Must Have an Ulterior Motive?

The private VIP room was elegantly and discreetly decorated, giving a comfortable feeling. The spacious area, with red lights on the dining table creating a luxurious and festive atmosphere, combined with the exquisite decor and the view of high-rise buildings outside the window, created an excellent visual effect.

Zhao Feng and a middle-aged man were sitting in the lounge of the private room drinking tea. When they saw Gu Changqing and Murong Feng enter with others, they both stood up smiling. Only then did Murong Feng realize he wasn't the only guest today.

"Brother Zhao, so you're here too!" Murong Feng shook hands with Zhao Feng, smiling. In his heart, he cursed himself for being slow-witted. Gu Changqing wasn't very familiar with him, so he would naturally invite Zhao Feng to accompany them.

Zhao Feng smiled and said, "How could I not be here when Changqing invited you, Brother Murong? Come to think of it, this is the first time we're having dinner together." Murong Feng realized this was true. He had always kept a respectful distance from people like Zhao Feng, and even after becoming close with Tang Qing, he still hadn't thought about integrating into their circle. This time, they had come together because of Gu Changqing's invitation.

Gu Changqing laughed heartily, "You two will have plenty of time to chat later. Come, Brother Murong, let me introduce you to a good friend!" He smiled and pointed to the smiling middle-aged man, introducing him, "This is Ren Qiang, the chairman of Shenzhen Lanjiang Real Estate Group Co., Ltd. He's a giant in Shenzhen's real estate industry."

Murong Feng politely shook hands with Ren Qiang, smiling, "Hello, Chairman Ren! Nice to meet you!" He also had some impression in his mind, remembering reading in a financial magazine recently about the famous Shenzhen real estate company Lanjiang Real Estate preparing to list in Hong Kong. So Ren Qiang was the boss of this company.

Ren Qiang also smiled warmly, appearing very amiable, "The pleasure is all mine."

After exchanging pleasantries, everyone courteously took their seats. Gu Changqing noticed Guo Yong silently following behind Murong Feng and very politely and gently said, "Brother Murong, you see, we'll be discussing some business later. Should we perhaps ask this brother..."

Murong Feng suddenly realized that the bodyguards Gu Changqing had brought last time were now standing guard at the door. He suddenly understood Gu Changqing's meaning and shook his head, smiling, "Yong is my special assistant." Implying that Guo Yong was qualified to participate in the discussions.

Gu Changqing was slightly surprised. He was a person who placed great importance on status, and the idea of sitting at the same table with a bodyguard caused him some annoyance. However, he was deeply sophisticated and maintained a normal expression, nodding and smiling without saying anything.

The atmosphere at the table was quite good afterwards. Especially when the restaurant's head chef, Master Luo, and the manager Lawrence came to introduce the dishes, and a duo of handsome male and female musicians circulated among the private rooms, their exquisite and elegant music making everyone feel pleasant.

Gu Changqing was naturally the central figure at the table. He always guided the topics of conversation appropriately, from current affairs and politics to finance and economics, from entertainment to industry insider information. Murong Feng found that he often made just a few remarks that hit the nail on the head, with unique and sharp insights that were admirable. Zhao Feng and Ren Qiang's words naturally revealed their respect for Gu Changqing, which made Murong Feng even more cautious and more curious about why Gu Changqing wanted to befriend him.

After several rounds of drinks, Gu Changqing and Zhao Feng somehow started chatting about people in their circle. Murong Feng wasn't very interested in this topic and was starting to feel bored when Ren Qiang, sitting nearby, started chatting with him.

"Mr. Murong, what's your view on the current real estate industry in Beijing?"

Murong Feng was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and smiled, "I'm sorry, I haven't studied the real estate industry. Chairman Ren, you're an industry insider. I was hoping you could enlighten me on this matter."

Ren Qiang smiled and said, "Mr. Murong, you're too kind. I wouldn't dare to say 'enlighten', but I've recently come to Beijing to develop business up north, so I've seriously studied Beijing's real estate industry and have many insights."

Murong Feng didn't want to listen to Gu and Zhao's gossip, and was curious about what incisive views someone like Ren Qiang would have on Beijing's real estate industry. His interest greatly increased, and he listened attentively.

Seeing Murong Feng listening intently, Ren Qiang's enthusiasm for speaking also rose. He said, "Starting from 2003, housing prices across the country have been rising continuously. The government has introduced a series of fence-mending policies to regulate the real estate industry, including land auctions, the August 31 deadline, Document 121, strict control of land and credit, as well as the National Eight Articles, National Six Articles, tax increases, restrictions on circulation, investment compression, consumption suppression, reduction of demolition scale, restrictions on second home loans, and so on. All these policies raise thresholds, increase restrictive conditions, and build various fences. The profit margin of the real estate industry is also getting thinner and thinner."

At this point, he sighed and shook his head, took a sip of wine, and continued, "Since the financial crisis, housing prices in large and medium-sized cities across the country have started to fall, and the transaction volume of commercial housing has dropped sharply, with a strong wait-and-see atmosphere in the market. Only Beijing, stimulated by the Olympics, has seen the smallest fluctuation in housing prices in the past two years. However, there are still some problems now, such as: both supply and demand in the residential market are weak, commercial real estate is clearly oversupplied, and demand for improved housing is suppressed, and so on."

Hearing this, Murong Feng couldn't help but smile and say, "It sounds like the real estate industry is in a difficult situation now, but as far as I know, it seems that because house prices are too expensive, many ordinary people simply can't afford to buy houses!"

Ren Qiang nodded and said, "That's right, but why are house prices so expensive? It's because of the soaring land prices! The demolition standard for West Chang'an Street is set at 30,000 yuan per square meter..."

.....

They turned into an alley to park near the adjacent building, only to see Tang Qing already standing on the roadside, elegantly dressed in a crimson suit.

Murong Feng quickly opened the car door, and Tang Qing got into the back seat, casually instructing Guo Yong, "Brother Yong, just drive around nearby."

Turning back to Murong Feng with an unusually serious expression, she asked, "The Gu Changqing you mentioned, is he in his thirties, and does he look rather refined?" Murong Feng nodded in agreement, puzzled by her reaction, and asked with a smile, "You should know him, right? He seems quite familiar with the Tang family's affairs."

Tang Qing furrowed her brows, complaining, "When did you start associating with this person? It must be Zhao Feng who introduced you, that rascal! He never leads you to learn anything good!"

Tang Qing then began to talk about Gu Changqing's mysterious background.

Indeed, it was very mysterious. Even with Tang Qing's status, she had no information about his earlier years.

This man suddenly appeared in Shenzhen around 2000 when he was only about 20 years old, already a remarkably wealthy individual. He went on to acquire several small real estate and foreign trade companies, forming a group called "Changqing Ventures." In recent years, it has developed rapidly and is now one of the largest conglomerates in Guangdong.

Gu Changqing is known for being low-key, and his life before the age of 20 remains a mystery. He is well-connected with high-ranking officials and influential families. Young, wealthy, and highly sociable, he is well-known within certain circles but remains largely unknown to the public.

Tang Qing added, "I suspect he's one of the major underground bookmakers for horse racing and soccer betting in the country. In recent years, he's been closely associated with many Wenzhou real estate speculators, leading to suspicions that he might be one of the hidden forces behind the recent surge in housing prices."

She continued to talk about Gu Changqing for quite a while, interspersed with complaints about Murong Feng, finally saying, "You need to stay away from this person! You're so honest that if he sold you, you'd probably happily help him count the money!"

Murong Feng felt somewhat displeased hearing her speak so highly of this person.