Qi Tongwei at the start: Not relying on Liang Lu, but winning by a single move against Heaven.

Stepping out of the train station, Qi Tongwei took a deep breath.

The damp, cold air entered his nose and went straight into his lungs, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

Jingzhou.

To the east lies Zijin Mountain, to the west Shitou Mountain, to the south the Qinhuai River, and to the north Xuanwu Lake.

Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—the four symbols are all gathered together.

Peddlers and laborers all possess the air and spirit of the Six Dynasties.

Qi Tongwei was just a commoner.

This ancient capital of six dynasties was destined to be the place where he found a way out of a desperate situation.

Either life or death.

He looked up at the gray sky and tightened the strap of his canvas bag over his shoulder.

I didn't tell anyone when I came back.

He was worried that Zhong Xiaoai would be concerned, so he made a special phone call to her.

He lied and said he was going to the county and wouldn't be able to call her for the next few days.

He didn't want to lie to Zhong Xiaoai; he wanted to give her a surprise.

Besides visiting Zhong Xiaoai and going home for the Chinese New Year, he had several other purposes for returning to Jingzhou this time.

He needed to make sure the Gao sisters were settled.

We must save that poor girl who doesn't even have shoes.

......

In 1990, there were no real estate agencies in Jingzhou.

However, the real estate market in Jingzhou has its own operating model.

After leaving the train station, Qi Tongwei, without even taking a break, headed straight for the Huaqiao Road Stock Exchange.

There is a special group of people there, commonly known as "housing bugs".

The so-called "housing bugs" are actually scalpers.

However, they are somewhat different from scalpers who resell train tickets or securities.

They are a special group composed of retired housing management personnel and street-level cadres.

These people have resources and connections, and they specialize in profiting from the price difference in real estate transactions and earning kickbacks.

In his past life, Qi Tongwei had caught a real estate fraudster, so he knew about these things.

Upon arriving at the Huaqiao Road Real Estate Exchange, Qi Tongwei stood at the entrance.

His gaze swept around the doorway and landed on a group of people standing by the door.

A group of people were chatting together, each holding a notebook in their hand.

By any measure, they don't look like people who've come to buy a house.

He knew perfectly well that these people were all real estate speculators.

Qi Tongwei didn't waste any time; he found a kind-looking man and went straight up to him to start a conversation.

"Hey sis, looking for an old, run-down apartment, preferably in the Guangming District...do you have any?"

He spoke to a woman in her forties, who was a neighborhood committee worker.

The older sister looked Qi Tongwei up and down, somewhat suspicious.

"Young man... are you here to buy a house with your luggage?"

"A house isn't like cabbage, something you can just buy on a whim..."

She didn't say the second half of her sentence, but the meaning was already very clear.

She suspected that Qi Tongwei couldn't afford it.

It's no wonder she was suspicious.

Firstly, Qi Tongwei is only in his early twenties, which is indeed too young.

Secondly, Qi Tongwei was carrying luggage.

By any measure, he doesn't look like someone who's buying a house.

Qi Tongwei wasn't annoyed and spoke with a smile.

"Don't worry about the money, I have it! Do you have any properties available?"

When the older sister heard him say that, she took out a notebook from her pocket and flipped through it.

The notebook wasn't big, but it was covered with dense writing, mostly addresses and prices.

"There's an apartment in the Little Red Mansion, 45 square meters, on the fourth floor..."

"It's an old building from the Guangming District Cotton Mill. The landlord wants 30,000 yuan... Is that okay?"

After speaking, she looked at Qi Tongwei again, her eyes still filled with hesitation.

Flipping through the notebook was just a pretext.

The apartment belongs to her friend, and the key is in her pocket; she knows exactly what it is.

Seeing that she still didn't believe him, Qi Tongwei took out two packs of cigarettes from his bag and stuffed them into her hand.

"Sister, thank you for your trouble. Please show me the room first..."

He paused slightly and smiled at his older sister.

"Don't worry, you'll be charged for the tea."

The older sister looked down at the two packs of cigarettes in her hand and realized they were both packs of Peony brand cigarettes.

She immediately smiled broadly and waved to Qi Tongwei.

"Young man, you're quite shrewd. Come on, I'll show you the apartment..."

She chatted with Qi Tongwei as she walked.

"The house is nice, but it's been empty for almost half a year."

"The elderly couple moved to Shanghai to live with their son in their old age; otherwise, they wouldn't have given you the discount..."

......

Upon arriving at the cotton mill's residential compound, Qi Tongwei finally saw the little red building that his older sister had mentioned.

