The Guan family being pushed to this point did not have much to do with their debts anymore. After all, they still had their private savings and connections; if worst came to worst, their old ancestral estate could fetch a good price.
The main issue was the overwhelming psychological pressure.
As a prominent and enduring aristocratic family from the previous dynasty, their family tree had many branches. On the street where the Guan family resided, apart from the old estate, most of the neighbors had countless intricate ties to the Guan family.
Some were extended family members who had branched off.
Others were descendants of loyal retainers and servants from previous generations.
There were even relatives by marriage and old family friends.
These people guarded the Guan family and were protected by them in return. Upon learning of Su Ning's arrogant behavior, many among them were highly indignant. Some even let the word out in private—
Even if Su Ning really used force and coercion to snatch away the Guan family's old estate, her close neighbors would never accept her. She should not expect to see a single friendly face!
During the Republican era, human relations were heavily valued, and people cared deeply about such things.
If this truly happened, even though Su Ning was wealthy, her reputation would inevitably be ruined. If a person was despised even by the neighbors she lived with day and night, how could she be any good?
Her public image in society would be completely destroyed!
It was not long before Su Ning learned of this. Lin Sen's mind had already spun through seventeen or eighteen ideas on how to make things difficult for these unappreciative people and force them to shut their mouths.
Yet, he heard the young lady seated above say indifferently:
"You can gag their mouths, but you cannot block their hearts. Their hearts lean toward the Guan family. Even if they are taught a lesson, it will not change anything. Why waste the effort?"
"Then we just let them be?"
"Of course not."
Su Ning closed her book and rotated her sore wrists. Days of high-intensity studying had made her a bit weary; doing something wicked could serve as a way to relieve her boredom.
"Sometimes, when fists and slaps cannot change things, doing the exact opposite works. Give them benefits, benefits they cannot refuse, and the results will actually be quite excellent."
Hearing this, Lin Sen's heart stirred.
"Benefits do move people's hearts, but if we just give them money, I am afraid some people's appetites will be too large to satisfy. If word gets out, it will also ruin our reputation."
"Who said anything about giving them money directly?"
The sharp-eyed woman gave a disdainful smile, as cold and captivating as a gemstone, yet making onlookers fear being cut by its sharp edges. Her words reflected this very same domineering and piercing edge.
She never needed any neighbors to begin with!
......
A short time later.
The households along the entire street surrounding the Guan estate had their doors knocked on by strangers. Before the residents could even ask, the strangers introduced themselves, causing the neighbors' faces to change drastically upon hearing the names.
"What do you want here!"
A highly respected elder glared and shouted loudly. Hearing the commotion, the rest of the neighbors automatically gathered around, glaring angrily at these lackeys of Bully Su.
Originally, a single household would not have dared to act like this.
But numbers gave them courage.
They were all longtime local residents of Beiping. Unlike the Guan and Fang families, they did not have any vulnerabilities being exploited. If they banded together to resist, would Su Ning really dare to arrest them all?
They figured she would not dare be so arrogant!
"Everyone, there is no need to be nervous."
For such a major matter, Assistant Lin was personally leading the team. Seeing this situation, he did not panic in the slightest; instead, he felt it saved him the energy of going door-to-door to negotiate.
Facing countless hostile gazes, he unhurriedly explained his purpose: he was representing Su Ning to purchase their land and houses.
More importantly, the price offered was far above the market rate, making it extremely tempting.
The neighbors present were stunned.
"Why does Su Ning, no, Miss Su, want to buy so many houses?"
A voice popped up from the crowd.
The others grew slightly restless, but no one stepped forward to stop the inappropriate questions. Even the elderly man leading them kept his mouth shut, his expression a mix of suspicion and anticipation.
"That is none of your business."
Lin Sen smiled with elegant grace, but his words were utterly blunt. As he glanced around, a few people looked uncomfortable, but far more were visibly wavering.
Once they wavered, success was not far off.
Sure enough, the neighbors completely disregarded the presence of Lin Sen and his group, breaking into hushed but heated discussions.
"Didn't they say they only wanted to buy the Guan family's house? Why are they trying to buy ours too? Are they playing a trick on us?"
"It doesn't seem like a trick..."
Someone couldn't help but swallow hard, actually speaking up in defense of Su Ning. "Miss Su has such a massive estate; she certainly wouldn't want to settle for less when it comes to her residence. Maybe she wants to buy out the whole area to expand."
"How big would that be? That's an entire street."
