Chapter 463 - 279: This Thing Is More Sobering Than Strong Tea

He Xuelu picked up the pack of cigarettes and saw there was only one left.

Fang Jie, ever observant, went out and bought two new packs, quietly placing them on the table.

At the same time, she got an ashtray and put it in front of Lin Jiang.

Lin Jiang opened a pack and lit one. He Xuelu smoked the last one from the old pack.

"I have to admit, their plan is a good one. They’ve completely figured out our development strategy. If we can’t get the land, even if we acquire Li Yuan, it will still impact our growth."

Although Mu Xing had its own unique quality, unlike others, it needed vast tracts of land to sustain its expansion and development.

Therefore, to expand, they had to secure land first!

"Getting the land is secondary. Making them spend more money is the main goal," Lin Jiang said lightly, as if everything was under his control.

"Make them spend more money?"

"I’ve already taken care of the land situation. So we don’t need to be fixated on this particular plot. It’d be great if we get it, but it doesn’t matter if we don’t. All we need to do tomorrow is drive the price up to ten million. That way, we won’t lose out. If they want it, they’ll have to pay more."

Lin Jiang flicked his ash and said,

"Think about it. Isn’t it interesting, making them spend millions for no good reason?"

"So President Lin already had this all figured out."

With the core problem solved, the tension on He Xuelu’s face eased.

"But if we can get this plot of land, it would be the icing on the cake."

Lin Jiang nodded. "We definitely need to get it, but not now."

"President Lin, you mean?"

"Once Mu Xing enters the local market, it will inevitably send shockwaves through the industry. Yong’an is the template for Hongyang. The best time to take this land will be when they’re cutting their losses to survive."

Lin Jiang took a drag from his cigarette and said slowly,

"So, no need to rush. Let the bullet fly for a while longer. As for tomorrow’s auction, I won’t be going. Based on the situation on-site, you can push the premium another two or three million on top of the ten million. You can decide how to handle the specifics."

"Understood."

The three of them finished their meal at a leisurely pace. He Xuelu returned to the hotel, and Lin Jiang took Fang Jie for a walk.

"You were so cool just now."

"How was I cool?"

"You had the air of a master strategist, deciding the battle from a thousand miles away."

Admiration shone in Fang Jie’s eyes.

Like a young maiden worshiping a knight returning from a campaign.

"Don’t fall in love with a man who doesn’t come home. You’ll only get hurt."

"Hahaha..."

Fang Jie laughed uncontrollably, seeming years younger.

There weren’t many entertainment options in the county town, so after a short walk, the two of them headed back.

The next morning, Lin Jiang and He Xuelu went their separate ways.

Lin Jiang went to Li Yuan, while He Xuelu went to the Shudong County Public Transaction Resource Center, where the land auction was being held that day.

The auction hall wasn’t very crowded. When He Xuelu arrived, Li Wuyang and Han Guangqi were already there, each wearing a different expression.

"Well, if it isn’t President He."

Li Wuyang stood up and extended his hand. He Xuelu reached out to shake it.

"President Li, you really don’t leave any opportunities for the rest of us. With you entering the ring for the only suitable plot of land, we don’t stand a chance."

"It’s fair competition. You have a good chance too."

"You flatter us, President Li. Compared to Xiangrong Group, the scale of our Mu Xing is nothing at all."

Li Wuyang’s expression shifted slightly.

Mu Xing’s direct competitor was supposed to be Yong’an. For him to skip over Yong’an and compare Mu Xing to Xiangrong Group was, in itself, a form of contempt.

"Business is never smooth sailing. We went through the same thing when we started."

"That’s why we still have a lot to learn from you, President Li."

"You’re too kind, President He."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, each with their own ulterior motives, the two returned to their seats.

Before long, the land auction began.

The starting bid was five million, but no one in the room spoke up.

Because everyone else was just there for show; otherwise, there wouldn’t even be an auction.

He Xuelu calmly raised his paddle, increasing the bid by ten thousand each time.

At first, everyone was quite restrained, only adding ten thousand at a time.

And so, with paddle after paddle raised, the price was driven up to seven million after more than an hour.

It was less like an auction and more like a game of taking turns raising hands. Li Wuyang grew impatient and gestured for his secretary to raise the price to nine million.

He Xuelu leisurely added five hundred thousand—not too much, not too little.

Li Wuyang signaled to raise it to ten million.

He Xuelu paused for a few seconds. Everyone in the room turned to look at him. If he didn’t bid, the land would go to Hongyang Pastures.

Leisurely, He Xuelu adjusted his earpiece, then raised his paddle.

"Add five hundred thousand."

Li Wuyang also fell silent for a moment. Anything over ten million was already a premium.

"It seems they’re determined to get it," Han Guangqi said, narrowing his eyes.

"This is their first step into the Northern Market. Even with a premium, they’ll find a way to secure it. We have to block them."

With that, Li Wuyang personally raised his paddle and called out a price of eleven million.

He Xuelu raised his paddle again, adding another five hundred thousand.

Li Wuyang did the same. After a few more rounds, He Xuelu quickly pushed the price to thirteen million.

"Dammit!"

Li Wuyang cursed under his breath. ’I’d like to see just how much reserve capital you have!’

"Fourteen million!"

The auctioneer looked at He Xuelu, as did everyone else. The bidding had reached a fever pitch, the most thrilling moment.

