Chapter 14

Alexander pondered for a moment. "Well, the exam results are about to come out. If we don't meet now, those who didn't do well probably won't be in the mood to hang out later."

"You guys go. I've got something to do this afternoon. Enjoy your food and drinks."

"But Sophie Chase will be there!"

Kane reached out, slinging an arm over Alexander's shoulder, his eyes sharp as knives. "Why the hell do you keep mentioning Sophie Chase in front of me?"

Alexander shrank his neck back a bit. "Didn't you like her? I thought you'd want to see her."

"If I wanted to see her, would I have turned around and walked away on Central Street that day?"

"That's just playing hard to get, right? And honestly, it worked—she cried. Anyone who didn't know better would've thought you dumped her."

Kane couldn't even be bothered to waste his breath explaining. He pulled out some cash and handed it to the shop owner. "I recently met a girl and promised to take her out. So, no gathering for me."

Alexander stared at his best friend in shock. "A girl? Do I know her?"

"No idea."

"So, where are you two going? If it's a foot massage parlor, I'm tagging along. Class gatherings are just for the top students to brag—I'm not interested."

Kane felt like Alexander's brain might be the size of a peanut. "Have you ever seen someone taking a pet to the zoo? Then why would I take a girl to a foot massage parlor?"

Alexander paused. "Is there anywhere else worth going in Jade Isle?"

"She wants to visit the small commodities market in City Central."

"That place? It's full of street vendors selling knock-offs. What's so interesting about that?"

"She's never been there. She's curious."

Alexander found it hard to believe. "She's never been there? Just how poor is her family?"

Kane couldn't help but glance at him. "Why the hell do you have so many questions? Aren't you coming to the meetup?"

"…Yeah."

…

After kicking Hansel Grant out, Kane Brook also left the beef noodle shop and headed to Jade Isle City Library. Then, with his sponsor, Lil' Rich Queen, in tow, he made his way to the Small Commodity Market.

Nancy Foster was dressed in a floral dress with an ethereal charm, a black leather crossbody bag slung over her shoulder, and brown leather shoes on her feet. A small section of lace-trimmed sheer socks peeked out, adding a youthful touch to her look.

With the greasy mindset of a 38-year-old, you'd say she's so fresh it feels like you could squeeze juice out of her.

She strolled leisurely along the narrow pedestrian walkway, her clear, bright eyes darting around, filled with curiosity about the trinkets displayed at the various stalls.

This Small Commodity Market was quite famous among the students of Southgate High School because it mainly sold knock-off goods—cheap in price but abundant in variety. After all, students were genuinely broke. Especially day students, who had meals at home and barely any pocket money. So, on weekends, they'd flock here in small groups, though most of what they bought looked good but wasn't very useful.

Nancy probably heard about this place from her classmates, which explained why she specifically asked to come here.

"Why do they sell so many car keys here?"

"Uh… those are actually lighters."

"Do I need to take a test to get a 'Beauty ID'? I'd like to apply for one."

"That's fake. It doesn't mean anything. If you want one, just buy it—it's one buck each."

"Kane Brook, I'm thirsty. I want a Sprite."

"You're mistaken. That's its knock-off sister brand—'Thunder Sprite.'"

"Why are they selling underwear that's already torn in the middle?"

"Uh… you're still young. Don't ask about adult stuff."

Three minutes later, Nancy Foster stopped in front of a small shop around the corner, unable to move her feet.

Right in front of her was a Hello Kitty-themed kiddie ride, flashing colorful lights and cheerfully inviting little friends to hop on.

Nancy turned to look at Kane, her cool gaze flickering with a hint of determination, leaving him utterly baffled.

"…You're not seriously thinking about riding that, are you?"

"Miss Foster, hear me out—this thing is for kids under eight."

"You're eighteen now. If you get on this, it'll be an instant social death."

Kane tried to persuade her to drop the idea. Sure, the ride lit up, moved, and even sang, but unless you were still in split-crotch pants, you really had no business riding it.

Yet, three minutes later, delightful music echoed from the shopfront:

"What's your daddy's daddy called? He's called Grandpa…"

A beautiful young girl sat atop the ride, her face calm and aloof, but a clear trace of joy sparkled in her eyes.

Kane, jingling the loose change he'd exchanged in the shop, couldn't help but chuckle. Leaning casually against the doorframe, he watched her quietly.

The other day, he'd accidentally glimpsed a laminated schedule tucked inside Nancy's bag: piano and violin practice in the morning, ballet and judo lessons at noon, followed by news reading and finance reports in the evening. It was only in the afternoon that she could catch her breath at the library.

Lil' Rich Queen probably didn't have much of a childhood…

That's why she had no friends, didn't know how to socialize, and ended up with social anxiety, often mistaken for being cold and distant.

Kane smiled faintly, then stopped paying attention, pulling out a contract from his bag instead.

He currently held deeds to four demolition properties, varying in size, which had cost him a total of 2.73 million from his card.

The compensation plan for Jade Isle's old city renovation hadn't been announced yet, and he hadn't seen it in his previous life either. However, based on what his third uncle received for a similar property in Lianqiao, he estimated the payout for the bustling downtown area could reach a 1:2.8 ratio. For places like the Xingfu and Hongyun communities, which were more remote, the compensation wouldn't be as high—at best, 1:2.1.

He wasn't sure about the situation in Chengdu, but it should reach around 1:2.4.

Jade Isle isn't like Capital City or Deep City—getting rich overnight through demolition compensation is nearly impossible. Reaching this kind of ratio is already quite remarkable, so what more could you ask for?

Consider the case of Qianba Village near the North Second Ring, which was included in the demolition plans back in 2018. The compensation ratio there was only 1:1.3.

What does that tell you?

It tells you that demolition compensation is a lot like love—timing is everything.

Once the compensation money comes through, Kane Brook plans to pay back the money he borrowed from Nancy Foster. By then, he should still have around one or two million left, plus four apartments.

Of course, he could opt for cash instead of property, but converting the apartments directly into cash would definitely not fetch the market price. The best approach is to sell them himself after receiving the property. That said, it all depends on the location of the resettlement housing. If it's in an area expected to boom in the future, he'd definitely hold onto it.