"Have you forgotten which real estate company was the first to start lowering prices?" Yi Anguo retorted. "Do you have the ability to acquire Vanke? Or the power to make them listen to you?"

Zhuo Weidong was left speechless. He didn't have that kind of power!

"How many real estate development companies are there in Shenzhen? There are several publicly listed ones alone. Do you think you can blot out the sky with one hand?" Yi Anguo continued his barrage. "Or do you think you've become the industry leader, someone who can set the rules?"

Zhuo Weidong was so thoroughly rebuked he couldn't say a word. He had no way to refute the string of questions. Besides, he was the one asking for a favor right now.

After his tirade, Yi Anguo calmed down. The two men stared at each other, neither speaking.

It was only today that Zhuo Weidong realized Yi Anguo had developed an imposing aura. When it radiated from him, even a man like Zhuo Weidong felt a shiver of fear.

Zhuo Weidong had always believed that he was the one who had made Yi Anguo. If he hadn't maneuvered to sell those 1,000 properties to him back then, the Yi Anguo of today wouldn't exist. But now, he suddenly realized that if it hadn't been him, someone else would have facilitated Yi Anguo's rise. Perhaps Yi Anguo never needed anyone to make him successful at all. The moment opportunity knocked, he would soar like a dragon riding the wind.

"How much longer can you hold out?" Yi Anguo asked, his voice now even.

"If we just hang on, we probably won't last until the end of the year. Three or four months at most," Zhuo Weidong said, his tone low.

"Then just hold on until you can't anymore. Isn't that what the other real estate development companies are doing right now?" Yi Anguo said.

"If I just hang on like this, I'll be finished if you don't help me when the time comes! The company will be lost for good," Zhuo Weidong said anxiously.

"Then how do you want me to help you?" Yi Anguo asked. "Let's be frank. Housing prices haven't hit rock bottom yet; they're going to fall further. Do you really think I would buy a large number of properties at a time like this?"

Now Zhuo Weidong understood. It wasn't that Yi Anguo was unwilling to help, but that the time wasn't right. The main reason was that Yi Anguo believed prices had not yet hit their absolute low, so he had no intention of making a move yet.

Zhuo Weidong felt a knot form in his stomach. The current prices are already so low. How much lower could they possibly go? But if I have to offer another discount on top of the current market prices, I'll really have no tears left to cry!

But if he didn't offer a discount, Yi Anguo certainly wouldn't bite. Business was business, after all. Even if someone wanted to help you, their own interests came first. Helping you in a way that maximized their own benefit was the only way to achieve multiple goals at once.

Moreover, without a discount, it was nearly impossible to sell properties in the current market. As Yi Anguo had said, prices hadn't bottomed out and were still falling. Even the bottom-fishers were still watching from the sidelines. The entire monthly transaction volume for residential housing in Shenzhen City was only three to five thousand units. What an abysmal figure!

But how big of a discount should I offer? That's the million-dollar question. I need to think this through very carefully before making a decision. If the discount is too large, I'll suffer an even greater loss than I already am. But if it's too small, Yi Anguo will just tell me to hold on a little longer.

As Zhuo Weidong recalled every detail of their acquaintance, he suddenly realized that Yi Anguo was the true mastermind hiding in the shadows. From 2003 until now, in just five years, he had gone from having total assets of less than a million yuan to an unknown number of billions. One didn't even need to calculate the assets of his companies; the more than 5,000 properties under his name alone were worth an astronomical sum.

As for his true net worth, it was impossible to calculate. Last year, he had sold more than 6,000 properties at an average price of 18,000 yuan per square meter, bringing in cash assets in the tens of billions of yuan.

Although Blue Coast Real Estate's assets are also valued in the tens of billions, our liabilities are just as high! In the past few years, the real estate market was on a continuous upward trend, and the company's development was a bit too smooth. We expanded too aggressively, and now that we've suddenly run into this crisis, we can barely breathe.

