Me! A high-ranking official!

Liu Tao's face turned bright red as the skinny man pointed his finger at him and berated him, but he remembered what the man had taught him and gritted his teeth to keep his composure.

"You're right, you said I ran a tobacco and liquor store!" Liu Tao suddenly retorted with a booming voice, "So what if I ran a tobacco and liquor store before? Do you think the big boss would just hire anyone? I've been working my way up in this county for so many years, I know everyone, who I don't know, who I can trust, who I can't—I know it all! The big boss only let me open this supermarket here because he values ​​my connections and reliability in the county, making it his first foothold in Linshui County!"

He pointed to the half-finished supermarket behind him and said in a loud voice, "Look at this for yourselves! How much investment was made in this supermarket? It's a storefront of over 300 square meters, and the renovation alone cost hundreds of thousands. Including the cost of purchasing and stocking inventory, it's been four or five million in total! If I were a conman, would I need to spend real money to build such a huge supermarket as a storefront?"

After these words were spoken, the shouts and curses from the crowd noticeably subsided.

The lean man paused for a moment, but quickly regained his composure: "Stop fucking pretending! Four or five million to open a supermarket, so what? This is just a kickback from the county! To let you pretend to be a big boss and fool us!"

"Kickbacks? Hahahaha!" Liu Tao suddenly threw his head back and laughed, his laughter full of mockery. "If I, Liu Tao, had the ability to get the county to spend four or five million to bribe me, would I still be here arguing with you? I'd be moving to the city to enjoy a life of luxury! Let me tell you, my salary comes from the big boss, the supermarket was invested in by the big boss, and the house was requested by the big boss!"

He paused, then abruptly changed the subject, dropping the bombshell: "Now! Anyone among you who can't sell their houses, if you want to sell, I'll buy them!"

"What?!"

The moment he shouted, the entire venue fell silent.

The villagers, who had been so aggressive, were all stunned and stared at each other in disbelief.

"What did you say? You're still accepting?" The lean man was also stunned: "You're not lying to us?"

"Why would I lie to you?" Liu Tao waved his hand dismissively, his attitude extremely firm: "The big boss is optimistic about this project and wants me to continue acquiring more! Whoever wants to sell, step forward now! I'll sign a contract with you immediately! As long as the property transfer can be completed at the housing authority tomorrow, the cash will be in my account right away!"

"I'll say it again..." Liu Tao glanced around, exuding confidence, "I'll buy as many as you have! At 1.5 to 2 times the market price!"

The crowd erupted in uproar.

But strangely, no one stepped forward immediately.

Those who were just clamoring to sell their houses now shrank back, their faces displaying extremely complex emotions: shock, doubt, greed, and hesitation. These emotions made them rooted to the spot.

He stood in the shadows, a slight smile playing on his lips.

It became.

This is human nature.

When they think they've been scammed and can't sell their houses, they angrily besiege Liu Tao to vent all their losses.

But the moment Liu Tao reiterated that they would "buy at the original price," their mindset immediately changed. If someone was really willing to pay a higher price, did that mean the house was truly valuable? Did that mean the project would actually succeed? Did that mean… if I sold now, I would lose even more in the future?

That's just how people are; they're always oscillating between greed and fear.

"I...I'll sell!"

At the very back of the crowd, a high-pitched female voice timidly rang out.

Everyone turned to look. It was a rural woman in her forties, wearing a cheap floral T-shirt, her eyes red-rimmed. She squeezed to the front and said in a trembling voice, "My parents-in-law were in a car accident and have been bedridden for over a year. Their medical expenses alone are four or five thousand yuan a month. We really can't afford it anymore... Boss, are you really still charging the same price as before?"

Liu Tao immediately chimed in, "Okay! Where's your yard? After the event, I'll have someone go with you to inspect the house. If everything's alright, we'll go to the housing management bureau first thing tomorrow morning!"

The woman immediately burst into tears, nodding repeatedly, "Okay, okay, thank you, boss... thank you, boss..."

Her sale immediately caused an even bigger commotion among the crowd.

"Sister-in-law, are you really selling?!" A middle-aged man wearing a straw hat next to him stared wide-eyed.

"What else can I do if I don't sell!" the woman said, her eyes red-rimmed. "My family is waiting for this money to save their lives, I can't wait any longer... Besides, the boss kept his word, and the money he offered was almost as much as the county's demolition compensation. What else could I possibly complain about?"

The middle-aged man rubbed his hands together, hesitated for a moment, and his eyes darted around: "Then...then how about selling mine too? My yard is bigger than hers, and it faces a better direction...Boss, what do you think of my house..."

"etc!"

Before Liu Tao could answer, a middle-aged man in a white shirt and gold watch grabbed the middle-aged man's arm and hissed, "Old Zhang, have you lost your mind?! Her family is desperate; someone in their family is sick and needs money to save their life. What's your family so anxious about?"

"What if the boss is telling the truth?" the man in the white shirt lowered his voice, his eyes full of calculation. "What if this project actually succeeds? The house prices will increase tenfold, and you'll regret it so much you'll be kicking yourself!"

The middle-aged man immediately deflated upon being reminded, muttering, "Yes, yes, I'll think about it again, I'll think about it again..."

Similar conversations were heard one after another in the crowd.

Someone wanted to sell, but was stopped by someone nearby.

Some people don't want to sell, but they're afraid this is their last chance.

The atmosphere shifted from one of intense anger to one of hesitation and bewilderment.

Seizing the opportunity, Liu Tao pressed his advantage, waving his hand dismissively: "Listen up, everyone! I'm going to say this right now..."

He spoke loudly, deliberately raising his voice so everyone present could hear him clearly: "I'm opening a supermarket here! The supermarket is opening soon! Anyone wanting to sell a house, start today, come find me at the supermarket within a week! I'll sign contracts and pay you anytime!"

He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room: "But! A week from now, once the Xiaozhai Village project officially starts construction, I'm not buying anymore! At that point, no matter how much money you offer, I won't want a single penny!"

This statement was like a bombshell, exploding in the crowd.

"A week?!"

"Why only a week?"

"Why are you stopping collection now that construction has started?"

"Boss, could you please give me a little more time...?"

Liu Tao didn't respond at all, just snorted coldly, put her hands behind her back, and turned to walk into the supermarket.

"Boss! Boss, wait a minute!"

"My home...my home is right in the middle of Xiaozhai Village! It's a big courtyard with three main rooms! You see..."

"Boss! There's a small vegetable garden in front of my yard..."

The villagers who had just been shouting that they wanted to kill him were now chasing after him and shouting back, their attitude completely reversed, as if they were afraid of missing some once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Liu Tao seemed not to hear him, and swaggered into the supermarket with his hands behind his back. Li Gan, carrying a steel pipe, stood guard at the entrance.

The villagers were stuck outside, frantic with worry, but at a loss for what to do: go back and pack their belongings to come back and sell their houses? Or wait and see how things develop in a few more days?

He stood in the shadows, watching this scene, and let out a long sigh of relief.