At the start, I had to choose one of four options, and I immediately picked the Brahmin from the cou

Sitting opposite Sun Dewang was a veteran real estate developer from Tianshui City, known as Lao Li.

Don't be fooled by his surname, Li; he has absolutely no connection to the Li family of Jiangyang. It's just a coincidence that they share the same surname.

But in Tianshui's real estate circle, Old Li's words carry far more weight than his surname itself.

Old Li's real name is Li Hongsheng. He is in his early fifties and is one of the earliest real estate developers in Tianshui City to transform from a construction contractor into a legitimate developer.

In the late 1990s, while Sun Dewang was still driving a cement mixer on a construction site, Lao Li had already acquired the first residential land plot in Tianshui City through public bidding.

Over the past two decades, he has developed three commercial complexes and no fewer than ten residential projects in Tianshui City. He is a senior figure with extensive connections and can speak with several leaders of the Municipal Housing and Construction Bureau and the Planning Bureau.

But the biggest difference between him and Wang Jianhui is that he is not greedy.

Or rather, he was greedy but kept his temper. He never used the kind of tactics Wang Jianhui employed, such as coercion and pushing people to the brink of despair.

He believed in making seven parts profit and keeping three parts for himself. So while Jianhui Real Estate was making enemies in the county towns all over the years, Lao Li's business remained quietly in Tianshui city, neither expanding nor causing trouble.

That's why Sun Dewang called him first for tonight's game.

Sun Dewang slammed his fist on the table in frustration. "Old Li, say something! What about those of us who have benefited from Wang Jianhui's schemes? Will we be implicated? Will that young master of the Li family's knife reach our heads?"

Old Li didn't answer immediately. He turned the teacup in his hand around; the last bit of tea leaves at the bottom had gone cold. He didn't add more water, just held it in his hand.

"Dewang, what are you afraid of?"

He spoke, his tone unhurried and relaxed, as if he were having a casual chat.

"You know perfectly well what you and Wang Jianhui did. If you only supplied some concrete, got a few subcontracted projects, and pushed the prices down a bit or delayed payments a bit—that's business, not illegal. No matter how powerful that young master of the Li family is, he wouldn't send you to jail for something like that."

"And if that person really were going to send you in, do you think you'd still be sitting here having tea with us?"

Sun Dewang opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

Old Li's words may not be pleasant to hear, but the truth is undeniable. Wang Jianhui and his several vice presidents have all been taken away one by one, while Sun Dewang—who has been drinking the soup for Wang Jianhui for so many years—is still sitting in the teahouse, his phone still in his pocket, banging on the table and asking Old Li what to do. This in itself speaks volumes.

"Why did Wang Jianhui fail? It wasn't because too many people were competing with him for that land in the south of the city; it was because he touched that land. He touched something in Li Xiao's business. Did you touch it?"

"How could I dare touch it—" Sun Dewang replied subconsciously, but he froze halfway through his sentence.

Yes, he hasn't touched it, but it's not that he doesn't want to, it's just that he hasn't had the chance to touch it yet.

After all, he wasn't the only one benefiting from Jianhui Real Estate's profits. In order to secure this project, Sun Wangde spent a lot of money and cultivated many connections.

Finally, Wang Jianhui agreed that once the land in the south of the city was acquired, he would receive a share of the concrete supply contract.

He even had the legal department draft the contract template, just waiting for Wang Jianhui to crush that Zheng family brat so he could go to the factory and have some soup. But Wang Jianhui did make his move, and before he could even react, he saw Wang Jianhui and the pot being taken away together.

Old Li poured the cooled tea into the tea boat and poured himself a fresh cup of hot tea.

"That's good, you didn't touch it. That contract you haven't signed yet saved your life."

Sweat instantly poured down Sun Dewang's forehead. He then realized that he was only half a step away from the cliff. If he had taken one wrong step, he would have been the one to die.

If he had been in a hurry to show his loyalty and had already invested funds and equipment in the south of the city, he definitely wouldn't be sitting here peacefully drinking tea tonight.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness, I've escaped with my life."

After confirming that he was really alright, a glint of light suddenly flashed in his eyes.

Upon first glance, he asked the assembled business owners a question that captivated everyone.

"You guys say Jianhui Real Estate is completely finished now, so what about the profits they left us...?"

Upon hearing this question, the few remaining conversations in the tea room vanished without a trace.

Now that Wang Jianhui has fallen, it's only a matter of time before Jianhui Real Estate is seized. But those projects he owns are all real lucrative assets.

"The main structure of the Linjiang project has already reached three stories, and the land certificate for that piece of land in the southern suburbs alone is worth this much."

Sun Dewang held up three fingers and waved them in front of everyone. Because Jianhui Real Estate had the backing of the third-in-command, the projects he could get were all excellent, far better than the projects they could only make a pittance from.

"Wang Jianhui's downfall means these projects can't just sit there abandoned. The government will definitely find someone to take over. We've been working in Tianshui for so many years; if we don't step in now, what chance will we have when those big players from the provincial capital come swarming in, smelling the fish?"

At this point, the others in the tea room were also tempted. After all, these were all lucrative positions, and if they could take a bite out of them, it would be enough to make them half a year's profit.

Old Zhao was the first to get restless. Although he wasn't the richest or most powerful among the business owners, he had his own advantages. "Regarding the commercial complex in Linjiang, Jianhui and I signed a joint development agreement. The contract is in black and white, and I own 30%. If his remaining 70% goes through judicial auction, I, as the partner, have priority. Don't argue with me about this; I, Old Zhao, will remember your favors."

Before the words had even finished, the bald boss, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, chimed in. His surname was Liu, and he started out in the decoration and building materials business in Tianshui City. Later, he followed Wang Jianhui and took on the interior decoration of two residential buildings in a county town. He was considered one of the more peripheral figures in the industry.

"Old Zhao, you've got too big of an appetite. That deal in Linjiang is worth at least two hundred million. Can you really swallow it all by yourself? Need the brothers to lend you a hand?"

"I can lend a hand, but we need to clarify the shareholding ratio beforehand." Old Zhao didn't stand on ceremony and drew a circle on the table with one finger. "I'll give you the lion's share, 60%, and you can split the remaining 40%."

"Why should you get 60%? It's true you have priority, but priority can't be used as money. Court auctions are about real money. How much cash do you have on hand? Don't let your cash flow run out halfway through the auction and you lose even your deposit."

Seeing that the two were about to start arguing, Sun Dewang quickly stood up to smooth things over, pressing his two chubby hands down in the air.

"Hey, hey, hey, hold on, hold on. It's not time to divide the cake yet. Let's check the whole plate before we start eating. Old Li, you know a lot of people in the city, can you give us a heads-up—of Jianhui's projects, which ones are safe to touch, and which ones are risky?"

Sun Dewang is well-liked among the people; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to gather all these business owners together.

Seeing that he had spoken, Old Zhao and Bald Liu Quan stopped talking and turned to Old Li, waiting for him to give them some advice.