A greedy Chinese homeowner in Jiangsu Province delayed a 38billion yuan railway project for two years by demanding to be paid millions of dollars for a modest house.

In 2020, China officially started the development of an ambitious high-speed railway project connecting Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. Contractors moved at blinding speed, and in just a few years, the 163.54 km-long railway was almost complete. All that was left was a stubborn “nail house” in Jiangsu province, whose owner refused to relocate unless he was offered an absurd amount of money. All the other owners in his village had accepted the Government’s offer to relocate, except for one family who thought they could hold out and force the authorities to pay their high price. After reaching a standstill, the local government built the railway bridge on both sides of the greedy owner’s house, virtually isolating the property.