Super Zoo

The first call was to Zhao Yun, who had a wide network and was well-informed in the business world. He was asked to help dig into Mr. Hong's background.

Nowadays, there are just too many so-called bosses, some seeming glamorous on the surface, but outsiders have no idea about their real circumstances. Driving luxury cars worth millions while being deep in debt is not uncommon;

Zhao Yun had heard of this Mr. Hong.

The Hong Family had some reputation in the province's restaurant business, but not because they ran a large enterprise—merely two small diners. To the average person, they might be considered wealthy, but within the province's restaurant industry, the Hong Family's assets couldn't rank highly, at most they would be mid-rung.

However, the Hong Family had been famous chefs for generations, with ancestors rumored to have served as imperial chefs in the palace and even participated in Emperor Qianlong's Thousand Elderly Banquet. It was Mr. Hong's father who started the business venture, growing it from a roadside stall into a flourishing enterprise under Mr. Hong's leadership.

According to some rumors Zhao Yun had heard, Mr. Hong was quite righteous and well-connected in business circles. But business had been tough in recent years, and it was said that the Hong Family's diners weren't bringing in as much revenue as before.

In fact, this was due to the changing macro environment, with the rise of internet technology altering consumer habits and increasing the survival pressure on all kinds of physical stores. It's not just Mr. Hong's family feeling the strain; all sectors were facing great difficulties, though the restaurant business was still relatively stable.

The information from Zhao Yun didn't reveal much, so Suming made another call to Mr. Zhang, a lawyer, to inquire about legal issues regarding notarization and auction of property mortgages.

Mr. Zhang appeared to be dining with a client, but excused himself by saying, "Sorry, please excuse me for a moment," before leaving the private room to find a quiet place.

"Mr. Su, about the mortgage you mentioned, are you referring to freezing a mortgage at the court, processing it through the bank, or notarizing it at the notary office?" Mr. Zhang immediately asked after listening.

"It's about having the mortgage notarized at the notary office. Is there a difference?" Suming asked.

Mr. Zhang said, "There is a difference. The notary office is a service unit; it has no enforcement or judicial powers, among others, and acts purely in the capacity of notarization when both parties consent and it is within the confines of the law. In other words, the notary office neither has the power nor will it take the initiative to investigate the current real status of the mortgage object, whereas the court is different; in theory, the court has the authority to investigate the current status when processing a mortgage. The bank can check if a mortgage has been processed with them."

Suming felt a bit dizzy from Mr. Zhang's professional spiel and asked directly, "Just tell me, what are the risks?"

"If the collateral has already been mortgaged, the notary office would be unaware. In other words, the same hotel could be mortgaged to several parties, similar to encountering a fraudulent real estate agent when buying a house, resulting in one property being sold to multiple buyers; if there's an issue, after selling the hotel, the repayment order would prioritize the first creditor, followed by the second, and so on in sequence;

Well, there's also a possibility that the hotel has been frozen by another court, which legally would not be allowed to be mortgaged. However, due to the lack of smooth information exchange between courts nationwide and sometimes irresponsible staff, the mortgage could still be processed, but it would be invalid."

Mr. Zhang had made it very clear—if the hotel had been frozen or previously mortgaged to another party, even if it were auctioned off, Sun Town might not get the money!

"Mr. Zhang, can you find out the current status of this hotel?" Suming asked.

"It's a bit difficult, as I don't have the capacity to check every court nationwide, but if it's just about checking whether there have been any mortgages or freezes processed in the provincial capital and Yangchuan City, it shouldn't be a big problem," Mr. Zhang said.

"Then check those two places and get back to me as soon as possible."

After hanging up, Suming relayed the information he had gathered to Mr. Wu, and Wu's face turned pale instantly.

"What should we do now!" Wu suddenly stood up, anxiously pacing in circles around the room, sighing heavily.

Suming, on the other hand, tried to comfort him, saying, "Mr. Wu, there's no need to be in such a hurry. I'm still making inquiries. What the lawyer said just now is only the worst-case scenario. Mr. Hong has a pretty good reputation, and his family is known for its prestige and legacy. It's not necessarily the case that he's a fraudster."

"That's true, but I just can't calm my heart. Maybe I'll just wait here with you. You go about your business and let me know once there's any news," Mr. Wu said.

At this moment, Suming couldn't bring himself to leave, so he decided to wait with Mr. Wu for the phone call, speaking a few words to ease his mind in the meantime so as not to let Wu get too anxious.

Mr. Zhang worked efficiently, and it only took two to three hours before he got back to them.

Whatever one fears, one is bound to find!

Mr. Hong's catering company's two restaurants were mortgaged to Huaxia Industrial and Commercial Bank and the Agricultural Bank in the second half of last year and the first half of this year, respectively!

According to the information gathered by Mr. Zhang, it was highly likely that Mr. Hong used the mortgage of the second restaurant to pay back the loan for the first restaurant!

This made the situation very clear; like many businessmen, Mr. Hong had fallen into a financial crisis and could only keep repaying debts by mortgaging assets. It's like a person who has taken out numerous credit cards, using the latest one to pay off the debts on the earlier ones.

It's actually a fairly common business tactic—a series of mortgages, borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. If any part of the chain broke, the whole situation would crumble. Using this method, with just a little money, one could rapidly expand their business like rolling a snowball;

Nowadays, many of the so-called tycoons and large conglomerates in the country have risen quickly this way.

But the risk is huge, too. Should any link in the chain fail, it could lead to a complete collapse. The boss would either flee or commit suicide, leaving the banks with a mountain of bad debts and the government burdened with heavy financial responsibilities.

If I'm not mistaken, this so-called 'pig farm' is really just a front to obtain loans to pay off the previous mortgages.

"Mr. Wu, you mustn't panic," Suming said as he poured a glass of water for Mr. Wu. After he finished analyzing the entire situation, Wu's blood pressure had clearly risen, his face flushing and paling by turns. Even in the dead of winter, his forehead was covered in sweat.

Without thinking, Mr. Wu took the cup and drank, scalding his mouth with the piping hot water. Suming quickly passed him a napkin and said, "Mr. Wu, you have to look at the bright side. If it comes down to it, we just won't cooperate with Mr. Hong, that's all."

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"We are also lucky to have you here. Otherwise, Sun Town would have taken a big fall this time. Suming, I must thank you on behalf of all the townspeople." Although he expressed gratitude, the heaviness and urgency in Wu's heart were apparent, leaving no trace of a smile on his face.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Mr. Wu, I'm also from Sun Town. It's all part of the job," Suming tried to reassure him. "Luckily, we caught it in time, and Sun Town hasn't lost a single penny."

Mr. Wu wiped his mouth and sighed deeply. "That may be so, but I feel incredibly frustrated. Our town is so poor, yet just when we saw a glimmer of hope for wealth, this is the outcome. Is it fated for our townsfolk to live in poverty forever? As the town's mayor, my conscience is troubled; I wouldn't be able to rest in peace even in death!"

"Mr. Wu, I actually have something I want to discuss with you. It just so happens that Mr. Hong's idea of raising wild pigs has inspired me. By combining two matters into one, if we manage it well, I believe we could improve the lives of the villagers," Suming said hopefully.