40: Chapter 40 Demolition Countdown! Frenzied Property Acquisition to Lock in Profits

After reading the prompt, Lin Chen immediately called Li Wei and Uncle Zhao for a meeting.

The location was Uncle Zhao's Grocery Store. The shop wasn't large, the lighting was dim and yellowish, and the old light bulb overhead hummed as it illuminated the worn-out wooden table in the middle where the paint was peeling. The table was covered with a dense list of properties, many marked with pencil circles, and next to it lay pens, notebooks, and a stack of blank agreements.

Uncle Zhao had just closed the shop door and hurried to the table, his face still showing the excitement from watching the commotion earlier. Li Wei stood to the side, his back straight, and though the swelling on his face hadn't fully gone down, his gaze was focused as he waited for Lin Chen to speak.

Lin Chen placed his finger on the list on the table and spoke directly without any unnecessary preamble.

"An AI pop-up just appeared; the Slum District demolition public notice will be officially released next week."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Zhao's eyes instantly widened. He slapped his thigh hard, his voice trembling.

"Next week? That fast? I heard people saying it would be delayed for a month or two. I didn't expect that kid David to be so lucky with his timing!"

"It's not luck; he heard the news in advance, which is why he's been grabbing properties like crazy," Lin Chen said calmly, cutting straight to the point. "He wants to monopolize the properties before the public notice so he can hike up the prices and take all the compensation. We can't let him succeed."

Li Wei clenched his fists and said through gritted teeth, "Brother Chen, just tell me what to do, I'll follow your lead!"

Lin Chen looked up and assigned tasks directly, with clear logic and full coordination.

"Uncle Zhao, you have a wide network and are familiar with the old homeowners in Chinatown. Continue to contact the households we targeted before, focusing on those eager to sell. The price can be slightly higher, but make sure to secure them."

"Li Wei, you're familiar with the people in the Slum District. Screen all The Homeowners David hasn't targeted yet and talk to them door-to-door. Prioritize securing good locations that face the street or have large layouts. You must be fast."

Both men nodded simultaneously without the slightest hesitation.

"Don't worry, I'll start calling them one by one right now and arrange to meet The Homeowners tonight!" Uncle Zhao grabbed his coat and prepared to leave.

"Brother Chen, I'm heading out now. I promise not to waste a single minute!" Li Wei followed suit.

Lin Chen raised his hand to stop them and pulled up the futures profit interface on his phone, showing it to them.

"Don't worry about the funds. I just made a batch of profit from futures specifically for acquiring these houses. The payment will be fast, with no delays." He paused and then said firmly, "Once the demolition compensation comes through, everyone will get a large bonus. I'll never let those who follow me lose out."

Uncle Zhao grinned from ear to ear and patted his chest in assurance. "Xiao Chen, I trust your way of doing things! I'll put my old reputation on the line to secure those properties for you!"

Li Wei was even more excited, his eyes full of drive. "Brother Chen, I will definitely complete the task! I won't be slower than Uncle Zhao!"

"Remember, time is money. The public notice is next week, so we must get all the properties we can before then!" Lin Chen emphasized again.

"Understood!"

The two responded and immediately rushed out of the Grocery Store to take action separately, without any delay.

Lin Chen stayed in the Grocery Store, sitting on a worn wooden chair, marking the property list one by one, clearly dividing the areas Li Wei and Uncle Zhao were responsible for to ensure nothing was missed.

The AI stood by quietly without any further prompts. Now, it was a race of speed and execution; whoever secured the properties first would hold the initiative.

Throughout the afternoon, the phone in the Grocery Store rang incessantly. Uncle Zhao called back every hour to report on the progress of the negotiations, his tone becoming more excited each time.

"Xiao Chen! It's done! The house belonging to Old Liu's family in Chinatown is signed! It's five hundred below market price!"

"Got another one! As soon as Old Zhang heard we pay fast, he agreed on the spot!"

Li Wei, on the other hand, went directly to the sites. He sent back messages periodically, filled with photos of signed agreements, his drive evident in every word.

By evening, the two returned to the Grocery Store one after another, slapping a stack of signed agreements onto the table, their faces weary but unable to hide their smiles.

"Brother Chen, we did it! We negotiated three properties in one afternoon!" Uncle Zhao wiped the sweat from his forehead, smiling happily.

Li Wei stepped forward, pointed to one of the agreements, and lowered his voice, dropping a hint.

"Brother Chen, there's more good news. I got in touch with Uncle Zhang. His place is right in the center of the Slum District, faces the street, and even has a yard. The location is excellent. The owner said if we're sincere, he can lower the price even further. If we get this house, the demolition compensation will definitely be much higher than the others!"

Lin Chen picked up the property information, looked at the location, and his eyes lit up.

This was exactly the core property he needed most. With this one, his layout in the Slum District would be completely solid.

"Good job. First thing tomorrow morning, we'll go sign for this one," Lin Chen said as he put away the list, his tone certain.

Uncle Zhao and Li Wei both nodded, full of energy.

Just then, the rolling shutter door of the Grocery Store was suddenly kicked twice with a loud "bang-bang." The force was so great that the entire shop shook.

Immediately after, an extremely arrogant shout pierced through the door.

"Lin Chen! Get out here! Don't hide inside like a shrinking turtle!"

David's people had come knocking again.