350: Chapter 350 Taking stock of assets, continuing the arrogance

Fang Cheng was quite well-off nowadays.

The antiques he had entrusted Xu Sanduo to sell had successfully found buyers.

After deducting the commission, 1.75 million was transferred to his bank card down to the exact penny.

The day before yesterday, he also had Xiao Sa pass a message to Chen Chen, notifying the latter to prepare for the final payment of the mission.

As long as Chen Chen wasn't out of his mind and dared to pull any tricks in this matter.

A week later, the ten million in cash would also be smoothly obtained.

With so much money, it naturally couldn't be left at home to gather dust.

It had to be spent as soon as possible and converted into safer assets.

As for how to explain the source of the money to his mother, Fang Cheng had already thought of an excuse.

At that time, he would have Xu Sanduo help forge a transaction certificate and just say he had good luck picking up a priceless heirloom antique for a steal.

Originally planning to send it to an auction, it ended up being spotted by a mysterious big boss who insisted on buying it out, which was why it sold for an astronomical price.

Anyway, his mother didn't understand the ins and outs of antiques and calligraphy, so it would be easy to fool her.

Speaking of which, that painting 《Pine and Crane Prolonging Years》 just given to his grandfather was casually taken from Xu Sanduo's place.

Yesterday, when strolling through his shop, Fang Cheng intended to be generous and spend over 100,000 to buy a famous painting he had set his eyes on as a housewarming gift for his grandfather.

But Xu Sanduo stubbornly refused to accept the money, insisting that this was his contribution as a Junior and it should naturally be given by him.

Calling him grandfather with every other word, sounding more affectionate than anyone else.

He even solemnly took out the ledger and said that this shop originally had thirty percent shares belonging to Fang Cheng.

According to the previous agreement, the first-quarter dividends of this year were about to be settled.

If he hadn't mentioned this, Fang Cheng would have almost forgotten about it.

Back then, after driving away those two Black Sect lamas, facing Xu Sanduo's eager behavior to cozy up to a powerful figure.

Fang Cheng neither agreed immediately nor flatly refused.

He only thought that having an extra informant to help gather information would be nice, and he truly never coveted the other's property.

Now that he was making such a big deal out of it, it actually put Fang Cheng in a somewhat difficult position.

After declining several times, it was hard to turn down such hospitality.

In the end, Fang Cheng made his attitude clear.

It was fine if Xu Sanduo wanted to pledge allegiance to him, but in business, things must be handled strictly by the book.

Therefore, the commission for entrusting the sale of those antiques must be deducted in full, without any ambiguity.

Hearing this, Xu Sanduo acted as if he had taken a reassurance pill, and hurriedly nodded in agreement with joy.

Fang Cheng calmly accepted the painting and took away the proceeds from the consigned antiques.

As for the shares and dividends, he didn't refuse them either.

To put it bluntly, if you don't accept this money, others won't feel at ease in their hearts, so how can they work tirelessly at your beck and call?

For a superior wanting to control subordinates, relying solely on emotional appeasement and martial suppression was not enough.

Clear interest bundling was the solid bond to maintain a long-term relationship.

As his thoughts flowed.

While skillfully stir-frying dishes, Fang Cheng took stock of his current assets.

An apartment in Haitian Garden, worth 2.4 million.

In his bank account, 1.92 million in savings.

The first-quarter dividends from Xu Sanduo's antique shop were estimated to be over 8 million.

Coupled with Chen Chen's 10 million remaining mission payment, his total assets were around 23 million.

With this financial strength, even buying a small-sized villa in the Jiangnan District of Dongdu should be enough.

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng looked at his mother beside him and said,

"Mom, if I get rich like Uncle, I'll buy you a villa too, so you can move in and be a wealthy lady."

"What villa?"

Li Biyun was processing a live fish by the sink, and hearing this, she said without looking back:

"What's so good about living in such a big house alone? It's empty."

"The moment you go to work during the day, I'm the only one in the house, with no one to talk to. At night when sleeping, I can't even hear a sound. I wouldn't be used to living like that."

Fang Cheng couldn't help but persuade:

"Mom, with money at home, we can't possibly keep living in the Tubular Building on Jiuchang Street, right?"

"If you really make big money, save it as your marriage fund, marry a pretty wife in the future, and have a few more kids."

Li Biyun gutted the scaled fish, rinsed it clean, and said with a hint of reproach in her tone:

"As for your old mom, I can consider moving over then to help you take care of the kids; that won't be lonely."

Fang Cheng originally wanted to persuade her a few more words, but was completely blocked by his mother's words, leaving him momentarily speechless.

Seeing his choked-up look, Li Biyun smiled, and her tone softened a bit:

"Actually, living on Jiuchang Street is pretty good; I'm used to it."

"Neighbors see each other all the time. When bored usually, I can still find Auntie He, Auntie Li, and the others to chat and play cards with. If one day I suddenly couldn't see them, my heart would feel really empty."

Fang Cheng's heart stirred slightly.

Since his mother was content with the life on Jiuchang Street, perhaps he could change his train of thought.

For instance, buy that Tubular Building and simply let her be a landlady.

