Casa de la Dama

Capítulo 8

Jin Ming couldn't refuse Lai Yixian's request, so he nodded in agreement.

Jin Ming then introduced the fat man, saying, "Qi Zhi, the vice president of Huxing Real Estate. Huxing is the developer of Fenghe Shuiyuan. The general manager has also been detained. You can tell everyone about the situation."

"In short, when a person is down on their luck, even drinking cold water can cause them to choke!"

Qi Zhi started off in a very mundane way.

"Everyone knows that our general manager is a contractor from Fujian who started with thirteen laborers and built a top 100 real estate company in Shanghai. People in the industry also know that the reason he was able to rise so quickly is entirely because one of his subordinates, a man named Ayan, understands feng shui. A few years ago, before the real estate market was so hot, Huxing would develop a piece of land and sell it off immediately, with profits skyrocketing. In just five years, it became an incredible real estate company. Many real estate companies followed Huxing's lead in acquiring land and building houses, and they were able to make a fortune as well."

Qiqi knew immediately that the problem with Fenghe Water Garden must lie with Ayan.

As the saying goes, you can conquer the world together, but you can't rule it together.

The general manager felt that Ah Yan was taking too much of the profits. Every time, he would just go to the vacant land, take a look, buy the land, then use a compass to measure the orientation of the building, choose a date and time to start construction, and then set up an altar to worship on the day of construction. After that, he would hardly care about anything else.

The general manager, on the other hand, had to run around to the bank, manage construction, sales, and collections—a real hectic schedule. Ayan got a commission, plus a year-end bonus; making money was way too easy for him.

Qi Qi secretly lamented the miscalculation of Hu Xing's general manager, who had forgotten how he built his fortune and was unaware of the immense and irreplaceable role a feng shui master could play. Therefore, this general manager was bound to make the wrong choice.

Qi Zhi took a sip of tea and continued, "In the past, the real estate market relied heavily on regional areas and such, but after 2007, the market was simply booming! No matter where it was, as long as houses were being built, people would line up to buy them."

The general manager discovered that even without Ah Yan's feng shui consultation, the houses still sold well, and there was no need to give Ah Yan a commission.

Later, I felt it was unfair to give Ah Yan a year-end bonus, since he no longer needed to consult feng shui, so why should he get a bonus for free?

So one day, he said to Ah Yan, "You can go now. We've been brothers. I can give you a pension; you don't have to do anything for the rest of your life."

"What did that Ah Yan say? I was wondering why he disappeared without a trace. Turns out he was driven away by Lao Hu," Jin Ming interjected.

"Ayan didn't say anything. He took the check and, as he was leaving, said to the general manager: 'We're brothers. If you're not righteous, I can't be righteous in return. It's best not to bid for that piece of land on Lotus Road. If you actually build a building on it, you'll regret it for the rest of your life.'"

Our general manager said, "I know you're unhappy, but I'm definitely getting that land. Even if none of the buildings there sell, it's a minor issue for Huxing right now. I won't regret it!"

Everyone sighed in dismay.

Now everyone knows that Fenghe Shuiyuan didn't just fail to sell; it went bankrupt. However, the general manager of Huxing could never have imagined this outcome, and now he truly regrets it for the rest of his life.

"Ayan is gone. However, some of the old employees of Huxing said they saw Ayan wandering around the construction site of Fenghe Shuiyuan a few times. I don't know if it's true or not, but I haven't seen him since."

Youyou finally found a chance to interject and asked, "That makes sense then. The building collapsed. It must have been because Ayan was angry with your general manager that she caused it to collapse!"

Qi Zhi immediately shook his head and said, "Absolutely impossible. Ayan has an excellent reputation throughout the company. I've never seen him argue or have any conflicts with anyone, let alone seek revenge. The general manager was confident in this aspect, which is why he dared to fire him."

Youyou pouted and said, "There are still such exquisite people nowadays!"

