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Suning spent several days studying the circle drawn on the map in his office. He also asked his assistant, Xiao Zhao, to investigate the property rights of that area, including who owned Dongquchunlai and the surrounding courtyard houses, whether they were for sale, and whether there were any strict planning restrictions nearby.

Xiao Zhao made several trips, and the news he reported back made Su Ning feel that the opportunity was indeed ripe.

Most of these homeowners are old Beijingers. Some of the houses are ancestral properties, while others, like Uncle Dongquchunlai, have long since gone into other businesses. The houses are left empty, collecting rent, but the rent is low and there are many problems.

Suning gave direct instructions: Go and negotiate with each store one by one, don't try to lower the price, offer whatever you can, even a little higher than the market price is fine.

The key is to be fast.

The negotiators from Mingju Real Estate went door-to-door to each household.

They didn't adopt a forceful sales approach; they politely introduced themselves, explained their purpose, and presented their acquisition plan upon entering.

The price was indeed reasonable and far exceeded the expectations of those homeowners.

Several people who owned old properties and were worried about not getting a good price immediately inquired about the signing process after hearing the offer.

It's important to understand that the human heart is the most complex thing; people often crave what they lack most.

They don't find living in old courtyard houses very comfortable; instead, they prefer modern residences like No. 1 Beijing.

The news spread like ink dripping into water, quickly reaching the surrounding area.

A noodle shop owner pulled aside the shoe repairman next door and asked, "Have you negotiated anything over there?"

The shoe repairman replied, "We discussed it, but are you really going to give that much? Are you a scammer?"

"They're not scammers, they're a legitimate company, we've already signed a contract, and the money has been deposited into our account."

"I heard it's the real estate company that developed Beijing No. 1?"

"That's right! We can sell the old courtyard house and replace it with a modern apartment in a residential complex."

……

That day, Officer Tang was riding his bicycle past Dongquchunlai when he stopped to take a look inside.

From the doorway, he could see cigarette butts scattered in the corridor and several empty wine bottles piled in the corner. The workers' loud voices came from inside. Compared to the quiet and tidy little hotel he used to live in, it was like two completely different places.

Officer Tang shook his head, parked the car by the door, and went inside to find Xiao Dongbei.

Xiao Dongbei was squatting behind the counter repairing a chair leg that a worker had broken. When he saw Officer Tang come in, he quickly stood up, dusted off the sawdust from his hands, and greeted him, "Brother Tang, what brings you here?"

Officer Tang didn't beat around the bush. "I have some news for you. Recently, a big company has been going door-to-door in your area negotiating acquisitions. Apparently, it's quite a reputable company called Mingju Real Estate. The grocery store next to you, and the courtyard at the entrance of the alley, have already been acquired."

Xiao Dongbei placed the hammer on the counter, paused for two seconds, and asked, "Mingju Real Estate?"

Officer Tang said, "What, you've heard of it?"

"I've heard of it! It's been making headlines lately."

He certainly knew about Mingju Real Estate. Both Zhuangzhuang and Shen Ranran had worked there. Shen Ranran had left to pursue acting, while Zhuangzhuang was still working at the company.

But Xiao Dongbei didn't expect this company to be interested in their area, and to act so quickly. In just a few days, the properties next door had all been acquired by the other company.

"Little Northeast, I personally think this is an opportunity. Rather than fighting to the death with Feng Tieyou and his people here, it's better to give up sooner rather than later."

"Thank you, Brother Tang! I'll inform my uncle; the decision is ultimately up to him."

"Yes, as long as you know it, the current situation of winter turning into spring is just a double-edged sword."

"..."

After Officer Tang left, Xiao Dongbei sat behind the counter for a while, then picked up the phone and dialed his uncle's number.

After the call connected, he didn't even bother to say hello before saying, "Uncle, I have some news to tell you. A big company is buying up houses in this area, and several houses nearby have already been sold by the time winter turns to spring."

The uncle's voice on the other end of the phone was filled with inexplicable doubt, "A big company? What company?"

Xiao Dongbei said, "It's called Mingju Real Estate. It's the real estate company that recently developed Jingcheng No. 1."

"Mingju Real Estate has contacted us?"

"No! I learned about this from Officer Tang."

"Then keep an eye on them recently and see if they are interested in the coming of spring after winter."

"Uncle, do you want to sell Winter Goes to Spring?"

“Sell! Why not sell? There’s no need to keep arguing with a bastard like Feng Tieyou.”

"Okay! I know what to do."

"Fine! Just tell me how to contact them? I'll take the initiative to contact them."

"..." Xiao Dongbei held the microphone, opened his mouth, but swallowed back the words he wanted to say.

Although the hotel didn't make much money, it was the first property my uncle acquired back then.

