Chapter 185: Cooperation

In the private room, the group of people chatted aimlessly for a while.

Li Dong was feeling somewhat impatient but managed to keep his composure. While he wasn't particularly concerned about Zhang Qing, dealing with the combined presence of Zhang Lan Yu and Chen Rui made him feel a bit overwhelmed.

Although he didn't know the exact identities of Zhang Lan Yu and Chen Rui, they were clearly not simple people, at least on a higher level than Zhang Qing.

After putting up with this group's vague conversation for a while, Li Dong finally got straight to the point: "Miss Zhang, Mr. Chen, if you have something to say, just say it. It's getting late, and I prefer to go to bed early."

Chen Rui smiled upon hearing this: "Alright, I like Mr. Li's straightforwardness!"

"But before we proceed, I'd like to ask Mr. Li a question."

"Please go ahead!"

"What is your view on the real estate industry?"

Li Dong glanced at him, without much hesitation, responded: "A highly profitable industry; entering it now is bound to be profitable."

Chen Rui and the others' eyes lit up. Zhang Lan Yu quickly asked: "Mr. Li, why are you so certain? The real estate boom also occurred in the 1990s, but it later led to a bubble. Why are you so sure it will be profitable this time?"

Li Dong smiled but didn't elaborate, simply stating: "I can't explain why, but I feel this time is different from the past. It's bound to be profitable."

This answer disappointed Zhang Lan Yu and the others somewhat, but they quickly adjusted their expectations, at least understanding Li Dong's perspective.

Chen Rui glanced at Zhang Lan Yu, who nodded, then said: "Since Mr. Li is so optimistic about the real estate industry, have you considered getting a piece of the pie?"

Li Dong finally understood their intentions and smiled: "One should only do what one is capable of. Real estate is too complicated; I'm afraid I'd drown in it."

This was Li Dong's honest opinion. If entering real estate were so easy, he wouldn't be focused solely on supermarkets.

Real estate involves many aspects, and Li Dong had nothing right now; jumping in rashly would be seeking death.

Despite his current modest wealth, throwing this amount of money into real estate wouldn't even make a splash.

Chen Rui's eyes flashed with a gleam of interest. He continued: "What if we partnered up?"

This suggestion made not only Chen Rui but also Zhang Lan Yu, Wang Siwen, and even Zhang Qing turn their attention to Li Dong.

Li Dong remained calm and asked: "What kind of partnership are you proposing?"

"We handle the land acquisition, permits, qualifications, and connections, while you handle the funding."

Li Dong smiled and shrugged: "So basically, you're saying I provide the money, and you provide the effort?"

"Exactly!"

Li Dong chuckled and said: "Mr. Chen, you're overestimating me. I'm only modestly wealthy at best. You all could easily obtain more money through your connections, so there's really no need to involve me."

Chen Rui shook his head: "It's not the same. To be honest, while it's feasible to do it ourselves, our senior has higher expectations. I love money, but I also understand there are some things that shouldn't be touched."

This statement made Li Dong regard him with newfound respect. Although these people seemed somewhat foolish, they were actually quite shrewd.

Government money shouldn't be easily touched; there's no guarantee of profit. Profits are fine, but if there are losses, and the opponents seize on it, not only will they lose progress, but maintaining their current status could also be difficult.

Partnering with Li Dong changes the scenario. They provide connections and relations, while Li Dong provides the funding. Profits are shared, but losses are borne solely by Li Dong. They risk nothing.

Although they wouldn't make as much individually, the safety of such a deal makes it highly attractive. Naturally, smart people would choose a cooperative win-win approach.

Li Dong pondered for a moment and then asked: "Why approach me?"

This time, Zhang Lan Yu answered. Her eyes sparkled as she said: "To be honest, we didn't initially consider Mr. Li. The earlier matters were all initiated by Qing Zi. However, after the Baidu incident, we realized Mr. Li is the most suitable candidate."

Why the most suitable? Because Li Dong had money but no connections.

To engage in real estate, money alone isn't enough; connections are necessary too.

They were relatively young among the second-generation rich, and had remained low-key in recent years, lacking substantial capital.

Li Dong was similar, being young and lacking a complex network.

Partnering with Li Dong not only provided capital support but also ensured there was no fear of him backing out. This made him an ideal partner.

Li Dong's eyes flashed as he asked: "How will the profits be divided?"

"Sixty-forty."

"You'll get forty percent, and I'll get sixty?" Li Dong's lips curled into a smile.

Chen Rui chuckled: "Mr. Li has quite the appetite."

Wang Siwen, who had been silent, added: "Mr. Li, you're not the only option, but our connections are unique."

"Heh, I'll think about it."

Li Dong laughed and chose not to press further.

Initially, he was somewhat tempted, but then he regained his composure.

Earning money isn't easy, and rather than wrestling with a whirlpool, it's better to rely on one's own strength.

