Chapter 751 — Demolition Compensation

"Here's the thing—we tore down your house earlier, didn't we? So the demolition compensation for your family has been approved, and we'd like to invite you to come to the Qibing Real Estate Company headquarters, Qibing Tower, at eight o'clock tomorrow morning to discuss the compensation with us." Su Jiaonang said.

"What? There's demolition compensation too?" Mother Tang was taken aback. She had assumed the three million Wei Zhao had demanded earlier already covered the demolition compensation—how was she being offered more money now?

"Of course. We tore down your house, so naturally we'll compensate you for the demolition!" Su Jiaonang said. "As for the amount, we've tentatively set it at two million. The details will need to be discussed when you come tomorrow—if you feel it's not enough, you're welcome to bring it up then."

"All right, all right. Eight o'clock tomorrow, you said? I'll be there!" Mother Tang was utterly stunned. Out of nowhere, another two million?

"Good. Once you arrive, take the elevator up from the underground parking garage to the second floor, and you'll see the demolition project team." Su Jiaonang said meaningfully, hinting that Mother Tang should have Wei Zhao drive her there.

"Fine, I've got it written down! No problem, see you tomorrow!" Mother Tang hurriedly noted it down.

After the call ended, everyone looked at Mother Tang with puzzled expressions.

"Sister Wang, what was that? What demolition compensation?" Xiaofen's mother asked curiously.

"Wasn't my house torn down? Just now someone from the Qibing Real Estate Company's demolition project team, a man named Su Jiaonang, called and told me to go to their company tomorrow to collect the demolition compensation—two million!" Mother Tang was startled by the figure herself.

Their shabby old house, at most, at the very most, was worth a hundred or two hundred thousand. How could they possibly be compensated two million all at once?

Mother Tang's first thought was that this was Wei Zhao's doing! Who ran Qibing Real Estate but Li Cihua and Young Master Bing? Had Li Cihua gone back today and gotten scared again—afraid Wei Zhao would make trouble for them—and hurriedly tried to curry favor with Wei Zhao?

When she thought about it, that was the only possibility!

"Two million!" When Xiaofen's mother heard that number, she was instantly dumbstruck, and the other neighbors were the same—upon hearing it, they were so shocked they didn't know what to say.

"Your house is worth two million?" Liu Xinlan's mother finally managed to exclaim after a long pause.

"Hmph, they're just scared of Wei Zhao, that's why they're paying two million. Otherwise that rundown house isn't worth two hundred thousand, let alone two million?" Mother Tang spoke casually, but inside she was happier than words could say.

"I said it all along—our rundown houses, worth two million? Two million could buy a villa!" Xiaofen's mother shook her head. "Even a hundred or eighty thousand would be plenty for us!"

"Don't say that. This kind of thing all comes down to negotiation!" Mother Tang said with a smile.

Xiaofen's mother and Liu Xinlan's mother both sighed. Negotiation? Our families don't have a formidable figure like Wei Zhao—where would we even go to negotiate? Would they even negotiate with the likes of us?

Thinking of the gap between their families and the Tangs', Xiaofen's mother, Liu Xinlan's mother, and the others lost much of their enthusiasm. After chatting a while longer, they took their leave, going off to discuss how to handle their own negotiations with the developer.

Earlier, they had all thought Tang Zhi's family was so unlucky—the nail that sticks out gets hammered down, and theirs was the first house pushed over! But now it seemed they were actually the best off of all.

After the neighbors left, Mother Tang immediately told Tang Zhi the good news.

"Yun'er, the Qibing Real Estate Company just called me—they're compensating our family two million for demolition!" Having just seen a massive three million not long ago, Mother Tang wasn't as excited about this two million as she might once have been.

"Compensating our family two million? Really?" Tang Zhi was a little disbelieving. "Didn't they just pay us three million? Why are they compensating us another two million today?"

"I don't know. Maybe they're scared of Wei Zhao? Trying to spend money to please him, afraid he'll make trouble for them again?" Mother Tang speculated. "Yesterday, that Li Cihua fellow—wasn't he pretty afraid of Wei Zhao?"

"Pleasing him? There's no need for that, is there?" Tang Zhi grew somewhat suspicious at her mother's words. "Even if he's afraid of Wei Zhao, Wei Zhao never said a word—there's no reason for them to just send money on their own, is there? That seems a little illogical?"

"Unreasonable? How is it unreasonable? Isn't it a good thing that they're giving us money?" Mother Tang thought Tang Zhi was being a little too cautious.

"It's not that it's bad—it's that why would they give us money? Mom, I feel like there's something off about this..." Tang Zhi had a persistent sense that something was wrong. How could Li Cihua possibly offer money of his own accord? When Wei Zhao had demanded three million from him earlier, he had been reluctant to hand it over—so why would he volunteer money now?

"You—whether there's a problem or not, won't we find out tomorrow?" Mother Tang was utterly unconcerned. "Tomorrow at eight in the morning, they want us to go to the second floor of the Qibing Building to collect the demolition compensation. Why don't you ask Wei Zhao if he's free, and have him accompany us?"

"Oh..." Tang Zhi had been meaning to ask Wei Zhao anyway. What on earth was Li Cihua up to? First three million, and now another two million.

Wei Zhao received Tang Zhi's call on his way to school. When he heard her account—that Qibing Real Estate wanted them to come to the Qibing Building tomorrow to collect the demolition compensation—he was taken aback. "The Qibing Building is rebuilt already, that fast?"

Tang Zhi had expected Wei Zhao to be puzzled about the compensation money, but not to ask that. She couldn't help but laugh. "What, were you thinking of demolishing it for him again?"

"Oh, if he provokes me again, I'll demolish it just the same." Wei Zhao smiled. "His building already collapsed, and he's still giving your family money? Is he brain-dead?"

"That's what I think too. Tell me, could there be some problem with this?" This was the very thing Tang Zhi had been worrying about all along.

"Heh... refusing money when it's offered—isn't that what fools do?" Wei Zhao didn't see any problem with it. "Since they're giving money, I'll go with you to collect it tomorrow."

"But..." Tang Zhi still felt it was somewhat improper.

"Even if there is a problem, what can they do about it? With me here, what are you afraid of?" Wei Zhao saw it clearly: even if Li Cihua and Zhao Qibing had something in mind, what could they possibly do? His strength had fully recovered—if they thought they could hold him, that was impossible...

"Mm..." Hearing Wei Zhao say this, Tang Zhi nodded in agreement. That was right—with Wei Zhao there, what did she have to worry about?

With that thought, Tang Zhi set aside the unease in her heart.