Big Brother / Da Ge / The Unknown

Chapter 40

Wei Qian and San Pang arrived at their destination, where Old Bear had already arranged a warm welcome. Their friend, formerly known as Li Goudan, but later opting for Li Fengya, stood at the station holding up a makeshift cardboard sign cut from a shoebox, bearing the name of their project.

Li Fengya, a farmer turned entrepreneur, had made his fortune as a contractor leading construction teams in his early years. It was during Boss Bear's tea dealings that they crossed paths.

Li Fengya's sideline involved trading local specialties from around the country, while his main businesses were construction and demolition, offering comprehensive services from teardowns to rebuilds.

Despite his endeavors, his earnings remained modest, and he eyed those investing in developments with envy, lacking the capital to go it alone, he sought partners.

Last time, when Boss Bear glanced over, he didn't seem overly interested, and Li Fengya thought the opportunity had slipped away. Little did he know there was still hope, hence his jubilant reception of Wei Qian and San Pang.

Li Fengya, in his forties, had an unremarkable appearance: dark and lean, with sunken eyes, standing at less than five feet seven, with a waist barely over two feet. At first glance, he resembled a piece of darkened beef jerky.

In the dead of winter, he seemed impervious to the cold, coat slung over his arm, sporting a brand-name shirt with rolled-up sleeves, seemingly unwashed for an indefinite period, crumpled like a salted vegetable, front tucked into his waistband while the back hung out, swaying with his brisk, lively strides, as if he were wearing a fart screen.

Though they say clothes make the man, there are those in this world who, even draped in finery, are mistaken for wrapping themselves in bamboo mats from home.

Wei Qian had met him before, so he took it in stride, while San Pang, unused to encountering such a wealthy pauper, was taken aback, whispering to Wei Qian, "Hey, where did this big brother crawl out from, a coal mine?"

Wei Qian replied, "Number One Pit, Huangshiren."

San Pang wished he could sew his mouth shut.

As was customary for visiting guests, Li Fengya naturally offered hospitality. After three rounds of drinks at the dinner table, where they exchanged exaggerated flatteries like "young talents" and "astute strategists," Li Fengya finally broached the topic at hand: "Last time, I was too naive. Besides us, several other parties have their eyes on this piece of land. I heard one of them even hired a foreign designer for planning, trying to give it some foreign flair, making it seem quite impressive."

San Pang hastily inquired, "We're all outsiders here, unfamiliar with the intricacies. Do you think this is reliable?"

Li Fengya took a sip of his wine, shook his head, and sighed, "Hard to say."

"Why's that?"

Lowering his voice, Li Fengya traced a line on the table with his chopstick dipped in alcohol, elongating his neck as he whispered, "Because I've been keeping an eye on this matter and have pulled some strings. I won't hide it from you two, I have connections with the Land Bureau and the Municipal Government—of course, don't think too highly of me. If I have influence, others do too. Without connections, no one dares to meddle in this affair, right? The director of the Land Bureau, Zhou, is a fellow villager of ours. Just a few days ago, we had a drink together and chatted. Ah, this matter... it's really hard to say now... You know about the commercial street in the middle of those plots, right?"

Seeing the nods from the two, Li Fengya continued, "That's developed by a local company, and its boss, Zhang, happens to be the cousin of our secretary. Now, here's the thing: the commercial street is booming, but our Mr. Zhang, for some reason, only leases and doesn't sell. He claims it's to maintain standards and prevent the street from becoming a wholesale market. But now, with the standards in place, the funds have run dry. Billions of investments are stuck, loans are due, and those surrounding residential plots won't be cheap for us, no way. Even now, everyone is salivating, hoping that Mr. Zhang fails to secure funds, so they can benefit. But if Zhang suddenly sells the commercial street or secures new funding, we'll be left empty-handed."