In his downtown office, Parker was nervously refreshing the city's official planning website. Today was the day the land-use policy would be announced.
The moment the page loaded, his eyes widened, and he leaned in closer to read every word. The tourism development project had officially been approved—the ecological corridor plan was about to be launched.
Parker exhaled heavily. He had bet correctly. Even though rumors had circulated for months, hardly anyone had managed to profit.
In the current stagnant real estate market, catching even a small wave of profit was nearly impossible.
But as he scrolled further down, his heart lurched. His pupils shrank as he reread the lines carefully.
The ecological corridor was far larger than anyone expected—it would link the Riverside District all the way through Midtown, and even the industrial tract had been included. That land was officially reclassified as commercial property. On top of that, the adjacent shoreline was slated to be redeveloped into a full sandy beach attraction.
Parker sucked in a breath. Wait—hadn't Jason bought that exact tract?
Three hundred acres of industrial land, suddenly converted into prime commercial property—inside a tourist zone—with a beachfront? The value wasn't just a little higher; it was astronomical.
Even the homes in Westwood Estates nearby would likely jump by fifty percent or even double.
Parker wasn't jealous—he was rattled.
For Jason to have swooped in before the zoning change? If anyone said it was a coincidence, they'd be lying to themselves.
That meant Jason must have known in advance.
There were countless developers in Harbor City, some with deep political ties and insider channels. And yet none of them had managed to predict this. Jason, on the other hand, had—what kind of background did he really have?
Parker recalled mocking Jason for making the wrong move before. Now he felt like a complete fool. He had even tried to rope Jason into investing alongside him—what a joke. Did he even deserve to stand beside someone like that?
At that moment, his phone buzzed. It was Peng calling. Lewis picked up, and before he could say a word, Peng's voice shouted in excitement:"Have you seen the news? The tourism project is locked in! And guess what—the industrial land Jason bought? It's been rezoned into commercial property…"
Meanwhile, in the sleek offices of Vision Media, Lewis sat in front of his monitor, frozen as the details lit up the screen.
He had spent days worrying that Jason had sunk millions into worthless property and would drag their partnership into financial ruin.
But now—who could have guessed? The property Jason bought had skyrocketed more than tenfold in value, right on schedule, as though he had insider knowledge.
Lewis swallowed hard. He couldn't tell if Jason was simply that sharp or if he had someone feeding him classified information. Either way, one thing was clear: Jason wasn't someone to take lightly.
Choosing to make Jason the primary investor had been the smartest decision of his life. From now on, he would cling tightly to Jason's coattails—no matter where they led.
Over at Sterling Properties, Mike and his associate Lu Fang stared at the planning announcement in shock.
Suddenly it all made sense—why Jason had dismissed their half-finished condo project so coldly.
Why would he waste time with a crumbling development when he already held land that was about to multiply tenfold in value?
A $420 million purchase had ballooned to more than $1.2 billion in just a few days.
The news swept through the Harbor City real estate scene like wildfire. Everyone was buzzing about Jason. All those who had laughed at him before were now eating their words.
Investigations quickly surfaced—Jason's parents were ordinary working-class folks, their household income barely six figures. Yet somehow, their son had pulled off a move that outmaneuvered every seasoned developer in the city.
No one dared underestimate him now. If anything, his background seemed even more mysterious and unfathomable.
At the Westwood Estates sales office, Director Carl Hughes lounged in his chair, one leg crossed, sipping coffee.
Just weeks ago, sales had been dismal, and he was losing sleep and hair over it. But recently, some "miracle buyer" had swept in and purchased seven hundred units in one go.
Targets shattered, bonuses secured—Carl was now living the good life, all thanks to Jason's bold play.
Inside the Westwood Estates sales office, a junior salesperson burst into Director Carl Hughes' office, panting and wide-eyed.
"Director, big news—something huge just happened!"
Carl narrowed his eyes, clearly annoyed at the interruption. He raised his coffee cup and sipped slowly."How many times have I told you—stay calm, keep your emotions steady. Only then can you handle big things."
The salesperson sucked in a deep breath and blurted out, "The tourism development policy just went live. Not only are they developing the Riverside corridor, they're extending it all the way up through Midtown—and our entire neighborhood is included. The value of our properties just skyrocketed. Phones are blowing up with buyers."
Carl nearly dropped his coffee. He shot out of his chair, banging his knee hard against the desk. The mug tipped, splattering hot liquid across the papers.
Pain shot through his leg, but he barely noticed. His forehead was already slick with cold sweat.
If the ecological corridor really ran through their community, housing prices would soar overnight—fifty percent, maybe even double. But he'd just sold seven hundred units dirt cheap.
Technically, he hadn't done anything wrong. The developer had set the terms, and he had followed orders. But that excuse wasn't going to protect him when the backlash hit.
Before he could come up with a plan, his phone lit up. Caller ID: the developer. His hand trembled so badly, he nearly dropped the device.
Meanwhile, in a downtown karaoke lounge, Jack was spraying dollar bills across the stage, drunk and grinning ear to ear.
"Come on, drink up! Tonight, we party on me!" he shouted, arms around a pair of hostesses.
His younger buddies clapped and cheered."Boss Jack, you're incredible—tens of millions, just like that!""Everyone else is playing small ball with condos, but you? Flipping land! That's next level!"" Boss Jack, you gotta let us in on the next deal. I heard the city's tourism plan just dropped. Big things are happening."
One of the younger guys pulled out his phone and scrolled the official site. He froze mid-swipe, staring at the development map. His eyes widened. He looked at Jack with a twisted expression.
The others noticed."What's with that face? Spit it out."
The kid hesitated. Jack scowled and kicked his shin."Quit stalling like some nervous schoolgirl. Say it!"
The kid swallowed hard."Boss… the ecological corridor's a lot bigger than we thought. The land you just sold? It's already jumped from forty grand an acre to six hundred."
Jack blinked, stunned. Three long seconds passed before he snatched the phone."No. Impossible."
But the numbers were right there in front of him, on the official site. Even if he didn't want to believe it, the truth was undeniable. His smug grin collapsed, replaced by a ghostly pale face.
Sure, he'd made money—but compared to what he could have held? It felt like he'd just thrown away over a billion.
In Jason's office, Olivia approached, tablet in hand, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief.
"Boss, the policy just went public." She handed him the screen. "It's confirmed. That land you bought—everything's been rezoned. The whole project's blowing up. You're about to make… God, I don't even know how many times over."
To be honest, she had never fully understood Jason before. Why he bought that land, or those unsellable houses. She had thought he was overreaching, maybe even reckless.
But now? Now he looked untouchable.
Jason gave the tablet a single glance, his expression unreadable."Yeah. I figured as much."
His casual indifference made Olivia blink. He had known all along. He hadn't just gambled—he had played the board from the start.
Her heart skipped. His status… it must be so much higher than any of us think.
And in that moment, Olivia realized: choosing to become Jason's personal secretary might have been the single smartest decision of her life.
Olivia: Favorability +20
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