He Xuelu shook his paddle, signaling that he was withdrawing.

"Hah. So that was their limit."

"With the three major groups working together, they’re no match for us," Han Guangqi said.

The auction ended, and people began to leave one after another.

He Xuelu walked over to Li Wuyang with a smile and extended his hand.

"President Li, you really didn’t give us a chance. We concede defeat."

The two shook hands cordially. Li Wuyang said,

"This land is extremely important to us, or else we would have let you have it. I can only apologize."

"No problem. Next time something like this comes up, I hope you’ll go easy on us and give us a chance, President Li."

"Of course, of course."

After a few more simple pleasantries, He Xuelu left.

Li Wuyang unbuttoned his shirt collar. "The Northern Market has left them no room to maneuver. I’m quite curious to see what their next move will be."

"We don’t need to worry about them for now. Let’s go back and have the meeting first."

"Alright."

Leaving the service center, the two got back into their car, preparing to return to Hongyang Group for the strategic cooperation meeting.

The two of them sat in the back, with an assistant and a secretary in the front. Everyone was in high spirits, wearing the triumphant smiles of victors.

"President Li, something’s not right."

The secretary looked at her phone and suddenly turned around to say.

"What’s not right?" Li Wuyang said, smoking a cigarette, already planning where he would go to enjoy himself that night.

"There’s news that Mu Xing has acquired Li Yuan! And they also bought an 80,000-square-meter plot of land near Dageng Town to develop their livestock business!"

"That’s impossible!"

Li Wuyang was the first to react.

"The land near Dageng Town is all zoned for industrial use. It’s impossible for them to use it for a livestock business! And Li Yuan Pastures... there wasn’t a single whisper about this. How did they manage to complete the acquisition?!"

"The report doesn’t say. It just says they acquired Li Yuan and bought that plot of land."

As she spoke, the female secretary handed her phone over.

The two men looked at the news on the screen, and their faces changed drastically.

The signing was completed in the morning, right when the land auction was happening!

Lin Jiang had met with the boss of Li Yuan and finalized the acquisition!

Thinking back to He Xuelu’s demeanor at the auction, both of their expressions turned extremely ugly.

Only then did they realize they had been played by Lin Jiang!

They had a factory, they had land, and it was an 80,000-square-meter site!

With all this, there were no more obstacles to stop them from invading the Northern Market!

And the land they had just won at auction felt more like a trap he had dug for them!

Making them spend an extra nine million for nothing!

RING RING RING—

The ringing of a phone broke the silence.

The caller ID showed the name Ma Zhihua, the president of Hongyang Pastures.

"President Ma."

"President Li, have you and President Han seen the news about Mu Xing acquiring Li Yuan?"

"We saw it. But about that 80,000-square-meter plot of land, do you know what’s going on, President Ma? Weren’t we told it was industrial land?"

"There might be something shady going on," Ma Zhihua said.

"This guy, Lin Jiang, his methods are more sophisticated than we imagined. He paved his way into the Northern Market long ago. We all misjudged this situation."

"We’re on our way back. Let’s discuss it at the meeting when we get there."

"Alright."

After hanging up, Li Wuyang slammed his fist on the center armrest in the back seat!

"Fuck!"

His current fury was as intense as his earlier joy.

The feeling of being so thoroughly outplayed sent his rage soaring through the roof.

The reason they had paid a high premium to win that land wasn’t just for their own development; it was also to prevent Mu Xing from entering the Northern Market.

But now, they had taken a path that seemed impossible!

After the initial burst of anger, Li Wuyang gradually calmed down.

The two of them together had invested over thirty million.

If Mu Xing entered the north, his roundabout rescue plan would be completely useless.

The low-price strategy they had come up with before would also be useless now.

Because Mu Xing’s prices would drop accordingly, this investment was very likely to go down the drain!

...

That evening, Lin Jiang invited Liu Xiangqian and Yao Quan to dinner.

But the people who came were far more than just them; leaders from other departments were there as well.

Mu Xing’s arrival not only brought new economic vitality to the area but also gave them an extra nine million in land auction revenue.

Although nine million wasn’t much for a city’s finances—a drop in the bucket, even—gaining so much money for nothing was still a happy occasion.

Naturally, they had to come for a meal and get to know each other.

After all, with Mu Xing’s quality, as long as they didn’t shoot themselves in the foot, their future prospects were predictable.

That night, Lin Jiang drank a lot. He was tipsy when he returned, but he could still walk a straight line.

While Lin Jiang was at the dinner, Fang Jie had been waiting at the hotel entrance.

When she saw him return, she exchanged a few words with He Xuelu, then helped Lin Jiang to her room. She sat beside him, massaging the fleshy part of his hand between the thumb and index finger.

Very thoughtfully, she had also prepared a pot of tea to help sober him up.

"Here, have some tea to sober up."

"It’s not a big deal."

Fang Jie blew on it to cool it down and brought it to Lin Jiang’s lips.

"Drink some anyway. Be good."

Taking the cup, Lin Jiang drank it and felt a little better.

"I’m going to take a shower."

"Okay, go ahead."

Fang Jie helped Lin Jiang to the bathroom and was surprised to see a pair of black silk panties hanging inside, not made of much fabric.

They must have been what Fang Jie wore during the day, which she had washed in the evening.

’This thing is way better at sobering you up than strong tea.’