civil servants and state‑owned enterprise employees. They all have fixed unit welfare housing, so they won't treat commercial housing as their first choice for now. Given Xingcheng's current per‑capita income level, ordinary families also find it hard to come up with hundreds of thousands all at once."

"But as the era develops, ordinary people's lives will keep improving. Once everyone's income rises, sooner or later their focus will shift to real estate—that will be when housing prices surge."

Liu Qingqing now understood and nodded in agreement. She said a bit guiltily, "Senior, buying so many of my brother's units at a low price—doesn't that count as profiteering from a fire?"

Chen Yang laughed, "By buying all these units in one go, I not only eased his cash‑flow pressure but also raised the project's sell‑through rate. This isn't robbery—it's delivering charcoal in the snow!"

Liu Qingqing, not very familiar with real estate, felt Chen Yang was pulling her leg but could find no rebuttal.

At that moment, her phone rang—it was her younger cousin Liu Shijie calling. She answered and put it on speakerphone.

"Qingqing, what's the background of your boyfriend? Is he really going to buy a unit?"

"Brother, if you think the price is too low, just pretend he never brought it up."

"The price is fine, I can also throw in the parking space—just ask him whether he truly intends to buy, and when the funds will be ready."

Liu Qingqing looked at Chen Yang, who said, "As long as the paperwork is in order, we can pay cash at any time."

"Fine, I'll have Zhao Xiaoli liaison with you later. I'm temporarily not in Xingcheng; I'll treat you to a meal when I return."