144: Chapter 144 Demolition Contract

At seven in the morning, the first light of dawn broke through, and the morning sun, like a thin mist, spilled over the windowsill, casting mottled light and shadows on the floor.

The private cell phone by Jiang Chen's pillow suddenly vibrated. A string of unfamiliar landline numbers danced on the screen, with the location clearly marked as the city's Demolition and Relocation Office.

With his eyes half-closed, he lightly swiped his fingertip to answer. His voice carried a low, raspy quality from having just woken up, yet it remained steady and calm throughout: "Hello."

"May I ask if this is Mr. Jiang Chen? I'm from the Municipal Old City Renovation Demolition Office; my last name is Li."

The male voice on the other end of the line was extremely polite, every word sounding as if its weight had been measured before being spoken.

"The fifteen street-front shops under your name, located on Xuefu Road by the north gate of Jiangcheng University, have been included in the requisition scope for the Xuefu Road East Extension and the Phase II project of Metro Line 7."

"The preliminary property rights verification and value assessment have all been completed, and the compensation plan has been finalized. We would like to schedule a face-to-face meeting with you to communicate and, while we're at it, sign the contract."

Jiang Chen's eyelids lifted slightly, a hint of realization flashing in his eyes, followed immediately by a faint smile.

That row of shops on Xuefu Road was an asset he had conveniently acquired a month ago following Wealth Intelligence.

He had known back then that they would be subject to demolition and requisition, so he had waited patiently. Now that the process had reached this stage, the call had finally come.

He rolled over, his tone as flat as if he were discussing today's weather, but the slight upward curve of his lips still revealed a bit of the lightheartedness of waiting for things to settle: "I'm free today. Is nine o'clock at the Demolition Office alright?"

"Of course! That's perfectly fine."

Staff Member Li's tone dropped another half-notch, becoming even more respectful. "Nine o'clock sharp, third-floor conference room. I'll have all the documents ready on my end. You can just verify and sign once you arrive."

"Alright."

With that single, calm word, Jiang Chen hung up the phone and got out of bed.

In front of the vanity, the young man in the mirror had handsome and sharp features. After the sleepiness faded, he exuded a steady aura that didn't match his age.

Changing into a simple and clean white casual outfit, a sense of nobility blended with his youthful appearance, making him exceptionally striking.

He dialed Lu Zheng's number and gave a brief instruction to prepare the car.

Before heading out, he paused to look at the sky outside, which had fully brightened, and made a mental calculation.

From initially receiving the preliminary survey notice to today's official signing, he had waited for over a month. The process at the Demolition Office was finally complete.

It wasn't exactly slow either.

Just after eight o'clock, the lexus lm pulled up smoothly downstairs at the apartment building.

Jiang Chen pulled open the car door and sat in the back. Lu Zheng glanced at him through the rearview mirror: "President Jiang, going to the Demolition Office?"

"Yeah."

Jiang Chen leaned back against the seat, casually flipping through a financial briefing on his phone, his tone carrying a hint of imperceptible satisfaction.

"Regarding those shops on Xuefu Road, I'm signing the contract today. After waiting for over a month, it's time for the demolition funds to hit my pocket."

Lu Zheng's eyebrows lifted slightly, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth: "Xuefu Road? The one for Metro Line 7?"

"Yes. The East Extension and the subway are being constructed simultaneously, so the whole street has been included."

"In that location, the compensation standards won't be low," Lu Zheng said with genuine delight.

Jiang Chen didn't respond further, his gaze fixed on the street scenery flashing past the window, the faint smile on his lips never fading.

The morning rush hour traffic surged slowly as the lexus lm wove smoothly through it.

At nine o'clock sharp, the vehicle stopped precisely in front of the Demolition Office. The morning light was at its peak, making the entire building look bright and open.

Jiang Chen stepped out of the car slowly, his pace neither hurried nor slow, carrying an air of authority that commanded respect.

When he pushed open the door to the third-floor conference room, the staff member named Li practically bounced up and hurried forward to greet him.

