Chapter 70

"Hey, what are you doing here?" As soon as he walked into the courtyard, an old lady's voice rang out.

"Ma'am, I... I want to ask if there are any houses for rent around here?" Qin Feng didn't even hesitate, quickly making up a reason.

"No, this courtyard is about to be sold. Young man, you should try another place," the old lady replied.

The old lady was quite kind and walked over to say, "The housing prices here are cheap. A room only costs sixty yuan a month. Don't let yourself be taken advantage of, young man."

"Thank you, ma'am..." Qin Feng was taken aback by her words and quickly asked, "You live here so well, why are you selling it?"

"We've lived here for decades, and I don't want to sell it either, but the houses we were allocated in the past now need to be bought with money. We just don't have enough money..."

The old lady was quite talkative and explained the situation in a few words. She had three sons and a daughter, all of whom were already working. Apart from her youngest son who lived in this courtyard, the other two sons and her daughter had been allocated apartments by their workplaces.

However, the government recently issued a policy allowing the purchase of allocated houses at a price based on years of service, which would cost around 20,000 to 30,000 yuan per unit.

If it were just one house, it would be manageable, but the old lady had three children who all needed money. After much consideration, she decided to sell the courtyard. The money from the sale would be used to buy a house for her youngest son and to support the other three children.

"Ma'am, this courtyard isn't small, it must be worth a lot of money, right?"

Hearing the old lady's words, Qin Feng's heart stirred. He originally intended to rent a house in Jin Tian City, but after seeing his master's former residence, he changed his mind.

"The house hasn't been repaired for many years, it's not worth much," the old lady shook her head and sighed. "Now young people prefer to live in apartments. What's good about them? Neighbors don't even know each other. How can that compare to the close relationships we've built over decades here..."

The old lady clearly didn't consider Qin Feng a potential buyer and spoke without reservation, even revealing her asking price. This courtyard, which was about 300 square meters, had a bottom price of just 120,000 yuan, less than 400 yuan per square meter.

Of course, in 1997, when the housing market was just beginning to develop, and many people were still waiting for their workplaces to allocate houses, this price wasn't cheap. Some newly developed apartments in Jin Tian City were selling for around 600 to 700 yuan per square meter. So, while many people inquired about the courtyard, no one had decided to buy it yet.

After listening to the old lady for a while, Qin Feng made an excuse and left, not wandering around the street this time but directly returning to the hotel with Li Tianyuan.

"Brother Feng, I'm going back tonight. By the way, my dad wants to meet you. Is that okay?"

Back at the hotel, Qin Feng immediately called the pager number Xie Xuan had left. A middle-aged man answered first, then handed the phone to the young, chubby Xie Xuan.

Xie Xuan was somewhat nervous when he spoke. Although he didn't mention Qin Feng's actions in Shi City, he praised "Brother Feng" so highly that Xie Dazhi became very interested in Qin Feng.

"Sure, come over. I have some matters to discuss with Uncle Xie as well."

Qin Feng's response over the phone reassured Xie Xuan. In the past, he had respected Qin Feng out of fear, but after the events in Shi City, Xie Xuan now revered Qin Feng with utmost admiration.

---

"Uncle Xie, I'm Qin Feng!"

More than half an hour later, in the coffee shop of Hai Zhu Hotel, Qin Feng met Xie Dazhi, a legendary figure in Shi City. Li Tianyuan followed behind and also called him boss.

Xie Dazhi, in his early forties, looked somewhat like Xie Xuan, with a chubby face that gave a very honest impression. His suit was slightly old but very clean.

"Little Qin, I've been hearing your name a lot these past two years."

Seeing Qin Feng, Xie Dazhi laughed heartily. After ordering a few cups of coffee and some snacks, he said, "My son used to only know how to fight and cause trouble. Your words are more effective than mine."

Xie Dazhi was the kind of person who easily made others like him. Although he was over twenty years older than Qin Feng, he didn't put on any airs and treated Qin Feng as an equal.

"Uncle Xie, it has nothing to do with me. Xie Xuan has grown up on his own."

Qin Feng smiled. As the saying goes, small things reveal a person's true character. People like Xie Dazhi succeed for a reason. Even though he was in a low point in his life, Qin Feng believed he could rise again.

"Qin Feng, are you really only eighteen years old?" After a few exchanges, Xie Dazhi asked, somewhat disbelieving.

