"Let me tell you young people, what's there to brag about with a car? It will depreciate in the end!" Just as the classmates were groveling, Zhang Jiaming, whose face was darkening, Luo Bo, standing next to Su Ming, spoke up.
Zhang Jiaming's eyes lit up, and he quickly chimed in, "Exactly! Unless it's a limited edition, cars depreciate very quickly. There's no need for everyone to be too envious."
"True, it's still a luxury item after all!"
"Class monitor is right!"
As soon as Zhang Jiaming finished speaking, the others immediately agreed. Su Ming rolled his eyes, not bothering to join in. They were just shifting the topic because they couldn't keep up the act, utterly shameless.
"Haha... Mr. Luo seems to know a lot about this. I wonder, Mr. Luo, what direction do you think young people should strive for these days?" Zhang Jiaming laughed and then asked Luo Bo.
"If you ask me, it's definitely real estate. The population is constantly increasing, and the demand for housing is only going to grow. Cars are consumables, but houses are different. If you buy one, it will eventually appreciate and can be considered a solid personal asset," Luo Bo said confidently, causing the eyes of Su Ming's classmates to light up.
"Great! As expected from Mr. Luo!" Zhang Jiaming led the applause, and the room erupted in clapping. Luo Bo smiled smugly and raised his hand slightly, and the clapping stopped immediately.
"Now, you all understand the importance of real estate. So, I ask, how many of you here have already bought your own homes?"
The students immediately looked down. Jiangzhou, though not a first-tier city, was still at the top of the second tier. The average house price here was around 20,000 to 30,000 per square meter. Most of them had only been working for a few years and couldn't afford a house unless their families had some assets.
"None of you? Look at yourselves, spending money on entertainment and consumables like cars. If you had bought a house, with the current skyrocketing prices, you might have already made a profit on another house!"
Everyone felt even more ashamed as Luo Bo continued, "You all know Jiaming, right? He works in the real estate industry and has a good understanding of the market. You might not know, but his BMW was bought with the money he made from selling a house. He now owns a fully furnished 180-square-meter apartment worth over three million. In the next five years, that apartment will be worth at least five million, netting him two million in profit!"
"Wow! That's a huge profit!"
"Class monitor, you've made a fortune and didn't even share it with us!"
The classmates started to fawn over Zhang Jiaming again.
"Haha... No need to be envious. I brought Mr. Luo here today, and he has promised discounts for everyone here. If anyone is interested, you can talk to me later!" Zhang Jiaming's face was beaming.
"Damn, he just failed at showing off, and now he's trying another angle!"
"Exactly, he can't stop showing off for a moment!"
Gao Xiang and Li Gao couldn't stand it anymore and started to complain. However, Luo Bo heard them.
Luo Bo frowned slightly and looked at the two, then said, "It seems you two have better insights, or perhaps you have potential properties?"
Luo Bo was the center of attention, and everyone turned to look at Li Gao and Gao Xiang.
"We..."
The two blushed and fell silent. They were from rural backgrounds and, although they worked in the city, they could barely make ends meet, let alone afford a house.
"Looks like you two don't have any properties, so you probably don't understand what I'm saying. Oh well, ignorance is bliss!" Luo Bo sneered at them.
Su Ming frowned, feeling a growing dislike for Luo Bo.
"Mr. Luo, as a big general manager, is this your level of tolerance?"
"Su Ming, how dare you speak like that? Mr. Luo is here to bring us benefits today!" Zhang Jiaming shouted.
"Benefits? Are you sure they're benefits? Those so-called discounts and promotions are just gimmicks by developers. They raise the price first and then offer a discount, and you end up paying more than the original price, right?"
Su Ming frowned, and the others also realized the trick.
"Su Ming, what nonsense are you spouting!" Zhang Jiaming roared.
"This young man seems to know a lot about real estate. Have you ever bought a house, young man?" Luo Bo turned to Su Ming.
"Who has time to study such nonsense? Whether I buy a house or not, what does it have to do with you?" Su Ming didn't give Luo Bo any face.
However, Luo Bo remained calm and said, "Since you haven't bought a house, your words are meaningless. As an outsider, please be careful with your words and don't mislead others. Since you can drive a 911, you must have some capital. A house is a major life decision. Without a house, how can you have a home? You might as well study it when you have free time."
* * *
- Option triggered!
- Option 1: Reveal your property and counter Luo Bo. Reward: 30 million.
- Option 2: Stay low and back down. Reward: 5 million, plus the title, "A Real Wimp."
Su Ming, who had initially decided to ignore Luo Bo, perked up with the new options.
"I choose option 1!" he thought to himself.
"Mr. Luo, I only said that whether I buy a house or not is none of your business. I didn't say I don't own a house," Su Ming said.
"Oh? Then I misunderstood you. It seems you are an insider. Where is your property located? Is it under our Hongda name? If you don't mind, tell me, and I'll estimate its future appreciation value for you."
Luo Bo was intrigued and pressed on, inwardly smirking. He didn't mind if Su Ming had a house; it would be even better. Once he revealed it, Luo Bo would find a way to belittle it. To him, dealing with a small nouveau riche was easy.
"No need for Mr. Luo to trouble himself. The properties under Hongda don't meet my expectations," Su Ming said arrogantly.
"Su Ming, is it? Anyone can talk big. Our Hongda has top-notch properties worth nearly 30 million. In the entire Jiangzhou, only the Yunshang Yuefu under Lin Corporation is slightly better. Su Ming, don't tell me your property is in Yunshang Yuefu?"
Luo Bo's face darkened. Yunshang Yuefu was not something that could be bought with just money. Although Su Ming could afford a Porsche 911 and pack 3 million in cash, Luo Bo doubted he could buy a property in Yunshang Yuefu.