Chapter 436
Ava jumped up, and Lauren wasn't far behind, yelling, "Are you blind or something?"
Phillip gave Lauren a sleazy look. "You're Lauren from WY Media, right? This ain't your business, so back off!"
Lauren shot back, "What do you mean it's not my business? This is Mr. Cena, my boss. You think I should just stand by?"
She chucked her entry badge at the security captain's face. "Take a good look. Don't make me go to your boss; you can't handle the fallout!" I'd never seen Lauren this mad before. Honestly, it caught me off guard.
The security captain glanced at the badge and started sweating bullets. He quickly bowed and apologized, "I'm sorry, Mr. Cena. My bad. I'll leave right now!" He handed the badge back, all respectful-like.
Phillip was stunned. "He used to be my classmate, an ordinary employee, and now he's jobless. How could he be the boss of a real estate company?"
The security captain shot back, "Phillip, this is a bidding event. Don't cause trouble, or I'll have to ask my superior if we should kick you out."
"How dare you? I'm a bidder!"
"Prime Peak Properties, right? Set up three days ago, hasn't even got a bank loan, and you think you can bid?" Just then, a young guy in his twenties walked in, flanked by men in black suits.
"Who said that?" Phillip was about to curse but froze when he saw who it was. He swallowed his words and said nervously, "Mr. Miller, I'm sorry, I wasn't talking about you."
The young guy smiled. "It's cool, I didn't take it personally."
Phillip sighed in relief, but then a loud slap echoed, and Phillip almost hit the floor. A bright red handprint marked his left cheek. Phillip clutched his face. "Mr. Miller..."
The young man kicked him in the face. "How dare you shout in front of me? No, how dare you act tough in front of Mr. Cena? Do you think I won't kill you?"
Phillip's teeth went flying, and his mouth filled with blood. Everyone around was in shock. Lauren whispered, "That's Leofric Miller, the heir to Horizon Realty Group!"
I frowned, thinking, 'This guy is so aggressive; he starts a fight over the smallest thing.'
"Prime Peak Properties is a joke. Even Frank doesn't talk back to me. You think you can scam money in real estate with your crappy business? It's people like you who mess up the industry." He spat and walked straight towards me.
Ava stepped in his way, glaring at Leofric. "What do you want?"
Leofric quickly waved his hand. "Relax, I know Mr. Cena!"
I thought, 'He knows me? But I don't remember him at all.' I told Ava, "Ava, let him through." I stood up, facing this guy about my age. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Miller."
Leofric quickly extended his hand, bowing slightly. "Hi, Mr. Cena. I've heard about you and always wanted to visit. Didn't expect to meet you here today."
Everyone around was stunned, and I was confused. "Have we met before?"
Leofric shook his head. "No, but I've heard stories about you and seen your photos. Also, I'm with Richard!"
I suddenly got it. "You hang out with Richard?"
"Yeah, that's right!" Leofric nodded with a grin.
Phillip was completely floored. "No way, Mr. Miller, you must be mistaken. He was my classmate, and he worked at Skyliho Group."
Leofric's face turned icy, and he told his bodyguards, "Get him out of here. I don't want to see him!"
"Yes, sir!" Soon, his men dragged Phillip out like a ragdoll.
Leofric scoffed, "They shouldn't have let such an arrogant person in here to yell at you!"
Everyone else was just as stunned. I rubbed my nose. "You should sit down; this isn't a good look."
Leofric nodded. "Mind if I sit next to you?"
"We're the same age, and you're Richard's friend. No need to be so formal."
"Can I call you John? That's what folks in Greenvale City call you."
"Sure, whatever makes you comfortable." I didn't expect the heir to Horizon Realty Group to be so down-to-earth.
Leofric asked, "John, are you planning to bid on this land too?"
I nodded. "Yeah, it's my first time, so I'm kinda winging it."
"Then I won't compete with you," Leofric said, then turned to his assistant, "Call my dad and tell him we're not bidding on this land."
I was taken aback. "Friends are friends, but business is business. Won't this be hard to explain to your family?"
Leofric shrugged. "It's fine. It's just a piece of land. We can bid on others. Richard's in Sevan City now. If he finds out I'm competing with you, he will definitely beat me up."
"Are you afraid of him?"
Leofric shook his head with a smile. "Not afraid. Without Richard, our family wouldn't have made it."
"He invested money in your family?"
"He did, but he didn't take any shares. He lent it to us for free to help us through tough times."
A few minutes later, I finally got the full picture. The Miller family was just a small real estate company before. When they hit a rough patch, the bank wouldn't lend them money.
At that time, Leofric had Richard's number, but they weren't close. He called Richard on a whim to ask if he would invest. To his surprise, Richard agreed.
Leofric said, "Richard told me that even though we weren't close, he saw potential in me and heard from friends that I was sincere. So he lent me the money for zero interest without taking any shares. I've always remembered that."
I nodded, thinking, 'To say the least, Richard has a good eye for people.'
"There is supposed to be a subway station next to this land, right?" I didn't hide it. Leofric was so sincere that I felt guilty if I took the land.
Leofric smiled. "John, telling me that means you're honest. But those are just rumors spread by Stellar Estates."
"Why? What's their motive?"
He whispered, "To raise the price and make money."
I was shocked. It seemed the real estate industry was more complicated than I thought. No wonder Charles specifically warned me before hanging up.
I said, "Isn't that a sure win?"
Leofric laughed. "After the bidding, don't make an offer. Only small real estate companies will bid. Even if they can quote the price, they can't come up with the money. There will be a capital verification, and if they don't meet the requirements, they won't get it. After it fails, there will be a second auction."
I was surprised. "Is that how it works?" Lauren, who was listening, became more attentive.
"Of course, there's also the possibility that someone can afford it. But even if they can, the project will stall, and they'll have to sell it at a lower price."
People who didn't understand the industry would get well played. Leofric continued, "But from what I saw, Stellar Estates' plan to make money will fail. Those with strength won't fall for it, and those without can't afford it. We'll just watch the show."
At that moment, representatives from MacroBuild Real Estate and Stellar Estates entered. Then the auctioneer took the stage. "Let's start the bidding! The starting price is thirty million dollars!" The other companies began to participate in the bidding.
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