Start with push-ups to gain experience

Chapter 350 Taking stock of assets, continuing the arrogance

Fang Cheng is currently quite well-off.

The antiques entrusted to Xu Sanduo for sale have successfully found buyers.

After deducting commissions, the full 1.75 million was deposited into the bank account without missing a single penny.

The day before yesterday, he also had Xiaosa pass on a message to Chen Chen, informing him to prepare to pay the remaining balance of the task.

Unless Chen Chen is blinded by greed, he wouldn't dare to play any tricks in this matter.

A week later, the ten million in cash was successfully obtained.

With so much money, it's impossible to leave it at home to get moldy.

It must be spent as soon as possible and converted into safer assets.

As for how to explain the source of the money to his mother, Fang Cheng had already thought of his explanation.

Then, have Xu Sanduo help forge a transaction certificate, saying that you were lucky enough to find a priceless antique.

Originally intended for auction, it was spotted by a mysterious big boss who insisted on buying it, resulting in a sky-high price.

Anyway, my mother doesn't understand the intricacies of antiques and calligraphy, so it's easy to fool her.

Speaking of which, the "Pine and Crane Longevity" painting that I just gave to my grandfather was something I casually took from Xu Sanduo.

Yesterday, while browsing in his shop, Fang Cheng decided to splurge and spend over 100,000 yuan to buy a painting by a famous artist that he had his eye on, as a housewarming gift for his grandfather.

But Xu Sanduo refused to accept the money, insisting that it was his contribution as a junior and that he should give it to him.

He calls him "Grandpa" all the time, more affectionately than anyone else.

He even solemnly produced the account book, saying that Fang Cheng owned 30% of the shares in the store.

As previously agreed, the dividends for the first quarter of this year will be settled soon.

If he hadn't brought it up, Fang Cheng would have almost forgotten about it.

After driving away the two black cult lamas, he saw Xu Sanduo's eagerness to curry favor with him.

Fang Cheng neither immediately agreed nor outright refused.

He just thought it would be good to have an extra informant to help him gather information; he never actually coveted the other party's business.

His current seriousness has put Fang Cheng in a bit of a predicament.

Despite repeated refusals, I couldn't refuse their kind invitation.

Finally, Fang Cheng made his stance clear.

Xu Sanduo wants to join me, no problem, but when it comes to business, it must be done officially.

Therefore, the commission for consigning those antiques for sale must be deducted in full, without any ambiguity.

Upon hearing this, Xu Sanduo felt reassured and quickly nodded happily in agreement.

Fang Cheng readily accepted the painting and took away the money he had entrusted to sell the antiques.

As for shares and dividends, they did not refuse either.

To put it bluntly, if you don't accept the money, people won't feel at ease, and they won't be willing to serve you wholeheartedly.

Those in positions of power cannot rely solely on emotional manipulation or physical force to control their subordinates.

A clear alignment of interests is the solid bond that sustains a long-term relationship.

Thoughts drifted by.

While skillfully cooking, Fang Cheng took stock of his current assets.

A house in Haitian Garden is worth 2.4 million yuan.

There was 1.92 million in savings in the bank account.

The first-quarter dividend from Xu Sanduo's antique shop is estimated to be over eight million yuan.

Adding the remaining ten million from Chen Chen's mission, the total assets are approximately twenty-three million.

With this financial strength, it should be enough to buy even a small villa in the Jiangnan District of Dongdu.

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng looked at his mother beside him and said:

"Mom, if I become rich like Uncle, I'll buy you a villa and let you move in and be a rich lady."

"What villa?"

Li Biyun was processing a live fish by the sink when she heard this and said without turning her head:
"What's so good about living in a big house all by yourself? It's so empty."

“During the day, when you’re at work, I’m all alone in the house, and there’s no one to talk to. At night, when I’m sleeping, I can’t hear a sound. I can’t get used to living here.”

Fang Cheng couldn't help but advise:
"Mom, now that we have money, we can't keep living in that old tenement building on Jiuchang Street, can we?"

"If you really make a lot of money, save it as your future wife fund, so you can marry a beautiful wife and have several children."

Li Biyun gutted the scaled fish, rinsed it clean, and spoke with a hint of complaint:
"Mom, we can consider moving in with you to help take care of the kids, so she won't be lonely."

Fang Cheng wanted to say a few more words of advice, but his mother's words left him speechless for a moment.

Seeing her son's choked expression, Li Biyun smiled and softened her tone:
"Actually, living on Jiuchang Street is quite nice; I'm used to it."

“We see each other all the time. When we’re bored, we can chat or play cards with Aunt He and Aunt Li. If we suddenly can’t see them one day, we’ll really feel a little empty.”

Fang Cheng's heart stirred slightly.

Since my mother is content with life on Old Factory Street, perhaps I can try a different approach.

For example, buy that tenement building and make her a landlady.

