Chapter 115: Opening the Mountain Goods Market! Holy Cow!

Chapter 115: Opening the Mountain Goods Market! Holy Cow!

Zhang Lin followed Director Zhong, who had personally come to greet him, up to the second floor. As soon as they reached the upper level, Director Zhong began to warm up to him.

"Mr. Zhang, I'm old friends with Director Wei from the Agriculture Bureau. We used to work in the same department and fought many battles together. Director Wei has spoken highly of your capabilities many times."

"Our farm has also benefited greatly from Director Wei's support."

Zhang Lin was now almost certain that Director Zhong had something to ask of him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have even mentioned Director Wei.

And if it was something that could make Director Zhong do this, Zhang Lin could guess what it might be.

After pulling out the documents he had prepared for Linyuan Farm, Director Zhong asked, "Mr. Zhang, now that you've acquired the farm assets from Kai Lin Investment, your farm is growing rapidly. You must need to hire a lot of people, right?"

Zhang Lin understood the implication: "Yes, Linyuan Farm needs quite a few talents, and we haven't found a suitable person for some project management roles yet. Does Director Zhong have any recommendations?"

Director Zhong's smile widened: "I do have someone in mind. I'll have her come to the farm this afternoon to meet with you."

The conversation went smoothly.

It was a straightforward exchange of favors: you give me a favor, and I'll remember it.

Zhang Lin knew that the person Director Zhong was recommending was likely either a relative or his own child.

With news reports about nepotism becoming more stringent, even if Director Zhong could easily arrange for someone to enter the government, it still depended on whether the person was a good fit.

If they weren't a good fit, forcing them into a position would be counterproductive. It would be better to find them a good job elsewhere.

At his position, Director Zhong could easily arrange a job in Youcheng, and many companies would give him face. By choosing Linyuan Farm, he was likely seeing the farm's potential.

By specifically mentioning the need for a project manager, Zhang Lin was asking if this position would be satisfactory. Since it was, Director Zhong naturally sent the person to the farm.

As Teacher Zhang Xuefeng once said, in a dorm of four students, they all hang out, skip classes, and go to bars together. But at graduation, only one is busy looking for a job, while the other three are casually packing their bags, either to inherit the family business or to start a job arranged by their families.

Clearly, what Director Zhong was discussing fell into the category of a job arranged by the family.

People are indeed different.

Zhang Lin could arrange a position for Lin Mengyao, and he could do the same for this person, as long as it wasn't a core role. It was a way to maintain a good relationship with a relatively insignificant position.

Of course, he wouldn't do this for just anyone.

After they reached an agreement, Director Zhong personally escorted Zhang Lin downstairs with a full smile. With this matter settled, he could go home and report to his wife.

He had asked for this favor for his daughter.

With the number of tourists in Youcheng expected to double this year, Zhao Han's promotion was almost guaranteed, and everyone knew who was responsible for that.

His daughter, however, had a personality that didn't fit the government system, and his wife was worried about her suffering or facing hardships outside. This left him with no choice but to find her a job.

He had researched Linyuan Farm and knew that the project managers for the Flower Sea, Bamboo Maze, and Bamboo Culture Garden received a salary of 15,000 yuan plus bonuses.

In a small place like Youcheng, not many people could earn that kind of salary.

It would be a great opportunity for his daughter to work at Linyuan Farm.

As Director Zhong escorted Zhang Lin to the door, it drew the attention of many people, especially those who knew his position.

For someone to be personally received and escorted by Director Zhong, their company must be one of the top in Youcheng. Otherwise, they wouldn't even have a chance to meet him, like they did.

But when Director Zhong returned and saw Zhang Lin walk to the parking lot, get on a dirt-covered scooter, and leave, everyone was taken aback.

So young and so low-key?

"Who is this person?"

"Maybe it's the legendary one!"

"What legend?"

"Don't you know someone who can attend the county's business conference? There's only one young person who attends, and he's always in a prominent position!"

"Who says I don't? It must be him!"

"Who?"

"..."

...

As soon as Zhang Lin left the business administration office, a game notification appeared in his mind:

Congratulations on completing the milestone of developing 5,000 acres of land. You have received a special reward: the Mountain Goods Market is now open. While mountain goods are not mainstream, they are an essential part of agriculture. Sometimes, they can be the hidden treasures that sustain farmers. The Mountain Goods Market will regularly refresh with items you can purchase.

Zhang Lin glanced at the game data in his mind:

Develop 10,000 acres of agricultural land (6,295/10,000).

