Age of Legends

Chapter 296 A Gamble

On the eve of the start of the school term, Zhang Chen received a QQ message from Zhuang Yanyue, who said that her desire to go back to school had reached its peak.

Zhang Chen jokingly asked her if she was so eager to rush into the final purgatory of senior year? She said no, she just missed him.

Zhang Chen was speechless and could only reply with: "..."

On the first day of school, when they entered the school gate, they saw Zhuang Yanyue and a group of girls walking on the road ahead. Wang Dan spotted Zhang Chen at a glance and quickly informed the other girls. Jiang Yutong, among them, had an indescribable resentment in her eyes.

The girls all turned their attention to Zhuang Yanyue, and Wang Dan even egged her on, saying, "Yanyue, Zhang Chen, it's Zhang Chen! What a coincidence, we ran into each other on the first day of school! What is this? This is fate!"

Wang Dan appeared to be speaking softly, but her voice was quite loud and could be heard throughout the entire street. Zhang Chen naturally found it difficult to remain indifferent and his gaze swept over her.

Dressed in a light blue casual outfit, Zhuang Yanyue looked fresh and elegant, somewhat like a lady who had stepped out of a traditional Chinese ink painting. However, under the expectant gazes of Wang Dan and the other women, she finally glanced at Zhang Chen with a slight slant, then calmly withdrew her gaze, much to everyone's disappointment, and said in a calm and collected tone, "Oh, so what?"

Then she continued walking, and the group of girls choked. Those who were watching the spectacle also stumbled and fell, and then the road resumed its flow.

Zhang Chen's lips twitched.

Zhuang Yanyue, are you playing me?

.........

The second semester of senior year officially began, and the chalk writing "150 days until the college entrance exam" on the bulletin board suddenly stirred many people's emotions. Banners were hung on the trees along the familiar road: "Study hard today, and you'll be on the honor roll tomorrow!" and "Fight for 150 days, this is the crucial moment of your life!"

In the still-chilly spring air, students arrived at their classrooms at the crack of dawn, their breath turning to frost as they opened their books. The beeping of incandescent lights illuminated the still-dim school building.

The overall mood was quite tense. Some people started to hate studying. This inexplicable emotion would always suddenly appear and envelop them. Some people started to live like zombies, mechanically doing exercises every day. Almost everyone's desk was piled with small mountains of books, some of which were old and worn, probably piled up there since the last century, full of historical relics of food scraps and debris.

On the one hand, there's just too much stuff—reference materials, practice questions, past exam papers, all sorts of study guides—it's impossible to carry it all home every day; even boarding students couldn't manage it. So, just take the day's homework materials home according to your daily study plan. Most of it stays at the base, though it can also be used as cover for napping at the desk.

Teachers generally don't interfere unless they can't stand it anymore. At this stage, what's the point of urging students to study if they don't want to? Those who want to be free are allowed to be free, and those who want to study will naturally follow along. Teachers mainly just fill in the gaps in their knowledge. By the first semester of senior year at Yude High School, the syllabus has been basically completed. At this time, every day is spent doing practice problems and correcting mistakes. A few typical problems from each subject are explained, a few test papers are completed, and they are reviewed on the same day.

There were personnel changes; some went to other places to take exams, and some went abroad to study. Everyone used their own unique methods.

Of course, most people are still immersed in books and exercises, occasionally waking up from their desks with dark circles under their eyes, wiping the drool from the corner of their mouths, and flipping through a book they randomly picked up in the light.

What surprised Zhang Chen the most was that Wang Shuowei had changed; he was actually studying seriously every day. He used to arrive very early in the morning, and while he used to go online every night (Wang Bowen didn't really care about him anyway), Zhang Chen now rarely saw him on QQ before bed.

When asked, he said, "Zeze and the others are making games now. After all that, I can only chime in a couple of times at the beginning to explain the settings. I can't even understand the rest of the game development process. I've decided that we should all work together in the future, but if I can't even get into a computer science program, how can I make good games with everyone and make a fortune together? So you just keep an eye on Zeze's side. I'll work hard now to get into a good computer science program and catch up with their progress."

Wang Shuowei was spurred on by Jing Qinming and the others. Of course, making games doesn't necessarily require understanding code; having ideas is perfectly acceptable. It seemed Wang Shuowei was more interested in the development process, which suddenly gave him a clear goal in his studies.

In reality, this is true most of the time. Many people, unable to find their goals, may simply drift along aimlessly. What's truly valuable is the sudden, clear-headed process of finding a purpose to motivate oneself.

