"You know I'm planning to acquire land near Devonshire Castle, but my people aren't professionals. Having them negotiate would not only be a hassle but also time-consuming and labor-intensive. Since the Grosvenor Group is the largest real estate company and landowner in Britain, I hope you can help me acquire these 30,000 acres of land. In return, I'll exchange a futures contract worth £100 million with you."
Grosvenor agreed without much thought. Thirty thousand acres of rural land in Oxford is currently worth around £90 million. Although the profit isn't huge, during a stock market crash, even small margins are desirable. No real estate company would pass up the chance, no matter how minor. "What about the rest?" Grosvenor asked.
"The second matter is a bit trickier," William said with a smile. "I heard your company's stock price has risen quite a bit recently?"
Hearing William mention stock prices, Grosvenor's eyelid twitched. He quickly responded, "Don't target my company, William. Other than the three construction companies you've taken down, which English construction company hasn't seen their stock rise?"
"Relax, you didn't offend me. I'm not foolish enough to create unnecessary trouble for you," William interrupted, "but you did benefit from my actions, didn't you?"
Looking at William's smiling face, Grosvenor rolled his eyes. "Fine, what do you want for the remaining £440 million in contracts?"
"Grosvenor Square."
"FKU! You bastard!" Grosvenor jumped up in anger. "Not only is this square the core of our family's holdings in the area, but the four buildings surrounding the square generate £30 million in property income annually. I could sell the management rights for 20 years for £400 million! Are you crazy or am I?"
"Haha, that's my offer. If you don't agree, I'll wait. In a few days, these contracts might be worth £600 or £700 million. But by then, I might not even want Grosvenor Square."
William glanced down at the outraged Grosvenor, casually sipping tea. "Don't forget, if you manage to acquire one of those three construction companies, your stock will rise by at least 20%. If it doesn't, I'll cover the difference. If I were interested in the real estate industry, would I be leaving this opportunity for you?"
Grosvenor certainly didn't want William entering the real estate business. This guy had deep pockets and ruthless methods. If he ever truly entered the industry, Grosvenor Group's days would definitely be tough.
After pacing the room for half an hour, Grosvenor finally said, "Selling the entire square would be a huge loss for me. How about I trade the two buildings on the north side instead?"
"No, I said the whole square. What would I do with just two buildings?" William shook his head, then thought for a moment. "Didn't you and King Philip use 20% of English Electric to exchange for 13% of the bulletproof product company's shares with me? If you split it evenly, that's 7.5% each. I'll give you an additional 2.5%, making it a full 10%, and add the contracts to exchange for the square. If you still disagree, then forget it. I've heard the Biddles Group has some good land. Once those three companies go bankrupt, I'll pick what I want."
"Deal," Grosvenor agreed quickly this time. Not only was he short on cash, but the actual value of Grosvenor Square wasn't as high as he had claimed. At current market rates, it was worth at most £700 million. The losses could easily be recouped in the stock market. Plus, this deal would dissuade William from entering the real estate business. While Grosvenor suspected William was bluffing, he didn't dare take the risk. Who knew if William would actually dive into real estate when he saw the profits?
After the two reached an agreement, the rest was left to their lawyers. After dining with William, Grosvenor took his leave.
Two days later, the contract was finalized by their lawyers, and Grosvenor, eager to seal the deal, showed up in person to sign it.
After the contracts were signed, they went directly to the property management office to complete the handover. From that day forward, Grosvenor Square would be renamed Devonshire Square.
William smiled as he shook hands with the equally satisfied Grosvenor.
Later that evening, when Lena and Abigail found out that William had not only bought Grosvenor Square but also renamed it Devonshire Square, they were so shocked they were almost speechless. After all, this was a landmark square in London, and while the square wasn't large, it was just a 10-minute walk from Buckingham Palace.
The next day, the ever-resourceful media quickly reported the news. While people were curious about why the Duke of Westminster would sell a family estate that had existed for nearly 200 years, they were even more amazed by how William had taken down three publicly listed companies in such a short time.
Suddenly, the number of visitors to the estate increased dramatically. Both acquaintances and strangers came by, much to William's annoyance. The influx of visitors even slowed down the progress on the estate's defense system renovations.
Lena, however, was quite pleased with the attention from the social elites, and despite her growing impatience, she hosted guests for two days. William, considering whether to hide in the castle to escape the crowd, was interrupted by a report on Sunday. "Sir, the two individuals you asked me to track, Hong Wengang and Hong Wenbiao, are currently on a ship to Thailand and are expected to arrive in Bangkok in fifteen hours."
"Excellent." Already irritated, William decided immediately to head to Bangkok. "Let my mother know that I have business to attend to and may be gone for a few days."
"Sir, I think you should see this."
"What is it?"
The TV in the living room automatically turned on, showing news about an explosion on Oxford Street in London. Before William could catch the details, his phone rang. It was Gareth.
Answering the call, William heard Gareth's anxious voice. "Hey, did you see the news?"
"I'm watching it now," William replied. "What's going on?"
"Fifteen minutes ago, an explosion occurred at a clothing store on Oxford Street. Six people died on the spot, and nearly 20 were injured. Catherine wants to see you."
"Why me?" William asked, puzzled. "Isn't this a job for the London police or the counterterrorism commander, Richard Bromley?"
"She wants you specifically," Gareth's voice suddenly switched to Catherine's. It seemed the two were together. "I know you're at Devonshire Manor. I expect to see you in my office in ten minutes. This is both a request and an order, William. I need your help. I'll explain everything in person."
"Alright," William agreed. If it had just been an order, he might have ignored Catherine. But a request for help was different. After thinking for a moment, he decided to go see what was going on.
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