novelraw Chapter 947 Retirement or Continue?
Chapter 947 Retirement or Continue?
After Huang Qi left, the assistant couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Xu, it seems like it wasn't worth it for us to take on those projects from him..."
“What do you know? Once you have a project, you can get a loan.” Xu Jia continued to smoke his cigar.
"But... the group's debt is already very high, and the banks probably won't lend to us."
"Domestic banks certainly won't lend, but we can borrow from overseas. With collateral, why wouldn't we be able to get a loan?"
"Judging from these plots of land, foreign institutions will likely evaluate Hengxiao, but I think that's highly unlikely..."
"You're right, but what if we add a guarantor?"
Who will act as guarantor?
"Hengxiao is a listed company. Domestic banks won't lend money, but they can still provide guarantees. Go and check if there are any other companies like Taihe Group that are trying to sell off projects at rock-bottom prices. I'll take them all!" Xu Jia smiled and stroked his chin.
He's now preparing for one last gamble, using the last snowball to lift the lever.
“But Hengxiao has acquired so much land, they’ll have to build buildings eventually. I’ve seen people say that there are already more buildings than people. Based on market supply and demand and the past situation in Japan, housing prices will drop, and then there might not be a need to continue building…” the assistant said with a worried expression.
"Where does the current revenue come from? It all comes from selling land. Do you think I don't understand what you're saying? Whether or not to continue building is not up to you, nor is it up to me. Even if I don't want to continue building, someone will make me continue." Xu Jia felt that his assistant had talked too much today and glared at him with dissatisfaction.
The latter was startled and quickly made an excuse to slip out of the office.
After everyone left, Xu Jia leaned back on the sofa and let out a long sigh.
How could he not understand what his assistant was saying?
My statement just now was merely the best possible outcome for the future.
Some people want him to continue building to protect their own interests, just like some online "experts" have said before. Protecting the real estate market is crucial to protecting the economy; if the real estate market collapses, all industries will suffer.
This statement is true, but it only protects the present and not the future.
Some people wanted him to go overseas, some wanted him to stay, and others wanted to pry something out of him.
Only the Xu family knew that going overseas was a dead end; otherwise, they would have run away long ago.
As Xu Jia picked up his phone and looked at the online introduction of Dadao Group's new cars in Jiangcheng, a smile gradually spread across his face.
This speed was even faster than he had imagined.
Taihe Group is not the only real estate developer that has suddenly experienced a break in its capital chain; several other real estate groups have run into trouble in the past two months.
HK.
Like Huang Qi, several real estate tycoons from the mainland are gathered here.
They came here hoping to seek help to revitalize their business, just like the Xu family did back then.
"Mr. Zheng, Mr. Liu, Mr. Wu, this is the situation. Can you lend us a hand?" a chubby man asked, wiping his sweat.
"We've discussed it, and this can't be done," said Mr. Liu, shaking his head from the sofa.
“But…you helped the Xu family back then…and now the real estate market in mainland China is even hotter than before!” one of them chimed in.
"Heh, that was a long time ago. Even Li Ka-shing withdrew his investment, and we've gradually withdrawn from the mainland market over the years. Why would we spend money to get back into this quagmire? Your comment about the real estate market being booming just now shows you have no foresight. In the early days, we acquired land in the mainland relying on our special status as Hong Kong businessmen and the benefits of united front work. We hoarded land in prime locations at extremely low prices for ten years. This model of hoarding land to make money has become highly irregular and unpopular under the later regulatory environment. Look at how land prices in first-tier cities had risen to astonishing levels a few years ago; now even some houses in provincial capitals have surpassed those in Europe and America. You could say that the real estate valuation at that time had severely overdrawn future growth potential, and cashing out early was the most cost-effective approach. Now... tsk tsk tsk..." Mr. Liu shook his head.
"Then...then...you mean future housing prices..." The fat man was sweating more and more.
"It'll definitely be like island nations, not just the mainland. Even in Australia, Europe, America, and Hong Kong, housing prices will start to fall in the future. No country is stupid; how can they rely on real estate to support their economy forever? You yourselves are all developers; I don't need to say more, right? It's like the stock market; the slowest ones will definitely die." Mr. Wu made an explosive gesture.
Upon hearing this, the group fell silent, knowing that continuing the conversation would only lead to them not being able to borrow any more money.
