Chapter 79 Chapter 77: A Woman's Wisdom

Li Ruo stood on the twentieth floor of the company, watching through the glass window as Ye Chen led the business team out. Holding a cup of coffee, she stood in the air-conditioned room while outside, the sun blazed fiercely. It was late September, the height of summer, when the sun was at its most unforgiving.

"Ziwen, what’s Ye Chen’s team planning to do now?" Li Ruo asked curiously.

"I’d guess they’re going for an on-site inspection," Lin Ziwen replied, watching as the first business group split into three teams and headed out.

Li Ruo smiled faintly. "I’m looking forward to his assessment. Notify the business department to send it to me as soon as Ye Chen’s report comes in."

"Yes, of course!" Lin Ziwen nodded quickly.

Watching Ye Chen’s distant figure, a pang of sympathy rose in Lin Ziwen’s heart. Under such a scorching sun, they still had to go far afield, conduct surveys, and visit local residents—truly grueling work.

After Ye Chen and Fang Fei arrived at their destination, they realized the area wasn’t exactly cheap. Only one road separated it from the city: on the left, the bustling downtown; on the right, Tianya Group’s vast expanse of wild grassland. Scattered here and there were a few old houses and patches of vegetable gardens.

Ye Chen and Fang Fei got out of the car. Fang Fei had already applied a generous amount of sunscreen and, wearing a baseball cap, hurriedly opened a sunshade the moment she stepped out.

"Quite the preparation," Ye Chen teased Fang Fei with a smile.

"Of course! What if I get tanned and can’t get married? Would I have to depend on you then?" Fang Fei joked.

"Sure!" Ye Chen nodded. "A pretty girl like you—I wouldn’t mind at all, haha..."

"Hmph, you flirt," Fang Fei snorted. "You must have a girlfriend already, right?"

"Honestly... I don’t!" Ye Chen shook his head. "Who’d want someone with no car or house like me?"

Chatting as they went, the two walked toward the old houses on the wasteland, both dressed in Tianya Group uniforms. The houses looked dilapidated, clearly having stood for many years. The government’s relocation campaigns had left these as the last holdouts, and Ye Chen was fully prepared for a rough reception.

He knocked on the door of the first house.

"Hello, I’m from Tianya Group—" Ye Chen hadn’t finished speaking before the old man inside slammed the door in his face, missing Ye Chen’s prominent nose by barely a millimeter. Ye Chen shivered involuntarily, while Fang Fei stifled a laugh behind him.

He glared at her. "What are you laughing at? Come on, let’s work seriously!"

As Ye Chen prepared to knock again, Fang Fei quickly pulled him back. "You can’t do it this way!"

"Then how?" Ye Chen was puzzled.

"Let me handle it," Fang Fei grinned. "Come on, let’s change clothes first."

Fortunately, they had come prepared for a long day, with extra clothes in the car. Following Fang Fei’s suggestion, they changed into black work uniforms instead of the gray-and-white Tianya Group uniforms and removed their company badges. Then Fang Fei bought some fruit from a roadside vendor. "Now we’re ready."

"We’re not visiting friends—why buy fruit?" Ye Chen was surprised.

"Trust me," Fang Fei said with a sly smile.

Taking the lead, Fang Fei knocked on the door again. The same old man peeked out. "What do you want? Who are you?"

"Oh, sir, hello! We’re from the neighborhood committee, here on behalf of the government to check in on low-income households like yours," Fang Fei replied with warm enthusiasm, instantly lowering the old man’s guard. He quickly opened the door, ushering Fang Fei and Ye Chen inside with a smile. Ye Chen gave Fang Fei a thumbs up; she stuck out her pink tongue playfully, so cute that Ye Chen couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

"You didn’t have to bring fruit just to visit," the old man said, taking the fruit and washing two apples for them. "You’re too kind. It’s tough working in this heat!"

"Sir, it’s not easy for anyone," Fang Fei laughed. "Actually, we’re here on official business too."

The old man froze, an apple stuck in his mouth. He quickly spat it out and asked anxiously, "You’re not here to convince us to move, are you? If you are, take your fruit and go!"

"No, no, sir, we’re not here about relocation!" Fang Fei hurried to explain.

"Then what are you here for?" The old man still looked wary.

"We’re just here to understand your living situation. Even if someone wanted to talk about moving, that’s not the committee’s job—it’s the demolition office’s responsibility."

Hearing this, and seeing how professional Fang Fei sounded, the old man relaxed and smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, miss, I misunderstood you."

"Alright, let’s get started," Fang Fei said, shooting Ye Chen a look.

Ye Chen picked up, "Sir, how long have you lived here?"

"How long?" The old man chuckled. "I’ve lived here since I was born. I’ve watched Jianghuai City grow from a muddy backwater into today’s metropolis. We used to live by fishing, but with the spread of urbanization, all the fishing villages have disappeared. The coast nearby has become a tourist spot. People like us, who only know how to fish, lost our way of life. Now the government wants us to move—where can we go? If we could, we’d have left long ago. Why would we stay here?"

Ye Chen asked, "Has the government discussed compensation with you?"

"Compensation?" The old man scoffed. "What they’re offering wouldn’t even buy a toilet in Jiangbei City," he spat in disgust.

Ye Chen turned to Fang Fei, "Why is the government negotiating compensation? Isn’t it usually the developer’s job?"

"This case is different. The land was requisitioned by the government and then sold to Tianya Group," Fang Fei explained. "Do you know how much Tianya Group paid for this plot?"

"How much?" Ye Chen asked.

"Fifteen-point-six billion," Fang Fei replied, leaving Ye Chen speechless.

"Wow, Tianya Group’s loaded," Ye Chen muttered.

"Of course. That’s why they’re among the top 500 enterprises in the country. Part of the money is bank loans, part is mortgaged. But now this plot has become a headache for Tianya Group. If it’s not developed soon, the government can reclaim it."

"That makes sense," Ye Chen nodded, then asked the old man, "Sir, if you were offered suitable housing elsewhere, would you move?"

"No!" The old man waved his hand firmly.

"Why not?" Ye Chen was surprised.

"I was born here, and I’ll die here. Why should I move?" The old man was visibly upset.

"Isn’t there any room for negotiation?" Ye Chen pressed gently.

"If I have to move, fine," the old man thought for a moment, then pointed at a nearby luxury development. "Only if you buy me a place there, at least a hundred square meters."

Fang Fei’s brows shot up. Was this a joke? A hundred square meters in that development would cost at least 1.3 million—a price far beyond the budget for compensation.

Ye Chen chuckled, "Why that place? It doesn’t seem that great to me. Why not pick an even better one?"

"No, I want that one. It’s close to where I live now. To tell the truth, my wife’s ashes are buried here. I just want to be able to visit her easily," the old man’s voice softened.

Ye Chen was taken aback, and Fang Fei comforted him, "Sir, I’m sure your wife would understand your feelings."

After saying goodbye, Ye Chen and Fang Fei spent the morning visiting several households, sometimes turned away, but Ye Chen soon learned to pose as a committee member to gather information. Most of the people here were locals, living in poverty and with nowhere else to go.

"Ye Chen, we’re done here—it’s time for lunch!" Fang Fei, exhausted, trailed behind him.

"Alright, let’s eat," Ye Chen said, taking her to a Western restaurant. Sitting in the cool air conditioning, watching the blazing sun outside, Fang Fei pulled a face. "Ye Chen, I don’t think we have much hope of landing this project."

"Don’t be discouraged. This is only the beginning," Ye Chen replied with a smile.