It's called the Little Red Building because the entire exterior of the building is made of red bricks.

The building is quite old; the walls are somewhat mottled and covered with ivy.

Qi Tongwei followed behind his older sister and climbed to the fourth floor.

The hallway was dark and unlit, and the walls were covered with GG stickers.

The eldest sister opened the door and stepped aside to let Qi Tongwei into the room.

"Here it is...why don't you go in and take a look yourself?"

Qi Tongwei didn't say anything, stepped into the room, and looked around.

A 45-square-meter apartment, a standard two-bedroom, one-living room layout.

The floorboards are quite old, dark in color, and covered with a layer of dust.

However, it's clear that the original owner did a good job maintaining the property; the paint is still there.

There was some old furniture in the room.

A dining table, a sofa, and two wooden beds.

The house is indeed a bit old, and the paint on the walls is turning yellow.

However, the layout is good, with good ventilation from north to south, and the price is relatively cheap.

Qi Tongwei frowned, turned around, and looked out the window.

"Ma'am, you didn't say it was the top floor... Does this apartment leak?"

The eldest sister has a very high-pitched voice; when she speaks, it sounds like she's arguing.

"Hey, don't talk nonsense!"

"If it weren't a top-floor unit, would it be selling for this price? This is the Bright District... not the suburbs."

She pointed to the ceiling in the living room.

"Look for yourself, this roof is so clean and tidy, not a single leak..."

Qi Tongwei looked up.

There were no water stains on the roof, but there were several places where the paint had peeled off the walls.

He circled around again, ignoring his older sister's words, and continued asking.

"How much does the furniture in the house cost?"

"How do we calculate it? You're getting a good deal... the landlord doesn't want it anymore, it's yours..."

Qi Tongwei didn't respond again and continued to wander around the room.

Bedroom, kitchen, toilet... no corner was left out.

At the end of his stroll, he pushed open the door to the terrace and took a deep breath.

The terrace is quite large, about twenty square meters, and offers a view of Purple Mountain, which he likes very much.

He pointed to the school in the distance and asked his older sister.

"Big sister, what kind of school is that?"

"Guangming District Middle School. It's right downstairs. It'll be very convenient for our children to go to school..."

Qi Tongwei was taken aback, but a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips. He immediately made the decision.

"Okay, this will do. Will you help with the paperwork?"

The older sister was taken aback, her voice hesitant.

"You've already chosen it? You've made up your mind?"

After viewing a house, most people will go back and think about it for a few more days.

Qi Tongwei was too decisive, even a little impulsive, which surprised her.

Actually, it wasn't that Qi Tongwei acted impulsively.

He was very clear that this house was just a temporary measure.

When the Gao sisters grow up, they will naturally move to a different house, and then he won't have to worry about it anymore.

Qi Tongwei nodded again, lit a cigarette, and looked at her.

"When do I pay? How do I complete the paperwork?"

The older sister blinked, her voice hesitant.

"You brought your ID, right? Give me the money, and I'll take you through the property transfer."

......

Money makes things easier; the whole process only took about two hours.

Qi Tongwei now owns an old, dilapidated apartment.

He felt much more at ease as he held the small red notebook in his hand.

He had assumed that the Little Red Building would be a temporary residence for the Gao sisters.

But he never expected this.

This little red building imprisoned the Gao sisters for their entire lives.

After getting the property certificate and changing the locks, Qi Tongwei threw his luggage into the house and headed straight for the long-distance bus station.

He didn't want to waste time, and he dared not waste time.

The Gao sisters are already sixteen years old.

He had heard Gao Xiaoqin mention it in his past life.

She and her younger sister were taken to Lüzhou by Du Bozhong when they were sixteen years old.

Then he became a "thin horse" kept by Du Bozhong, and eventually became a prisoner.

In other words, if he delays even a second longer, the Gao sisters could be taken away.

Sitting on the long-distance bus, Qi Tongwei recalled his past life, feeling a mix of emotions.

In his past life, he sacrificed his life to preserve the foundation of the Han University Gang.

It saved countless fellow disciples.

He owes no one anything except Gao Xiaoqin.

This poor woman not only gave birth to his son.

Even in the most dangerous times, she never abandoned him.

In this life, he absolutely cannot let Gao Xiaoqin repeat the same mistake.

Lost in thought, the long-distance bus slowly came to a stop.

The ticket seller shouted at the top of his lungs.

"We've arrived at the small fishing village on the island in the middle of the lake!"