Chapter 118: Chapter 18: The Iceberg Beauty Si Ruoqi_2
It seems the allure of a White Moonlight is still too powerful for men.
Faced with the sycophant’s earnest expectations, Si Ruoqi remained as cold as ice.
"I won’t marry someone I don’t like."
"What if you never like anyone in your entire life?" Chen Shicheng asked in anguish.
"Then I just won’t get married," Si Ruoqi answered indifferently. "Sorry, excuse me. My mom is calling me."
As she walked past the sycophant toward Sun Dasheng, she froze for a few seconds. Before, they had been too far apart for her to get a clear look. Now that she was closer, his handsome features struck her like a bullet between the eyes.
She didn’t even notice the faint smile that graced her usually cold face as she brushed past Sun Dasheng.
Others didn’t see it, but Chen Shicheng, who had been watching her intently, did.
His heart instantly shattered.
I thought you were that cold to everyone. Who knew you could actually smile, and at another man? Could he be the one you fancy? No! Absolutely not! No one is taking her from me. She can only be mine. I even got a divorce for her!
「Elsewhere.」
The two families were selecting a villa. Thanks to the efforts of Salesperson Wang, they were offered the lowest price of 5,500 per square meter, but it required payment in full. The bank had entrusted this real estate development to their company, and the most urgent task was to liquidate the assets for cash as quickly as possible. Those who could pay in full received substantial discounts.
Most units in the community were the same: two-story houses of just over 200 square meters. This size was moderate and suitable for most customers.
The only exceptions were the three central villas royale. Each was a large villa of over 400 square meters and came with an additional basement level. Their gardens were also significantly larger, and the landscaping was already complete, just waiting for a wealthy owner.
Unfortunately, the wealthy never came, but a housing market crash did.
After consulting her son, Madam Xie chose one of the three buildings.
"Madam Xie, have you decided? Villa No. 1?" the manager asked, delighted. This one had been the hardest to sell. Now that someone had chosen it, his commission would be substantial.
"That’s the one!" The family of three all nodded in agreement.
"Old Xie, this is a great house, but the renovations will cost a fair bit, won’t they?" Li Qiu said, nodding with satisfaction, as if the house was being chosen for her own daughter. "But you don’t need to worry. My daughter has saved quite a lot of money from working. Once they get married, our family will provide half of the renovation costs."
This put Madam Xie in an awkward position. She couldn’t very well announce in public that her son was already seeing someone and that there was no chance for Li Qiu’s daughter. To say such a thing would cause a rift between the two families on the spot. She would have to wait and clarify the situation quietly in private later.
For now, she could only give a vague, noncommittal response. It seemed she had shot herself in the foot.
Just as they were about to sign the contract and pay, they were interrupted.
"Wait!"
"Isn’t this Director Chen? What brings you here?" Too excited by the potential sale, the manager hadn’t noticed such an important figure had arrived at the sales center.
"This house cannot be sold," Chen Shicheng said.
"What? Why?" The manager was dumbfounded.
Didn’t the finance bureau just hold a meeting about liquidating the properties and recovering cash as quickly as possible?
He’s buying this house as their marital home. My goddess is about to be married off to someone else. How could I possibly let this sale go through?
So he fabricated an excuse on the spot. "These three houses are high-value assets. The risk of purchasing them with a loan is too great, especially since housing prices are in a downturn. For the sake of the people’s financial security, taking out a loan for them is inadvisable."
Listening to him, anyone who didn’t know better would think he was some kind of righteous, noble official. What a joke! Just a few days ago at the meeting, everyone was speaking passionately, trying to find ways to convince the public to take over these properties to revitalize the county’s economy. And now, he’s suddenly adopted such a compassionate tone? Talk about a split personality.
But, of course, the manager wouldn’t expose him. He just said politely, "But they’re paying in full."
Ah?
Now it was Chen Shicheng’s turn to be taken aback.
Is money really so easy to make out there? Several million in cash, just like that?
Just as he was about to play his trump card and veto the transaction, a familiar voice sounded from behind him.
"Little Chen, you had time to come by today as well?"
"Secretary Zhu, why are you here?" Chen Shicheng’s throat went dry as he turned around.
A large group had arrived, led by the county’s top leader, Secretary Zhu.
"I heard that a talented young person, having returned from the big city, wants to purchase one of the villas that have been vacant for years," Secretary Zhu said. "That’s a contribution to our hometown, so I came to have a look."
It seemed that the sneaky manager had reported the situation upstairs. While a few million from one villa might not seem like much to a small county, the positive signal it sent was commendable. Spreading the news could boost market confidence, help reduce the vacancy rate of the numerous empty developments, and revitalize the local economy. Without revenue from land sales, the local government was struggling to get by.
"Oh, Old Chen is here too. Is your family here to buy a house as well?" Secretary Zhu asked, warmly shaking hands with the old comrade.
"His mother and I have taken our life’s savings to make a down payment for him," Old Chen said. "Buying a house here doesn’t violate any relevant regulations, does it?"
"There’s nothing wrong with using your own money to purchase a commercial property, as long as the funds were acquired legitimately," Secretary Zhu affirmed. "Only state-allocated housing has size restrictions."
As a retired cadre, Old Chen knew this perfectly well. He was just saying it to score some points for his son in front of the leader.