Chapter 15

The third round of the auction was now underway, featuring Plot No. 3. The first bid was made by the young master of Jin’s Enterprises, Jin Long.

“Lot No. 12 bids one billion RMB!” the host announced loudly.

Immediately, Xiao Se called out, “One billion two hundred million!” As soon as he spoke, all eyes turned to him in surprise.

“Alright, lot No. 22 bids one billion two hundred million RMB! Any more bids? Going once at one billion two hundred million, going twice at one billion two hundred million, one billion two hundred million…”

“I bid fifteen million euros!” Just before the host could finalize the deal, two stunning women walked in from the entrance. Leading the way with a bidding number was Madam President. The crowd rose to catch a glimpse of these exquisite women.

“It’s Madam President from Shengze College!”

“Yes, indeed…” murmured the crowd, exchanging comments.

“Everyone, quiet down, please!” The host gestured for everyone to take their seats.

“Madam President, please have a seat.” The host smiled courteously at her.

Madam President held the No. 1 bidding paddle and naturally took seat No. 1. She, along with Yixuan, sat down. The host turned to someone beside him and said, “Quick, calculate how much fifteen million euros is in RMB!”

“No need to calculate, it’s one billion two hundred sixty-nine million RMB!” Yixuan blurted out, and then seemed startled, as if she herself didn’t know how she had come to that calculation.

Hearing Yixuan’s response, Madam President looked at Yixuan in surprise, then glanced at the host.

“She’s… she’s right…” the person next to the host exclaimed.

“Alright, lot No. 1, Ms. Liu, bids one billion two hundred sixty-nine million RMB! Any more bids?”

Xiao Se looked at Madam President of Shengze, then at Jin Long. Jin Long was glancing back at her, “Bid more!” Jin Long instructed Xiao Se. Initially, Jin Long and Xiao Se had planned to hand Plot No. 3 to Fuyou Real Estate, with Jin Long making a single bid, and Xiao Se adding an extra two hundred million. But this unexpected contender seemed to be quite formidable.

“One billion four hundred million RMB!”

“Lot No. 22 bids one billion four hundred million RMB!” After Xiao Se submitted this bid, everyone held their breath.

“Twenty million euros!”

“Lot No. 1, Ms. Liu, bids twenty million euros!” The host, in a moment of excitement, directly called out twenty million euros, staring at Yixuan.

“One billion six hundred ninety-two million RMB!” Yixuan continued.

“One billion six hundred ninety-two million RMB! Lot No. 1, Ms. Liu, bids one billion six hundred ninety-two million!” the host echoed.

Madam President of Shengze College, Liu Zixu, appeared calm on the surface, but internally, she was becoming anxious. Her maximum bid was 180 million. If anyone else placed a bid, the outcome for Plot No. 3 would be uncertain.

Xiao Se and Jin Long exchanged glances without any intention of raising the bid.

“Going once for one billion six hundred ninety-two million!…”

“Two billion!” Just as the host finished saying “once,” another person walked in from the entrance, raising the bid to two billion! It was truly a case of “the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.”

“Ah! The second miss!” Xiao Se exclaimed in surprise, eyes widening as the woman entered.

The bidder was none other than the second miss of the Fu Family, the general manager of Yutian Business KTV-Fu Yashan!

“Ms. Fu, please take a seat! The second miss of the Fu Family has bid two billion! Any more bids? Going once for two billion! Going twice for two billion! Going three times for two billion!”

“Bang!”

“SOLD!”

As Liu Zixu started to leave, the host on stage said, “Madam President, please don’t rush off. According to the new national policy, for local government land auctions exceeding twenty thousand square meters, if the ‘second highest bidder’ bids two-thirds above the starting price of the land, they must also enter a land-use evaluation round with the winning bidder. So, please wait a moment.”

“Oh?…” Liu Zixu turned back with a look of confusion and sat back down. Yixuan also sat beside Liu Zixu.

“Alright, Ms. Fu Yashan, what are your plans for this land after winning the bid?”

“I plan to expand Yutian Business KTV, constructing a second Yutian Business in Hailing City.”

“And Ms. Liu Zixu, what is your purpose for purchasing this land?”

“To establish another ‘Shengze Mainstream Language and Literature College,’ aiming to cultivate more translators, writers, ancient literature experts, and more for Hailing City.”

The host continued, “Alright! Now, Ms. Fu Yashan, could you tell us what the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) will be for the new Yutian Business? (The FAR indicates the ratio of the total building area to the land area, affecting how much the developer earns versus the comfort for residents-lower FAR means more comfort but less profit for developers). Also, what will the Building Coverage Ratio and the Green Space Ratio be?”

“The current Yutian Business KTV has an FAR of 1.5, a Building Coverage Ratio of 65%, and a Green Space Ratio of 28%. This time, we aim to reduce the FAR to around 1.2, the Building Coverage to 50%, and increase the Green Space to 30%.”

“Great! Now, Ms. Liu Zixu, what will be the Green Space Ratio for your second school?”

“Well…” Liu Zixu hesitated, unsure.

At that moment, Yixuan responded, “For our second school, the FAR will be less than 1, the Building Coverage Ratio will be less than 40%, and the Green Space Ratio will be more than 60%.” As Yixuan spoke, it was as if she was reciting a Tang or Song dynasty poem, the words flowing seamlessly as if she hadn’t even thought about them. Liu Zixu looked at Yixuan, her mouth slightly open in astonishment, clearly surprised by the girl’s confident response.

