Chapter 11: Twenty-Four Million, All In

Of course, the so-called "stealth" was merely Liu Yuling’s own assumption. She had no idea that her little maneuvers were entirely visible to Cao Kun.

Cao Kun did not stand on ceremony; he stared right at her. Since she was deliberately putting on a show for him, it would be a waste of her good intentions if he didn't look. Furthermore, he offered a very blunt assessment: "So white, so big!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yuling froze. Then, feigning surprise as if she had just noticed, she let out a cry of "Oh my!" and hurriedly covered her chest in a display of bashfulness. "You're terrible, Mr. Cao, why are you looking like that?" Though she called him terrible, her tone and gestures carried the air of a flirtatious tease.

Cao Kun laughed out loud. "Didn't you unbutton it yourself?"

"What are you talking about?" Liu Yuling said, acting shy. "I... I was just hot. What are you thinking? I didn't mean anything else by it."

Cao Kun nodded with a smile. "Alright, alright, my mistake. Focus on driving for now, let's not crash."

Ten minutes later, Liu Yuling brought the car to a stop. Cao Kun stepped out and looked around, feeling a sense of wistfulness. Their current location, even within Yundong District, was on the far outskirts of the eastern suburbs. Looking at the surroundings, there was no sign of a major city; calling it a fourth-tier town would be a stretch. It was thoroughly, undeniably suburban.

Yet, who could have guessed that this remote suburb would one day become the heart of the Yundong Special Zone? In the future, property prices in this area would start at over one hundred thousand per square meter. This area would see the fastest and most significant surge in value once news of the Special Zone was released. Once the announcement came, anyone could see the strategic importance of this location. To the west, the city center was already fully developed with no room for growth. To the north and south, the terrain—the only mountains in Haicheng—made development impossible. The only way was east! And as it expanded eastward, the center of the Special Zone would inevitably shift in that direction.

Once the news hit, a massive influx of people would pour in, and property prices would skyrocket tenfold in no time.

Liu Yuling also stepped out of the car and walked over to Cao Kun. She made even less of an attempt to hide her figure than she had inside the vehicle, intentionally leaving her collar open so that a third of her breasts were exposed. She had made up her mind; she was going to win Cao Kun over, no matter what.

The real estate business was in such a slump right now that finding a client who genuinely wanted to buy was incredibly difficult.

Cao Kun glanced at the snow-white skin Liu Yuling was showing off and teased, "Manager Liu, you certainly have assets."

"That's for sure," Liu Yuling said, puffing out her chest proudly. Then, her expression dimmed, and she sighed, "Sigh, it's about the only asset I have left that isn't worth much."

"Oh?" Cao Kun asked with interest. "Judging by your tone, are you in some kind of trouble?"

"What else could it be? Short of money," Liu Yuling said with a bitter smile. "Back when the real estate market was good, I did make some money. Then, I got ahead of myself and took out a loan to buy a school-district apartment in the city. It was for investment, and for when I have children later, to make their schooling easier. I took out a twenty-year mortgage on that place, with monthly payments of eight thousand. But who would have thought that just two years later, the market would plummet, and my husband’s work would become increasingly unstable? Now, the money we both make is barely enough to cover the mortgage. Honestly, we’re almost struggling to put food on the table."

As she spoke, Liu Yuling didn't forget to cast a pitiful, melancholic look at Cao Kun. She looked truly heart-wrenching.

Seeing this, Cao Kun chuckled to himself. *She really is a young married woman; they know how to play the game better than young girls!* These little expressions and gestures were truly seductive.

He thought for a moment and said, "Since you’ve painted such a pitiful picture, Manager Liu, my conscience would truly be pricked if I didn't buy a house from you."

Hearing this, Liu Yuling’s expression became even more forlorn. "Exactly! Mr. Cao, if you don't buy from me, I'll really be left out in the cold. You can't just abandon me."

Cao Kun nodded with a grin. "Fine, then let’s discuss the terms."

*Discuss terms?*

Liu Yuling’s eyes showed clear disappointment. Buying a house in this area would cost at most one million. According to current brokerage standards, she would normally get 1.5% from the buyer and 1.5% from the seller. In a perfect scenario, she’d make thirty thousand. But this was a buyer’s market; there were more sellers than buyers. The buyer was king, and she wouldn't dare demand the full 1.5% from him. At most, she’d get 0.5%, or perhaps nothing at all from the buyer, relying only on the seller’s commission. That meant she’d walk away with at most fifteen or twenty thousand.

*And he wants to negotiate terms over that?* Did he really think that amount of money was enough to get her into bed? *Impossible!* At most, she’d let him take advantage of a few touches. She was a woman with standards!

As these thoughts raced through her mind, she tried to push for more, her voice sugary and pleading, "Mr. Cao, I'm already in such a bad spot, why do you still want to haggle? Buying a house is just a small matter for you, isn't it?"

Cao Kun smiled and nodded. "A house is indeed a small matter. But who said I was only buying one?"

*Huh?* Liu Yuling’s expression froze. "You... are you planning to buy two?"

"No," Cao Kun shook his head. "I don't plan on buying by the unit; I plan on buying by the budget."

*Buying by the budget?* Hearing these words, Liu Yuling was bewildered. She had been in real estate for years and had never heard such a strange term.

"Mr. Cao, I... I don't quite understand. What do you mean by buying by the budget?"

Cao Kun looked into her eyes and explained earnestly, "It means I have twenty-four million in cash on hand, and I intend to spend all of it on properties around here. No matter how many units that adds up to, I’ll keep buying until the twenty-four million is gone. Understand?"

Although the gold had only fetched 22.45 million, Cao Kun had his own savings—money his grandfather had scrimped and saved his entire life to set aside for him, totaling about 1.5 million. Combined, it was exactly twenty-four million. Cao Kun intended to go all-in, converting every cent of that into properties in this area. It was a guaranteed, risk-free investment; every dollar he invested now would yield a dozen more in the near future. Even a fool would know to go all-in on a situation like this.