Me! A high-ranking official!

"Don't panic! Listen to me!" His mind raced as he jumped out of bed and quickly dressed. "Tell them right now that you're the big boss's subordinate, that the big boss sent you to make the acquisition, that he's optimistic about this project and that's why he's letting you open a supermarket here, an investment of millions!"

Liu Tao, on the other end of the phone, was somewhat calmed by his composure, though her breathing was still rapid: "But...but Jian Guo, what if they don't believe us?"

"Believe it or not, it's not important!" he said in a low voice as he pulled on his pants. "The key is this next step. Tell them that you'll still buy any house they want to sell! Like I said, buy as many as they can!"

"What?!" Liu Tao's voice suddenly rose: "Jianguo, are you crazy? Where would we get that much money? We spent four million last time, where would we get that much money? If dozens of households actually sign contracts with me, I'll jump off a building right now!"

"Let me finish!" he interrupted sharply. "Money is not a problem! And I assure you, they will definitely hesitate. They absolutely won't sell it all to you. There will always be some bold enough to sell, but they will be a minority!"

He spoke very quickly, explaining the intricacies of the situation to Liu Tao: "Taozi, think about it. The reason these people are surrounding you now is because they think they've been scammed and can't sell the house for a good price. But if you step in now and still dare to buy at twice the market price, they'll hesitate again. What if it's true? What if the big boss really believes in this project? What if the house prices really do rise in the future?"

"That's human nature. When faced with an easy opportunity or the prospect of future riches, people will weigh the pros and cons repeatedly. The vast majority will choose to hold onto their gains and gamble on the future. Those who truly dare to sell are an absolute minority. We can withstand the pressure!"

Liu Tao was silent for a few seconds on the other end of the phone, then gritted his teeth and said, "Okay! I trust you, Jian Guo! I'll do as you say right now!"

"Wait!" he added, "There's one more crucial point: you must set a time limit for them!"

"What time limit?"

"Tell them that because you need to focus on opening the supermarket, the acceptance of the property is only valid for one week. After that week, once the Xiaozhai Village project officially starts construction, you will no longer accept any more properties!"

He calmly explained, "This way, those who are hesitant will become even more anxious due to the pressure of time, but they won't dare to act rashly. A week is too short; they'll likely gamble on the future. At the same time, this timeframe makes them feel that you're serious and genuinely want to acquire the company because you've given a specific timeframe."

"Understood! I'll go out and tell them right now!" Liu Tao's voice regained its confidence.

"You do as I say to keep things calm, I'm coming right now!" He fastened the last button, grabbed the keys, and rushed out.

After hanging up the phone, he rushed downstairs, hopped on the old electric scooter parked in front of the hotel, twisted the accelerator to the floor, and sped off toward Liu Tao's supermarket.

The supermarket wasn't far from his hotel; it was only a five-minute ride by electric scooter, located at the eastern end of Jiefang Road, the most bustling street in the new district.

Along the way, the late May wind, carrying a sweltering heat, swept over him. His mind raced through the scene: twenty or thirty agitated villagers, three policemen suppressing them, Liu Tao being cornered in the supermarket, passionately defending himself... The situation could spiral out of control at any moment, but as long as Liu Tao could maintain his composure and get through the most dangerous few minutes, the whole situation could be reversed.

In less than five minutes, he rode his electric scooter to the supermarket entrance.

From afar, you could see a large crowd gathered under the supermarket's still-uninstalled sign, three layers deep. At the very back were more than twenty villagers, men and women, young and old. The few young and strong men at the front had their sleeves rolled up, their faces flushed, and they were carrying bricks and wooden sticks.

The supermarket's glass door had been smashed open, leaving a large crack. Several shards of glass were scattered on the ground, gleaming brightly.

Three police officers in dark blue uniforms stood in a line in front of the glass door, two of them holding rubber batons, and the other constantly calling for backup over the radio.

Li Gan stood behind the police, shirtless, with faint claw marks on his shoulder from his previous fight with the archangel still visible. His eyes were fixed on the people in front of him, and he held a steel pipe in his hand. His face was so gloomy it could drip water.

On the steps of the supermarket entrance behind Li Gan, Liu Tao stood up straight and spoke loudly and passionately to the group of people.

"...Listen up, everyone! My boss is incredibly wealthy and influential; he's a big shot in the province! Although I'm from our county, my boss values ​​my abilities, which is why he sent me to build a supermarket and buy your houses!"

Liu Tao's voice was loud and clear; he was completely in character, and his expression even carried a hint of indignation at being wronged: "You just think the houses aren't selling? Fine! Anyone who wants to sell can sell to me right now! Like I said, I'll take as many as you have!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the stunned villagers, and emphasized, "But! Let's get this straight: once this house is transferred to my name, it's mine! It's a voluntary agreement between both parties, so whether we profit or lose in the future, we shouldn't complain!"

He parked his electric scooter across the street, squeezed through the crowd of onlookers, and quietly circled around to the side of the supermarket. Instead of rushing forward immediately, he stood in the shadows, carefully observing the situation ahead.

From the crowd, a lean man in his forties, wearing a gray short-sleeved shirt, threw the brick he was holding on the ground and yelled, "Bullshit! I recognized you from a mile away! You're Liu Tao, aren't you? You're the Liu Tao who ran a tobacco and liquor store on East Street in the county last year! You, a small-time tobacco and liquor store owner, working for the big boss? Who would believe that!"

These words caused the crowd, which had been intimidated by Liu Tao, to stir again.

"Yes! I remember now, he's the one who owns the tobacco shop!"

"Damn it, you've fooled us all!"

"Your county government colluded with him to put on a show, preventing us from selling our houses! Now look what's happened, we're stuck with these houses!"

The expressions of the nearby police officers changed. One of the taller officers reached up and pressed his hand on the baton at his waist, shouting in a deep voice, "Calm down! Calm down! Let's talk this out! Anyone who dares to lay a hand on someone will be arrested!"