“Ms. Liu Zixu, Ms. Liu Zixu?” The host called her name repeatedly. Liu Zixu’s gaze remained fixed on Yixuan, as if Yixuan’s words were still echoing in her mind.

“Oh?”

“Excuse me, does the testimony from the lady beside you represent your stance?”

“Oh, yes, that’s correct. It represents my position. For our new campus, the FAR will be less than 1, the Building Coverage Ratio will be less than 40%, and the Green Space Ratio will exceed 60%.”

“Alright, next, Ms. Fu Yashan, what do you plan to do with the profits from the new Yutian Business?”

“We plan to further expand Yutian Business KTV, contributing more tax revenue to the Hailing Municipal Government.”

“Okay, then, Ms. Liu Zixu, what do you plan to do with the profits from the second Shengze College?”

“Well…”

“Our school will establish our own ‘Student Aid Fund Organization,’ which will ease the pressure on our country’s banks.” Everyone present was taken aback by Yixuan’s statement, finding it both astounding and admirable. The host was so impressed that he started clapping because this initiative could serve as a model for Xiahua Country’s future student aid systems. Of course, the school would need substantial financial strength to achieve this! Liu Zixu, just about to question Yixuan, was interrupted again by the host’s next question, “Ms. Liu Zixu, does the lady beside you express your views?”

“Yes, indeed!” Liu Zixu replied, somewhat dazed.

“Alright, please look at our LCD screen. We have listed Ms. Liu and Ms. Fu Yashan’s names. Our government officials, economic experts, and prominent figures from the financial sector backstage will now vote to decide the final winner of Plot No. 3!” The host said, looking up at the LCD screen.

One vote for Liu Zixu, two votes for Liu Zixu, one vote for Fu Yashan, three votes for Liu Zixu… The result was 9:4, with Liu Zixu winning the right to use Plot No. 3 by a landslide!

“Hey! What are you staring at?” Ji Xianting nudged Jin Long, who was gaping at the screen on the left.

“N-nothing… Hey! Why did your family’s second miss join the bidding?” Jin Long turned to ask Xiao Se.

“Honestly… I have no idea,” Xiao Se replied, looking equally puzzled.

Jin Long’s eyes once again focused on Fu Yashan, as did the gaze of many others in the room, all directed at Yixuan, Liu Zixu, and Fu Yashan. Liu Zixu and Fu Yashan were well-known in Hailing City for their family backgrounds and exceptional business acumen. They both ranked in the top twenty of last year’s Xiahua Country Mingge Rich List. While Liu Zixu was the Madam President of Shengze College, she was also its biggest shareholder, owning 51% of the shares. Given their youth and success, it was natural that they garnered so much attention.

With the time nearing nine, Liu Zixu, after handling her affairs, left the Manniu Auction Hall.

“By the way, what’s your name?” In the car, with both sitting in the back, Liu Zixu asked Yixuan with a smile.

“My name is Yixuan.” Yixuan turned slightly, glancing at Liu Zixu shyly.

“Oh, Ms. Yixuan, what do you do for work?” Liu Zixu was very curious about the girl in front of her.

“Me? I don’t do anything,” Yixuan replied, her face reddening.

“Nothing at all? Which school did you graduate from? What was your major?” Liu Zixu continued to question, her curiosity unabated.

“I… um… I don’t really know,” Yixuan answered, flustered.

Hearing Yixuan’s reply, Liu Zixu was taken aback, turning her head away without saying anything further. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t comprehend how such an immensely intelligent girl could not know which college she graduated from. Isn’t this just baffling? However, looking at Yixuan, she seemed completely honest and sincere. Liu Zixu’s mind was tangled with confusion.

After a few minutes, Liu Zixu said to Yixuan, “Miss Yixuan, would you be interested in working at our college?”

“Me? … To teach?” Yixuan exclaimed in surprise.

“Of course not; I haven’t decided yet… How about being my assistant?” Liu Zixu suggested with a gleam of excitement.

“Assistant?” Yixuan inquired. Liu Zixu, assuming Yixuan was hesitant about the position, quickly added, “We can discuss it further when we get back. I’ll arrange a position you’ll be pleased with.”

Yixuan simply smiled at Liu Zixu without saying anything, realizing that Liu Zixu had misunderstood her words. So she remained silent, while Liu Zixu looked at Yixuan with admiration in her eyes.

The journey from Xiazhe District to the Armed Police Hospital in Ping River District took about an hour. Xiazhe District was still in its development phase, bordered by Suyang Province to the north and the East Sea to the east, making it a fairly decent location. However, due to its low altitude, it was prone to flooding during the summer and autumn, delaying its development. But with advancements in the construction industry, using robust materials for building could prevent collapses after floods. Moreover, the Hailing Municipal Government had already allocated 1 billion yuan to build large reservoirs and elevate levees, bringing Xiazhe District’s development into a government-supported and government-financed stage!

“Damn it! How could this happen! What kind of ridiculous policy is this? Have they all become saints… not even taking money anymore?” Jin Long erupted hysterically inside the Manniu Auction Hall.

“Hey! You didn’t even want Plot No. 3, so why are you complaining?” Ji Xianting, sitting beside Jin Long, said impatiently.

Jin Long glanced at Ji Xianting, then turned his face back to the left, still watching her. He focused on her hair, her eyes, her face, and her outfit…