"Forget all that. What are you all thinking? Are you going to sell or not?"
The crowd fell silent for a second.
Of course, they wanted to sell. Based on the price Su Ning was offering, they could not only buy another house in the exact same neighborhood but also have a substantial amount of money left over.
It was so hard to make money these days.
Who wouldn't be tempted by a sudden opportunity to strike it rich?
But admitting it out loud felt a bit shameful. Just moments ago, they had sworn to boycott Su Ning, and the Guan family had even come over specifically to thank them for their righteous solidarity. How could they possibly have the nerve to back out now?
Everyone looked at each other. Deep down, they all hoped someone else would stick their neck out first. Then they could just blend into the crowd and agree, making it seem much less humiliating.
Unfortunately, everyone had the exact same thought.
Because of this, the scene fell into a temporary stalemate.
"Selling a house is a major decision. You all need time to discuss it with your families." Right then, Lin Sen's voice broke the awkward tension.
"Yes, yes, yes. We have to talk it over with our families."
The crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief, and the way they looked at Lin Sen softened considerably. Those with more cunning minds, however, started calculating other angles.
If time wasn't so tight, there was room to negotiate.
If they banded together, they might even be able to drive the price up a bit higher.
Unfortunately, the very next second shattered that illusion.
"However, our young lady's time is incredibly precious. Wasting so much of it on the Guan family has already made her quite unhappy—" Lin Sen paused deliberately and raised his hand.
Slowly, he curled down three fingers.
"Therefore, the first five people who decide to sell will receive an additional twenty percent on top of the total price. The first ten will receive an extra ten percent, and the first twenty will get an extra five percent..."
Many people's breathing turned heavy.
"Of course, anyone after the first twenty will only receive the original asking price." Lin Sen shook his head in feigned pity and pulled his hand back, silently counting in his head: one, two...
"I... I can make the decision right now!"
Where there is heavy profit, pioneers will always emerge. A man wearing a tattered, padded cotton jacket pushed his way out of the crowd. He bowed and scraped before Lin Sen, eagerly stating that his house was right over there and could be transferred immediately.
Seeing someone beat them to the punch, the others who had been hesitating instantly erupted into an uproar. Several people yelled at the man, calling him dishonorable and heartless for selling his house without even giving the Guan family a heads-up.
"Bullshit!"
The man, who also shared the surname Guan and belonged to a branch family of the main Guan clan, roared back with bloodshot eyes:
"Can a conscience put food on the table? My family ran out of grain days ago! We can't even afford sweet potatoes at ten coppers a pound. My wife and kids are so starving they're chugging cold water just to feel full! Where was the main Guan family then?"
Strictly speaking, the Guan clan possessed communal lands and properties. The annual yields were meant to be distributed among the clan members, and if things had actually been done that way, his family would never have ended up on the brink of starvation.
The problem was that the clan properties had been completely squandered by the Guan family!
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He suddenly lunged forward and grabbed the man who had just spoken by the collar.
"If I do not sell this house, my entire family will starve to death! If you want to talk me out of it, then give me money and give me food! Otherwise, keep your mouth shut!"
The man being grabbed by the collar was choked so hard his eyes began to roll back in his head.
The others finally snapped out of their daze and swarmed forward, pulling at him and trying to talk him down. They urged him not to take things too far and to talk things out peacefully, but the highly emotional man surnamed Guan absolutely refused to let go.
In the end, it was the highly respected elder who spoke up.
"We finally have a way to survive. It is fine if you want to act like a fool, but what about your wife and children? Without the pillar of their family to support them, they will be dead on the streets within three days!"
Only then did the Guan man finally loosen his grip.
With that dispute settled, the elder turned his attention back to Lin Sen. His attitude was inevitably a bit more humble now as he slyly suggested that since everyone had agreed to sell their houses, perhaps they could all receive an extra thirty percent.
The others grew a bit restless upon hearing this.
But no one voiced any objections.
Lin Sen was not surprised by this at all. A thousand pounds of sentiment could not compare to a single silver dollar. The bond between these people and the Guan family was deep, but at the end of the day, they were merely selling their houses. It was not as if they were doing anything to actively harm the Guan family.
They were definitely going to sell.
However, the speed at which these people agreed was somewhat beyond his expectations. He had originally assumed that, even if just to save face, it would take two or three days before anyone willingly stepped forward.
"Thirty percent is out of the question. With so many of you, the absolute most I can offer is ten percent."
"That is final."
