Chapter 379: Talking Real Estate with Lao Wang

Alright, I have clams I'm raising; I'll get you the freshest, sea‑flavored clams, then pick some greens and whatnot—I already have grilled fish and crayfish arranged.

These things, Ye Cheng now can't be bothered to do them himself, so he called his sister‑in‑law and Zhang Guafu, and the two immediately started making arrangements.

The big boss from the city has come; we must pay attention.

Ye Cheng brewed some tea, kept Lao Wang company while chatting, Xiao Rou was playing with Da Huang, and Ye Cheng gave her two sausages to feed Da Huang—this guy was overjoyed.

After the tea was ready, Ye Cheng half‑jokingly looked at Lao Wang and said,

"Chairman Wang, you came in person today—you're not just here to look at this piece of ebony, are you?"

Lao Wang gave a slight smile, lifted his teacup, took a sip, and frowned slightly,

"What kind of tea is this?"

"What tea could I have? I bought it at the market for over ten yuan a jin—if you're not used to it, I can open a bottle of cola for you."

"Forget it, at my age I shouldn't drink cola—just give me a cup of plain water."

Getting older makes one picky; Ye Cheng poured Lao Wang a cup of plain water.

Only then did Lao Wang take a sip, pretending to be casual as he began speaking,

"Last time we went out to sea, you mentioned something about real estate—do you remember?"

Ye Cheng looked at Lao Wang and gave a slight smile,

"Then I knew you had something up your sleeve—real estate is pretty good; just charge ahead blindly."

"Charge ahead blindly? But you can't just rush in recklessly—what other advice do you have? Let's hear it."

"Have you bought land?"

"Not yet bought, but I've taken a liking to a few plots."

"Then go for the city center—the three factors of real estate are location, location, location." Ye Cheng forgot who said that, but it's really true.

Lao Wang narrowed his eyes slightly,

"But land in the city center is too expensive."

Ye Cheng slowly took a sip of tea,

"In the future it'll get so expensive that even you'll feel you can't afford it."

Lao Wang looked doubtful, saying, "With our group's strength, could it really be that exaggerated?"

"Anyway, you'll find out later—the city center remains the city center; even if one day property prices become unstable, the city center is still the best location and holds its value well."

Ye Cheng, however, remembers that in later times, the outskirts of first‑tier cities had already dropped 30%, while the city center remained extraordinarily sturdy—even those luxury homes could still appreciate.

Seeing Lao Wang had doubts, Ye Cheng continued,

"Actually, if you have the capability, you could acquire several more plots—use the most central one to develop luxury homes, meaning units over 140 square meters, and use the other plots to develop units under 100 square meters."

"140? Is it really necessary to be that big?" Lao Wang was a bit surprised; in his current understanding, residential buildings are around 100 square meters, and anything larger counts as a villa.

"140 is just the start; ten years later you can begin developing large‑floor units of 200‑400 square meters, and later those large‑floor units will be the top choice for the wealthy."

Thinking about those later‑era large‑floor units over 300 square meters, I don't even know how long it would take to drag a mop across them.

"Also, for small units I'd suggest just two types: one is an 89‑square‑meter small three‑room, the other is a large three‑room under 120 square meters—these two will be the best sellers later."

"Can an 89‑square‑meter unit accommodate three rooms?"

"Yes, and it still has 15% shared area; if you want, I can draw you a plan, and for the 120‑square‑meter unit I'll try to make it a four‑leaf‑clover layout—I can draw that for you too."

Lao Wang looked at Ye Cheng in disbelief; he had thought Ye Cheng merely understood real estate trends a bit, never expecting him to be able to draw floor plans.

Actually, not being able to draw would be hard; Ye Cheng's first purchase was an 89‑square‑meter small three‑room, and after five years he swapped to a 118‑square‑meter four‑leaf‑clover—there's nothing about his own home he couldn't draw.

"Looks like I came at the right time." Lao Wang began to appreciate Ye Cheng a bit; when they first met, Ye Cheng was a fish seller.

Later he became a fisherman, and now he discovers this guy seems to know a lot of things.

"You're certainly here for the right reason; these are all my..."

Ye Cheng originally wanted to say they were his genuine experiences from later times, but after thinking he quickly changed his wording,

"These are the results of my in‑depth research—priceless treasures."

"Alright, alright, a fisherman researching real estate—truly priceless, hahaha." Lao Wang mocked him with a laugh.

If you took this outside and said it, nobody would believe it.

Ye Cheng gave a slight smile,

"Ordinary people wouldn't believe it, but someone with foresight like you would surely believe it."

"Also, let me add two more points: the exterior facade should be a single solid piece, not tiles—otherwise if it falls and hits someone you'll have trouble; keep enough greenery in the middle of the community, add an outdoor swimming pool, add a fitness club, and you can sell for 15‑30% more than others—don't skimp on costs."

Damn it, those tile facades on later‑era buildings start peeling after a few years; if they don't hit anyone it's fine, but if they do it's really a hassle.

"With all this content, are you expecting an old man like me to remember it? Shouldn't you give me a written note?"

"Tch! Now you know you're old—just a moment ago, when I said I'd make you a coffin, you were whining." Ye Cheng teased him.

Lao Wang felt depressed—"Damn, this is a whole other matter."

"You're always thinking about putting me in a coffin—you basically wish I'd die sooner, right?"

At lunchtime, Lao Wang again chatted with Ye Cheng about many real‑estate and future economic trend issues; anyway, they were just big‑picture questions, so Ye Cheng gave off‑hand answers.

He was speaking offhand, but Lao Wang was astonished.

"What internet economy, what cryptocurrency economy, what blockchain, what AI—how come I've never heard these terms before?"

"Where did this guy learn all this? According to Ye Cheng himself, it's mainly because he loves reading books."

"That's utter bullshit—do books even have these things?"

"With all those elite university graduates under him, which one could spout such stuff?"

As he listened, Lao Wang's gaze involuntarily drifted to his own daughter; he stroked his chin, wondering whether he should push his precious daughter into this "fire pit."

"Although this guy sometimes talks in a confused, disrespectful manner, his character is still pretty good."

Seems to get along well with his own daughter; if they were matched together, letting Ye Cheng take over the succession later wouldn't be bad either.

Xiao Rou had just eaten a few fresh clams when she saw her father looking at her slyly; she instantly sensed danger, definitely not a good thing.

"Lao Wang! I'm telling you, don't have any bad ideas about me."

Lao Wang gave a hehe laugh,

"How could that be? You're my dear daughter; how could I possibly harm you?"

After saying that, Lao Wang turned his head to look at Ye Cheng, lowered his posture and asked,

"Xiao Ye, you're not young anymore this year, do you have a girlfriend?"

Ye Cheng was in the middle of eating when he never expected Lao Wang to set his sights on him; he casually replied,

"No, can't be bothered to look, it's a hassle."