Chapter 41: What If?

After exiting the Luzhou station in the provincial capital, Li Ya followed closely behind her older brother, Li Ping'an, like a small tail. The moment she stepped out of the station, the familiar regional dialect and the plain, honest faces of the locals stirred a sense of warmth within her. Yet, at the same time, the stark contrast between the pace of life in Luzhou and that of Beijing hit her with increasing clarity.

In Beijing, daily life is characterized by rushing crowds and an endless stream of traffic; the fast-paced rhythm, like a steady drumbeat, urges everyone to keep moving forward. In comparison, Luzhou felt less urgent, possessing a sense of ease and leisure. For Li Ya, although Luzhou was the provincial capital of her home region, it felt genuinely foreign. She had traveled far from home only a handful of times, and her impression of the city was stubbornly limited to the area around the station. Anywhere further out felt like an unknown, mysterious territory—full of novelty and strangeness.

Once outside the high-speed rail station, Li Ping'an, familiar with the route, led his sister directly to a vibrant green taxi. Opening the door, he spoke to the driver in an authentic local dialect: "Master, take us to Bao'an Road in the New District."

That pure local accent acted like a key, instantly bridging the gap between them. The taxi driver silently engaged the meter. Had Li Ping'an not spoken with such a genuine accent, the driver would likely have quoted a flat, inflated price. As he started the meter, the driver asked with a hint of confusion, "Bao'an Road? That area hasn't been developed much yet. Are you sure you've got the right place?"

Li Ping'an looked firm and replied with a smile, "I'm sure. It's Bao'an Road. We're going to take a look at some land there."

The driver curled his lip, clearly not taking the statement seriously, assuming his passengers were just joking around. He let it slide, pressed the accelerator, and merged into the traffic. The high-speed rail station was located in the New District, but even with smooth traffic and no congestion, it still took half an hour to reach Bao'an Road. This alone showed the vastness of the Luzhou New District.

After paying the fare, the siblings stepped out and watched the green taxi speed away. Now, looking around, Li Ya finally understood why the driver had repeatedly confirmed the address. Everywhere she looked, aside from the brand-new asphalt road, there were no decent buildings to be seen. The landscape was filled with waist-high wild grass, swaying in the wind and growing recklessly in the gentle May sunshine. Li Ya couldn't help but click her tongue, thinking that if it were this lush in May, it would surely turn into a "green wall of stalks" by autumn! She hopped onto a large rock by the roadside and stood on tiptoe to look around, only to find that the nearest high-rise buildings were likely four or five hundred meters away.

She tilted her head and shouted to Li Ping'an, "Big brother, is this the land you were talking about? It’s really desolate!" Her words were filled with doubt and sarcasm.

But in Li Ping'an's eyes, this barren scene was like an uncut jade covered in dust, brimming with infinite potential. Only a blank canvas is easy to paint upon. The lack of surrounding building complexes was the best part. Li Ping'an was already calculating that if he could acquire all the surrounding land, he would never have to worry about space when the company expanded. It was a godsend of a location. With the added advantage of convenient transportation, it was the perfect spot to develop a high-tech industrial park.

Backed by advanced civilization, Li Ping'an was full of confidence in the future grand plans of Smart Cube Technology, never doubting that the company would soar to new heights and grow ever stronger. Others might see this place as fit only for a factory, but in his mind, it was a genuine gold mine.

It happened to be the May Day holiday, and all the offices were closed. Otherwise, Li Ping'an would have been running to the relevant authorities to inquire about purchasing the surrounding land. Facing his sister's skepticism, Li Ping'an acted like a confident general. He spread his arms, his face glowing with self-assurance, and said with high spirits, "Xiao Ya, just imagine: in a few years, this entire area will be covered with high-rises under your brother's company name. When that happens, will you still think it's desolate?"

Watching her brother's confident expression, Li Ya swallowed the doubts that were on the tip of her tongue; she couldn't bear to pour cold water on him. Although "Pet Spirits" was currently a huge hit and she didn't know exactly how much money he had made, the idea of building high-rises and creating a bustling commercial district from scratch on this land still felt somewhat unrealistic to her.

However... what if? Before the New Year, she would never have believed that she would suddenly become a "little rich girl" overnight. She would let time prove everything.

Happy vacations always come to an end too quickly. After exploring the area and carrying bags of clothes bought from various malls, Li Ya bid a reluctant farewell to her brother and boarded the bus back to school.

Upon returning to Shuimu University via high-speed rail, Li Ping'an immediately searched for several design firms near the campus, preparing to put the construction of his office building on the agenda. "Wait, I’m such a fool. Who knows which design firms are the most reliable better than the locals?" Universities were full of connections! If he didn't use them now, was he going to wait until graduation when everyone went their separate ways? Once that time came, those connections wouldn't be as effective.

Picking up his phone, Li Ping'an originally intended to call his roommate, Zhao Peng, who hadn't returned to school yet. But as he scrolled through his contacts, he saw his counselor's name and "abandoned" Zhao Peng immediately.

"Beep... beep... beep..."

At that moment, Wang Jingwen, who was hanging out with a few close friends, ducked into the corridor outside their private room. Muffling the microphone, she asked, "Hello? Li Ping'an, do you need something from me?"

"Teacher, do you know any reputable blueprint design firms? I’ve acquired a plot of land and am planning to build an office building."

"You acquired a plot of land?!!!" Wang Jingwen was clearly shocked on the other end of the line. Being able to secure land in Beijing, where every inch is worth gold... this truly surprised her.

"Er... yes, Teacher. I acquired a plot of land in the provincial capital of my hometown."

Hearing this, Wang Jingwen let out a sigh of relief. She thought as much; it wasn't that easy to get land in Beijing.

A design firm... Wang Jingwen’s eyes lit up as a thought struck her. The past few years had been a brutal winter for the construction industry! It had brought down other related businesses as well, and it was even worse for design firms that relied on blueprints. It hadn't been easy for them at all. Even her close friend’s design firm, comprised entirely of top graduates from the Academy of Fine Arts, was on the verge of having to lay off staff.

"Li Ping'an, I’ll call you back in a moment. Let me ask around for you."

After hanging up, Wang Jingwen walked back into the room and beckoned her friend, Wan Xia, "Wan Xia, come out for a second. I need to ask you something."