Before he could reply, his uncle continued on the other end of the phone, “Little Northeast, let me tell you the truth! Back then, I bought this courtyard house and turned it into a hotel, thinking I’d gotten a great deal. How many people went into business in the 1980s? I was just a small business owner, and I gritted my teeth and bought this house, thinking that at least I’d have a foothold in Beijing someday. But what happened? I didn’t make much profit at the end of the year, but there were always problems. The roof leaked and needed repair, the drains were clogged and needed unblocking, and that’s not even the worst of it. Now that those guys surnamed Feng are living here, I can’t sleep soundly. Your aunt keeps nagging me, saying what if the workers set the house on fire, what if they fight and something happens inside. This hotel isn’t an industry for me, it’s not property, it’s a hot potato, it’s a tyrant. I’m constantly putting up with its problems and cleaning up its messes.”

Xiao Dongbei listened to his uncle's long, almost uninterrupted string of complaints, but his feelings were quite complicated.

"Get me Mingju Real Estate's contact information. If their offer is reasonable, I'll sign immediately."

Xiao Dongbei was silent for a while before finally saying, "Okay, I'll help you find it."

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Dongbei felt a mix of emotions.

Xiao Dongbei had actually foreseen this ending long ago. When his uncle mentioned "six yuan and twenty yuan" on the phone, he knew that the passing of winter and the arrival of spring was not a sentiment in his uncle's heart, but a trouble to be dealt with.

Now that a large company is willing to take over, it's not a loss for Uncle, but a relief.

……

Next, Xiao Dongbei found the contact information of the relevant departments of Mingju Real Estate through Zhuangzhuang and then passed on the message.

Mingju Real Estate reacted quickly, sending someone over the next day to meet with my uncle.

Xiao Dongbei's uncle traveled all the way from his hometown to Beijing, dressed in a suit and tie, and sat at the negotiating table, going over the contract terms with the other party one by one.

The whole process went surprisingly smoothly. When the price was finally negotiated, my uncle was very calm when he signed the contract.

After signing the papers, the uncle put down his pen, came out of the meeting room, and stood in the corridor, letting out a long sigh of relief.

Xiao Dongbei stood next to him and heard his uncle say, "Sold it. This hotel has been with me for almost ten years, and I felt even better selling it than buying it. Why do you think that is?"

Xiao Dongbei said, "Uncle, you're free now."

His uncle patted him on the shoulder, "Yes! You're free now too."

"I wonder what kind of trouble Feng Tieyou and his gang will cause?"

"That's not something we need to consider."

"That's true! Evil people will be punished by other evil people. Let's see how arrogant Feng Tieyou can be next."

"Yes."

……

With the passing of winter and the arrival of spring, it officially came under the ownership of Mingju Real Estate.

The contract is in black and white, the property rights have been clearly transferred, and the next step is to clear the site and start construction.

However, the clearing out of the site during the "winter is over and spring is coming" process has a real problem: Feng Tieyou and his dozen or so workers are still living inside.

Suning's handling of this matter was something no one could have predicted.

They didn't send their legal team through the lengthy eviction process, nor did they bother hiring anyone to wrestle with someone like Feng Tieyou.

They actually had Xiao Zhao investigate the subcontracting chain of the No. 2 construction site in Beijing, tracing it down to find out which construction team Feng Tieyou was working for. Then Su Ning sent someone to tell Feng Tieyou: "Come over and talk to me."

Feng Tieyou was squatting at the entrance of Dongquchunlai, stirring a bowl of instant noodles with chopsticks. After hearing the message, he was stunned for a moment. "The big boss of Mingju Real Estate is looking for me? Okay, I'll go."

Next, Suning met Feng Tieyou in his office.

When Feng Tieyou entered, he was noticeably more restrained. He used to be arrogant and domineering on construction sites and in hotels, but when he entered an office building of this size, he knew his place.

After all, he wasn't really stupid; he knew his methods wouldn't work here.

Standing in front of Suning's desk, I didn't know where to put my hands, as if I were there to report on my work.

"sit."

"Thank you, Mr. Su, but I'm fine standing."

"Sit down! Don't be nervous."

"Thank you, Mr. Su." Then, Feng Tieyou sat down properly to the side.

Sitting in his executive chair, Su Ning got straight to the point, "Feng Tieyou, you've probably heard that Dongquchunlai is now Mingju Real Estate. The property transfer has just been completed."

"I've heard about it." Feng Tieyou's face twitched, but he didn't react.

Feng Tieyou naturally knew what property rights meant; no matter how domineering a contractor was, he couldn't override the ownership rights of the property owner.

Feng Tieyou's eyes darted around, and he began to consider whether Suning should kick them out.

Su Ning didn't give him much time to think, and immediately said, "Don't worry! I'm not trying to get rid of you."

Feng Tieyou was taken aback for a moment, and subconsciously asked, "Aren't you going to kick me out?"

Suning leaned back in his chair. "Not only will I not kick you out, I'll also give you a big project. Winter is coming and spring is coming, and we're going to renovate it into a high-end courtyard hotel. The amount of construction isn't large, but the requirements are high. I'm going to hand this project over to you."

Feng Tieyou stood there, going over those words in his mind...

Renovation, upgrade, high-end, hotel, and then my eyes lit up.

He wasn't stupid; he understood the meaning behind those words instantly.

Mingju Real Estate not only didn't kick him out, but also gave him work to do.

"Mr. Su, are you serious?"