This would not only solve the problem of improving housing, but also give her something to do without needing to go out to work hard anymore.

Ever since the bizarre murder case before the Chinese New Year and the police sealing off the building for several days, quite a few tenants in the building had moved away.

Because of this, the landlord rarely lowered the rent, but still failed to reverse the decline, and the whole building was much desolater than before.

If he could buy the whole building, he could completely knock through the adjacent small units on the top floor, redecorate and expand them, turning them into a spacious flat with a broad view.

Don't look at the Tubular Building as old, broken, and small; without tens of millions, it could definitely not be taken down.

What was valuable wasn't the house, but the land.

Jiuchang Street was located in the old urban area of Jiangbei. Although the surrounding infrastructure was outdated, schools, hospitals, vegetable markets, and supermarkets were all readily available, which could be said to be a core location.

Otherwise, so many migrant workers and grassroots families wouldn't have chosen to settle here, nor would it have attracted the covetousness of those Gang members fighting for territory.

Of course, due to a series of recent events, the Three Wolves Gang and the Red Tiger Gang had returned in defeat one after another.

The present North Point area temporarily had no Gang daring to meddle in it.

Except for some idle punks, no one dared to collect protection fees here, so public security had actually improved quite a bit as a result.

In the future, if it was demolished, compensation for this piece of land could easily double or triple.

Buying this building didn't just solve immediate living problems; it was a long-term investment with lucrative returns.

And now was the prime opportunity to get started.

After a few years, as the impact of the murder case gradually faded, housing prices would inevitably continue to rise.

By then, even if he was willing to add more money, as long as the landlord wasn't stupid, he would never sell it easily.

Having made up his mind, Fang Cheng already had a plan in his heart.

He just estimated the money currently on hand and referenced the average price of surrounding houses.

Wanting to buy this entire building, his strength was clearly still far from enough.

"It's fine..."

Fang Cheng thought to himself.

At worst, he would take on a few more assassin businesses, and he would soon save enough money.

Having just finished stir-frying a plate of diced chicken with soybean paste, he flipped the wok and turned off the heat.

Suddenly, Fang Cheng's mind stirred abruptly.

It was as if an invisible thread was gently plucked in a distant place, pulling his consciousness.

Then, a clear ripple spread deep within his mind.

Someone was calling him?

Fang Cheng's thoughts shifted slightly, and then he casually scooped the freshly stir-fried dish into a plate, saying to his mother:

"Mom, I need to pee. I'm going to the restroom; you watch the fire for a moment."

"Go on then."

Li Biyun wiped her hands, took the spatula, without any suspicion, and nimbly prepared the next dish.

Fang Cheng carried the dish out of the kitchen, placed it on the dining table, and greeted his grandfather and uncle who were watching TV.

Then, walking across the living room, he came to an unused quiet room on the second floor and gently closed the door.

Leaning against the window, his consciousness sank deep into his mind, extending outward along that invisible mental connection.

Afterwards, he responded in a deep voice:

"Xu Hao, what is it?"

"Boss, something happened! It's an emergency!"

Xu Hao's anxious voice was then transmitted through the mental connection.

Hearing this, Fang Cheng's gaze narrowed.

The next instant, the scene on Xu Hao's side simultaneously appeared in his field of vision.

That was a bright and clean office, arranged in an orderly manner, exuding a solemn atmosphere.

The walls were a cold grayish-white, and the bookshelf on one side was stuffed with case files and folders.

On the wall were pasted several group photos of what seemed to be official events, and an individual photo was placed in the most prominent position.

The square-faced man in the photo frame was wearing a black uniform with badges, with sharp eyes and natural dignity.

It was none other than his old acquaintance Gao Jin.

Xu Hao was currently sitting on a visitor's chair.

On the desk opposite, there was a gold-plated trophy with the words "Champion of the 23rd Police Firearms Shooting Competition" engraved on the base.

Fang Cheng's eyes flickered slightly, immediately making a judgment, and then said:

"Are the people from the Special Investigation Team looking for you for questioning?"

"Ah? Boss, you really are resourceful; you even know this?"

Xu Hao was surprised for a second, and without waiting for Fang Cheng to reply, he proactively confessed like pouring beans out of a bamboo tube:

"It's like this: early this morning, my mom called me to go home, saying an old primary school classmate was looking for me."

"I was wondering at the time, we hadn't been in touch for so many years, who was acting so secretive."

"As a result, as soon as I got home, I saw that Special Investigation Team official named Officer Zhou Liang sitting on my family's sofa drinking tea and waiting for me!"

Xu Hao's intent was filled with resentment.

"Damn it, these bastards, last time it was he who knocked me out, took me away, and interrogated me for half a day."

"Now they're playing this trick again, using my mom as an excuse to force me to confess about the Smiling Demon."

After cursing a few times, Xu Hao's voice turned helpless:

"In order not to disturb my mom, I could only obediently listen and go with him."

"The Smiling Demon..."

Hearing this, Fang Cheng paused, his responding voice calm and unruffled:

"Didn't I brief you last time?"

