"Brother Ye, sometimes the old man's words might be harsh, but don't take them to heart!

Also, about me taking out twenty million to short Sihai Group's stocks with you—don't let him know, alright? I've told him I'm not involved!

And, no matter what, the old man used to be an official. Maybe he'll have a bit of an authoritative air when he speaks, but don't mind it!"

Inside the fiery red Porsche Panamera.

As they got closer to the Zhang family's house, Zhang Jingshan kept giving reminders.

"Alright, you've said it a dozen times already! Aren't you done yet?"

In the passenger seat, Ye Chen chuckled in mock irritation.

"Ahem, really? Have I? Alright, I'll stop now!"

Soon after, the Porsche Panamera pulled up outside the Zhang family's courtyard.

Ye Chen got out of the car and followed Zhang Jingshan inside.

The place wasn't luxurious in the slightest, but it exuded a serene charm that money couldn't buy.

On either side of the courtyard, various green plants and bonsais were meticulously arranged in a natural, pleasing manner.

An elderly man was bent over at the moment, carefully pruning the bonsais with scissors.

"Grandpa, Ye Chen's here!"

As soon as they entered the courtyard, Zhang Jingshan called out to the pruning Zhang Weimin.

"Ah, good, good. Little Ye, just wait a moment. Have a seat somewhere first!"

Zhang Weimin turned his head with a kind, gentle smile.

Despite his noble demeanor—evident at first glance as someone who was no ordinary man—there wasn't the slightest hint of arrogance in his expression.

If it weren't for the aura of authority and dignity accumulated over years in high office, it would be hard to associate this elder with the revered former Party Secretary of Jiangzhou, praised and respected by all its citizens.

"Brother Ye, since my grandpa retired, he's taken a liking to these flowers, plants, and trees. Some bonsais that aren't worth much on the market are like treasures to him. So, just wait for a bit until he's done, okay?" Zhang Jingshan whispered.

"No problem!" Ye Chen smiled, unfazed.

But he didn't step forward to flatter or ingratiate himself with Zhang Weimin either. He simply stood there, smiling lightly as he watched the elder's busy figure.

A few minutes later.

"All done!"

Zhang Weimin put down the scissors with satisfaction, turned to Ye Chen, and smiled. "Little Ye, the sun's starting to beat down. Come sit under the grape arbor. Let me wash my hands, and then we'll chat over tea!"

"Alright, Mr. Secretary!"

Without any pretense, Ye Chen confidently walked over to the arbor and sat down on a stone stool.

After washing his hands, Zhang Weimin returned to the arbor and suddenly said to Zhang Jingshan, "Why are you still standing there? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"Huh? Grandpa, I... don't I need to stay and accompany you two?"

Zhang Jingshan was stunned. Was he being sent away? Was the conversation something he wasn't allowed to hear?

"Accompany? What for? Go do your work. I'll have Lu Cheng take Little Ye back later!" Zhang Weimin replied.

"I... this... well, okay, I'll go then?" Zhang Jingshan looked bewildered.

"Go on, go!" Zhang Weimin waved him off.

"Brother Ye!" Zhang Jingshan looked toward Ye Chen.

"Since the Secretary asked you to work, you'd better go," Ye Chen said with a smile.

"Alright, fine!"

Zhang Jingshan left reluctantly, his curiosity about what the old man wanted to discuss with Ye Chen gnawing at him.

But being kicked out, he could only suppress his curiosity for now.

As the Panamera's engine started and faded away, under the arbor, Zhang Weimin began brewing tea.

"Here, try this. It's not the best tea, but it has a lingering sweetness that isn't bad at all, haha!"

Zhang Weimin poured a cup for Ye Chen.

"Thank you, Mr. Secretary!"

Ye Chen smiled as he picked up the cup, not revealing his expertise in tea appreciation.

After drinking the tea, Ye Chen broke the silence first, getting straight to the point. "Mr. Secretary, I heard from Jingshan that you wanted to talk to me. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'll tell you everything I know!"

"Alright, then I won't hold back. Little Ye, Jingshan said that you were certain the property prices in Jinlin Mansion would rise. How were you so sure? You know, very few people were aware that the government planned to make the nearby urban villages the first redevelopment pilot, and even those who knew wouldn't dare leak it!"

Zhang Weimin started probing.

This had puzzled him for a long time.

After all, no matter how sharp or savvy a person's business sense might be, no one could anticipate such a move from the government.

So, either Ye Chen had insider information, or he had some kind of foresight.

But both possibilities seemed equally far-fetched.

"Mr. Secretary, if I told you it was based on analysis, would you believe me?" Ye Chen replied with calm confidence.

His composed demeanor and lighthearted tone left Zhang Weimin inwardly impressed.

Though he had been retired for years, his reputation and authority remained intact. It was rare for a young man to remain so at ease in his presence—unless they were of such status that they had no reason to regard him highly.

"Oh? Go ahead, tell me how you analyzed it," Zhang Weimin said.

"As Jiangzhou continues to develop, it has reached a bottleneck. It can either settle for the status quo or take bold steps forward. But I believe Jiangzhou's geographical location and its importance as a city make it impossible to settle for the status quo. In this case, the only bold step is tackling urban villages. Reforming urban villages..." Ye Chen began.

"Go on," Zhang Weimin said, nodding thoughtfully.

"Urban village reform is unprecedented in Jiangzhou. I personally believe the government wouldn't act rashly. Since they wouldn't act rashly, they must try it out first. As you just mentioned, a pilot project! This indicates that the government is making a bold attempt, and for such an attempt, they would choose an area where mistakes are permissible.

Looking across Jiangzhou, there aren't many urban villages with room for error. Coincidentally, the area around Jinlin Mansion is one such place. Its poor conditions have already severely impacted Jiangzhou's image. Even if the attempt fails, there would be no major consequences. It would essentially serve as a large-scale cleanup of the area's squalor.

On the other hand, if it succeeds, it would be a huge political achievement and set a trend for urban village reform, propelling Jiangzhou's development to new heights. Against this backdrop, I was certain the government would choose the urban villages near Jinlin Mansion as their pilot. And about a month ago, provincial and municipal officials visited the area under the guise of grassroots inspections.

This not only confirmed my analysis but also convinced me that the government's redevelopment plans would be announced soon. That's why I went to Jinlin Mansion to pay the deposit. What surprised me, however, was that its prices would soar five to six times overnight. I had originally expected a two- or three-fold increase, which I thought was already significant. I guess I underestimated the government's resolve, haha!"

Ye Chen had prepared this explanation long beforehand.

After all, anyone can offer hindsight wisdom!