Lai Yixian said, "Jiangxi and Fujian are both places that produce Feng Shui masters. This Ayan must have received the true teachings, as he saw early on that the foundation of Fenghe Water Garden was inauspicious. When he later went to the construction site, he was also searching for a way to resolve the problem on the spot."

“That’s right, because later, Ayan sent a text message to our general manager,” Qi Zhi said.

Everyone was very interested. They all asked, "What did the text message say?"

Qi Zhi said, "The general manager didn't show me the original text message. It meant that Ayan felt that the Tianyuan Apartment building across the street must have been designed by a feng shui master, and that Fenghe Shuiyuan should not be built there, otherwise there would be unforeseen misfortunes that could not be resolved."

At this crucial point, Qiqi quickly asked, "To your knowledge, who was the person who surveyed the feng shui of Tianyuan Apartment?"

Qi Zhi shook his head blankly. He continued, "Given our general manager's personality, when he told me about Ayan's text message, it meant he wanted me to investigate who was responsible for the feng shui of Tianyuan Apartment. I know that although he kicked Ayan out, Ayan has never spoken carelessly over the years, and everything he said has come true. The general manager must be a little scared."

Jin Mingming cleared away the leftovers from the table and served the finest Huangshan Maofeng tea.

The group enjoyed tea while listening to stories, finding it a unique and delightful experience.

"I couldn't find out who did the feng shui consultation for Tianyuan Apartments, and I felt bad about giving them an explanation. So, instead of guessing, I thought it would be better to find another expert to take a look at the Fenghe Shuiyuan site to put my mind at ease. There are plenty of feng shui experts in the world, and Ayan isn't the only one. That's when I thought of the construction contractor, Guo Yu..."

Lai Yixian nodded and said, "So it was you who introduced my apprentice to your general manager. That's right, my apprentice has been Guo Yu's feng shui consultant for more than two years now. He has also followed him from Beijing to Shanghai. He has already made a name for himself in Shanghai's real estate feng shui circle."

Qi Zhi said, "Yes, Master Yun also looked at the feng shui of my house. His feng shui arrangement was a great help, which helped my son get into Shanghai Normal University—I can't even imagine how good that kid's grades were."

Lai Yixian sighed.

Qi Zhi continued, "The general manager was very happy because he had also heard of Master Yun's great reputation. So that day, Guo Yu took Master Yun, and the general manager took me to the construction site of Fenghe Shuiyuan."

Jin Ming chimed in, "I happened to be there that day too. Yunmen said that Fenghe Shuiyuan was outmaneuvered by Tianyuan Apartment. Tianyuan Apartment's wall blade was very cunning, and it was placed right on Fenghe Shuiyuan's 'Yaosha position'. By the way, Master Lai, what is the 'Yaosha position'?"

Lai Yixian thought for a moment and said, "The so-called 'Yao Sha position' can be simply understood as the weakest points of a building. Any external evil will cause fatal damage to the building as long as it falls in these positions, and it is very difficult to remove."

Jin Ming angrily said, "Damn it, it must be that Xu guy from Tianyuan Apartment who's behind this! That old bastard used to work in Shanghai, then went to Guangdong to develop his business, and then came back to Shanghai last year. When the Hehua Road plot was auctioned, he kept competing with us, driving up the land price. In the end, I had to use my connections to finally get the plot near the river. Qianqiu Real Estate took the land there against their will."

Qi Qi was very excited. She seemed to have vaguely figured out some clues and asked eagerly, "Was the feng shui of Tianyuan Apartment determined by that director surnamed Xu?"

Jin Ming hesitated for a moment and said, "I'm not sure, but it's probably true. If he set up a treacherous feng shui scheme to bring down Fenghe Shuiyuan, I'll never forgive him! However, Qianqiu Real Estate won't be having an easy time either. I'll use my connections to investigate them thoroughly in the next few days! The foundation of their Tianyuan Apartments is made of cement from the same factory as our Fenghe Shuiyuan. If we collapse, their situation will be dire too!"