Just as Qin Feng was observing him, Xie Dazhi was also observing Qin Feng. From the moment they entered the coffee shop, Xie Dazhi noticed that Qin Feng was completely at ease in this setting, while his son and Li Tianyuan looked somewhat nervous.

If it weren't for the youthful look on Qin Feng's face, Xie Dazhi would have almost taken him for a seasoned businessman. The stark contrast between his age and his demeanor was something Xie Dazhi had never experienced before.

"Yes, I'm eighteen, but I'm not quite there yet."

After the family's changes and the influence of Zai Shi, as well as the philosophical insights from the legacy he inherited, Qin Feng's mental maturity far exceeded his age. Even compared to Xie Dazhi, he might not be far behind.

"Alas, if my son could be like you, I wouldn't have to worry so much."

Xie Dazhi sighed and looked at Qin Feng, saying, "I'm very reassured that Xie Xuan is with you. Qin Feng, do you plan to settle in Jin Tian? Although I haven't been doing well these past two years, I can still help with some things..."

Xie Dazhi had invested in a piece of land in Jin Tian early on but had not started construction. After his business in Shi City went bankrupt, he pinned his hopes on this land.

"Uncle Xie, I have a favor to ask."

Hearing Xie Dazhi's words, Qin Feng smiled. It was like someone was offering a pillow when he was about to fall asleep.

"Go ahead, I still have some connections in Jin Tian."

Xie Dazhi nodded. He was a straightforward person who didn't care much about small profits when doing business, so he had good friends in various places. This real estate development was a joint venture with local merchants in Jin Tian.

Qin Feng didn't hide anything and said straightforwardly, "I want to lease a shop and buy a courtyard."

"Lease a shop, buy... a courtyard?"

Even Xie Dazhi, who had experienced many ups and downs, was stunned by Qin Feng's words. "Qin Feng, these two things together will cost a lot of money. Uncle Xie is a bit short on funds right now and can probably only help you with up to 50,000 yuan."

"I have the money, I don't need Uncle Xie's help. I just need you to handle it for me."

Qin Feng smiled, pulled over his backpack, and placed it in front of Xie Dazhi. "There are 220,000 yuan in here. The courtyard should cost around 120,000 yuan, and the shop should be around 70,000 to 80,000 yuan. The remaining money, I want to use to have the courtyard tidied up a bit."

Qin Feng had already inspected the courtyard. Although the overall structure was fine, many parts were in disrepair and needed some repairs.

"220,000 yuan? Qin Feng, where did you get this money?"

Xie Xuan hadn't told his father about their activities, so when he heard Qin Feng say there were 200,000 yuan in the bag, Xie Dazhi couldn't believe his ears.

Xie Dazhi wasn't unfamiliar with money, but for a teenager who had just been released from prison to have such a sum was truly shocking.

"Made some money from antiques..."

Qin Feng didn't elaborate, pushing the backpack over and saying, "Uncle Xie, if you trust me, please help me with this. If not, I'll handle it myself..."

Qin Feng wasn't incapable of handling it himself, but he had some concerns.

First, his young age would make people doubt his credibility. In those days, even a few thousand yuan could be a challenge for some families, and if Qin Feng had to explain the source of the money during the transfer procedures, it would be difficult.

Second, Qin Feng wasn't sure what kind of life he would choose in the future, but he knew he wouldn't be a model citizen. He might operate on the fringes of the law, so it wasn't suitable for him to leave a deep mark here.

Therefore, he thought it best for Xie Dazhi to handle it. This way, he wouldn't use his own name on the property documents or the shop's procedures.

Staring at Qin Feng's calm face for a while, Xie Dazhi smiled bitterly and nodded. "Qin Feng, I'll help you with this, but I have one request. Don't call me Uncle anymore, call me Lao Xie. When I was your age, I only knew how to climb trees and catch fish..."

These words indicated that Xie Dazhi saw Qin Feng as an equal, not because of his age but because of his mature mindset. He couldn't view Qin Feng as a peer to his own son, who was a troublemaker.

"Lao Xie? I don't think so. I'm brothers with Xie Xuan, and I can't overstep the generation gap."

Qin Feng shook his head. One should know when to advance and when to retreat. Even if someone elevates you, you shouldn't get carried away. Just by age alone, calling him Uncle was appropriate.

"Alright, Qin Feng, my son will follow you from now on." Xie Dazhi didn't fuss. Although his luck had been bad these past two years, his judgment was still sharp. He could see that Qin Feng would achieve great things in the future.

"By the way, tell me about the house and the shop. Is there anything I need to pay attention to?" Xie Dazhi