"Mr. Jiang, please, have a seat!"

On the conference table, stacks of documents were neatly categorized: property rights verification reports, assessment details, and demolition compensation contracts, all with prominent red official seals.

The header of the top document read: "Requisition Compensation Agreement for the Xuefu Road East Extension and Metro Line 7 Phase II Project." The large characters were clear and striking.

Without any unnecessary pleasantries, Staff Member Li flipped directly to the compensation plan page and pointed at the data, explaining point by point: "Mr. Jiang, for the fifteen street-front shops under your name, the total surveyed area is eight hundred and sixty square meters."

"Combining the compensation standards for this municipal project with the market assessment price, the final determined one-time demolition compensation amount totals forty-six million eight hundred thousand yuan."

He paused, looking up to observe Jiang Chen's expression. Seeing that the other's gaze was as calm as water, he continued.

"There are no deductions or installments. Once the contract is signed and takes effect, after the shops are demolished—which is scheduled to start in ten days—the full amount will be transferred to your designated bank account within seven working days."

Jiang Chen's gaze swept over the contract.

Property area, unit assessment price, total compensation, and payment deadline.

The numbers were clear, the terms were clean, there were no redundant additional conditions, and there were no gray areas intentionally set as traps.

The Demolition Office had shown full sincerity this time.

He reached out and picked up a pen. With a slight movement of his fingertips, the name "Jiang Chen" was written with a smooth, forceful flow that wasn't ostentatious.

Then, a bright red fingerprint was pressed down, landing precisely below the signature.

The pen was set down; the fingerprint was pressed.

This payment, which he had waited over a month for, was finally set in stone.

Starting from today, ten days for demolition, then seven days for the funds to arrive.

He mentally went over the timeline, but his face remained composed and indifferent.

The entire signing process took no more than three minutes.

Staff Member Li looked at the signed contract, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

A forty-six-million-yuan contract, and this Mr. Jiang had signed it more casually than if he were buying groceries.

Holding Jiang Chen's copy of the contract with both hands, he respectfully handed it over: "Mr. Jiang, someone will synchronize the subsequent demolition progress with you, and you'll be notified before the funds arrive. Rest assured."

"Mm, thank you for your hard work."

Jiang Chen took the contract, tucked it away casually, gave a slight nod, and turned to leave the conference room.

The light in the hallway was bright, and the rhythm of his steps didn't change in the slightest.

He pulled open the car door and sat inside. Lu Zheng glanced at him through the rearview mirror: "President Jiang, all signed?"

"Signed."

Jiang Chen set the contract aside, leaned back into the seat, and unusually offered an extra comment: "After waiting for over a month, it's finally settled."

"Congratulations, President Jiang."

"It's a small matter," Jiang Chen closed his eyes, his tone returning to its usual indifference.

Outside the car window, the city skyline unfolded slowly in the morning light.

Jiang Chen closed his eyes to rest, and the image of that row of shops on Xuefu Road surfaced in his mind for no reason.

In the old neighborhood outside the north gate, the morning pancake stalls were steaming, and students crossed the road in small groups. Meanwhile, those fifteen storefronts under his name stood quietly on the street corner, having witnessed countless such ordinary mornings.

Before long, construction fences would be erected there, excavators would enter the site, and the old walls would collapse amidst the roar. Then, there would be a wider road and a brand-new subway station.

A city was growing, and he happened to be sitting at a node in its growth pattern.

A very faint curve appeared on Jiang Chen's lips.

Zhou Wanquan was probably still pleading everywhere for a gap of tens of millions, while he had simply woken up from a nap, taken a phone call, signed his name, and put an end to over a month of waiting.

The countdown for Wantai Real Estate moved forward another notch today.

The lexus lm merged smoothly into the main road traffic, slowly heading toward the campus.

Jiang Chen was still that low-profile sophomore, but the chess game he had laid out was closing its net inch by inch.

The warm sun spilled gently over him through the car window. The young man's features were serene as he strategized.