Total Farm Area: 47,000 acres!

Indeed, after finalizing the acquisition of the Kai Lin Investment properties, both the developed area and the total farm area changed significantly.

The 2,000-acre camp and 500-acre flower garden from Kai Lin Investment added to the developed area, bringing the total to 6,295 acres. Moreover, reaching the 5,000-acre milestone came with a special reward.

Unfortunately, the total farm area milestone didn't come with any rewards, which was a bit of a letdown considering the additional 40,000 acres.

However, Zhang Lin was particularly intrigued by the new Mountain Goods Market that unlocked with the 5,000-acre milestone.

Mountain goods generally refer to wild, uncultivated plants and animals that grow on mountains, such as wild vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, pheasants, rabbits, and more!

With the severe rural aging and the exodus of young people to cities for work, genuine mountain goods have become increasingly rare on the market. Most of what is available is artificially cultivated and marketed as authentic mountain goods.

However, there's no denying that true mountain goods are highly valuable due to their superior nutrition, flavor, and effects.

Zhang Lin returned to the prefab house and immediately opened the Procurement Market, where he saw the new Mountain Goods Procurement Market.

Inside, there was a new item available for purchase:

Special Da Hong Pao Tea: 2,000,000 RMB per pound, with a purchase limit of 1 pound!

"???" Zhang Lin's scalp tingled at the price. What kind of Da Hong Pao costs 2 million RMB per pound? Is the system trying to drain my money?

And why is there a limit of only one pound? Is it some kind of rare tea?

Despite his complaints, Zhang Lin knew that the system's pricing reflected its value. Moreover, there were indeed Da Hong Pao teas that were this expensive. In the past, a premium Da Hong Pao made from the core leaves of the tea plant sold for 5 million RMB per pound at an auction. These leaves came from the six mother trees in Wuyi Mountain.

Legend has it that the tea from these six mother trees is so rare that even if you had the money, you couldn't buy it. The few that made it to the market were only accessible to the wealthiest elites through their connections.

However, in 2007, the government in Beijing banned the harvesting of tea from these six mother trees.

There are also rumors that although the government banned it, the tea from these mother trees still circulates among the highest echelons of society, just not on the open market. Any tea labeled as coming from the Wuyi Mountain mother trees is either fake or from cuttings of the mother trees, which don't possess the same centuries-old essence.

These are just internet legends, and it's hard to verify their truth.

However, if a wealthy individual is willing to pay 5 million RMB for a pound of premium Da Hong Pao, it must have some unique qualities.

At this point, some might say that the buyer might be laundering money. But if they knew who the buyer was, they wouldn't say that.

Zhang Lin looked at the 2 million RMB price tag and decided to try purchasing it.

Since inheriting the farm and developing it to this point, he deserved to indulge in something luxurious, right?

[Congratulations on spending 2 million RMB to purchase one pound of special Da Hong Pao tea. The tea has been materialized in your warehouse. Please check it.]



[Tail number debited 2,000,000.00 RMB. Remaining balance: 4,845,634.25 RMB.]



With the two notifications, Zhang Lin headed to the warehouse and saw the materialized tea.

The tea was casually stored in a bamboo tube, with a large cork at one end to prevent the tea from falling out and to seal the tube.

For a tea worth 2 million RMB, the packaging was surprisingly simple.

When he picked up the bamboo tube and saw the item description, his face was filled with surprise:

[Special Da Hong Pao: Quality 2]



[This tea is harvested from centuries-old tea trees and specially processed to enhance its natural essence, granting it unique benefits: Aftertaste +2, Aroma +2, Lower Cholesterol +1, Soften Blood Vessels +1, Anti-inflammatory +1, Refreshing +1, Heat-clearing and Detoxifying +1, Vision Improvement +1, Cancer Prevention +1!]



Seeing the description, Zhang Lin was truly amazed.

Is this tea?

It's more like a magical medicine.

Aftertaste +2, Aroma +2, these +2 attributes appeared again.

Moreover, tea must have a lingering aftertaste and a rich aroma, and the better the tea, the more pronounced these qualities. With these +2 attributes, the tea should be incredibly delicious.

Lower Cholesterol +1 and Soften Blood Vessels +1 are significant benefits, especially for older people.

Softening blood vessels can help remove cholesterol from the arteries.

Anti-inflammatory +1, Refreshing +1, Heat-clearing and Detoxifying +1, Vision Improvement +1—these are all very useful effects.

