"The global population is constantly increasing, so the demand for housing naturally rises with it! No matter how nice a car is, it's just a consumable. A house is different—it's a fixed asset, and it's guaranteed to appreciate in value over time," Zhang Wei said with great confidence.
Hearing this, many of the classmates' eyes lit up.
"That's President Zhang for you! His perspective is truly on another level!" Huang Dazhi immediately started clapping. What followed was thunderous applause from the crowd.
Zhang Wei smiled proudly and gently raised his hand. The applause stopped at once.
"I'm sure you all understand how important a house is, right? Now, let me ask, how many of you here have bought a house?"
At his question, many people lowered their heads. Although Yun City wasn't a first-tier city, it was still a well-developed second-tier one. Prime real estate went for twenty to thirty thousand per square meter. Who could afford to buy a house without working for at least a decade? The children of the wealthy, of course, were an exception.
"Has no one bought a house? It seems you've all spent your money on pleasure! If you had bought a house a few years ago, based on current prices, you'd all be millionaires by now!"
Hearing this, everyone bowed their heads in shame.
Zhang Wei continued, "You all know Dazhi, right? His family owns a supermarket chain, but he also has a unique insight into real estate! In fact, Dazhi bought his BMW by selling houses. Right now, he has a beautifully renovated, 195-square-meter apartment valued at 4,500,000! In a few more years, that apartment will be worth at least six million! That's a direct profit of over two million!"
"Damn! That's so profitable!"
"Class President, you're holding out on us! Getting rich and not taking us with you!"
The group started making a scene again, all of them fawning over Huang Dazhi.
"Hahaha, alright, alright, no need to be so envious. Didn't I bring President Zhang here for you all? Plus, President Zhang has promised that anyone who buys a house today will get the best possible discount. If you're interested, you can talk to me in detail later," Huang Dazhi said with a beaming smile.
"Tch! What a show-off. If one way of bragging doesn't work, he just switches to another!"
"Will this guy die if he doesn't show off?" Li Hao and Zhao Gao couldn't help but mutter.
However, their comments were overheard by Zhang Wei, who wasn't far away. He frowned slightly, then glanced dismissively at them. "It seems the two of you don't quite agree with me. Perhaps you have a more unique insight? Or maybe you already own a house?"
With that remark, Li Hao and Zhao Gao suddenly became the center of attention.
"I..." The two of them flushed red but couldn't utter a single word. They were from the countryside and could barely make ends meet. How could they possibly have the money to buy a house?
"It seems you two don't have homes. You probably don't understand what I'm saying. Never mind. Ignorance isn't your fault," Zhang Wei sneered, his mouth twisted into a mocking grin.
Chen Zheng frowned, his dislike for Zhang Wei growing stronger. "President Zhang, you're the general manager of Dahong Real Estate. Why are you being so petty?"
"Chen Zheng, watch your mouth! President Zhang is trying to look out for our classmates!" Huang Dazhi retorted, clearly displeased.
"Heh! You really think this is some kind of benefit?" Chen Zheng let out a cold laugh. "The so-called 'best discount' is just a marketing trick. They hike the price before offering a discount. I'm afraid the amount you'd end up paying is much higher than before, right?"
Hearing this, many people had a sudden realization and began to reconsider. It was true; real estate companies used all sorts of endless tactics to sell their properties these days.
"Chen Zheng, you're spouting utter nonsense!" Huang Dazhi, red with shame and anger, pointed at Chen Zheng and roared.
"Oh?" Zhang Wei raised an eyebrow, glancing at Chen Zheng. "It seems this classmate has done some research. So, have you bought a house?"
"Who has the goddamn time to go and study real estate? Besides, whether I've bought a house or not is none of your damn business!" Chen Zheng shot back bluntly.
Zhang Wei didn't get angry. Instead, a faint smile played on his lips. "Since you haven't bought a house, there's no need for us to discuss it further! Let me offer you a piece of advice: as a layman, you should choose your words carefully. Don't let your ignorance cloud the judgment of others! To be able to drive a Lamborghini, you must have some money. A house is life's ultimate destination. Without a house, how can you have a home? Young man, there's a lot to learn about real estate. You should study it properly!"
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for successfully triggering a selection mission.]
[Choice 1: Reveal the villa and put Zhang Wei in his place. Reward: 30,000,000]
[Choice 2: Remain low-key. Reward: 5,000,000 and the title "Most Cowardly Protagonist".]
Chen Zheng couldn't be bothered with Zhang Wei, but since the system itself had issued a quest, he didn't mind putting him in his place.
"Choice one!"
After making his choice, Chen Zheng's lips curved into a cold smirk. "President Zhang, whether I buy a house is none of your business, but that doesn't mean I don't own one."
"Oh? Then it seems I've misunderstood. So, you're quite the expert after all, young man. Could you reveal the location of your property? Is it also from Dahong Real Estate?" Zhang Wei raised an eyebrow, speaking with feigned interest. "I happen to be free today. I could give you a good assessment of your property's appreciation potential!"
At the same time, a cold smile touched the corners of his mouth. I'm not afraid of him owning a house, I'm afraid of him *not* owning one. Let's see how I can take you down. In Zhang Wei's eyes, Chen Zheng was nothing but a nouveau riche who got lucky and was no threat at all.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, President Zhang, but Dahong Real Estate wasn't my choice! Its standards are too low!"
At these words, Zhang Wei's eyes narrowed, his expression turning cold. "Chen Zheng, is it? Anyone can brag. My Dahong Real Estate is all over Yun City, with numerous top-tier mansions worth tens of millions! If there really is something more formidable than Dahong Real Estate, it would only be the Garden Villas owned by President Wei's Group. Don't tell me the house you bought is one of the Garden Villas?" Zhang Wei said in a heavy tone.
The Garden Villas were developed by the top real estate company in Yun City, and money alone couldn't guarantee a purchase. Even though Chen Zheng's car was worth tens of millions, Zhang Wei didn't believe he could afford a house from the Garden Villas. Huang Dazhi had told him a lot about Chen Zheng; he was just an ordinary poor kid. His current wealth had to be from some dumb luck, like a government demolition windfall.
Nearby, Wei Xuerou frowned slightly. She had also heard of the famed Garden Villas. It was the most luxurious villa project developed in Yun City, exclusively selling top-tier mansions. Any detached villa there came with a private swimming pool and a full range of entertainment facilities.
Most importantly, the Garden Villas in Yun City were sold as entire estates. Even the cheapest one was valued at a staggering 50,000,000. Among them, the most extravagant were the exclusive luxury villas. There were only three in all of Yun City, and their value reached a shocking one hundred million Huaxia currency.