However, the fat man was still somewhat unwilling to give up and asked another question: "What about Heng Xiao?"
The three bosses sitting on the sofa exchanged glances but said nothing.
Late at night, Chen Xi, having been served dinner by three women, lay on the sofa listening to the news.
When he heard that several projects in Xinlu had been halted and banners had been put up, he immediately called Zheng Xin.
"Hey, Chen Xi. Of course I listened to you! My dad sold off most of his projects a long time ago. He's currently working on projects in the west, where there's an epic period of commercial prosperity right now... There's a saying, 'Go to the west, go to the grassroots, go to where the country and the people need you most...'"
Zheng Xin said smugly on the phone.
Zheng Wanlong was a person who listened to advice, and he actually took Chen Xi's suggestion to cash out and change careers.
In his previous life, Zheng Wanlong owed billions and never recovered.
"By the way, Chiayi Investment is doing quite well. We've invested in several wildly popular games and software, and now we can just sit back and collect the money. The only downside is that we can only work behind the scenes, unlike you who's on TV in the limelight. Oh, I've been watching the news these past few days, and Musk is going to build a Starship to Mars. Aren't you close to him? Why don't you say hello to him? Ask him to send me into space for a bit, okay? I don't want to go to Mars, I just want to fly around the Earth a few times!" Zheng Xin said boastfully.
These words immediately reminded Chen Xi of an incident in his previous life where a cryptocurrency speculator was sent into space and then became a huge fire.
"I'll just send you to the moon to live with Chang'e," Chen Xi said, pursing his lips.
Then he asked, "What's the current status of Hengxiao's projects in Xinlu?"
"What else could it be? This building isn't even finished yet; there are other residences... I heard there's a new leader, and Mr. Xu hasn't come here yet. He's just playing coy. Some people outside say he's put all the money into building cars, while others say he's using the money for agriculture and poverty alleviation. Agriculture and poverty alleviation are all acts of contributing, so the new leader can't very well push him to build the building, right? My dad says Mr. Xu is really shrewd!"
After hanging up the phone, Chen Xi continued to lean against the three women.
News reports began covering Musk's entrepreneurial journey, from repeated failures to rocket launch failures, near-bankruptcy due to debt, and finally, his triumphant comeback.
Hearing these familiar stories from his previous life, Chen Xi couldn't help but yawn.
He fell asleep very quickly.
Another version of himself appeared before him. Chen Xi knew it was a dream, because he had dreamt of himself writing a book before.
This isn't the first time something like this has happened over the years. He often wanders in his dreams, then suddenly discovers some loopholes in the dream, and finally wakes up.
In this dream, I was lying in a hospital bed, holding a laptop and typing away. Then I excitedly shouted, "I've become a platinum author! I knew the path I've been following was the right one!"
The image collapsed instantly, like a shattered mirror, splitting into six dark fragments.
The other six phantoms of Chen Xi gradually solidified in the fragments. They had all sat in front of the computer all night writing, typing out one novel after another that no one paid attention to, and finally gave up completely under the wear and tear of reality.
Dentist Chen Xi stared blankly at the screen, probe in hand. He had once written four unfinished books, been evicted by his landlord for not being able to pay rent, and had his blind date glance at his messy rented room before turning and walking away. Now, wearing a mask, he mechanically cleaned patients' teeth, the piercing sound of the electric drill completely drowning out the crisp rhythm of his keyboard typing.
Construction worker Chen Xi carried two bags of cement, the rough woven bags chafing his shoulders. He used to type on his cracked-screen phone in the sweltering shed until a bill for overdue medical expenses from his hometown slammed onto the table, forcing him to lock up his manuscripts in the drawer. Sweat mixed with dust stung his eyes; he blinked hard and looked at the giant LED screen on the street.
Chef Chen Xi tossed the heavy iron wok, hot oil splattering onto his forearms and burning them red. His mailbox had once been overflowing with rejection letters; his mother had swept all those drafts into the trash can, pointed at his nose, and kicked him out of the house to do something productive. He coughed twice and looked up at the television set hanging in the lobby.
Programmer Chen Xi, with his thinning hair and dark circles under his eyes, had written tens of millions of words without achieving any results. He tugged at his employee badge, which was tightly wrapped around his neck, when a news pop-up appeared in the lower right corner of his computer screen.
