83: Chapter 83 Homeowner Arrives to Take Back the Property! The Old Homeowner Remains Firm and Refuses to Budge.

Li Wei answered the phone, and The Homeowner's tone was impatient.

"Are you buying it or not? Plenty of people have their eyes on my house. I'll give you ten minutes. If you don't come to see it, I'm selling it to someone else!"

The old man's gruff scolding came from the other end of the line, and before Li Wei could reply, he hung up with a sharp "snap."

Li Wei frowned, put away his phone, and said to Lin Chen and Sophia, "Brother Chen, The Homeowner is pushing hard. I'm heading over now."

Lin Chen nodded and advised, "Keep your cool. Don't reveal our hand. If you really can't reach a deal, just pull back. Don't start any conflicts."

"Understood." Li Wei replied, then turned and walked quickly out of the clubhouse.

Following the address sent by the AI, Li Wei headed straight for the old residential area deep in the Slum District.

The roads here were narrow, barely wide enough for one electric scooter to pass. The brick walls on both sides were mottled and peeling, and most of the windows were missing glass, patched up with plastic sheets. The roadside was piled high with discarded furniture and household waste, and a musty smell rushed to meet him.

The target property was a single-story house with a small courtyard. The gate was covered in rust, and a light push produced a piercing "creak." The yard was overgrown with waist-high weeds, and broken bricks and tiles were piled in the corners, looking so desolate it didn't seem like anyone lived there.

An old man with graying hair, wearing an old undershirt, was squatting at the entrance smoking. When he saw Li Wei enter, he didn't even lift his eyelids, his attitude extremely cold.

"Sir, I'm the one who called earlier about seeing the house." Li Wei stepped forward, his tone polite.

The old man stood up, spat out his cigarette butt, sized Li Wei up, and waved his hand impatiently: "Cut the crap. One price: thirty thousand. Not a penny less, or there's no deal!"

Li Wei had been prepared and smiled as he tried to persuade him: "Sir, your house is so dilapidated—the roof leaks, the walls are cracking, and it's hard to even live in. The market price is only around ten thousand or so. Your price is too high."

"High?" The old man's eyes widened, his neck stiffened, and his tone instantly turned aggressive. "My house is in the central area of the Slum District; it's bound to be valuable in the future! I'm not afraid to tell you, plenty of people have been asking about this house. If you don't buy it, there are plenty of others who will!"

Li Wei remained patient: "Sir, no matter how good the location is, if the house is dilapidated, it won't sell for much. I'll offer you twenty thousand. That's already the absolute maximum. Please consider it."

"Consider my ass!" The old man cursed outright, pointing at the courtyard gate and roaring, "If you want to buy it, pay my price. If not, get lost! Don't waste my time here!"

Li Wei's brows were tightly knitted, but he didn't dare lose his temper. He knew Lin Chen's instructions: do not reveal the news about the demolition, and do not use force. But this old man was impervious to reason and refused to budge on the price, making it impossible to negotiate.

He was silent for a moment, then took out his phone, walked to a corner of the courtyard, and called Lin Chen.

"Brother Chen, the situation isn't great." Li Wei lowered his voice. "The Homeowner is an old man, and his attitude is extremely stubborn. He's set the price at thirty thousand and won't sell for a penny less. Nothing I say works. He even said others are asking about this house."

On the other end of the line, Lin Chen's voice was calm and steady. "Don't rush. Him saying others are asking is likely just a ruse to drive up the price. Don't force the negotiation, and don't agree to his price yet. Keep him steady. I'll have the AI look into his background again to see if there's a breakthrough."

"Alright, I understand, Brother Chen."

Li Wei hung up the phone, let out a sigh of relief, and turned around, preparing to haggle with the old man some more.

But just as he turned around and before he could speak, a set of measured footsteps sounded from outside the courtyard gate.

Two figures slowly walked into the courtyard, heading straight toward the old man, their eyes sweeping toward Li Wei with a hint of hostility.