Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 175

"Exactly how handsome of a fee are we talking?" the chief asked.

"Two hundred dollars to you for every successful closing, and another two hundred for whichever runner handles the paperwork."

"Deal."

The village chief immediately summoned his most persuasive lieutenants.

Still, he couldn't quite fathom why a city billionaire wanted to buy up rotting rural shacks.

"If you don't mind me asking, sir, why on earth do you city folks want property out here?"

"To be completely transparent, a lot of wealthy seniors are sick of the concrete jungle. They want a slice of the countryside.

They want to retire, plant a little vegetable garden in the yard, and enjoy the peace and quiet of farm life.

Of course, we'll be gutting the existing structures and remodeling them into a high-end retirement resort."

"Well, if that's the case, our little town is about to see a lot of investment! You are more than welcome here."

Because Adrian was offering two to three times the market value, plenty of villagers were eager to cash out.

They could take the windfall, buy a nice condo in the proper town limits, and maybe even start a small business. Or, if they wanted to stay, they could use half the cash to build a brand-new, modern house right down the road.

Getting new zoning permits in an impoverished district was famously easy anyway.

The buyout prices were so high even the village chief was tempted. But then his greed kicked in—if this place was turning into a luxury resort, wouldn't his land be worth exponentially more in the future?

He decided to hold onto his deed and wait it out.

Seeing the chief refuse to sell, a significant portion of the villagers backed out as well.

Nevertheless, Adrian managed to secure several dozen properties, sweeping up every willing seller in the designated strike zone.

It wasn't the massive payout he'd hoped for, but it ensured the trip wasn't a total wash.

The fixers from the rival conglomerates, on the other hand, went home completely empty-handed.

A few days later, the official government mandate for the new high-speed rail station was broadcasted city-wide.

When Kieran cross-referenced the coordinates, he realized the abandoned factory he and Mira had purchased sat dead-center in the buyout zone. He was practically vibrating with excitement.

His admiration for Mira's razor-sharp instincts skyrocketed.

Out of options, the terrified chief had to call the police to disperse the mob.

What they were doing constituted trespassing and organized harassment.

If they didn't clear out, the police warned, they'd all be thrown in holding cells.

As for the property sales, the transactions were entirely voluntary and the transfer deeds had been legally notarized.

They had no one to blame but their own greed.

Once the official buyout notices were distributed, Mira took a day off school. Flanked by the Iron Wolves, she met up with Kieran to handle the logistics.

She knew full well that every major elite family in the city would be watching the land bureau like hawks.

Having failed to trace her through the burner phone or physical inquiries, they were desperate to find out which rival powerhouse had sniped the factory lot.

Unfortunately, certain municipal transfer papers required her physical presence.

Naturally, Adrian would be making an appearance at the bureau as well to finalize the buyout on his dozen residential properties.

The massive footprint and structural density of Mira's factory had already been meticulously logged in the local land registry, so they were completely exempt from the chaotic re-measurement process the villagers were facing.