But Cancer Prevention +1? That's almost too good to be true.

Even though it's just for prevention, the word "cancer" alone would make any wealthy individual willing to pay, or even fight, for it.

So, what's the deal with 20 million yuan per pound?

Zhang Lin instinctively glanced at the game interface in his mind, opening the Mountain Goods Market. Unfortunately, the special Da Hongpao tea was limited to one pound per purchase, and the option was already gone from the market, leaving a blank space.

This made him think about the six mother Da Hongpao tea trees in the real world. Could their high auction prices be due to some special effects? And were the rumors about restrictions on picking the leaves true because of these effects? After all, when the government banned the picking of leaves from the mother trees, someone had interviewed the relevant authorities, asking if the leaves picked for daily management could still be processed.

At the time, the official had ambiguously said that the leaves were all used for research.

Of course, this was just his guess.

Who knew if the mother tree leaves really had special effects, given that he didn’t have the qualifications to access them?

The people online who talked about market hype and analysis had never tasted this level of tea either, so their comments were mostly just hot air. Only those who had truly tasted the tea knew what it was all about.

However, the special Da Hongpao tea he bought from the game was genuinely excellent.

Thinking about it, he couldn’t help but feel excited. He quickly rode his scooter to the office center. As soon as he returned to his office, he boiled water, cleaned the tea set, and carefully opened the bamboo tube, counting the leaves as he took them out.

Usually, the amount of tea for brewing didn’t matter much, but now every bit of this tea was precious.

Lin Muxue happened to enter the office with a document and saw Zhang Lin’s actions. She couldn’t help but tease him, “Boss Zhang, when did you become so frugal about making tea?”

Zhang Lin smiled and replied, “Wouldn’t anyone be frugal with tea that costs 20 million yuan per pound?”

“20 million?!” Lin Muxue was stunned, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to find something to say.

Was she too shallow?

But could there really be tea that cost 20 million yuan per pound?

Was it made of gold?

And her boss was actually brewing this tea right now.

No way, she had to try a cup of this tea to broaden her horizons.

Curiously, she watched her boss pick some leaves and put them in the teapot, then pour hot water over them.

The next moment, an incredulous look appeared on her face as the water touched the leaves. An incredibly rich tea aroma wafted through the air, filling the entire office.

This tea aroma was truly remarkable. It was so fragrant that it seemed to refresh the mind, making her feel much clearer.

She had drunk many teas, but never one with such a magical aroma.

Zhang Lin also smelled the aroma and felt its invigorating effect.

It was truly amazing.

No wonder it was +2.

Even just smelling the tea could improve one’s work state, making one feel refreshed and clear-minded.

Once the tea was brewed, he poured himself a cup and then poured one for Lin Muxue, hurriedly sipping the 20 million yuan per pound tea.

Not only was the aroma incredible, but the first sip left a lingering aftertaste. It started with a bitter sweetness and then transformed into an endless, sweet fragrance, making one close their eyes in pure enjoyment. It was as if this simple tea aroma contained profound philosophy, capable of elevating one’s soul.

Lin Muxue also felt that wondrous aftertaste.

She believed this tea was worth 20 million yuan per pound, and her boss didn’t seem to be pretending.

Truly worthy of its price.

And she was actually drinking this expensive tea one day.

“Boss Zhang, this tea really is delicious,” she said.

Zhang Lin smiled and said, “Sis, this tea isn’t just delicious; it can also prevent cancer.”

Lin Muxue, hearing this, teased him, “Boss Zhang, why don’t you say drinking this tea can make one immortal?”

While joking, she took out her phone and recorded a video of the teapot, posting it on her social media. Though not a show-off, she couldn’t help but share something this extraordinary.

Title: Young Boss’s 20 million yuan per pound tea! It’s said to prevent cancer.

Clearly, even if they didn’t believe the tea could prevent cancer, it was still a friend circle!

Sure enough, once the post went up, many people liked it. But seeing the first comment, she was instantly overwhelmed with frustration.

Sister: Sister, I’ve broken up. I suddenly want to be your boss’s wife!

She was truly speechless about her sister.

After drinking a cup of tea, Zhang Lin marveled at its magic but suddenly looked surprised at the game interface in his mind.

A red exclamation mark appeared in the Bamboo Forest Maze, flashing urgently.

This indicated that an event had occurred in the Bamboo Forest Maze. The next moment, a game system prompt appeared.

Seeing the content of the prompt, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Holy crap!”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end