"My father asked me to visit you, Uncle Yi. He said he did something he needs to apologize for, but he's afraid to see you, worried you'd be unhappy," Chen Xuejiao explained, looking at Yi Anguo.

"So, your father is afraid of seeing me because he thinks I'll be unhappy, and he sends you instead? Isn't he worried I might not see you, or that I'd be unhappy to see you?" Yi Anguo asked calmly.

"Uncle Yi, you're a bigger person than that. Surely you wouldn't hold a grudge against your little niece?" Chen Xuejiao asked with a smile.

"I'm very busy. You didn't come here just for a simple visit, did you?" Yi Anguo said directly. "Just say what's on your mind. I am indeed a bit angry with your father, but I won't take it out on you."

"If your father had come to see me today, I probably would have given him the cold shoulder. I wouldn't be this approachable."

"Uncle Yi! My father is indeed a soft-hearted people-pleaser, and sometimes he can't tell right from wrong. You kindly helped him, but he ended up betraying you. I'm angry with him too, and I've already given him a piece of my mind," Chen Xuejiao explained hurriedly. "He deeply regrets it now and knows he was wrong, so I'm asking you, Uncle Yi, to please find it in your heart to forgive my father."

Yi Anguo nodded and said, "Your father raised a good daughter. In the future, your family's company will likely grow and thrive under your leadership."

"You must be here because your company is going through another rough patch, isn't it?"

"But this isn't just a problem for your real estate development company. The entire market is trending this way. If you've come seeking my help, I'm powerless to assist."

"Uncle Yi is right," Chen Xuejiao said with a nod. "This crisis isn't unique to our company; all of Shenzhen's real estate development companies are facing the same situation."

"Because of this, many small and medium-sized real estate companies with insufficient strength are facing bankruptcy. Whoever can weather this storm will be the one left standing."

"I dare predict that in one or two years at most, housing prices will rebound, possibly even surpassing the peak of last year's market."

"So, while the real estate industry is facing its greatest crisis, a crisis is both a danger and an opportunity. We could actually still work together."

Yi Anguo nodded. "A crisis is indeed both danger and opportunity. I imagine many people can see that."

"But there are two issues. First, I have no interest in getting involved in the real estate development industry. Second, I don't have to cooperate with your family. I believe if I wanted a partner, many people would be willing to work with me."

"Of course, I know you're not interested in the real estate industry, Uncle Yi. Or rather, you find it too troublesome," Chen Xuejiao acknowledged.

"But if you're willing to work with us, you wouldn't have to lift a finger. You just have to wait for housing prices to rise, and you can collect your profit."

"Most importantly, your property management company could expand rapidly by moving into many new residential communities."

"I can assure you, Uncle Yi, if you help our company grow, the property management for all of our company's future development projects will be handled by your management company."

"Although my father unintentionally made a mistake that upset you, I believe you understand his character, Uncle Yi. He never intended to harm you, and he absolutely never will."

Yi Anguo listened quietly. After Chen Xuejiao finished, he pondered for a moment before asking, "Why are you so sure that the real estate market will improve in one or two years? And that it will be even better than last year's peak?"

Yi Anguo was only so certain because he had been reborn; he knew the real estate market would recover in a year, and that by the end of next year, housing prices would surpass the peak of 2017. For Chen Xuejiao to be just as sure, however, was rather unusual.

"It's my own deduction," Chen Xuejiao said. "I can't speak for other places, but Shenzhen is only so large. Land is a finite resource. As the economy continues to grow, the population will increase, and housing is a fundamental need."

"Although housing prices have risen a bit too fast in recent years, creating something of a bubble, the global financial crisis, triggered by the US subprime mortgage crisis, has caused housing prices to be slashed in half. But it's not just housing prices that have plummeted—every industry is in a slump."

