Chapter Thirty-Four: Listening to the Waves Amid the Sea of Maples

Pine Sea Listening to the Waves was a project developed by the newly established real estate company of Sea Breeze Group. Located on a picturesque piece of land near the outskirts of Lüshun, it was positioned as a representative high-end residential development—a flagship project signaling Sea Breeze’s grand entrance into the real estate industry.

Ordinarily, Maple Sea Listening to the Waves had nothing to do with Zhao Fan. For someone like Tian Xiang, who could only gaze from afar at the billion-yuan projects undertaken by true developers, this was a world apart. Yet by some twist of fate, Zhao Fan happened to own a plot of land nearby, acquired to settle a debt. Originally, he planned to ride Sea Breeze Group’s coattails, develop a small residential complex, and make a modest profit. But subsequent events caught him completely off guard.

First, his surveyors were assaulted by a gang of unknown thugs. At first, Zhao Fan thought it was an accident, but as soon as the construction crew entered, another violent incident broke out. One migrant worker was so badly beaten he spent months in the hospital before he could walk again. On top of that, even some of the machinery brought to the site was smashed to pieces. Only then did Zhao Fan realize things were far more complicated than they seemed.

No matter how he racked his brain, Zhao Fan couldn’t think of whom he might have offended. Frustrated, he called his brother-in-law, the head of security, and unleashed a torrent of curses. But that didn’t solve the root of the problem. The troubles kept coming: one day something crucial would go missing, forcing work to halt; the next day, workers would quietly slip away, leaving him short-handed. Zhao Fan was at his wits’ end and finally had no choice but to suspend construction and abandon the land altogether.

But Zhao Fan wasn’t a fool. His investigations revealed that his planned development would disrupt the overall design of Maple Sea Listening to the Waves, and someone didn’t want that land developed at all.

At the time, the original Fragrant Pavilion was already enough of a headache. Besides, he was up against powerful opposition—just the flick of a finger from them was enough to leave him gasping for breath. So he lowered his flag, withdrew in silence, and gave up on developing the plot. The Fragrant Pavilion, now renamed Moon Embrace Tower, not only recouped its investment but even turned a small profit. Looking back, Zhao Fan still seethed at the memory of Maple Sea Listening to the Waves. Now, thinking of Chu Dong’s mysterious abilities, he wanted to enlist him to exact a little revenge.

He also knew, though, that getting Chu Dong to stick his neck out was no easy feat. Without sufficient benefit, there was no way to move this slippery fellow. Zhao Fan mulled it over for days before finally calling Chu Dong to meet.

The dark green sofa, the clean glass table, the afternoon sunlight still brimming with warmth—inside the air-conditioned shop, it was pleasantly cool compared to the heat outside. In a private booth at Island Coffee, Zhao Fan waited for Chu Dong’s arrival.

Chu Dong still drove the Audi he’d commandeered, pulling off a stylish drift as he parked, then removing his sunglasses and entering the café. Seeing Zhao Fan wave, he strolled over at a leisurely pace.

“You’re finally here. I’ve been waiting for two hours,” Zhao Fan complained, his pent-up frustration making him eager to vent now that he saw hope of doing so.

“I got held up by something, but I knew you’d have something good for me, Zhao. I rushed right over—almost forgot to fill up the tank and nearly broke down on the way,” Chu Dong said, twirling his sunglasses before hooking them on his T-shirt collar. He gestured to the waiter for the same coffee as Zhao Fan.

“You didn’t invite me just for a cup of coffee, did you?” Chu Dong dispensed with polite formalities as he sat down; excessive politeness between old acquaintances would only seem forced.

“Of course not. I’ve got something good.” Zhao Fan took out a silver cigar case, tapped out a pre-cut cigar, and handed it to Chu Dong. “Ever since we started working together, I’ve known you had talent. Too bad I couldn’t keep you around, but I believe that when you make it big, you won’t forget your friends. Right now, I have something you might find useful, so I’m playing the good guy. There’s an opportunity I want to offer you—are you interested?”

“You’re not offering me a chance to jump into a pit, are you?” Chu Dong laughed, declining the cigar and lighting his own cigarette. “I’m not used to living the high life—I’ll stick to my own smokes.”

“Would I set you up? If you ever become rich, I don’t believe you’d leave your old buddy to die on the streets. This is just me paving the way for myself,” Zhao Fan protested, the crafty veteran’s face betraying nothing of his true intentions.

“Then let’s hear it. I’m waiting for you to show me the way.” Chu Dong thought, if something sounds too good to be true, it’s either a scheme or a trap—he didn’t believe in free lunches.

“I don’t have any path to show you. If I did, I’d have taken it myself,” Zhao Fan said self-deprecatingly, taking a sip of his cold coffee. “I have a piece of land near Lüshun—small, but enough to build something. But as you know, I’ve never gotten the positioning right; even if I tried, it’d be pointless. I figured the land’s just lying idle—maybe it would be more valuable in your hands, so…”

“You’re giving it to me for free? I knew you were generous. That land may be a hot potato, but it’s still valuable. Surely you wouldn’t just hand it over, right?” Chu Dong teased, knowing from his research into Zhao Fan’s affairs that the land had a complicated history.

“Well… heh.” Zhao Fan looked a bit embarrassed, not expecting Chu Dong to be so blunt. He wasn’t willing to give it away for nothing—after all, the land had cost him seventy or eighty million yuan. Chu Dong’s joke made him blush.

“I understand your difficulty, Zhao. I’m not the type to take advantage for nothing. Here’s what—we’ll settle on a price. If I think I can help, I won’t let you suffer, and I’ll make a bit myself thanks to your help. However…” Chu Dong left the rest unsaid, but the implication was clear: if Zhao asked too much, there was nothing to discuss.

Zhao Fan said nothing, just raised one hand, watching Chu Dong’s expression remain unchanged. Slowly, he pressed down his thumb. Still no reaction. Gritting his teeth, he hooked his little finger with his thumb.

“Deal,” Chu Dong agreed readily. It wasn’t that the price was particularly fair, but he knew this was Zhao Fan’s absolute minimum. Push any lower, and Zhao Fan might rather let the land lie fallow.

Even the air-conditioning couldn’t stop sweat from beading on Zhao Fan’s forehead. In less than twenty seconds, his wallet had shrunk by nearly fifty million—a loss few could bear. If Sea Breeze Group hadn’t pressed him so hard, he never would have given up this juicy morsel.

And so, by a stroke of luck, Chu Dong acquired the first piece of land that truly belonged to him.