Zhang Chen was about to give him some praise, but then this guy looked up from his documents, glanced around, and suddenly said seriously, "I haven't been sleeping well lately either. I feel bitter and tired. The teacher even went overtime just now. But Zhang Chen, don't you think that maybe one day we'll miss these things?"

"These hellish days are actually the best of times!"

"Are you fucking crazy?!" Zhang Chen's face darkened immediately. "This is called going berserk!"

For Zhang Chen, who came from the new era, he simply had no choice. If he could choose to travel back in time, he would have loved to go straight to university. Who would want to go back to this stage? It's so miserable!

As a result, the sunset was magnificent. Shen Nuoyi and Zheng Xue came back after dinner and stood on the railing to watch it. Zhang Chen also came over.

Zhuang Yanyue, who was passing by downstairs, looked up and saw the scene above. Unlike the others who were watching the sunset, she stared intently at that person.

From the other end of the hallway came Wang Shuowei's belated footsteps and his cursing: "Damn it, Zhang Chen, you ran so fast, you..." He saw Shen Nuoyi next to Zhang Chen and got angry: "You fucking value your girlfriend more than your friend!"

Zhang Chen grinned at him, "What you said today makes sense."

……

On such a day, the bidding for the western section of the Shahe River in Rongcheng began.

Zhang Chen arrived at Xuhui Real Estate's conference room this Saturday. For Monday's bidding, Xuhui Real Estate had already started a work-from-home mode where all employees were preparing bid documents.

Huang Huifen sat amidst stacks of documents several meters high. Seeing that Huang Huifen, who had an accounting background, also had messy hair, Zhang Chen momentarily thought he was still in school.

To be honest, after going through this stage of setting benchmarks, you realize that the immense pressure you felt in high school was just a small step in your growth.

High school worries are simple: anxiety about declining grades and constant nagging from parents. Ultimately, it all boils down to the power struggles and competition in society. At this point, family wealth, capital, and future life and destiny become crucial.

Yang Jie, the sales manager, came in to set up the projector and greeted Zhang Chen warmly when he saw him.

Zhang Chen nodded to him, "Brother Yang!" Huang Huifen finally looked up from the pile of documents to catch her breath and casually asked, "I heard that your family arranged a blind date for you the day before yesterday, but the girl thought you were too short and it didn't work out?"

Zhang Chen was stunned, thinking that his mother hadn't changed at all; she was still so lacking in emotional intelligence, always bringing up the most sensitive topics. Yang Jie was quick-witted and eloquent, but he had always suffered setbacks because of his short stature. Huang Huifen's words implied that his failed blind dates had spread throughout the company, and the fact that she said it to his face made Yang Jie's expression quite unpleasant.

After a moment of awkward silence, Yang Jie, knowing his boss's personality, said, "Although the blind date didn't work out, I still managed to persuade her parents to buy a house in our area."

Ok!

Manager Yang truly lives up to his reputation as a top salesperson; even his romantic setbacks can be turned into valuable resources in the battlefield.

But Yang Jie was still clearly upset and didn't want to continue arguing with Huang Huifen about the topic. He continued, "Although this textile factory site is right on the edge of the old city, it certainly wasn't a good location before. But now that the government is cleaning up the Shahe River and developing the waterfront area, its value has skyrocketed. Once we get the land, as long as we put our heart into creating it, I believe customers will buy it!"

Huang Huifen and Zhang Chen exchanged a glance. Huang Huifen said, "Let's make several contingency plans. Although the textile factory is our priority in acquiring land, we also need to guard against unexpected events."

Yang Jie nodded: "I know, but we will definitely do our best!"

Aunt Chen, who was doing the accounting, looked up again: "I'll calculate the material costs as soon as possible, and try my best to quote the most reasonable price!"

Zhang Chen remained impassive as he observed the bustling activity in the conference room, which had been transformed into a command center. Preparing a tender document was like waging war; Xu Hui Real Estate's team was currently engaged in a military campaign, ultimately breaking through the ranks to achieve their objective.

Monday morning at 9:00 AM, lobby on the fifth floor of the Rongcheng Housing and Construction Bureau.

The bidding site was bustling with activity. A group of six people from Xuhui Real Estate entered the venue. Chen Xuran was not present, and Zhang Chen was in class today, so Huang Huifen led the group.

Liu Qi and his entourage from Yipin Real Estate also arrived at the scene. Liu Qi, who was in a custom-made suit, was standing next to a beautiful woman in a blue dress. She had a shrewd and intelligent air about her, with a small face and prominent cheekbones. Some people who knew her vaguely recognized her as a rising starlet from the provincial TV station. She was said to have considerable influence and was the niece of a certain leader, who was known for stirring up trouble at the provincial TV station.

