The starting price of the land at the auction wasn't actually high. If no one bids against it, getting the land at the starting price would be no different from buying it for pennies.

In fact, at today's land auctions, although the starting prices are considerably higher than in 2008, they're still not very high.

The problem is that the market conditions now are nothing like they were back in 2008. At every land auction, major real estate developers aggressively bid against each other, and the final transaction prices often end up being several times, even dozens of times the starting price.

Trying to get a piece of land at the starting price is simply a pipe dream; it's just not going to happen.

This is also why Zhuo Weidong and Ou Xiaolong hope to get a slice of the pie from Yi Anguo and take away a few pieces of land.

If they can acquire a few pieces of land at the price previously secured at auctions, they'd be getting an incredible deal. The profit just from the difference in land prices would be more than enough to fill their coffers and overflow with profits.

The reason Yi Anguo was so determined to acquire land before is simply because he's reborn and knows that land prices will rise significantly in the future.

The land that Yi Anguo paid for with his own money, and now Zhuo Weidong and Ou Xiaolong want half of it—it's a joke, isn't it? He doesn't even have enough for himself; he's still desperately acquiring land.

The price of land now is indeed much more expensive than in 2008, but it's still a lot cheaper than what it will be a few years down the road.

Even though he secured quite a bit of land in 2008, it's still not enough. What will he do when it's all used up?

So even though he still has some land, he can't stop buying more. Since he's started a commercial real estate company, he has to have his own reserve of development land on hand.

With land in his hands, he won't panic. If he reserves land now and develops it into housing projects in a few years, it'll be a major advantage! No matter how he sells it, he'll be making money! And more than others, too.

Think about Li, the richest man on Harbor Island, who bought a piece of land in the capital and just left it there for decades. Even without developing it himself, just selling the land would fill his coffers to the brim.

Of course, Yi Anguo won't be like that richest man, buying land and holding onto it for ten or twenty years. But holding it for three to five years is still feasible.

Even so, buying land now and developing it after three to five years could still fill his coffers to the brim.

So when Zhuo Weidong and Ou Xiaolong suggested taking some of his land, Yi Anguo immediately and unhesitatingly refused.

"Mr. Yi, are we still brothers or not?" Zhuo Weidong asked, looking a bit displeased.

"I've always called you Brother Zhuo, but business is business, right? Even close brothers need to have clear accounts!" Yi Anguo nodded and said.

"I paid for this land, and you say you want to take some just like that? It doesn't make sense."

"We're not asking for your land for free! You won't lose anything, either!" Zhuo Weidong said, feeling frustrated.

"It's not about loss or no loss. It's just that I have plans for these lands; I need to develop them too. I also have my own real estate development company." Yi Anguo said, unwilling to back down.

"You should at least give us a few pieces of land. Otherwise, how will our company operate without land to develop, without any development projects?" Zhuo Weidong said relentlessly.

"If you don't have land, you can buy some! If you have money, are you afraid of not being able to buy land? Even if I let you have some of my land, you'd still have to pay for it, right? Do you expect me to give it to you for free?" Yi Anguo said.

"I understand what you mean, but don't even think about it. Even if I let you have my land, it won't be at the original price; at the very least, it would be at the current market rate."

"In that case, you might as well go to the land auction and bid directly; with some luck, you might get a bargain."

When Yi Anguo said this, Zhuo Weidong and Ou Xiaolong realized that getting any advantage from Yi Anguo, like acquiring some cheap land for development, was basically impossible.

Even though Zhuo Weidong and Ou Xiaolong felt displeased for not gaining any advantage, they didn't dare to really fall out with Yi Anguo; after all, Anguo Group wasn't something they could afford to offend.

Besides, who knows what might happen in the future? They might need Yi Anguo's help down the road.

Though Yi Anguo is shrewd and won't let them gain too much advantage, he won't be too harsh; he'll still give them some face, leaving them a way out, allowing them to have some share, so they won't starve.

If they were to directly fall out with Yi Anguo and offend him, it wouldn't bring them any benefits.

Moreover, Ou Xiaolong is even less willing to have a conflict with Yi Anguo, as his younger daughter, Chen Xuejiao, is still working at Anguo Group.

Plus, Yi Anguo treats his daughter very well. His daughter, Chen Xuejiao, holds a high and significant position in Anguo Group, receiving Yi Anguo's trust and favor.

If Ou Xiaolong dared to fall out with Yi Anguo and openly offend him, even his daughter Chen Xuejiao might not forgive him and would likely side with Yi Anguo.

Both Zhuo Weidong and Ou Xiaolong are well aware that it's they who are trying to gain an advantage over Yi Anguo; Yi Anguo hasn't done anything wrong to them.

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