Chapter 323
He Xingzhi watched the man sprinting off so hastily that his shoes nearly fell off and sighed, shaking his head. “Gambling truly ruins lives. He inherited such a good house from his ancestors, which could easily fetch him hundreds in monthly rent, but now he’s selling it and still might not have enough.”
“It should be enough. The others won’t let him stay in debt,” Jiang Yexun replied casually, leaning against the wall and offering a cigarette to He Xingzhi.
He Xingzhi lit the cigarette, glanced up, and noticed Jiang Yexun had one in his mouth but hadn’t lit it. It was clear that Jiang Yexun was trying to quit smoking, probably because his sister-in-law didn’t like it.
“Probably, they’ll only lend him five thousand at most. With such a large house and such a high price, it’s hard to sell. No one wants to risk it. Besides, gamblers like him might owe money to others, not just the underground casinos, right?” He Xingzhi asked with concern.
“Yes, but at most a few people, each one not more than a hundred,” Jiang Yexun responded indifferently.
In those days, playing cards and mahjong was not allowed, and ordinary people could rack up only up to a hundred in debt before facing difficulties. Those who dared to gamble secretly were rare, and the risk of getting caught was high. Moreover, the illegal gambling houses were already rare, and they often faced crackdowns.
Thus, significant debt was usually manageable, and minor debts were unlikely to cause major trouble. After all, those gamblers wouldn’t dare to cause a fuss about the house.
He Xingzhi calculated the costs and examined the house again, finally smiling in satisfaction. “Considering everything, with five thousand plus an extra thousand, we might give him one or two thousand more. It’s a good deal. This house was probably lived in by wealthy families decades ago. I noticed the stair railings are made of mahogany, and the window frames too. The flooring wasn’t closely inspected, but it’s definitely good material. After a thorough cleaning, it should be very comfortable.”
He then frowned with concern and asked, “But, Boss, isn’t someone from Sister-in-law’s family keeping an eye on things? What if someone reports us, thinking we have too much money?”
“That man won’t admit to owing gambling debts. He’ll claim he sold the house for whatever money he gets,” Jiang Yexun had already considered this.
Two or three thousand was within range, and the money from selling hunted goods to the supply and marketing cooperative for years would cover it. Xiaoxiao’s medicinal formula had also earned several thousand in rewards from the government. With state reward money used to buy a large house, no one could claim they were living extravagantly.
“Boss, you always think things through,” He Xingzhi said with a grin, nearly showing his teeth.
After a while, the man returned with two shady-looking thugs. As soon as they arrived, they glared menacingly at Jiang Yexun and He Xingzhi.
“So, you want to buy this house? Let me tell you, this guy owes us several thousand, and you must settle the debt first.”
“How much is several thousand?” Jiang Yexun asked calmly.
“Five thousand and two hundred!” The thug, sensing that Jiang Yexun and He Xingzhi were prepared to settle, immediately pulled out an IOU.
He Xingzhi thought, the boss’s guess was spot on!
Jiang Yexun examined the IOU and nodded, then looked at the man. “You said it was only a few thousand for others, but this house is twice as big. It’s worth at most seven thousand. After some haggling, it should be worth around six thousand five hundred.”
The man immediately shook his head vehemently. “That’s not possible! After paying off the debt, I’d only have a thousand three left. That’s forcing me to my death!”
“That’s your problem. If you didn’t gamble, how could you be left with only a thousand three? You caused this mess; why should we take responsibility?” Jiang Yexun retorted coldly.
The man stubbornly insisted, “No way. I won’t sell for less than nine thousand.”
“Then go find someone willing to pay nine thousand,” Jiang Yexun said dismissively, preparing to leave.
The two thugs, enraged, kicked the man. “If you don’t settle the debt today, we’ll break your limbs.”
In those days, people preferred apartment buildings over small houses, and small houses were much more expensive. Few could afford them. If the man didn’t sell the house, it would be a long time before the thugs could recover their money.
The man, gritting his teeth, seemed resolute but the thugs’ continued threats forced him to reconsider. “Alright, let’s negotiate. Eight thousand, and I’ll sell!”
Jiang Yexun and He Xingzhi ignored him and continued to leave.
The man, now desperate, called out, “Seven thousand five hundred! Seven thousand five hundred, and I’ll sell! If you don’t agree, I’d rather die!”
Though Jiang Yexun knew that if he waited a few days, the man might lower the price further, he was in a hurry to secure the house and propose to his future in-laws. He turned to the man. “Alright, we’ll proceed with seven thousand five hundred. Let’s go finalize the paperwork now.”
The man, dejected, got up and retrieved the property deed. He followed Jiang Yexun to the property administration office. After quickly completing the paperwork, the two thugs snatched the money from him as soon as they emerged.
Seeing the remaining two thousand or so, the thugs grinned and hooked their arms around the man’s neck. “Now that you’ve got money, want to go celebrate with some gambling?”
The man, frightened, immediately shook his head. “No, I need to… I need to find a place to stay first.”
With that, he hurriedly clutched the money and ran away, ignoring the thugs’ taunts.