Qiqi immediately thought of the so-called "source" of information from Cai Yini, a reporter from Oriental TV. When she interviewed Gao Jinze, she pointed out that there was a problem with the "materials" used in Tianyuan Apartment. It turned out that Jin Ming had leaked the information.

He definitely wanted to drag more properties near Fenghe Shuiyuan into the mess, in order to prevent Fenghe Shuiyuan from becoming the target of public criticism, thus avoiding the law from punishing everyone and taking advantage of the chaos.

This is indeed a brilliant move.

Jin Ming picked up the phone, dialed a number, and asked with a smile, "Reporter Cai, I'm eating out. I'll watch your excellent interview on IPTV when I get home. Is it the news live broadcast at 6 pm?"

Upon hearing the words on the other end of the phone, Jin Ming's smile gradually faded: "What? Why won't you broadcast such good and truthful news! Newspapers and TV stations across the country are vying for news about Fenghe Shuiyuan, and your station isn't interested??"

After listening for a couple more sentences, Jin Ming frowned: "'Pressure from above'? Isn't your station always so powerful! Never mind, I'll go find someone to talk to the station director, you don't need to worry about it!"

Upon hearing this, Qi Qi was secretly delighted, guessing that he might be calling the reporter who interviewed Gao Jinze today. It seemed that tonight's news had not exposed the construction quality problems of Tianyuan Apartment, which meant that Weiwei should be fine.

Jin Ming hung up the phone and got up to go to the stairwell behind the screen.

He returned shortly afterward, possibly after making another phone call, but it was clear that the outcome of that call was not satisfactory to him either.

Jin Ming said bitterly, "Even if I fail this time, I'll take a few down with me. Qianqiu Real Estate won't get away with this! Qi Zhi, how did the talks with the homeowners go today?"

Qi Zhi looked distressed: "These homeowners are simply troublemakers! No matter how we reason with them, it's no use. They're all desperate to extort money from us, and they're working with the media to stir up trouble everywhere. Not one of them is willing to accept our compensation plan!"

Jin Ming pulled out a gold-leaf cigarette case from his pocket, poured out a panda cigarette, lit it with a limited-edition Caribbean Pirates of the Caribbean Zippo lighter, and said, "Add another thousand to the average price for the refund. For those who still want a house, the compensation price will be negotiated separately. Get it done for me, one household at a time. I want a written agreement, not just a verbal promise!!"

Qi Zhi repeatedly said yes, not daring to utter a sound.

Jin Ming waved his hand, and Qi Zhi quickly stood up, bid farewell to those present, and then slipped away.

Having already gained quite a bit, Qiqi took the opportunity to get up and say goodbye.

Youyou followed along to see Qiqi off.

Once in the courtyard, he took Qiqi's hand and said, "It's not that I tricked you into coming here, it's that Jin Ming insisted on seeing you. Heaven knows why he didn't believe you after seeing you."

Qi Qi said seriously, "Youyou, if you listen to me, return that house at the price offered by the developer and take the cash. If you delay, things will change, and Jin Ming will soon be in jail."

Youyou said with some fear, "Is it true, Qiqi? Is he really going to be... investigated? I don't dare to return the Fenghe Shuiyuan house he gave me... He's actually very fierce."

Qi Qi smiled faintly and said, "Right now, none of the owners of Fenghe Shuiyuan are willing to accept the compensation plan. Why don't you take the lead? It'll kill two birds with one stone. You'll get the money and help Jinming at the same time."

Youyou was a smart person, and she immediately understood and clapped her hands in approval.

Sitting in her Beetle, Qiqi's mind raced, replaying everything she had just heard and thought about.

I increasingly felt that it was "heaven helping me".

Since the news hasn't reported it, Gao Jinze should be fine. Now the problem is back to resolving the "Great Empty City" issue.

Suddenly, the lonely figure of Ayan, the feng shui consultant for the developer of Fenghe Shuiyuan, whom she had never met before, appeared in her mind. He walked slowly, looked up at the sky, and sighed, as if he was grieving for the collapse of Fenghe Shuiyuan.