"Real estate is a pillar of the national economy. With all sectors in a downturn, the government certainly won't stand by and do nothing. It won't be long before they introduce bailout measures, increase the money supply, and adopt looser monetary policies to stimulate domestic consumption and promote economic development by expanding domestic demand."

"At that point, people will have more money in their pockets, and housing prices are bound to rise again, and with even greater momentum. It would be perfectly normal for prices to exceed last year's peak average."

"To put it simply, it's currency devaluation. The state will issue several trillion in new currency and inject it into the market, causing the economy to recover. Since wages also increase every year, inflation is a given, which means a rise in housing prices is inevitable."

"Plainly speaking, the earlier you buy a house, the better the deal. Buying now, when prices have hit rock bottom, will guarantee future profits. If I had enough capital, I would sweep the entire real estate market. In one or two years, prices will definitely appreciate. In a few years, they might be several times what they are now."

After listening, Yi Anguo couldn't help but admire her. Chen Xuejiao's analysis was spot-on, and her judgment was accurate.

"Besides real estate, what are your thoughts on other industries? For example, internet companies like Taobao, AQuietPlace online supermarket, Penguin, and JD?" Yi Anguo asked after a moment.

"As for internet enterprises, I think companies like Taobao, AQuietPlace online supermarket, Penguin, and JD are all developing quite well," Chen Xuejiao analyzed. "In the future, as the internet becomes more widespread and more people can afford computers, the number of netizens in the country will grow. Consequently, more people will choose to shop online, so the momentum of the internet economy is bound to get better and better."

"For instance, I love online shopping now. Whenever I have free time, I enjoy browsing AQuietPlace. I order many of my things from the AQuietPlace online supermarket. It's incredibly convenient."

"What is your ambition? Is it the real estate industry? Do you want to work at your family's company, helping your father make it bigger and stronger?" Yi Anguo asked after another thought.

"Although I'm very optimistic about the real estate sector, I believe its golden age of development will only last for about another decade. After that, the market will become saturated," Chen Xuejiao said after considering it. "If I had a choice, I'd prefer to work in venture capital."

"Why?" Yi Anguo asked.

"Because if you have a good eye and make the right investments, you can often turn a small sum into a fortune. Plus, you don't have to manage the day-to-day operations—you can make money while lying down," Chen Xuejiao blurted out.

"Take Shen Zhengyi from Japan, for example. He invested in Taobao. When it goes public, he'll see a return of at least several hundred times his investment."

"Then there's Naspers, which invested in Penguin. Penguin has already gone public, and its current market value exceeds 25 billion US dollars, having peaked at over 40 billion. They've already earned a massive return."

"There are many examples like this. Being an investor brings a great sense of accomplishment."

Yi Anguo thought for a moment and said, "Suppose I gave you an opportunity right now to acquire Naspers—or rather, to acquire the Penguin shares that Naspers owns—would you be confident you could do it?"

"What do you think is the most you would have to pay to buy Penguin's shares from Naspers?"

"And what about Taobao's shares? Are you confident you could acquire them from Shen Zhengyi?"

Stunned by his questions, Chen Xuejiao replied, "Penguin's market capitalization is over 25 billion US dollars. Naspers owns more than forty percent, so that stake alone is worth at least 10 billion US dollars."

"The key issue is that Naspers itself is a powerful company. They might not be willing to sell their Penguin shares, not even for a high price."

"The same goes for Shen Zhengyi. This isn't something we can necessarily acquire just by offering a lot of money. What you're asking is too difficult."

Of course, Yi Anguo knew it was difficult. The Penguin shares held by Naspers were worth over 10 billion US dollars; how much should he offer? He couldn't afford to bid too high, and they wouldn't sell if he bid too low.

Yi Anguo had always thought he had more money than he knew what to do with, but when it came time to actually use it, he realized it still wasn't enough.

Besides, given the investment foresight of people like Shen Zhengyi and the executives at Naspers, they could probably see the future potential of Taobao and Penguin. Why would they ever agree to sell a golden goose that lays golden eggs?

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