Read Novel Full Chapter 251: The House Selection Dispute
Chapter 251: The House Selection Dispute
The members did quite well; all the potatoes were good and relatively uniform in size.
Including the beans they planted, the two of them harvested a total of 2000 pounds of fresh potatoes.
After confirming there were no issues, Jiang Ning returned the solar generator to Aoyuan.
As they were about to leave, He Tianming called out to them, “The villas in the new district are almost finished. Yesterday, while I was handling some grain handover procedures in the work hall, I happened to see some wealthy individuals secretly selecting houses.
There are only 50 villas in the first phase, and with the current shortage of building materials, it’s uncertain when the second phase will start. You should hurry to select a house.”
Jiang Ning was surprised; she hadn’t realized she was being so naive, just waiting obediently for an official notice.
Why would the authorities insist on building villas despite the severe shortage of materials?
Naturally, it’s because they benefit from it. After taking over factories, land, or materials from the wealthy and entrepreneurs, they must provide something in return.
Why does a three-bedroom villa cost 50,000 points?
Because from the start, it was never intended for ordinary people. The 50,000 points were just a barrier to ensure lower-class survivors couldn’t reach it.
“Thank you, Captain He.”
They got in the car and headed to the new district, driving on the bumpy road.
Jiang Ning asked, “Is there a second phase for the villas in the new district?”
Huo Yishen recalled carefully, “There shouldn’t be, but there are plans for the second and third phases of commercial housing.”
It can’t be helped; only a few can live in villas, and the authorities must prioritize the lower-class survivors.
So, it’s not just about accumulating enough points to live in a villa.
Jiang Ning had a bad feeling that the villa was probably out of reach.
Buying property has never been a simple matter.
Those with connections would have chosen their homes before the sales even started, and the honest ones waiting for the official sale, even if they queued up at 3 a.m., would only find that everything had been sold out.
They hadn’t been to Wangwan for two months, and it had undergone a drastic change.
The construction site was bustling, with gray, unfinished buildings everywhere.
The commercial housing buildings were all six stories high, with rooms of seven to eight square meters each, small enough to bump into walls just by turning around.
Jiang Ning finally witnessed the so-called subdivided flats.
The streets, though, were neatly planned, all made of simple dirt roads.
The central hall was crowded with people earning points or exchanging materials.
After circling around, they finally found the inconspicuous real estate center, where two staff members were dozing off.
Jiang Ning politely said, “Excuse me, I’m here to choose an independent courtyard.”
The female staff member didn’t even lift her head, “The sale hasn’t started yet. Go back and wait for the notice.”
Jiang Ning wasn’t angry, “Haven’t most of them been chosen already? What does that have to do with the sale?”
“Independent courtyard, right?” The male staff member on the right looked up, “How many points do you have?”
“50,000 points.”
“House selection is prioritized by the number of points. With 50,000 points, you didn’t make the cut for this batch. Wait for the next one.”
Jiang Ning squinted, “According to the rules at the time, 50,000 points were enough. There was no mention of prioritizing by points.”
“You’re right, but under the same conditions, we can only prioritize those with higher points. We ask for your understanding.”
Sure, that explanation is definitely official.
If they were outside, Jiang Ning would have drawn her knife long ago.
An excuse, and what a convenient one with the final say resting with the authorities.
But cutting people wouldn’t solve the problem; there were only 50 villas, and causing a fuss wouldn’t help.
Jiang Ning took a deep breath, pulled out two bottles of Moutai from her bag, and handed them over with a smile, “Please, could you help us out?”
Moutai? Their eyes lit up instantly.
Exchanging their glances, they quickly hid the bottles.
“Ahem, you arrived just in time; there’s only one unit left.”
Jiang Ning didn’t believe her for a second. Those were reserved for the upper class.
The staff member took out the blueprints, and Jiang Ning quickly pointed to the villa at the prime location, “I want this one.”
The staff member, with a twitching smile, politely said, “This one requires 500,000 points.”
With only 50,000 points, Jiang Ning was speechless.
50,000 compared to 500,000? Even though the blueprints looked the same, anyone smart could tell there was a catch.
The female staff member drew three circles on the blueprint, “You can choose one from these.”
As expected, these were the leftovers.
Jiang Ning accepted reality without jealousy and decisively pointed to the one in the far corner, “This one.”
She handed over her points card.
The staff member swiped the card and prepared the document, “Are you paying with refined grains or coarse grains? Coarse grains require double the amount.”
Refined grains referred to rice, flour, corn, etc., while coarse grains were sweet potatoes, potatoes, and such.
Jiang Ning didn’t hesitate, “Half of each.”
In the space, day and night were distinct, and although the potatoes were planted at the same time, there was a half-month difference in harvest time. However, the six acres of corn planted earlier were now mature.
She kept half of the fresh produce for daily consumption and dried and shelled the rest.
Fortunately, they had a harvester and a shelling machine; otherwise, the work would have been overwhelming.
The staff member handed over the completed form, “Deliver the grain within three days. After delivery, bring this form back to get your certificate.”
Jiang Ning thanked them and then handed over two more cards, “My friends have two commercial apartments.”
The staff members were speechless. Moutai indeed wasn’t easy to get.
It didn’t matter for whom they were processing the paperwork; the liquor was valuable, so they still went ahead with it.
“Which location?”
Jiang Ning thought for a moment, “Is there any buildings available across from the police station?”
Under the police’s watchful eye, even if there were any rogue elements during the Eternal Night, they wouldn’t dare cause trouble right across from the police station.
The staff member handed over the blueprints, “Yes, but they aren’t finished yet.”
After a brief discussion with Huo Yishen, Jiang Ning chose units 301 and 302 on the third floor.
Feeling complicated but satisfied, securing the apartments with two bottles of Moutai was a good deal.
Since it was not easy to come here, Jiang Ning decided to deliver the grain before heading back.
Huo Yishen had no objections. The climate had been relatively stable over the past six months, and many survivors had taken the opportunity to plant crops, so delivering new grain wouldn’t attract much attention.
Thus, Jiang Ning prepared 3,000 pounds of cold-resistant potatoes and 1,500 pounds of corn. In a secluded area, she took out the truck.
They drove to deliver the goods.
It was clear that knowing the right people made things easier; rules only restrained honest people.
There were quite a few vehicles delivering grain, loaded with rice, wheat, and corn, showing the handiwork of the wealthy people.
There were also carts and tricycles, likely from middle to lower-class survivors who had connections but most of them are only buying the commercial apartments.
After waiting in line for two hours, it was finally Jiang Ning’s turn to deliver the grain.
Whether it was potatoes or corn, the quality was impeccable, and they were quickly weighed and documented.
Taking the receipt back to the work center, Jiang Ning was surprised to find dozens of people lined up at the real estate center, all waiting to select houses.
Most were middle-aged or older, dressed slightly better than the average survivor.
Listening in, Jiang Ning realized they were family members of research unit personnel.
Researchers worked tirelessly for the nation, so their housing was free, requiring neither payment nor food.
As she listened, a familiar voice called out, “Little Jiang?”