This not only solved the problem of improving her housing, but also gave her something to do, so she no longer needed to go out and work hard.

Since the bizarre murder that occurred before the Lunar New Year, and the building was sealed off by the police for several days, many of the tenants in the building have moved out.

The landlord even lowered the rent, which was unusual for him, but it still couldn't reverse the decline, and the whole building was much quieter than before.

If I could buy the entire building, I could combine the adjacent small apartments on the top floor, renovate and expand them into a large, open-plan apartment.

Don't be fooled by the fact that these tenement buildings are old, dilapidated, and small; you absolutely can't buy one without tens of millions of yuan.

The valuable part is not the house, but the land.

Jiuchang Street is located in the old city of Jiangbei. Although the surrounding infrastructure is outdated, it has schools, hospitals, vegetable markets and supermarkets, making it a prime location.

Otherwise, so many migrant workers and low-income families wouldn't choose to settle here, and it wouldn't attract the covetous eyes of gang members who would fight for territory.

Of course, due to a series of recent events, both the Three Wolves Gang and the Red Tiger Gang suffered defeats.

Currently, no gangs dare to meddle in the North Point area.

Apart from a few idle thugs, no one dares to collect protection money here, so the security situation has actually improved quite a bit.

If the land is demolished in the future, the compensation for this plot could easily double or triple.

Buying this building not only solves immediate living problems, but also represents a long-term investment with substantial returns.

Now is the perfect time to buy.

In a few years, as the impact of the murder case gradually fades, housing prices will inevitably continue to rise.

By then, even if you're willing to pay more, the landlord, unless they're stupid, will never sell it easily.

Having made up his mind, Fang Cheng had already made up his mind.

I just estimated the amount of money I have on hand, based on the average price of houses in the surrounding area.

Clearly, their financial strength is far from sufficient to buy this entire building.

"fine……"

Fang Cheng thought to himself.

At worst, I can take on a few more "assassin jobs" and save up enough money quickly.

I just finished stir-frying a plate of "chicken cubes with soy sauce", and I tossed the wok to turn off the heat.

Suddenly, a thought struck Fang Cheng.

It was as if an invisible thread was being gently plucked in a distant place, drawing his consciousness.

Then, a clear ripple spread through the depths of my mind.

Is someone calling me?
Fang Cheng's thoughts shifted slightly, then he casually ladled the freshly stir-fried dish into a plate and said to his mother:

"Mom, I need to pee. I'm going to the bathroom. You watch the fire for me."

"go quickly."

Li Biyun wiped her hands, took the spatula, and without suspecting anything, deftly prepared the next dish.

Fang Cheng carried the dishes out of the kitchen, placed them on the dining table, and greeted his grandfather and uncle who were watching TV.

Then, he walked through the living room to a quiet, unused room on the second floor and gently closed the door. He leaned against the window, his consciousness sinking into the depths of his mind, extending outwards along that invisible mental link.

He then responded in a deep voice:
"Xu Hao, what's the matter?"

"Boss, something's happened! It's extremely urgent!"

Xu Hao's anxious voice then came through the mental link.

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng's eyes narrowed.

The next instant, the scene on Xu Hao's side appeared in his field of vision.

It was a bright and clean office, neatly arranged, exuding a solemn atmosphere.

The walls were a cold, grayish-white, and one side of the bookcase was crammed with files and folders.

Several group photos, seemingly from official events, were posted on the wall, along with a solo photo placed in the most prominent position.

The square-faced man in the photo frame, wearing a black uniform with badges, has sharp eyes and an imposing presence.

It was Gao Jin, an old acquaintance.

Xu Hao was sitting in a chair meant for guests.

On the desk opposite, there was a gold-plated trophy with the words "Champion of the 23rd Police Firearms Shooting Competition" engraved on the base.

Fang Cheng's eyes flickered slightly, and he immediately made a judgment before saying:
"Did the special investigation team contact you for questioning?"

"Wow? Boss, you're incredibly insightful! You even knew that?"

Xu Hao was surprised for a second, and before Fang Cheng could respond, he began to confess everything readily:

"Here's the thing, this morning my mom called and asked me to come home, saying that an old classmate from elementary school was looking for me."

"I was wondering at the time, we haven't been in touch for so many years, who's being so mysterious?"

"When I got home, I saw Zhou Liang, the special investigation team's administrative officer, sitting on my sofa drinking tea and waiting for me!"

Xu Hao's mind was filled with resentment.

"Damn it, those bastards, he's the one who knocked me out and took me away last time, interrogating me for ages."

"Now they're using this trick again, using my mother as an excuse to force me to confess about the 'Smiling Devil'."

After hurling a few curses, Xu Hao's voice turned helpless:
"In order not to alarm my mother, I had no choice but to obediently go with him."

"The Smiling Devil..."

Fang Cheng paused for a moment upon hearing this, then responded calmly:
Didn't I tell you this last time?

