Chapter 103: Flower Sea vs. Flower Sea!

Chapter 103: Flower Sea vs. Flower Sea!

Seeing how enthusiastic Aunt Lin was, Fu Yao felt increasingly embarrassed and quickly changed the subject. "Auntie, I'm here to pick up the work uniforms for the new employees!"

In reality, she thought she could explain the situation. After all, it seemed that Uncle Zhang no longer needed her as a shield. But for some reason, she felt she should be a person of her word. Since she had promised Uncle Zhang, she didn't elaborate.

Aunt Lin was displeased upon hearing this. "Little Lin is really something. He should let his girlfriend rest when she comes to the farm. I'll have a word with him later!"

Fu Yao quickly interjected, "Auntie, I volunteered for the part-time internship. It has nothing to do with Uncle Zhang. Please don't tell him!"

"Is that so? Alright then!" Aunt Lin nodded, finding herself increasingly fond of the young girl.

In the past, she had worried that the age gap between the girl and her son was too large. But now, with the farm thriving, what girl wouldn't be attracted to such a successful young man?

"..." Lin Mengyao stood there, stunned.

She picked up on the implications, especially when Fu Yao referred to "Uncle Zhang."

This logistics aunt was actually President Zhang's mother?

And Fu Yao's boyfriend was President Zhang?

No wonder...

Lin Mengyao's mind was filled with gossip as she watched Fu Yao leave with the work uniforms, a mix of admiration and envy in her eyes.

This girl was only in her third year of high school and had already achieved what many women dream of: finding a young, handsome, talented, and wealthy boyfriend.

President Zhang was young and very handsome. He was undoubtedly talented, having built the thriving Liyuan Farm. And there was no doubt he was wealthy, being the owner of the farm.

Lin Mengyao wondered if she should treat this girl more kindly, even try to get closer to her.

"Mengyao, what's wrong?"

"Ah, nothing, Fu Yao. Do you want some afternoon tea? I can treat you."

After distributing the new work uniforms, Lin Mengxi also informed the newly hired employees to come and pick them up, and instructed them to attend training at the farm the next morning.

Though she had no experience in this area, she knew she needed to introduce the farm's specific conditions and project details to the new employees, ensuring they could answer visitors' questions. She also planned to have them work alongside the experienced employees for a while to learn the basics of serving tourists, so they would be ready when the new projects were launched.

Lin Mengyao felt a sense of relief after completing these tasks. Though being appointed as the personnel manager upon joining was a significant achievement, the recruitment process had been challenging.

Then, she remembered something and sent a WeChat message to her sister: "Sis, I have some news. It might not be good for you!"

"What's not good?" Lin Mengxi replied with a question mark emoji.

"Weren't you interested in President Zhang?"

"Being interested doesn't mean I'd do anything about it. I'm not the type to initiate."

"Exactly because of that, you have no chance. President Zhang has a girlfriend, and it's Fu Yao. She's even met President Zhang's mother, who has acknowledged her!"

"No wonder!"

Lin Mengxi's reply was a mix of surprise and understanding.

She had always found it odd how kind President Zhang was to a high school girl, but now the reason was clear. Despite the significant age gap, it wasn't surprising given President Zhang's status. Many men, after all, sought younger partners.

"Did you know this already?" Lin Mengyao asked.

Lin Mengxi replied, "President Zhang had Fu Yao design the blueprints for a multi-million-dollar project, which is now under construction. There's no way that's just a coincidence."

"That does sound romantic," Lin Mengyao admitted, though she found it hard to believe.

"You only see the romance, but you don't see how younger, more attractive girls are stealing all the eligible men. We're losing our appeal to our peers, and all the best men are looking for younger partners!"

"..."

Lin Mengyao felt a pang of disappointment. She was still single, and now she wondered if this was why her advances toward an excellent senior in school had been ignored.

Thinking about it further, she recalled her other cousin, who, at 30, had high standards for a partner, insisting on finding someone her age with an annual income of 300,000 yuan.

But in a small county, how many 30-year-old men earning 300,000 yuan a year were still single?