"Right, your company's Blue Coast Plaza in the city center is almost complete, isn't it?" Yi Anguo suddenly said. "As it happens, Anguo Internet Technology Service Company needs an office building. If the price is right, I can consider buying the entire plaza."

"Thank you!" Zhuo Weidong exclaimed, his face lighting up.

The high-end office building project in the city center, named Blue Coast Plaza, was a key project launched by Blue Coast in 2006. It was also one of the key projects for both Shenzhen City and Futian District.

The project was situated on the southern central axis of the Shenzhen CBD, between the municipal government building and the convention center. It was a prime property with access to two subway lines in the core business area. The total construction area was 120,000 square meters, of which 98,000 square meters were available for sale. This included 82,834.5 square meters of office space and 12,000 square meters of commercial space.

The building stood 218 meters tall with fifty-two floors above ground and three below. The first basement level connected directly to a subway pedestrian crossing, while the second basement level linked to the office buildings and hotel to the north and south.

The building's design strove for an "iconic" effect, emphasizing flowing three-dimensional lines and a soaring verticality. The podium utilized a frame structure, while the tower adopted a tube-in-frame design. The exterior was a glass curtain wall, with large embedded glass panels at the transition between the podium and tower to create a harmonious, unified look. The design also took into full consideration the climate of the Shenzhen region, interweaving frames, large glass panes, and curtain walls to create an ethereal effect that highlighted its clean lines and simple, elegant form.

The north and west sides of the building faced city roads and a subway exit, perfectly capturing the pulse of the modern era. To the southeast was a city square, providing a place for people to relax and reflecting a thoughtful, user-centric design. The project's layout featured clear traffic flows, keeping pedestrian and vehicle paths from interfering with each other and harmonizing perfectly with the surrounding buildings.

The above-ground podium, spanning three to four floors, faced multiple roads, giving it an exceptionally advantageous position. It was a rare commercial space featuring a luxurious atrium, capable of meeting various business needs, particularly for financial institutions that require a layout combining both open and private spaces. Between the podium and the tower was a grand, 20-meter-high atrium, the tallest of its kind for an office and commercial building in Shenzhen. The podium also incorporated multiple voids and setbacks to accommodate different commercial demands, adding a playful element to the spatial experience.

The standard floor plate of the tower was 1,726 square meters and square in shape, with each side consisting of five column spans. This resulted in an efficient spatial distribution. Among all the towers in the central district, it boasted the highest space utilization rate, with office areas closest to the corridors and the largest amount of natural light. The facade featured a wide-span curtain wall design, giving it a prestigious and distinguished look. Since a single floor was under 1,800 square meters, the space could be subdivided with extreme flexibility.

This project was Blue Coast's first major venture into commercial real estate and was Zhuo Weidong's masterpiece.

"This plaza project is located right in the city center, so regarding the price..." Zhuo Weidong began to ask.

"The price will, of course, be based on market conditions," Yi Anguo said with a smile. "With the global financial crisis this year, a huge number of high-end office buildings are vacant. What average price are you planning to sell at?"

"I'll have to think about that carefully. I definitely won't sell it to you at an inflated price," Zhuo Weidong said, also smiling. "But there's 98,000 square meters of sellable area there. Are you sure you want all of it?"

"Of course. Why would I joke about that? As long as the price is right, everything is negotiable," Yi Anguo replied.

"If that's possible, doesn't your Blue Coast have another project, the Blue Coast Century Center?" Yi Anguo suddenly added. "That one is an even larger development, and I'm quite interested in it too. Rather than buying residential properties, I'd much rather buy commercial real estate. After all, I have a use for it myself!

"Of course," he continued, his tone turning serious, "this is all contingent on a suitable price. Otherwise, I could just buy land and build my own office building. If I were to apply for land to build an office tower in the name of the Anjing Online Supermarket headquarters, do you think the relevant authorities in Shenzhen would approve?"

Once again, Zhuo Weidong found himself at a complete loss for words.

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