68. Winds Rise and Clouds Surge: The Perils Within Opportunity

Around seven in the evening, an Audi A6L and a BMW 5 Series drove one after the other into Qujiang Business University, drawing quite a few curious glances along the way. Asking for directions as they went, the two cars finally parked beneath the men’s dormitory. The two men got out, and Lin Yi immediately tried to call Chen Ling.

The phone rang for a long time before Chen Ling finally picked up.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Chen, we’re at your university. Would you be able to see us for a moment?”

Chen Ling got up, looked out, and saw the two men indeed standing downstairs.

“Alright, I’ll come down.”

After hanging up, Lin Yi let out a sigh. “At last, we’ll get to see him.”

“Old Lin,” Yan Ji said, worry etched in his face, “do you think he might have messed things up and is deliberately avoiding us?”

Lin Yi glanced at him, his tone grave. “I suggest you don’t even consider that possibility.”

“So you think the same, don’t you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come today either.”

“That’s why it’s best not to dwell on it—otherwise, it’s easy to lose your mind.” Lin Yi’s smile was tinged with bitterness.

The two of them stood together, offering each other what little comfort they could, waiting for Chen Ling.

A few minutes later, Chen Ling emerged from the dormitory, startling both men. He looked utterly disheveled—his hair was unkempt, his face haggard, dark circles nearly covering his cheeks, his eyes bloodshot from sleepless nights, and a scruffy beard made him look ready to play a wild man from the mountains.

“Mr. Chen, what happened to you?” Lin Yi exclaimed in concern. “Do you need us to call an ambulance?”

“No need.” Chen Ling rubbed his face, forcing a tired smile. “You two came about the project, didn’t you?”

Yan Ji nodded hastily. “Exactly. We’ve touched base with Mr. Zhang a few times, but in half a month, only a few units have sold—barely a drop in the bucket!”

Just then, Chen Ling’s phone chimed—a preset calendar reminder: November 4th.

“It’s already the fourth?” Chen Ling nodded. “My fault, my fault. I’ve been so busy studying lately. You both know, after all, I’m still a college student.”

Lin Yi and Yan Ji looked at each other in speechless disbelief.

What kind of college student makes six or seven million in two months?

What kind of college student can partner with people like them?

What kind of college student can mastermind such a huge operation?

To their ears, Chen Ling’s excuse sounded far too much like an excuse.

But Chen Ling ignored their doubts and continued, “Give me twenty-four more hours. By this time tomorrow, you’ll have good news.”

Seeing him like this, on the verge of collapse, neither of them dared press further. Sighing, they left, subdued and disappointed.

When Chen Ling returned to the dormitory, Zhang Peng asked, “They must be getting anxious, right?”

“Doesn’t matter. Let me get some proper sleep first.” With that, Chen Ling visited the bathroom, took a sip of water, and collapsed into bed, falling into a deep sleep.

The next day, November 5, 2008.

Chen Ling slept until noon, then lazily ate lunch. Afterward, he wandered through the sunlit campus, quietly waiting.

Meanwhile, on that same day…

Wen Baobao presided over a meeting to discuss and implement further measures to expand domestic demand and promote steady, rapid economic growth.

That day, the central government announced ten major initiatives.

Preliminary estimates put the investment needed to carry out these ten measures at around four trillion yuan by the end of 2010.

In an instant, the winds of change swept across the land!

When the news broke, Fan Lin knew she’d be working overtime without question. This announcement was simply too stunning, its impact far too broad. As a media professional, she was used to being swamped whenever news of this magnitude hit.

But her next thought was—she’d lost out!

As an editor covering the real estate sector, she knew very well that when such large-scale, high-level investments were made, once the economy was stimulated, the vast majority of those funds would flow into real estate and finance. A rise in housing prices was now not just likely, but inevitable.

She was filled with regret.

Ever since her conversation with Chen Ling, Fan Lin had been following the transaction data for Binhu Flower City—not just the “number of registrations” announced by the developer, but the actual “purchase contracts” filed with the relevant authorities.

Yet she discovered that, despite the grand opening, in the days that followed, there were only sporadic sales.

In her eyes, Chen Ling’s strategy of flipping apartment numbers had failed.

Given that and her husband’s caution, Fan Lin ultimately hadn’t bought a unit herself…

But now, with the four trillion plan unveiled, even a fool would know to buy property!

She frantically dug out Chen Ling’s business card and dialed his number, but no one ever picked up.

“It’s over! He’s left me behind!”

Fan Lin slapped her own thigh in frustration, leaving it red and sore.

At the same time, Lin Yi and Yan Ji were both attending emergency meetings at their respective companies. The reason was simple: with the four trillion stimulus announced, the sales plans for the entire fourth quarter would undergo earth-shattering changes.

The previous conservative, steady strategies were abandoned overnight.

In their place were aggressive financing, high-leverage expansion, and the full-scale launch of various financial projects.

In theory, Lin Yi and Yan Ji should have been overjoyed at this turn of events—their coming days would be far more comfortable.

Yet both were gripped by a cold chill from deep within.

“Did Chen Ling somehow know about the four trillion plan in advance? Is that why he so confidently took up all those apartment numbers?”

The question circled endlessly in both their minds.

Meanwhile, Groh was in a video conference with the group’s headquarters, discussing revisions to their operational strategy. The four trillion plan had upended all original plans, and now, they had to move quickly to board the train.

But Groh didn’t hear a single word the chairman was saying.

There was only one thought in his mind: “Chen Ling is incredible!”

Back in the dormitory, as soon as the news broke, the others wanted to find Chen Ling and celebrate. But they couldn’t find him—his phone was left on the desk, and he was nowhere to be seen.

In truth, Chen Ling hadn’t gone far—he was sitting on the bleachers of the school stadium, watching the young athletes pour out their youthful energy on the emerald field.

With the four trillion plan arriving right on schedule, Chen Ling knew full well that the days ahead would be like nothing he’d ever faced before.

The first to feel the impact would be Taihe and Binhu. After their initial project collaboration, deeper cooperation was inevitable—and he would hold the upper hand.

Then there was Zhongrui Company, which would surely begin a frenzy of expansion.

The secondary and tertiary real estate markets were about to enter a period of explosive growth…

This was a market upheaval on the scale of a tsunami!

From every level of the industry to the overt and covert struggles between companies, the complexity of what was about to unfold left Chen Ling uncertain if he was truly prepared.

Faced with the coming storm and the chaos to follow, he felt no joy—only a growing sense of anxiety, as though he were treading on thin ice.

What’s more, this madness would only last for two short years…

Within these two years, he had to lay an unshakeable foundation if he hoped to survive the coming waves intact.

After all, a known crisis is far more terrifying than an unknown risk…