"If they ask about this matter, you just retell the cases committed by Cheng Jiashu listed at the Noah meeting with exaggerated details, and then tell them that this person is a traitor hunted down by the Noah Organization, and also has a codename called White Owl."

"Right, I said it all!"

Xu Hao's voice was very aggrieved:

"But they acted as if they took the wrong medicine, and actually concluded that I have an unspeakable relationship with that murdering fiend..."

As he was speaking, the office door was pushed open with a creak.

A thin young man walked in holding a cup of coffee; it was second-class official Officer Zhou Liang.

Behind him followed a brawny man wearing a black Elasticity shirt, his two arms knotted with muscles.

At first glance, he was no pushover; it was Zhou Liang's colleague, A-Li.

"Hey, have you thought it through?"

Zhou Liang placed the steaming coffee on the table and asked leisurely:

"What on earth is your relationship with Cheng Jiashu, that is, White Owl? Have you been in contact recently?"

"What are you dazing off for, kid? I'm asking you! Don't play tricks with me!"

A-Li stepped forward, interlocking his hands, making a series of cracking bone sounds, and glared fiercely at Xu Hao.

Xu Hao raised his eyelids, leaning lazily against the back of the chair:

"Didn't I say it? Let me think about it, reminisce quietly by myself."

"Are you senile? It takes this long to remember something?"

A-Li barked impatiently.

"I just remembered a little clue, and your shouting scared it away."

Xu Hao crossed his arms in front of his chest, putting on a stance of a dead pig not fearing boiling water:

"If you keep buzzing in my ear like a fly, I'm afraid I really won't remember anything."

"Your guts have grown big, haven't they, kid?"

A-Li raised his eyebrows, suddenly grabbing Xu Hao's collar, making a gesture to lift him up from the chair.

"A-Li, that's enough."

Zhou Liang timely reached out to stop his colleague, then turned to look at Xu Hao, the faint smile originally on his face disappearing:

"Haozi, let's talk frankly between us. Today, if you don't explain clearly about your secret dealings with Cheng Jiashu, don't even think about walking out of here."

"Think about your mother; you wouldn't want her to be terrified at home and unable to sleep all night, right?"

Hearing this, the rogue expression on Xu Hao's face instantly froze.

He glared fiercely at Zhou Liang, a flash of anger crossing his eyes, but in the end, he forced himself to endure it.

Then, he took a deep breath, composed himself, and once again sent an urgent cry for help to Fang Cheng via the mental connection:

"Boss, how should I reply to them?"

"These fellows are as stubborn as a turtle eating scale weights—completely dead set, insisting they saw me and White Owl colluding in secret, suspected of betraying the police force."

"Damn it, when on earth have I ever seen White Owl? If this suspicion can't be cleared, I'm afraid they really won't let me walk out of the Special Investigation Team headquarters."

"Boss, what should I do?"

Fang Cheng pondered for a moment in his consciousness, and then issued an order:

"Keep acting arrogant."

"Huh?"

Xu Hao subconsciously opened his mouth wide, an exclamation slipping out of his mouth.

"Hmm?"

Zhou Liang and A-Li cast skeptical gazes at him simultaneously.

Xu Hao's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly covered his mouth, coughing violently, pretending to be choked by his own saliva.

Fang Cheng's voice continued to come through, calm and clear:

"Tell them to have their superior Officer Gao come over personally. You can only tell this kind of secret to him alone."

Meanwhile, Zhou Liang leaned against the edge of the table, arms crossed over his chest, watching Xu Hao's performance coldly:

"Is your throat uncomfortable? Do you want me to call a doctor for you?"

"Or, you can cooperate with us right now and explain things clearly, and this cup of coffee will be given to you to moisten your throat."

Saying that, he pushed the still-steaming coffee forward a bit.

Seeing Xu Hao still keeping silent, A-Li glared and said:

"Playing dead, right? Fine, let's see how long you can pretend. Today, the two of us brothers will wear you down."

Just at this moment, Xu Hao, who had been hanging his head all along, suddenly raised his head.

He looked straight at Zhou Liang and said word by word:

"I want to see Officer Gao."

"What?"

Zhou Liang and A-Li exchanged glances, both somewhat surprised.

Xu Hao changed into a more comfortable posture, crossed his legs, and said in a nearly provocative tone:

"Some things are not for your level to hear."

"Even if I told you, you couldn't make the decisions and would still have to report level by level. How troublesome, just call someone who can make the final call."

"Damn it, what the hell are you?"

A-Li was instantly infuriated, clenching his fists and rushing forward:

"How dare you put on airs with us? Is Officer Gao someone you can see just because you want to? Today, I'll definitely teach you a lesson so you can remember your identity and who your direct supervisor is!"

"A-Li!"

Zhou Liang grabbed him once more.

But this time, his gaze also became exceptionally sharp, staring fixedly at Xu Hao, as if evaluating the value of a piece of cargo.

After a moment, Zhou Liang slowly nodded:

"Fine, we will notify Officer Gao, but if you dare to play any tricks, our Special Investigation Team has unique methods targeting traitors. By then, it won't be as simple as reasoning with you..."