My Lord, you need to stand up!

Chapter 370 Forced, really forced!

Previous real estate reforms were all done somewhat "secretly" and "covered up".

Apart from the real estate built before liberation that had clear property rights that were verified and returned, and the very few specially approved purchases of real estate which can be ignored, there was no large-scale sale of commercial housing nationwide before 85.

This includes having Weidong "buy" 180 apartments through the sanitary napkin factory, and then guaranteeing loans for employees to purchase them. That's called company-funded housing construction, not private sales.

Yes, he also bought a storefront on Haochi Street under the name of a trading company, which is not considered a privately owned commercial property.

Even those few residential buildings in Shangzhou that were openly sold to the entire city could be considered a further step, as they were built through public fundraising.

These steps can all be described as cautiously approaching the ultimate core: private property ownership.

After all, they've been calling for cutting off the tail for decades.

Two or three years ago, you could get arrested for selling melon seeds, but now you can buy and sell real estate privately. How revolutionary is that?

It's normal that many people can't quite grasp the concept.

Not only are officials resisting, but ordinary citizens also don't understand: how come the free housing allocation that used to be so good is gone for me!

So, surprisingly, there weren't many people at the huge sports arena trading venue...

Wei Dong had already been very careful, deliberately parking his car far away and carrying the child over, knowing that the TV station and newspapers would be there to film and catch news.

Even if the black four-wheel drive minivan with the "X" logo doesn't have a luxurious feel, it's still a private car that's likely to attract attention.

I won't be the one to stick my neck out.

If this were the only rare opportunity to buy a house, and if he had a mobile phone to remotely guide his wife and sister-in-law in buying and choosing a house, he would never have come to the site.

When I walked over, I saw a large number of banners hanging by the roadside:

"Warmly celebrate the successful opening of the housing purchase fair for citizens"

"Satisfied with your stay, happy with your choice, fulfilling your homeownership dream."

"Supporting housing reform is supporting the Four Modernizations."

There was a lively atmosphere with gongs and drums and loudspeakers, but not many people were gathering and walking this way, so I was a little tempted to give up.

Something's not right here!
It's already quite impressive that they didn't gather to protest.

Those sharp-eyed people loitering on the roadside, whether intentionally or unintentionally, are probably security personnel maintaining order and guarding against various situations.

This isn't a trade fair, it's a beheading party!

Dong Xueying could see it all, so she silently hugged the man's arm tighter and leaned against him.

Like Rang Weidong, they both suffered from the aftereffects of being briefly detained.

On the contrary, it's possible that seasoned veterans like You Qili, who have been locked up multiple times and for a long time, are indifferent.

Fengchu didn't have that sensitivity. When she got out of the car, she chattered excitedly, wanting to bring a camera to record this important moment in the family.

It took Wei Dong a lot of effort to persuade the original selfie enthusiasts not to show off.

Ever since bringing the camcorder home, this girl has been watching the twenty or thirty videotapes that Weidong filmed abroad day and night, as if she had gone abroad with her brother-in-law.

Now he's looking around, wondering: "Why aren't there many people?"

Wei Dong quietly lifted the child up to cover his face: "How many people can afford it? Loan models that haven't been widely publicized are also hard to accept. Nobody wants to be in debt for thousands or tens of thousands of yuan. Moreover, many people are still resistant and want free welfare housing. They still have illusions until it's completely gone."

The newbie at the post office, who was definitely not even eligible to wait in line for housing allocation, wondered again: "Then why aren't they all being allocated rooms anymore?"

Wei Dong curled his lip: "On a small scale, this housing allocation system has a lot of shady dealings and is prone to many problems. On a larger scale, this is why we need to limit the urban population. The government can't afford to build houses, but restricting farmers from moving to the city would greatly limit economic development. So the housing allocation system has reached a dead end. We must open this restriction, but after decades of promotion, if we cut it again... Hey, hey, don't point the camera at me."

Xiao Die was only two years old. The crying baby girl hugged Rang Weidong's head like a knight's helmet.

She was so happy that she twisted and turned, but that didn't stop Wei Dong from being recognized.

The TV reporter had just seen him get off the plane at the airport while welcoming "foreign businessmen," and had even seen him chatting familiarly with the secretary and Director Tang who were there to greet him.

His outfit—jeans, leather sneakers, a heavy white T-shirt underneath, and a casual shirt on top—is unforgettable.

Now, he quickly moved the camera away and held the microphone further away: "You've also come to inspect this trade fair?"

This is a good opportunity, and Wei Dong nodded in agreement: "Yes, it's a new reform measure, of course we have to come and take a look."

They quickly complimented, "You even brought your family here to be so approachable and connect with the grassroots. You are truly a role model we should all learn from..."

Wei Dong's face twitched. "I'm really here to buy a house."

This is terrible, I can't buy it and I can't leave either.

The newspaper reporters who were waiting in front also noticed and became even more enthusiastic when they got closer to identify him: "Comrade Weidong, you've come to inspect our work too! This must be Comrade Dong from the zoo. Your advertisements are very popular."

It's the end of April, but advertisements about the zoo's grand makeover for May Day have already been running for three and a half days in the local newspapers.

The images are either of Dong Xueqing wearing the zoo's signature overalls, posing for a group photo with a panda, monkey, and sika deer in front of her, or her wearing a black and white business suit, striking a professional pose that welcomes visitors.

She could be considered an advertising model from the 1980s.

Qin Yuye was originally planning to wear a halter top that showed off her shoulders, which almost made Wei Dong lose his temper. "Are you trying to send me to jail?"

