Chapter 315 - 313: The Unfinished Project

"The people at my company are all obedient enough while I’m still there. My worry is what happens if one day I’m not. I’m afraid they’ll start acting up."

As he spoke, Wesley Yates downed his drink. "I’m not sure how much I’ll have left after all this, but no matter how much it is, I have to protect it. At the very least, when I come back, I need to have the capital to stage a comeback."

Mr. Young had never seen Wesley Yates like this, especially confiding something like this to him. Hearing it made him feel very uneasy.

"Don’t say such pessimistic things. For now, everything’s still fine, isn’t it?"

"What’s fine?"

Pushing the door open, Cecilia Sterling walked in just in time to hear Mr. Young’s words. "What’s fine?" she couldn’t help but ask.

Mr. Young quickly composed his expression and smiled at Cecilia. "It’s nothing. Just having a heart-to-heart with Jeb."

Cecilia returned to her seat and looked at Wesley Yates. Ever since their last meeting, she had vaguely sensed something was off, but it was just a subconscious feeling, nothing she could put her finger on.

Today, that feeling was even more pronounced. She couldn’t help but ask with concern, "Brother, are you okay? I feel like you’re not yourself."

"I’m fine," Wesley Yates replied flatly. He turned and handed a manila envelope to Cecilia. "Hold on to this for now. If it’s ever needed, Mr. Young will call you."

Cecilia took it, puzzled, only to find that the envelope was sealed. It was obviously not meant to be opened now.

"What is this?"

Cecilia’s face was full of doubt. It was now very obvious that the two of them were hiding something from her.

Mr. Young said, "Cecilia, don’t ask for now. Just keep this safe for Jeb."

"Hold on. You won’t explain anything and just expect me to do things for you? Aren’t you just using me?" Cecilia feigned anger and tossed the envelope back. "If you won’t tell me, then I won’t help. What is this all about?"

She wasn’t worried her brother would harm her, but she couldn’t accept being told to do something without being told what was going on.

"This girl..."

Mr. Young looked helplessly at Wesley Yates. After all, he couldn’t speak on Wesley’s behalf, and he wasn’t sure how much or how little he should say.

Wesley Yates placed the envelope back on the table and looked at Cecilia with a serious expression. "There have been some changes at the company, and there might be trouble in the future. The envelope contains an agreement for the distribution of the shares I personally hold. That’s all."

Hearing this, Mr. Young lowered his head, feeling a little guilty. ’Damn,’ he thought, ’Jeb’s explanation is both true and false. The man’s got skills.’

"I knew something was strange about you at our last get-together. So it was about the company," Cecilia said, her tone slightly reproachful. "And you were so secretive about it. Do you need money? Brother, however much you need, I’ll help you."

"It’s not about money. Don’t ask about the specifics. Just keep this safe for me."

Seeing that he was unwilling to elaborate, Cecilia could only nod and put the envelope away.

"Come on, let’s drink!" Mr. Young saw his chance and quickly laughed the topic away, turning to Cecilia to ask, "Where’s Julie?"

"She had some business to handle, so she went on ahead."

Mr. Young nodded. "Perfect timing, then. There’s something I want to discuss with you two."

Cecilia and Wesley Yates both looked at him. He continued, "There’s a stalled project north of Southside Plaza in the Sunstone District. The developer took the money and ran a few years ago when it was half-finished. The higher-ups have been looking for a solution all these years. They even tried to use ’special approval methods’ to force another real estate group to take it over, but they didn’t succeed."

"I know the project you’re talking about. When the developer skipped town, their foreman came to me for a loan to pay the workers."

Cecilia, however, was confused. "If it’s been stalled for so long and no one will take it over, why doesn’t the government just scrap the project?"

"They can’t do that. There are ordinary people who’ve already paid down payments and are saddled with bank loans. If the project were scrapped and the half-finished buildings demolished, what about the people still carrying those loans? Would they be able to survive? Many of them used their life savings to buy those homes."

"On top of that, dozens of families who bought homes in this stalled project lost everything. With no other choice, they had to move into the unfinished buildings. They’ve been living there for years without running water or electricity, and there’s still no solution in sight."

Wesley Yates frowned. "Why are you suddenly bringing this up? Are you thinking of taking it on?"

At this, Wesley Yates actually nodded. "You do have a real estate company. You have the ability to take it on."

Mr. Young chuckled and looked at the two of them. "Right now, it’s a hot potato. The government’s hands are tied, and no corporation is willing to take it over. Those dozens of families who moved in are another headache. But that’s precisely why I think this is a viable opportunity."

"The housing market is picking up recently, and it’s expected to be on an upswing for a long time. Taking on this stalled project would solve an urgent problem for the higher-ups, so they’d definitely offer the best possible policies. If you two are interested, why don’t we take it on together? I’d love to go into business with you two."

But Wesley Yates shook his head and refused without the slightest hesitation. "Count me out. I don’t know what my situation will be later on, so I’m not going to get involved in anything new for now. If you’re optimistic about it, you should do it yourself. No need to drag us into it."

"I can’t handle it alone, Jeb. I just sank nine billion into Aetherium. Do you really think I print money? Where would I get that kind of cash flow?"

But he also understood Wesley Yates’s situation, so he immediately turned his gaze to Cecilia.

Cecilia, meanwhile, was looking down at her phone. She wasn’t just fiddling with it; she was using a map app to search for the location of the stalled project Mr. Young had mentioned.

North of Southside Plaza in the Sunstone District... It was surprisingly close to her Genesis Park, less than four kilometers away.

And the Sunstone District was set to become a key development area for the government in the near future.

"Cecilia, are you interested?"

"Sure!" Cecilia looked up, her eyes bright as she nodded. "I don’t know the first thing about real estate development, but if you’re willing to show me the ropes, Mr. Young, I’m in."

Wesley Yates frowned and looked at Cecilia. "Cecilia, you still have money to invest?"

In the few months he had known her, Cecilia had already invested quite a lot of money. Wesley Yates was afraid she was being too impulsive.

Cecilia smiled and nodded. "Don’t worry, Brother. If you’re short on cash, I have extra to help you with your cash flow."

Wesley Yates: "..."

"You may not know the business, but I’m a professional! I have a real estate company," Mr. Young said, perking up instantly when he heard how readily Cecilia agreed. "In that case, Cecilia, shall we look into this properly later?"

Cecilia grinned. "Mr. Young, I’ll invest the money, but I have one condition."

"Name it. If I can make it happen, I will."

"This stalled project—is it a big one? How many buildings are there in total, and how many units will be for sale once it’s completed?"

"It’s a huge project, but I honestly don’t remember the exact number of units. Are you thinking of buying a place in the complex?"

Cecilia nodded and blurted out, "I want a hundred units!"

Wesley Yates: "?"

Mr. Young: "How many units?"