Even if he's still single, he makes 300,000 a year, and finding a younger partner wouldn't be too difficult!

...

Time passed.

A day went by in the blink of an eye.

After a full day of training the new employees, Lin Mengyao started assigning them to work with the experienced staff early the next morning, ensuring everything ran smoothly.

Zhang Lin, on the other hand, headed to the county early in the morning.

Today was the day of Liu County's Bamboo Products Quality Guidance Summit, and since Zhao Han had extended an invitation two days ago, Zhang Lin naturally had to attend.

The meeting was held in the same conference room as the previous business meeting.

When Zhang Lin walked into the conference room, it was already filled with people.

As the hometown of Moso bamboo, Youcheng had a thriving bamboo products industry.

To his surprise, he spotted an acquaintance—Huang Tao was chatting with a man.

Seeing his only familiar face, Zhang Lin walked over.

"Damn, Zhang Lin!" Huang Tao turned around, his face full of surprise.

"Huang Tao, when did you get into bamboo products?" Zhang Lin asked, equally surprised.

Huang Tao explained, "This is my brother-in-law, Wang He. He got some inside information from the county, knowing that bamboo products in Youcheng would be profitable. I took the opportunity to invest a bit, but my brother-in-law manages the business, and I don't get involved."

"I see," Zhang Lin nodded.

Given Huang Tao's connections and influence in the county, it wasn't surprising that he had access to such information. It was natural for him to know which businesses were profitable.

Huang Tao added, "By the way, it's all thanks to you and your Bamboo Culture Park. Otherwise, Youcheng's bamboo products wouldn't have gained such recognition."

The mention of the Bamboo Culture Park caught Wang He's attention, and the other bamboo product business owners nearby also looked over.

After all, they were all involved in bamboo products in Youcheng, and they had recently noticed an increase in orders and better business opportunities. Each of their order volumes had increased significantly, and at this rate, they could expect to double their orders by the end of the year.

They weren't fools; they knew this success was due to the Bamboo Culture Park at Liyuan Farm. If not for the high-quality bamboo products that had put Youcheng on the map, this wouldn't have happened.

"Huang Tao, who is this?" Wang He asked.

Huang Tao smiled and introduced Zhang Lin, "This is Zhang Lin, the owner of Liyuan Farm. You've often said that the bamboo products business is thriving thanks to Liyuan Farm, and you wanted to meet him. Well, here he is."

Wang He's face lit up as he shook Zhang Lin's hand, "Mr. Zhang, it's a great honor to finally meet you."

This drew the attention of the other bamboo product business owners, who gathered around:

"Mr. Zhang, you're the owner of Liyuan Farm...!"

"Mr. Zhang, I'm the owner of Taihe Bamboo Products Company. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Mr. Zhang, you're the patron saint of Youcheng's bamboo products industry!"

"..."

These business owners showered Zhang Lin with respect and praise.

After all, it was the truth.

Some of them even hoped to build a relationship with him. If they could get a mention or a video from him about their factories, it would bring them immense benefits.

Amidst the commotion, Liu County entered with a few county officials, drawing the attention of the bamboo product business owners.

"Mr. Zhang, you're here!" Liu County saw Zhang Lin and greeted him, ignoring the others.

While this meeting was about the quality guidance of bamboo products, the truth was that Youcheng's bamboo products industry, despite its size and the number of companies, lacked any truly large-scale enterprises. None of them had the qualifications to participate in the county's business meetings.

So, these business owners didn't require special attention from Liu County.

"Mr. Liu!" Zhang Lin responded politely.

Liu County nodded and addressed the other business owners, "I'm sure everyone knows who Mr. Zhang is. Our bamboo products industry owes a lot to him, so we must ensure the quality of our products. We can't let Mr. Zhang's efforts go to waste. If anyone ruins it, the county will not stand for it."

With that, he gestured for everyone to take their seats, and the meeting began.

Zhang Lin could sense that Liu County's words were directed at something specific.

