Volume One: The Graveyard of Eight Coffins Chapter 47: The Tyrant Clause

Page 1 of 3

My third uncle and I were both stunned. Just moments ago, Liang Yue had spoken so reassuringly that we naively assumed Wu Tianyou and his people were here to help us, so we hadn’t paid much attention to the contract’s details. Who could have guessed that such a draconian clause was hidden within?

The company was already on the brink of collapse, and now, just as we took over, we were expected to turn a profit of two hundred thousand yuan within a month. How was that even possible?

Pointing at the contract, I confronted Liang Yue, “Liang Yue, what is this? Are you trying to set us up? Was this your doing?”

Liang Yue straightened her back, imitating my earlier posture, coughed deliberately, and said, “Li Yang, it’s true—I was the one who asked for this clause to be added. The company is giving you such favorable terms; if I didn’t add some pressure, how could that be fair? But... if you beg me, I might reconsider this clause.”

“Beg you? Not a chance. Why are you doing this to us, Liang Yue? What did I ever do to deserve this?”

My third uncle tried to smooth things over. “Li Yang, don’t say that. I think Liang Yue and the others are right. They’re handing the company over to us, and we don’t even have to pay for it. Without some incentive, it wouldn’t be reasonable. Assistant Liang, it’s fine, we’ll go by the contract.”

I shook my head. “Li Dagang, are you out of your mind? Two hundred thousand in a month! Are you planning to hand back all the money we just got as profit?”

My third uncle chuckled. “It was theirs to begin with. If we give it back, so be it. If you’re so worried about the money, why not just do as Assistant Liang says and swallow your pride? Isn’t that right, Assistant Liang?”

Liang Yue snorted and turned away.

This only made me more anxious. I waved Liang Yue off. “You want me to beg her? Dream on. Assistant Liang, now that the handover is finished, you can get back to your own business. Our company is small, so we won’t keep you here.”

Liang Yue’s face flushed red with anger. She spun around and stormed out of the company.

My third uncle sighed behind me. “Nephew, now I see why you’re still single at your age. With that kind of emotional intelligence... sigh...”

“What does emotional intelligence have to do with this? It’s obvious that girl is setting us up. To think I went out of my way to help her at the Tianyou Plaza basement—she’s really ungrateful.”

My third uncle laughed. “If you ask me, she’s just upset because you left her behind in the basement. She’s a young woman, just letting off a little steam. But you, you’re so stubborn. Forget it, let’s not discuss this now. We need to figure out how to make that two hundred thousand.”

I hung my head in despair. “Make it? I doubt the company is anything but an empty shell. Where are we supposed to earn two hundred thousand? Wu Tianyou just handed us an empty gesture.”

My third uncle waved over Chen Tao, who’d been standing quietly to the side.

Page 2 of 3

Chen Tao came over and gave a slight bow, addressing me as President Li.

My third uncle waved his hand. “I’m not some President Li. You’re about the same age as my nephew—just call me Third Uncle or Uncle Li if you prefer. Tell me, what do you think about the company having to earn two hundred thousand yuan in a month?”

Chen Tao frowned. “Uncle Li, to be honest, that’s... a bit difficult.”

My third uncle nodded. “Here’s what we’ll do. I have three hundred thousand yuan—let’s invest it in the company. We don’t really know much about the business, so from now on, you’ll be in charge of operations. Hire some staff, put together an advertising campaign—these are things you’re good at, right?”

Chen Tao nodded. “That’s not a problem, it’s just... Uncle Li, even with this, making two hundred thousand in a month is still...”

My third uncle replied, “I know. Just do as I say. When you put together the advertising campaign, highlight one special service: we specialize in handling problematic properties.”

Chen Tao was puzzled. “Problematic properties? What exactly does that mean?”

I couldn’t help but smile. Chen Tao had been an agent for so long, yet he’d never heard such a strange term. I explained, “Brother Chen, ‘problematic properties’ means haunted houses. In other words, besides regular real estate, we specialize in acquiring haunted homes—the more haunted, the better. Understand?”

Chen Tao finally understood and hurried over to the computer to get to work.

My third uncle and I toured the first floor, then went up to the second. The upstairs was spacious, with two rooms. We agreed to renovate the place and move in ourselves, which saved us from having to live in that damp, gloomy basement any longer.

Perhaps grateful that we hadn’t let him lose his job, Chen Tao worked with doubled effort. He really was capable, and with my third uncle’s investment, the agency started to flourish in just a few days.

We hired an accountant and a clerk, and someone was brought in to renovate the two rooms upstairs. On an auspicious day, after a burst of firecrackers, the company officially opened its doors. My third uncle gave our agency a name that was both grand and refined: Grand Fortune Real Estate Agency.

For the sake of future business, my third uncle even took me to the used car market, where we picked up an eighth-hand Santana that still ran well enough.

I couldn’t help but grumble, “Don’t we still have more than a hundred thousand left? Why not buy a new car?”

He shook his head and said the money was for something else, no matter how I pressed him, he wouldn’t say what.

Page 3 of 3

Several more days had passed toward our one-month deadline. We’d placed the ads as my third uncle instructed, but visitors remained few and far between. Even the few listings we managed to secure barely brought in any profit after reselling.

Once the company was settled, my third uncle gave me twenty thousand yuan and told me to go back to the basement and gather any remaining things worth taking, and to give the money to Guo Zai at the snack stall as compensation and thanks for all the years I owed him. He’d never once asked me to pay up, so this was only fair.

I understood immediately—a man of such loyalty deserved nothing less.

The next morning, I drove that battered old car, with twenty thousand in cash, back to my third uncle’s place.

From a distance, I heard shouting and cursing, coming from the direction of Guo Zai’s stall.

I hurried over to see what was happening. From afar, I saw Guo Zai brandishing a broom at a black dog, cursing as he swung it.

The dog wasn’t large—mid-sized at best—but it was nothing but skin and bones, filthy and scruffy. Its black fur was dull, with patches of mange, and many places were matted. On its forehead, there was a bald, swollen lump, as though a growth had sprouted from its head, making it all the more hideous.

Clearly, this was a stray, and not one faring well.

For some reason, seeing that dog made me think of myself. I, too, had drifted from place to place, with no home to call my own. In a way, my experiences weren’t much different from that dog’s. Maybe, to outsiders, I was just another stray.

(End of this chapter)