Some people secretly criticized Liu Qi, saying that he frequently changed girlfriends and lovers. Sure enough, not long after, he was seen with a new woman in his life, appearing in public with a young and beautiful woman, looking radiant with happiness.

Behind him followed Chen Yan, the vice president of Yipin Group who frequently appeared in public. She was impeccably made up, wore a slim-waisted short skirt, and exuded a captivating yet sharp charm. Upon seeing Huang Huifen, she flashed a smile. But who knows how much scheming lay behind that smile?

The other vice president, Zhou Kai, was taciturn, thin, and carried a briefcase, exuding an air of unassuming sophistication as he followed Liu Qi closely.

However, Huang Heyan, who had claimed to be the "head of the Hong Kong office" when he hosted the dinner, was nowhere to be seen.

Liu Qi came over and greeted Huang Huifen, "President Huang is personally overseeing things; it seems you're determined to win today!"

Huang Huifen smiled and said, "Where there's a will, there's a way. Our Xuhui Real Estate is a small company, but we can make up for our shortcomings with hard work. We can only come here early to prepare."

Wu Yue, Liu Qi's mistress, curiously observed Huang Huifen, clearly having heard much about this eccentric woman. However, a hint of jealousy lingered in her eyes. The success of the Lanyuan project meant that this strange Huang Huifen had undoubtedly made a fortune. The fact that a woman like her could earn so much money naturally made Wu Yue, with her ambitious and insatiable appetite, green with envy.

Chen Yan then smiled and asked, "Didn't Sister Xu Ran come?"

Mentioning Chen Xuran, Wu Yue frowned again. Although Chen Xuran wasn't a host for the provincial station, but rather the city station, her success and fame as the "number one beautiful anchor in Fuzhou" were something Wu Yue resented. With her powerful connections and relationship with Liu Qi, Wu Yue considered Chen Xuran her future target.

When Chen Xuran was mentioned, Wu Yue's expressions of like or dislike did not escape Chen Yan's notice. However, Chen Yan remained calm and just smiled. As a woman who had worked her way up to this position, she would not reveal her true thoughts to Wu Yue, who had always been well protected by various halos and even parachuted in with her background.

Chen Yan's question made Liu Qi frown slightly as he looked at Huang Huifen. "Oh right, how could Xu Ran not come at such a crucial moment?" He sensed a strange wariness because something seemed off.

Huang Huifen then said, "I'm not unaware of my partner's feelings. With so many people around, it's easy for her to get flustered. Plus, she doesn't have much self-control and is afraid she'll panic in this kind of situation. I'm the opposite of her. She can speak freely in front of a TV camera, but I can't. I get nervous. On the contrary, I'm not afraid of situations like today!"

These words were in line with Huang Huifen's rough manner, but Wu Yue found them grating and raised her voice, saying sarcastically, "With such a popular anchorwoman, it's certainly not appropriate for her to appear in this kind of setting. If everyone surrounds her, it won't have a good impact on this government occasion!"

Wu Yue's interruption eased Liu Qi's wariness, and he smiled and nodded in agreement. He then smiled at Huang Huifen and said, "Then let's do as we said before, cooperate in developing the adjacent plots of land, and make money together in the future!"

Huang Huifen replied, "Don't worry, Mr. Liu. We made preparations well in advance and will definitely achieve our goal. We look forward to continuing our cooperation with you in the future!"

Liu Qi thought of the 30 million he had been tricked out of by her, his eyelids twitched, and he smiled meaningfully, "Sometimes, you also have to consider the right time, place, and people!"

Huang Huifen nodded repeatedly, "That's right, that's right, it's all up to us, let's work together!"

Liu Qi turned his head and smiled at Huang Huifen, seemingly amazed that such a person actually existed in the world and that such a person could make money!
In Fuzhou in 2001, the land bidding system had not yet been implemented. Land competition was conducted through bidding and auction, and results were often available on the same day. The government would collect the closed bids, the review panel would conduct qualification evaluations and on-site reviews, and finally, the first round of bidding would be a head-to-head battle between companies. At this stage, it was basically a matter of whoever offered the highest price won the land. Some results could be obtained in a very short time. There were even cases where the ownership of a 30 million yuan land parcel was decided in just one minute.

In the midst of battle, a single blow decides the outcome.

At 10:00 a.m., the deputy director of the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau announced the bidding rules and principles, and then began collecting bids from representatives of various real estate companies.

Huang Huifen solemnly stepped forward and handed over the tender documents, which were tightly sealed with sealing wax.

It was as if their fate was hanging in the balance.

(End of this chapter)