While real estate is profitable, it may not be more lucrative than supermarkets, and sharing the spoils with these people might end up being less profitable.

If that's the case, why should he expend effort and risk entering a whirlwind?

Making money is only part of the reason; the main reason is that Li Dong doesn't trust working with these second-generation rich.

Their fathers might not stay in their positions for long. Once their parents are reassigned, Li Dong could be left in a difficult position.

When their parents leave, they might also leave, leaving a mess for Li Dong to handle.

Seeing Li Dong's reluctance, Zhang Lan Yu and the others frowned again. It seemed he was not interested at all.

Chen Rui was about to speak again when Li Dong interrupted: "Let's put the real estate cooperation on hold for now. However, we can discuss another collaboration."

Zhang Lan Yu asked calmly: "What does Mr. Li have in mind?"

"I want the Huafu land!"

Before the others could speak, Zhang Qing snapped: "Wishful thinking!"

Zhang Lan Yu and Chen Rui didn't intervene, showing some displeasure on their faces. Was Li Dong trying to poach their business?

Li Dong smiled: "Mr. Zhang, don't rush. Let me finish."

"I do want the Huafu land, but I'm not asking for it for free. Mr. Chen, you and your team should proceed as planned. My role is simply as the buyer."

Although Li Dong's words had a bit of a dark humor, everyone understood his intention.

In other words, Chen Rui and his team would acquire the land at a low price and then sell it to Li Dong at a higher price.

This was a common way for many second-generation rich to make money; as long as they had a strong backing, this kind of deal was almost risk-free.

Chen Rui and the others exchanged glances. Zhang Lan Yu hesitated and said: "But we were planning to develop it ourselves."

"Do you have the funds to develop it?" Li Dong asked with a smile. "Instead of letting it sit and go to waste, why not sell it and make a profit? Once you make this profit, you'll have the capital to seek other opportunities without needing to partner with me again."

"Moreover, I've heard this land is about to be auctioned. You don't have the funds right now, and even if you could get a loan, it might be too late."

"I can lend you the money to acquire the land. Later, I'll buy it from you. You won't spend a penny and can make tens of millions."

After hearing this, Chen Rui and the others breathed more heavily.

They felt Li Dong's proposal made sense. Borrowing money from Li Dong to acquire the land and then selling it to him would not only mean the borrowed money wouldn't need to be repaid but would also result in a profit.

They would merely have to negotiate and run errands, ending up with a considerable amount of money.

Keeping the land for their own development involved uncertainty. Even if they managed to secure the funds, developing a project would take time, and cash flow was a concern.

Moreover, once they had the money, they wouldn't need to focus solely on the Huafu land. With such a large area as Pingchuan and Jiangbei, other opportunities would arise.

At this moment, even Zhang Qing was tempted.

He hated Li Dong, but he wasn't opposed to making money. If Li Dong's claim was true and they could make tens of millions with a quick turnaround, Zhang Qing could at least pocket several million.

Thinking about those millions made Zhang Qing a bit itchy.

The effort to acquire the land would take no more than two months, and making millions in that short time was certainly worth it!

Chen Rui and Wang Siwen discussed quietly, then exchanged opinions with Zhang Lan Yu.

Finally, Chen Rui said: "Mr. Li, we'll discuss this and get back to you in a few days."

Li Dong didn't expect an immediate agreement and smiled: "Alright, I'll wait for your good news."

With that, Li Dong added: "It's

 getting late. I won't disturb you any further."

"Mr. Li, you're too polite. We've been neglectful this time. Next time, we should choose a better place and have a proper meal together," Chen Rui said with a smile.

Zhang Lan Yu also smiled warmly: "Mr. Li, I hope we can have the opportunity to cooperate."

Li Dong nodded slightly, exchanged a few more pleasantries with them, and then left the private room.

As soon as Li Dong left, the room fell silent.

After a while, Chen Rui took a deep breath and said: "He's quite a character."

Zhang Lan Yu also felt a bit unsettled, realizing something was amiss.

Originally, their plan was to intimidate Li Dong and then discuss cooperation. But unexpectedly, they failed to intimidate him, and the real estate development deal fell through. Instead, they ended up seeking Li Dong's cooperation.

Although buying the land didn't necessarily require borrowing money from Li Dong or selling it to him, he had indeed controlled the situation.

Everyone followed his line of thinking, even Zhang Qing forgot his hatred.

All of this happened almost unconsciously, showing that Li Dong was no simple character.

Wang Siwen also sighed: "He's undoubtedly a character. If he didn't have real skills, how could he build such a large enterprise as a lone wolf? Luck isn't everything; if luck was all that mattered, we'd be better off in our own families. But it's clear we haven't done better than him."

This statement made everyone fall into contemplation.

Li Dong was a nouveau riche, but there were distinctions among them. Li Dong's greatest advantage was his youth, which represented limitless possibilities.