Qiqi had a vague feeling that this Ayan played some kind of inexplicable role in the whole incident.

Qiqi decided to go to Tianyuan Apartment to see Gao Jinze early the next morning, and then go to Yufosi Temple to ask Juehui for help in the afternoon.

Chapter Ten: Gossip The Tianyuan Apartment in the early morning was enveloped in a light mist from the river.

If it weren't for the unsightly "I'm Falling Down" building lying nearby, Qiqi would have liked to admire the green belt, rockery, and flowing water of Tianyuan Apartment a little longer.

But the thought that Tianyuan Apartment looks fancy on the outside but can't even guarantee the basic quality of the building construction and could collapse at any time makes me feel very depressed.

Gao Jinze personally came out to greet Qiqi.

His expression was listless, as if he hadn't slept well the night before. He was only wearing a white cotton shirt, which looked rather bleak in the chilly early summer after the mist had dissipated.

When he greeted us, his voice sounded a little hoarse.

He remained calm, neither surprised nor disgusted by Qiqi's arrival.

He didn't invite Qiqi upstairs, but instead took her to the artificial hill pavilion inside Tianyuan Apartment.

They sat side by side on the wooden bench for a long time.

Gao Jinze said, "I barely slept last night."

Qi Qi said, "Dongfang TV didn't broadcast any news about Tianyuan Apartment."

Gao Jinze sighed deeply and said, "The head office used its connections."

Qiqi thought it was the "pressure from above" that Jinming mentioned yesterday.

"Fenghe Water Garden is dead but not stiff. It wanted to fight us for a thousand years while it was alive, and it wanted to drag us down with it when it was dead. I had no choice but to take action and send it on its way!"

Gao Jinze squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth.

Qiqi shivered in the sweltering heat. It seemed that Gao Jinze was behind Jin Ming's troubles.

"I haven't been sleeping well since I moved into this building. I have nightmares and feel uneasy."

Gao Jinze said dejectedly.

"About those two interns at my company yesterday—"

Just as Qi Qi was about to apologize, Gao Jinze waved his hand dismissively and said, "This isn't the first time I've encountered your female subordinate. Besides, it seems her original intention was to help me..."

Gao Jinze smiled wryly.

Qi Qi found it a bit strange; Gao Jinze seemed to have become more world-weary, open-minded, and mature overnight.

She still remembered the first time she saw him at the entrance of Tianyuan Apartment. He got out of his Porsche, looking arrogant and domineering.

"When I have insomnia, I think about why I studied architecture. To build good houses. And why build good houses? To let people live in them. But now the houses I design have all become bargaining chips, tools for preserving and increasing value. If that's the case, I can't gamble on dice, horse racing, or stocks. I can't use the houses I painstakingly designed to speculate on them!"

Gao Jinze suddenly stood up, almost cursing, panting heavily.

Qiqi sat there watching him and thought that he looked very childish and genuine when he was angry.

She also enjoyed listening to what he had just said.

"Yes... housing... it's a perpetual source of pain for the poor. It's not even as good as in feudal society, when most people had a place to live. Now, three generations of a family can barely save enough for a down payment. A single house can turn several well-off families into abject poverty," Qi Qi sighed.

"I heard from your Manager Zhou that you're also buying a house? We just had a section of old residential area near Jing'an Temple demolished—"

Before Gao Jinze could finish speaking, Qi Qi shook her head with a smile: "No, no, the land price near Jing'an Temple is already beyond my budget, and besides, I want to buy a place to live in before the end of the year."

"I see..." Gao Jinze pondered for a moment, then said, "Then let me ask Linzi if we have any remaining new or nearly new apartments in Shanghai. I can offer you one at a discounted price. Which district do you prefer?"

“It’s not about which district I like, but which district’s housing prices suit me best. I prefer the environment of Qingpu and Songjiang, but they are inconvenient for commuting. I’ll choose a place to live between the Middle Ring Road and the Outer Ring Road first.”