Yi Anguo couldn't help but give a bitter smile. "President Ou, I already own over 3,000 properties. If I buy any more, it'll be a real headache if something goes wrong. I honestly don't want any more."

"This kind of thing is a real hot potato; it won't hold up under scrutiny!"

After a moment of silence, Ou Xiaolong said, "Brother Yi, this isn't something to discuss over the phone. Let's meet for dinner tonight and talk in detail. What do you think?"

After hanging up, Ding Jing snuggled into Yi Anguo's embrace.

"Is someone else trying to sell you a large number of houses?"

Yi Anguo nodded with a bitter smile. "I already own a huge number of properties. If I buy more, I'm worried something will go wrong down the line. It just won't hold up under scrutiny!"

"What do you mean, 'won't hold up under scrutiny'? What are you worried about? You've acquired all these houses through perfectly legal procedures and make your mortgage payments on time every month. What could possibly go wrong? Are you worried that housing prices will suddenly plummet?" Ding Jing asked.

"I'm not worried about that. But even though I follow legal procedures to buy the houses, pay taxes according to the law, and take out loans that are fully compliant with regulations, paying them back on time... well, it's more complicated than that."

"Even though they've been commercialized, houses are a very special kind of commodity. As prices rise, more and more people won't be able to afford one, which will fuel social conflict," Yi Anguo explained.

"Think about it. While everyone is working their fingers to the bone, unable to afford a single home, you alone own several thousand. If that gets exposed by the media, what will the public think? It's bound to cause widespread outrage."

"When an investigation eventually happens, it might look like there's nothing wrong with my purchases on the surface. The loan processes and paperwork would all seem fine. But if someone is determined to find a problem, they'll find one. It simply wouldn't withstand a serious investigation."

Ding Jing thought for a moment. She knew Yi Anguo wasn't being paranoid. As long as nothing happened, it was fine, but if a problem did arise, it would be incredibly difficult to handle. Having grown up and been educated in the country, she was well aware of how things worked.

"If you're worried about someone digging up old issues in the future, I have an idea," Ding Jing suggested. "You should entrust all the properties under your name to your property management company. You can have them manage everything and publicly state the properties belong to the company. That way, no matter how many houses you buy, you shouldn't have any problems. The public won't question you unless someone with inside knowledge deliberately targets you."

"Besides the property developers, the only people who really know the inside story are at the bank and the real estate management department."

"They should have no reason to target you, since exposing this wouldn't benefit them. The developers have probably already smoothed over their relationships with the banks and the real estate department anyway."

Yi Anguo considered it and felt it was indeed the best available option. Though it still wouldn't hold up under a determined investigation, there were no better solutions.

The best method would be to buy property in the company's name, but that would be a hassle. You'd have to constantly pay taxes, which isn't very cost-effective. It seems I just don't have enough money yet. After 2007, the best thing to do would be to sell all the houses. If not all of them, I should at least pay off all the bank loans in full. That would be the safest path. Besides, there are no restrictions on buying property with cash these days; you can buy as many as you want.

That evening, Yi Anguo called Yang Hai, the security captain of his property management company, to act as his driver and take him to meet Ou Xiaolong.

Although Yang Hai wasn't a military veteran, he was an authentic practitioner of Yang-style Tai Chi, and his skills were so formidable that no one could get near him. Most soldiers respect strength, so no one objected to him being made captain; there was simply no one stronger.

Yang Hai wasn't particularly tall and had a rather delicate, slender appearance, giving off an impression of being almost fragile. However, when Yi Anguo interviewed him, he had witnessed his strength firsthand when four of his toughest security guards couldn't lay a finger on him.

His seemingly gentle Tai Chi had an impenetrable defense and attacks that were anything but weak. The moment he struck, he knocked down the four burly men. The power he unleashed was simply mind-boggling!

Yang Hai's position as captain was mostly in name only. He was the only one among the security personnel who enjoyed special privileges. He was exempt from all training and rarely had to stand duty, serving as a driver and personal bodyguard only when Yi Anguo had social engagements to attend.

They arrived at a very high-end restaurant, where Ou Xiaolong was already waiting by the entrance. However, standing beside him was a person Yi Anguo thoroughly disliked—Ren Xingsheng.

Yi Anguo didn't know why, but he simply couldn't stand the man. He always felt Ren spoke with a veiled sarcasm, acting as if he were incredibly intelligent and superior, constantly looking down on others. Especially when they were together, Yi Anguo felt as if Ren was targeting him, his tone and the way he looked at him filled with condescension.

If I can't afford to offend him, surely I can afford to avoid him, right?

Hence, after meeting a few times and attending two gatherings together, Yi Anguo had done his best to avoid him. Private interactions were completely out of the question.

But to his surprise, Ou Xiaolong had invited this guy along to their business meeting, which left a sour taste in Yi Anguo's mouth.

Irritated as he was, he still had a good impression of Ou Xiaolong. Since he was already here, turning around and leaving would be unreasonable.

"Brother Yi, you're here! And this is?" Ou Xiaolong and Ren Xingsheng came forward, greeting him with a smile. But when Ou noticed the other man with Yi Anguo, he glanced at him hesitantly.

"He's Yang Hai, my brother and the security captain at my company," Yi Anguo introduced.

"Yang Hai, this is President Ou, and this is President Ren. They're both property developers, big bosses!"

Yang Hai simply nodded at the two men, acknowledging the introduction without saying a word. He knew his purpose and mission here. Although Yi Anguo had introduced him as a brother, his real role was driver and bodyguard, and his only task was to protect him. There was no point in networking with these wealthy company presidents, and certainly no need to suck up to them. Not only would he be looked down upon, but it would also make his boss lose face.

Ou Xiaolong understood instantly from the introduction. Seeing Yang Hai's simple nod, he smiled and nodded back politely without pressing further.

But at that moment, Ren Xingsheng chuckled and said, "You two are brothers? Then how come one is surnamed Yang and the other Yi?"

Yi Anguo looked at him. "Who told you brothers have to share a surname? President Zhuo calls me brother, and President Ou just called me brother, too!"

"That's different, isn't it?" Ren Xingsheng said. "President Ou and President Zhuo call you brother because you're all friends. Calling you 'brother' makes the relationship feel closer."

"Then Yang Hai and I are both friends and brothers. Is there a problem with that?" Yi Anguo asked.

"But isn't he your employee? If I'm not mistaken, you brought him here to be your driver and bodyguard, right?" Ren Xingsheng pressed.

"Even if he is my employee, is he not worthy of being my brother?" Yi Anguo shot back.

"So that's it. No wonder you call President Zhuo 'Big Brother' and President Ou 'Brother,' but you've never once called me 'Brother Yi.' It seems that in your eyes, President Ren, a person like me isn't worthy of being called your brother, is that right?"

Turning to Ou Xiaolong, Yi Anguo said apologetically, "President Ou, I think we should reschedule. I'd rather not stay where I'm clearly unwelcome and being looked down upon."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.