Chapter 255
Stephen nodded in agreement. They then approved James’s request for a development zone and allocated a large sum of money for it.
With the money in hand, James wasted no time and headed straight for the villages.
“This land is being turned into a development zone, so you’ll have to relocate. Don’t worry, we won’t move you for nothing. You’ll be compensated.”
The price he offered, however, was insultingly low. Houses were priced at 6,000 per square meter, and farmland was 30 thousand per acre.
The villages were not having, but James had a solution. Since he was working for the South Regent, that night, a group of thugs entered the village and beat up those who resisted.
Frightened, many villagers who initially refused were forced to agree. Still, some reached out to the reporters, hoping to expose the situation, but James had thought ahead.
He took action first and arrested a few thu
behind the trouble, claiming they were just drifters looking to cause chaos. As for compensating those who were injured? There was no money for that.
James even secretly arranged for lawyers to charge the attackers with light sentences, ensuring they would be released even before the victims were discharged from the hospital!
With no compensation, the villagers who resisted had no choice but to sell their homes and use the money to cover their medical bills. Just like that, James succeeded in acquiring all the village lands at the lowest possible price.
Meanwhile, Ethan’s regulations on property purchases were scrapped, and Celestial City’s housing market instantly began to surge. Properties that had been priced at 5,000 per square meter jumped to 8,000. In the city’s prime areas, what was originally capped at 15 thousand skyrocketed to 20 thousand, and the prices were still climbing.
The homeowners in the city were ecstatic. They did not need to lift a finger. All they just had to was sit at home and watch their property values increase.
With prices rising by 5000 dollars per square meter, a house of around a hundred square meters was now worth 500 thousand without them needing to do anything.
Many people even quit their jobs. They spent their days at home, watching their property prices go up. Some businesses also stopped focusing on their main operations and started making money by buying real estate.
James was keeping a close eye on it. He owned a large number of properties ready to sell, located in school districts or the financial district. He had purchased those properties on the South Regent’s orders a while back.
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+25 BONUS
Chapter 255
The South Regent said, “With Celestial City’s economy in decline, Stephen and the others will be desperate to boost it. Once they find Ethan’s price cap on housing, they’ll scrap that rule. When that happens, you can make a fortune with these properties.”
Now, James found the South Regent’s predictions spot on! Everything was happening exactly as he said.
With Ethan’s rules scrapped, he could sell a single property for millions. If he sold all the properties, he could easily make over several hundred million dollars! On top of the money he embezzled from the village acquisitions, he would soon earn nearly two billion dollars!
George and Stephen quickly noticed that Celestial City’s economy was on the rise!
Many people were forking out money to buy houses, not just locals but also out–of- towners! Now, a single home was selling for millions, and properties near the city center were going for as high as six to seven million dollars. The economy was booming at an incredible rate.
Both men were ecstatic.
“The market is finally picking up!” Stephen, the most excited of them both, exclaimed, I’ve been waiting so long to see this day!”
“That’s right,” George agreed.
North Hill City, Seaside City, and Aqua City had all run into problems lately, and even Celestial City faced a similar risk. Yet now, Celestial City’s economy had not only stabilized but was also starting to improve.
He felt like all their hard work had finally paid off, and all their worries seemed to vanish. He could see a bright future for Celestial City!
Stephen relaxed on the sofa, feeling a wave of relief wash over him.
“People online were so quick to criticize me before, but now that Celestial City’s economy is rising, let’s see them try to talk trash.”
After his string of failures and almost losing Celestial City, he had been attacked and criticized online. He had been carrying all that resentment for months, and now, it felt like sweet vindication.
“I’d love to see the look on their faces when they see how I’ve turned things around. Every insult they threw at me has become fuel for my comeback!”
George called for a bottle of red wine. Their victory had been hard won, and he decided to celebrate with Stephen.
“This is our first major comeback, and we even beat Ethan. We have to celebrate! We’ve proven that we don’t need Ethan. With just the two of us, we can rebuild Celestial City and
make Riveria stronger!”
At that moment, neither of them realized that the rise in GDP was just an illusion. It was all based on the assumption that Celestial City would thrive if the houses continued to sell. If Celestial City’s economy took a turn for the worse and the housing market collapsed, everything would pop like a bubble!
