Chapter 68: Buying Up Lands

Chapter 68: Buying Up Lands Li Xiaofei hesitated for a moment. His aunt, however, got up from his side and said, "Handle the gang matters first. I'll give you a massage later tonight."

"Alright," replied Li Xiaofei before he got up and dressed.

"What's going on?" He asked as he headed downstairs, "Take your time and explain."

Yang Cheng, the plump and quick-witted young man, knew better than to bother him without good reason.

"President, some outsiders came into our territory this afternoon. They've been contacting various neighborhoods and offering high prices to buy land." Yang Cheng explained.

Buying up land in the slums at a high price?

Something wasn't right. The slums had always been a place no one cared about for so many years. It wasn't just about the high price; even if the land was sold for dirt cheap, no one would be willing to take it.

"Have you investigated it?" Li Xiaofei asked, "Who are these people?"

Yang Cheng lowered his voice. "They are from one of the five major families, the Ye family."

Hmm?

Li Xiaofei felt a stir in his heart.

Damn, it’s that persistent Ye family again.

"Why are they buying up the land?" Li Xiaofei asked again.

Yang Cheng shook his head and said, "On the surface, they say they want to develop real estate here and build high-end residential areas, but we don’t actually know their real purpose yet."

Develop real estate? Nonsense.

The land in the slums was the dirtiest and most chaotic place in Liuhe Base City, with terrible supporting facilities around it.

Who will buy houses at a place where even birds won’t poop? There must be a conspiracy behind this.

Yang Cheng said with some concern, "President, these people are offering very high prices, and some people have already succumbed to the temptation and sold their land. I’m worried that if they continue to buy up the land, it will be detrimental to the Cloudy Sky Gang and to your grand ambitions."

Li Xiaofei gave this fat man a surprised look.

What grand ambitions do I have? How come I don’t even know about it?

However, the fact that the Ye family was coming to the slums to buy land already sounded suspicious.

"How many people have sold?" Li Xiaofei asked again.

Yang Cheng quickly handed over a list and said, "President, the people on this list have all sold their land."

Li Xiaofei glanced at it and a cold smile appeared on his face. They were all stubborn and obstinate remnants of the six major gangs of the past. These guys refused to progress and were unwilling to embrace the reforms in the slums. They were always thinking about protection fees and engaging in despicable violent activities. Them selling their land was actually a good thing.

Li Xiaofei made up his mind. "Spread the word. Anyone who sells their land is no longer part of the slums. They have one day to get out, or they shouldn't blame me for being ruthless."

These people were troublemakers, and this was the perfect excuse to drive them out.

Yang Cheng patted his chest confidently. "Don't worry, President. It won't even take a day, I'll make sure they all disappear within an hour. But what about the people from the Ye family?"

Li Xiaofei replied, "Keep an eye on them, but don't confront them directly."

After all, the Ye family was one of the five major families and couldn’t be provoked for the moment. As they talked, they reached downstairs. Li Xiaofei got on his modified motorcycle, kicked the engine into gear and sped towards the headquarters.

Yang Cheng was stunned and hurried to catch up. "President, I haven’t gotten on the bike yet!" he panted as he chased after him.

***

The headquarters of the Cloudy Sky Gang was bustling and prosperous compared to the days of Zhong Yuanshan. The shops in the area had increased in number, and the streets were spacious and clean. The foul garbage piles that used to be everywhere had been cleaned up. Although it couldn't compare to the rule-of-law district, it was vastly improved from its former stench-ridden state. These improvements were all thanks to Li Xiaofei's various reform measures.

First, the extensive and widespread public release of martial arts manuals had significantly enhanced the skills of the original gang experts. Moreover, the lower-level individuals who previously had no chance or qualification for cultivation now had the opportunity to cultivate.

This gained him more loyal followers. The slums had nearly ten thousand inhabitants, including some promising individuals with decent potential. Yang Cheng and Chu Yuntian had screened and selected these promising individuals as disciples of the Cloudy Sky Gang. They bowed to video recordings of Li Xiaofei and pledged their allegiance.

Whenever they saw Li Xiaofei, they would call him Boss. Recognizing him as their boss was equivalent to recognizing him as their master and godfather. From that moment on, their lives belonged to President Li. This was the rule for all registered gangs in the entire base city. They represented the future of the Cloudy Sky Gang and the future of the slums.

Furthermore, the slum’s hunting team had finally stabilized their hunts. This meant a continuous influx of external resources, like a blood transfusion, into the slums. The injection of these external resources brought new vitality to the slums, which had previously been trapped in a harsh cycle within their own ecological chain.

In addition, Li Xiaofei had strictly enforced the cancellation of various protection fees and the prohibition of drug trafficking, organ trafficking, and gambling. These measures had significantly improved the social atmosphere of the slums day by day.

Now, Li Xiaofei held immense authority in the slums. Many people saw him as a savior. The good days they were experiencing were beyond what anyone could have imagined during the era of the seven major gangs. Therefore, when Li Xiaofei rode his motorcycle to the entrance of the Cloudy Sky Gang, countless people scrambled to greet him. Their respectful faces were full of smiles. It wasn’t out of fear but genuine admiration.

"Boss."

"Hello, Boss."

Even the teenagers practicing martial arts in the courtyard stood at attention in unison. Li Xiaofei smiled and nodded back at them. In the distance, he could hear the roar of engines. A camouflage-armored van was leading six off-road trucks toward the Cloudy Sky Gang's courtyard amidst the cheers of the crowd.

"The hunting team is back."

"They’ve brought good stuff again."

"Move aside, don’t block the way."

Excited crowds gathered from all directions. The daily return of the hunting team was like a grand festival for the people of the slums. It was a reason to celebrate. The lead vehicle was a trophy Li Xiaofei had taken from the adventurer White Pig who had ambushed him. Since he had no immediate use for it, he had handed it over to the hunting team. Searᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"President." Chu Yuntian excitedly jumped down from the armored van's passenger seat. "This time, it’s another great harvest."

"Were there any casualties?" Li Xiaofei asked.

Chu Yuntian's face darkened. "Yes... but it's much better than before."

Li Xiaofei sighed inwardly. There was no avoiding it. This was the apocalypse.

While the interior of the base city might seem as if it was filled with peace and prosperity and not much different from the year 2022, it was a completely different world outside the towering steel walls.