The Hong Kong girl, who felt uncomfortable if she didn't show some skin, thought the man was just reluctant to let her show it, so she happily agreed to give him the chance. Dong Xueqing was also pleasantly surprised and enjoyed this "celebrity" feeling, secretly checking that her clothes were still appropriate, and was glad that she wasn't hugging her brother-in-law.

Wei Dong was already in despair, knowing he definitely couldn't buy a house, so he thought, "Oh well, I'll just take a look."

A casual comment: "Don't stand guard at the intersection like this. It's a new thing, and it's normal for people to have concerns. You're blocking the way and asking everyone you see. Who wants people to know they want to buy a house? What will their workplace think? What will their neighbors think? If you scare people away, that's your responsibility."

That scared the reporters who were looking to grab a story away.

Because they were about to meet the real estate development company again, they reported the situation to the consultant with even greater enthusiasm and attentiveness: "There were only a little over two thousand people present. Director Fei was so frustrated that he almost scratched his head. Some people suggested that we should invite you to do some advertising, but we didn't dare to say anything."

Wei Dong has been deliberately avoiding the issue these past few days: "This is all about the housing management bureau, why are you getting involved..."

Real estate development companies face the challenge of finding construction companies to build new houses and then selling them.

We certainly haven't gotten involved in the secondhand housing market yet.

This sale of ready-made houses is spearheaded by the housing management department, which can be seen as a way to share the burden.

Otherwise, if real estate development companies tread through all the minefields, everyone will be afraid of being blown to pieces.

Even with Wei Dong's keen insight, knowing that the real estate industry would continue its unwavering path, he was still worried that repeated local disruptions might cause him to get hurt.

Others were even more concerned.

So the real estate companies still take it for granted that they're part of the system: "We all work in real estate, right? Many of us used to work for the housing management department. If only you had given us advice, what would we do now? There are backdoors here..."

The Soviet-style stadium, built in the 1950s and 60s, has a floored court surrounded by stands, allowing for easy switching between basketball and volleyball courts.

The sight of Wei Dong walking in immediately excited him. He had never played in a basketball arena before, and he was already drooling over the Lakers' basketball arena.

He whispered to his wife, "Do you think it's possible to organize a competition for our company here? That would be really exciting."

Dong Xueying was both amused and exasperated: "At a time like this, shouldn't you be concerned about playing basketball? It's about buying and selling houses! There are so few people here!"

Two thousand people are really not enough.

It's not that there are only a few people here and there, but compared to a megacity with a population of three million and the current housing shortage, the number of people walking on the basketball court is probably only a few hundred or a thousand, with more people in the stands.

There were tables set up around the house, with over 300 houses up for sale – there were almost more houses than people.

How can we highlight the strong public demand and showcase the achievements of housing reform?

Thanks to Xiaodie's high position and the prominent tower-shaped bag flanking her like a dragon and phoenix, or perhaps because there were too many idle staff members passing on information...

Director Fei from the housing management department immediately came over, wiping away sweat from his brow.

He was very anxious: "What's going on? There's hardly anyone here. Wasn't it supposed to be very lively over at your real estate development site? This is a scene that the city has high hopes for; they might come to investigate this afternoon!"

Let Weidong stop complaining; what you really care about is whether you can handle the survey: "Tomorrow is May Day, let's put up another ad campaign, shall we?"

Unexpectedly, Director Fei said, "Staff also need to take a holiday during the May Day holiday."

Wei Dongle said, "So you're only doing this for one day? Today is a workday, there aren't that many free people... coming to buy houses."

I suddenly realized, who would criticize themselves like that?

Dong Xueying secretly pinched him.

Help him change his question: "How many did you sell?"

Director Fei broke out in a cold sweat: "We don't have a single one. We just look and ask, but we don't dare to buy anything."

When Wei Dong stood on tiptoe to observe, they were indeed very careful.

The main problem is that this trade fair has too much of an official feel to it. There are many staff members, media, and even a guy in a uniform and hat standing around with his eyes wide open!

Anyone who dares to spend tens of thousands of yuan to buy a house must have financial problems.

It's clear that some people are really tempted and want to buy it, but their relatives next to them are holding them tightly like Dong Xueying.

I dare not buy it. If the sports meet is held in a couple of days, losing my life savings is a small matter. What if I am completely defeated?

So everyone is watching and waiting, and quite a few are even eyeing this tower-shaped structure.

The combination of plump, delicate, innocent, and strong is very eye-catching.

Dong Xueying noticed: "Our zoo advertised and paid for a half-page ad, but this housing fair only offered a small text ad the size of a business card. Too few people will see it. Wei Dong's point is that we should offer a half-page ad. If we hold a two-day holiday tomorrow and the day after, I guarantee there will be more people and we will definitely be able to sell."

As a result, Director Fei had a sudden inspiration: "Why don't you take the lead in buying one set? If someone takes the lead, things will be much easier."

Wei Dong almost burst out laughing like Wang Dalu in his mind – was he here to act as a shill or a landlord?

Director Fei assumed that he was hesitating to refuse when he saw that he was silent.

He quickly assured him, "It's just a formality, and Comrade Weidong won't suffer any loss. A symbolic signature will suffice."

When Wei Dong saw that the real estate market was about to take off, he quickly shook his head seriously: "No, no, no, how can we fake reforms? We must present the truth to the people. Just consider it our company supporting the city's work."

Director Fei was overjoyed and thanked him profusely.

Dong Xueying could hear it all, so she pinched Wei Dong's arm hard, otherwise she would have laughed out loud too.

(End of this chapter)