It seems that the quality of some bamboo products from the local companies has declined, which is why Liu Xian called for this meeting. After all, this is a crucial time for Youcheng’s bamboo products to expand and gain recognition. The county government certainly won’t tolerate any bad apples, and it’s likely that some bamboo companies will face consequences after this meeting.

Unfortunately, there are always people who lack foresight and focus only on short-term gains.

However, this doesn’t concern Zhang Lin. He doesn’t run a bamboo products company, so he quietly listens to Liu Xian’s 90-minute lecture on quality control for bamboo products, then leaves with Huang Tao after the meeting.

It’s rare for old classmates to get together, so they have lunch together.

Just as Zhang Lin predicted, over the next two days, news of three bamboo companies being shut down by the county government spreads. The county’s swift action is commendable.

It makes sense, though. Youcheng is known as the hometown of bamboo, yet its bamboo products have struggled to gain traction. Now that Zhang Lin has used the game system to create a Bamboo Cultural Park, which has significantly boosted the reputation of Youcheng’s bamboo products, the county government sees this as a golden opportunity to ride the wave.

The county’s Tourism Bureau has been actively supporting the Bamboo Cultural Park, working tirelessly to promote it.

With the industry showing signs of improvement, they can’t afford for anyone to tarnish its reputation.

As the saying goes, one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.

Think about how much effort and resources other tourism departments across the country have invested in promoting their regions. Some officials have even gone as far as cross-dressing to attract attention, sacrificing their dignity for the sake of publicity. Yet, all their efforts can be undone by a single ignorant villager setting up a toll booth or a greedy driver abandoning tourists halfway through their journey.

These are classic examples of how one bad apple can ruin an entire region’s tourism efforts.

Naturally, Zhang Lin doesn’t dwell on this issue. He has plenty of things to manage on his farm.

A week later, the game in his mind finally gives him a notification:

【Congratulations on completing the Seven-Colored Flower Sea!】

Zhang Lin immediately checks the game screen, and sure enough, the construction barriers at the Seven-Colored Flower Sea are gone.

Compared to the 2,000-acre camping site, the 500-acre flower sea was completed much faster.

"Finishing at this time is just right!" Zhang Lin murmurs to himself.

The rapeseed flower sea is starting to wane as the blooming period comes to an end. The flowers are fewer, and the seeds are more abundant, reducing its visual appeal. Even with the game’s attribute boost, it’s not as impressive as it once was.

There’s no need to cling to the last few days of the blooming period. It’s bad form to try to lure the last few visitors to a nearly barren flower field.

So, it’s a good decision to conclude the rapeseed flower sea project now and replant it in two months. When he does, he’ll need to be more cautious, given the astonishing growth rate of the flowers.

It’s best to use a fence to contain them.

This will require more effort, but it’s the safest approach.

Naturally, the current priority is to promote the new Seven-Colored Flower Sea.

As the construction team in the game’s Seven-Colored Flower Sea packs up and leaves, the same scene plays out in reality, with the construction team orderly vacating the site.

This doesn’t go unnoticed by those who are paying attention.

Kailin Investment, having made a plan, has been closely monitoring the situation at Liyuan Farm.

The news of the Seven-Colored Flower Sea’s completion and the construction team’s departure quickly reaches Zhao Neng.

Upon receiving the news, Zhao Neng immediately calls his assistant and asks, "How much longer until our lavender flower sea is finished?"

The assistant promptly reports, "Mr. Zhao, our lavender flower sea is only 65% complete!"

Zhao Neng frowns. "How can there be such a gap? The flower sea at Linyuan Farm is already done, and we’ve invested so much more money and hired more workers."

The assistant is at a loss for words. The construction team at Linyuan Farm is working at an almost superhuman pace, and it’s unclear how much they’ve been paid.

Zhao Neng quickly decides, "We can’t fall too far behind Linyuan Farm. We need to start promoting the flower sea immediately. With 65% completion, we have over 300 acres of flowers. We’ll isolate the unfinished areas and open for business while continuing construction."

He then instructs his assistant, "Find people to shoot a promotional video for the flower sea right away. Our social media account must release the promotion before Linyuan Farm’s. We need to capture the attention first!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end