“If they ask about this, just retell the cases that Cheng Jiashu committed at the Noah Conference, embellishing them, and then tell them that this person is a traitor that the Noah organization is hunting down, and that he has a code name called ‘White Owl’.”

"Yes, I told you everything!"

Xu Hao's voice sounded very aggrieved:
"But they acted like they were on drugs, they actually believed that I had some kind of illicit relationship with that murderer..."

Just then, the office door creaked open.

A slender young man walked in, carrying a cup of coffee. He was Zhou Liang, a second-level administrative officer.

Behind him followed a burly man wearing a black stretch shirt, his arms bulging with muscles.

He was clearly not a good guy, but he was Zhou Liang's colleague, Ali.

"Hey, have you made up your mind?"

Zhou Liang placed the steaming coffee on the table and asked slowly and deliberately:

"What exactly is your relationship with Cheng Jiashu, also known as Bai Xiao? Have you been in contact with him recently?"

"What are you spacing out for? I'm asking you a question! Don't try anything funny!"

Ali stepped forward, clasped his hands together, making a series of cracking sounds as he glared fiercely at Xu Hao.

Xu Hao raised his eyelids and leaned back lazily in his chair:

"Didn't I say? Let me think about it, let me quietly reflect on it by myself."

"Are you suffering from dementia? It takes you this long to remember something?"

Ali snapped impatiently.

"I had just started to think of something, and you yelled it all away."

Xu Hao crossed his arms, adopting a "what's the worst that can happen?" attitude:
"If you keep buzzing around in my ear like a fly, I'm afraid I really won't remember anything."

"You've got some nerve, haven't you?"

Ali raised an eyebrow, grabbed Xu Hao by the collar, and made as if to lift him off the chair.

"Ali, that's enough."

Zhou Liang quickly reached out to stop his colleague, then turned to look at Xu Hao, the faint smile on his face vanishing:

"Haozi, let's not beat around the bush. If you don't explain your secret dealings with Cheng Jiashu clearly today, don't even think about leaving here."

"Think about your mother. You wouldn't want her to live in fear at home, unable to sleep at night, right?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Hao's roguish expression instantly froze.

She glared at Zhou Liang, a flash of anger in her eyes, but she managed to suppress it.

Then, he took a deep breath, steadied himself, and once again sent an urgent distress call to Fang Cheng via the mental link:
"Boss, how should I reply to them?"

“These guys are like turtles eating a weight—they’re determined to say that they saw me and Bai Xiao secretly colluding and that I’m suspected of betraying the police force.”

"Damn it, when did I ever see Bai Xiao? If I can't clear this suspicion, they probably won't let me leave the Special Investigation Team headquarters."

"Boss, what should I do?"

Fang Cheng pondered for a moment, then issued the command:

"Keep acting arrogant."

"what?"

Xu Hao instinctively opened his mouth wide and let out a gasp.

"Ok?"

Zhou Liang and Ali both turned to him with puzzled looks.

Xu Hao's heart skipped a beat. He quickly covered his mouth and coughed violently, pretending to choke on his own saliva.

Fang Cheng's voice continued, calm and clear:
"Tell them to have their superior, Gao Jin, come over in person. This is a secret you can only tell one person."

Meanwhile, Zhou Liang leaned against the edge of the table, arms crossed, coldly watching Xu Hao's performance:

"Is your throat sore? Should I call a doctor for you?"

"Or, you can cooperate with us now and explain things clearly, and we'll give you this cup of coffee to soothe your throat."

As he spoke, he pushed the still-steaming coffee forward a little.

Seeing that Xu Hao remained silent, Ali glared at him and said:
"Playing dead, huh? Fine, let's see how long you can keep up this act. We'll keep you waiting today."

Just then, Xu Hao, who had been hanging his head, suddenly raised his head.

He looked directly at Zhou Liang and said, word by word:

"I want to see Chief Inspector Gao Jin."

"what?"

Zhou Liang and Ali exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.

Xu Hao shifted to a more comfortable position, crossed his legs, and said in an almost provocative tone:

"There are some things that people at your level shouldn't hear."

“I told you, you can’t make the decision either. It’s too much trouble to report it up the chain of command. Just call the person who can make the final decision.”

"Damn it, who the hell do you think you are?"

Ali was instantly enraged and clenched his fists, ready to charge forward:
"You dare to act high and mighty with us? Do you think you can just see Commander Gao whenever you want? Today I'm going to teach you a lesson and show you who you are, and who your boss is!"

"Ali!"

Zhou Liang pulled him back again.

But this time, his gaze became unusually sharp as he stared intently at Xu Hao, as if assessing the value of a piece of goods.

After a moment, Zhou Liang slowly nodded:

“Alright, we’ll inform Commander Gao, but if you dare to play any tricks, our special investigation team has unique methods for dealing with traitors. At that point, it won’t be as simple as reasoning with you…”

(End of this chapter)