Suning pushed a project summary off the table. “Of course it’s true. But you and your people have to move out today, from winter to spring. Move out first, vacate the place, and make sure it’s clean. You’ll have to figure out where the workers will live during the renovation. After the project is completed, I can still do the follow-up maintenance work for this hotel. You decide whether to make a long-term plan or just focus on the present.”

Feng Tieyou did not hesitate for long.

He was a shrewd man; he knew that following Su Ning was far more promising than staying in a small hotel.

He picked up the project summary, flipped through a couple of pages, and quickly calculated his options. "President Su, you can rest assured about my work, Feng Tieyou. We'll move it today."

"Great! That's satisfying."

……

That afternoon, Feng Tieyou and his workers began packing up their bedding.

There was another commotion in the corridor, but this time it wasn't a fight; it was people moving things around.

The workers grumbled as they moved, "I don't know what they were thinking! We were living in a perfectly good place, and now we have to move again."

Feng Tieyou shouted back, "Shut up! Boss Su has given us new work, a hundred times better than staying cooped up here. If you want to live comfortably, go home."

"..."

Before nightfall, with the passing of winter and the arrival of spring, the place was completely empty, leaving only cigarette butts in the corridor and black marks on the walls as proof that these people had lived there.

Winter passed and spring came, but the hotel sign was taken down and the door was locked.

Those who once lived here have gone in different directions.

Xu Shengli, Cao Ye, Guo Zongbao, and Tao Liangliang had to find new places to live.

They have neither the ability nor the reason to stay in this place any longer.

Xu Shengli found a basement cubicle near the film company where he wrote his scripts. It didn't even have windows, so he had to turn on the lights even during the day.

"That's great, now I can write scripts without worrying about day or night, since it's always dark inside anyway."

Cao Ye spent some time at that fake painting studio, where he made a lot of money and then paid off all his previous debts.

However, he still felt that such behavior violated his moral principles, and in the end, he resolutely left the fake painting studio.

Then he moved to a rented room near the art academy, which was not much bigger than a pigeon coop, to continue pursuing his art dream.

Guo Zongbao carried his bag of tools and moved into a shared shed with a foreman he had met while working before, sharing a room with seven other people.

Tao Liangliang returned to his home and went to his family's restaurant every day to play the saxophone.

However, this drew complaints from diners who simply couldn't appreciate the wailing and howling.

With a headache, Tao's father looked at Tao Liangliang and threatened, "If you play the saxophone again, I'll throw it away."

"Even if you throw it away, I can pick it up again."

"You damned bastard." At this moment, Tao's father couldn't hide the smile on his face, after all, his son had finally come back.

But Zhuangzhuang is different.

Suning specially sent a car to pick her up.

Although the car wasn't a luxury car, just the company's Jetta, in Beijing at this time of year, having a car specifically to pick up a saleswoman was enough to attract attention.

Xu Shengli's expression was undoubtedly the most complicated, realizing that he and Zhuangzhuang could never be together again.

The driver helped Zhuangzhuang load her luggage into the car and took her directly to the staff dormitory of Mingju Real Estate.

The staff dormitory is a six-story apartment building, with one bedroom and one living room, a private bathroom, hot water, and dedicated property management.

The room Zhuangzhuang was assigned was spacious and bright, a far cry from the cramped cubicle that Dong Qu Chun Lai had.

The night Zhuangzhuang moved in, she stood in the room for a long time, looking at the clean sheets and the hooks left by the previous tenant on the wall that hadn't been completely torn off, but she had a feeling that she couldn't quite explain.

Next, we need to finalize the songs for the annual meeting as soon as possible.

Zhuangzhuang turned off the light, lay on the bed, pulled the blanket up to her chin, but her mind was filled with embarrassing thoughts.

I don't know why Suning is treating me so well, and I have some suspicions that Suning might have something on his mind.

If Suning were to one day want to be honest with me, would I refuse or accept it gladly?
……

At the same time, Mingju Real Estate's efficiency remained as fast as ever.

After the property transfer was completed, the company immediately submitted an application to the relevant departments for renovation and reconstruction in the spring.

The application materials directly named the project "Winter Goes, Spring Comes Hotel," and the project positioning was clearly stated: to carry out protective renovation while maintaining the original courtyard architectural layout and style, upgrade the internal facilities to high-standard hotel configuration, and create a benchmark cultural boutique hotel within the Second Ring Road of Beijing.

This positioning is very clever; it not only aligns with the theme of old city preservation but also fills a market gap and enhances the image of the surrounding area.

The relevant departments reviewed the application for less than a month before issuing the approval.

The main reason is that the Beijing No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 projects under Mingju Real Estate are very healthy and have already proven their strong development capabilities.

The day the permit was obtained, winter turned to spring, construction barriers were hung at the entrance, the construction team entered the site, and construction officially began.

The original signboard has been carefully removed and stored in the warehouse. Suning has asked people to keep the old signboard so that it can be hung in the hotel showroom when the hotel opens, which can also be considered part of the "winter goes and spring comes" culture.

...(End of this chapter)