Salesman Chen Xi leaned against a utility pole outside the KTV and vomited, spewing filth all over the ground. He had originally planned to spend his days doing sales and his nights writing, but he had completely forgotten the outline of his book after repeatedly groveling with clients for drinks. A cold wind blew by, and he shivered as he pulled out his phone; the screen lit up automatically.
Security guard Chen Xi sat in the cramped guard booth, the water in his thermos long since cold. His bank account balance remained in the double digits. He took off his pilling pajamas, worn for three years, and put on this oversized uniform. In his hand, instead of a mouse, he held a cold riot baton. He looked up, his gaze passing over the gate of the residential complex and settling on the large screen in the square across the street.
The same scene is playing on six screens in different times and spaces.
Chen Xi, the platinum author who was cheering while holding his computer, was standing under the flashing lights in a suit and tie, holding the Best Author of the Year trophy high in both hands, with thunderous applause from the audience.
The dentist dropped his probe, the construction worker's knees buckled and he knelt in the mud, the cook's wok slammed against the stove with a dull thud, the programmer bit his lip so hard it bled, the salesman slammed his head against a telephone pole, and the security guard snapped the cheap cigarette in his hand.
"Why isn't that me?" The six people, their lips cracked and dry, stared intently at the screen, their voices overlapping across time and space, conveying a sense of loss and helplessness.
Chen Xi suddenly opened his eyes, his chest heaving violently.
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead and onto the cushions of the leather sofa.
The air was filled with the faint scent of perfume mingled with that of Zhao Lingshan, Saori, and Jin Nana, while the news on the television continued to broadcast footage of Musk's Starship launch.
He gasped for breath, the resentful question from his dream still echoing in his mind.
Whether it's building rockets or writing books, beneath the glamorous finish line lies a trail of countless individuals who collapsed along the way.
The fact that three women appeared at the same time today made Chen Xi think about something.
Should we continue with the projects we have on hand?
Wouldn't it be wonderful to leave now and live a carefree life with your beautiful confidante?
Having already failed in the previous life, should we continue in this one?
If you don't play well, the outcome will be the same as those six people in the dream...
If Musk can turn things around, why can't I?
"What's wrong? What kind of dream did you have? You're so scared." Jin Nana took out a tissue and wiped his face.
"He must have dreamt of Zhao Lingshan's face decades later and was terrified." Saori covered her mouth and chuckled.
"You act like you're not going to get old. Even if I get old, Chen Xi will still love me the most." Zhao Lingshan pinched Sha Zhi's cheek, making her cry out in pain.
"It's nothing. Do you think my business is too big now? Should I continue? Should I retire? I'm afraid I might suddenly go bankrupt one day... There were several unfinished buildings reported on TV just now... If those owners had stopped earlier, would they have been fine?" Chen Xi said hesitantly.
Suddenly, a group of entrepreneurs who were once powerful figures in the business world in his previous life appeared in his mind, their tragic fates stemming from their refusal to stop their corrupt practices...
"Alright, stop thinking so much. Just do what you want to do, and perseverance is the most important thing. If you go bankrupt, I'll support you!" the three women said in unison.
"Chen Xi wants you to support him? I'll support him."
"I'll raise it!"
"Get out of the way, I'll raise it!"
The next second, the three women started arguing again.
"Click".
Just then, the door suddenly opened, and Chen Caiyue walked in.
"What's going on? Why are you laughing so happily? You... these... three? What's going on?" Chen Caiyue took off her shoes and looked up to see a shocking scene.
Three women sat on the sofa, with their son lying in the middle.
She thought Saori and Kim Nana had already gone back, but she didn't expect them to still be in the country.
Now Zhao Lingshan is here too... I don't quite understand this relationship!
"Ahem, hello Auntie!"
"Hello, Auntie. We were just chatting, we weren't arguing."
Saori and Kim Nana spoke one after the other, and Kim Nana was so nervous that she started to inadvertently confess.
"The two of them came suddenly," Zhao Lingshan said, sounding aggrieved.
"Okay, okay, you'll all sleep with me tonight. It's been so long since anyone chatted with me at night! We'll take a shower together tonight!" Chen Caiyue suddenly clapped her hands and then shouted excitedly.
"Um... my beloved concubines have been stolen..." Chen Xi, lying on the sofa, muttered softly as he listened to his mother's words. (End of Chapter)