Chapter 131: Boss Zhang? Wasn't He Just a Driver?

Chapter 131: Boss Zhang? Wasn't He Just a Driver?

The Youcheng Train Station covers 238 acres, and the local authorities initially thought this would be more than enough. After all, most of the station’s users were just local residents traveling to and from the city.

However, after the Liyuan Farm became a sensation, a large number of tourists started arriving through the train station every day. As a result, the station’s waiting area and exit became severely congested, making it difficult for passengers to move around.

When Chen Hao and Wu Ling, along with their classmates, got off the train, they were greeted by a sea of people.

Chen Hao laughed and said, “All these people are headed to the Liyuan Farm. Wu Ling and I experienced it last time. The station’s designers clearly didn’t anticipate the Liyuan Farm’s popularity, and now the station’s layout is woefully inadequate, making the exit area extremely crowded.”

This comment prompted the other classmates to voice their own thoughts.

“Indeed, the Liyuan Farm is impressive. It’s amazing how many tourists it attracts in such a short time.”

“The local authorities must be both delighted and worried. If the station isn’t expanded soon, it will likely become a topic of online complaints.”

“That’s for sure!”

“…”

Indeed, the Youcheng authorities had already recognized this issue. Today, County Chief Liu, along with Zhao Han and a few others from the county, came to the train station to assess the situation.

They had received numerous suggestions regarding the station’s congestion.

Looking at the dense crowd of tourists, Zhao Han remarked, “If Boss Zhang launches another project, the station might become even more congested. It would have been better if Boss Zhang had returned to Youcheng earlier this year for development. That way, the station wouldn’t have been fully completed, and it would have been easier to negotiate an expansion with the railway authorities.”

“True, but there’s nothing we can do about that now. Our priority is to come up with a plan quickly and submit it to the railway authorities,” Liu County Chief responded pragmatically. He believed that the Liyuan Farm’s success was a positive development, regardless of when it appeared.

Therefore, the immediate task was to expedite the station’s expansion to ensure it didn’t hinder the Liyuan Farm’s growth.

“Let’s hold a meeting and try to resolve this issue. Otherwise, it will indeed become a topic of online complaints,” Liu County Chief concluded, leading the group back to the county.

Meanwhile, Chen Hao and his classmates had reached the exit and followed the signs to the taxi waiting area, where they had to start queuing.

Chen Hao and Wu Ling, along with their classmates, waited in line for a long time before finally boarding several taxis.

Chen Hao, Wu Ling, and another classmate, Hu Dong, got into one taxi.

“Where to, folks? Liyuan Farm?” the driver asked as soon as they got in.

“Driver, how did you know?” Hu Dong asked, surprised.

Chen Hao, who had been there before, explained, “If it’s a local returning to Youcheng, they would most likely be carrying packed luggage or suitcases. People like us who aren’t carrying luggage are 95% tourists. For this small train station, the number of tourists heading to the Liyuan Farm is really significant.”

The driver immediately agreed, “That’s true. The Liyuan Farm attracts a lot of tourists. We often drop one person off at the farm and immediately pick up another at the station. We never drive empty, and we earn a lot more now thanks to the Liyuan Farm.”

“Previously, we taxi drivers used to compete with ride-hailing services for passengers. Now, we don’t bother competing. During peak hours, there are so many orders from the Liyuan Farm that we can’t even keep up. There’s a shortage of both drivers and cars. The county has even introduced a loan subsidy policy to encourage people to buy taxis, which has helped many families.”

This revelation genuinely surprised Chen Hao, Wu Ling, and Hu Dong. A single farm had not only improved the relationship between taxi drivers and ride-hailing services but also provided a livelihood for many families through the county’s policy.

The driver continued, “So, we all really appreciate the boss of the Liyuan Farm. Even though we’ve never met the person, it’s impressive that they’ve created such a successful farm in our small town.”

Chen Hao, Wu Ling, and Hu Dong all agreed, as the facts spoke for themselves.

Chen Hao added, “The boss of the Liyuan Farm is indeed impressive. Each project is a standout in its category, and no other place can compare.”

Wu Ling chimed in, “When I visited the flower sea, it was truly breathtaking. I’ve seen many flower seas, but none can match the Liyuan Farm. I wonder who the owner of the farm is. It would be an honor to meet them.”

Chen Hao nodded, “Yes, but the owner of the Liyuan Farm is quite mysterious and hasn’t been revealed yet.”

Hu Dong then said, “Wasn’t Zhang Lin a driver at the Liyuan Farm?”

Chen Hao and Wu Ling found the suggestion reasonable.

They were just worried that Zhang Lin might not show up, given that he had already left the group chat and refused their WeChat friend requests. Clearly, Zhang Lin was someone who lacked social skills and didn't understand the value of maintaining relationships with classmates. If he were smarter, he wouldn't have ended up as a driver after graduating from a prestigious 985 university.

However, they thought it might be feasible to have the farm manager call him over.

After all, asking someone to come over was a simple request, and the farm manager had no reason to refuse.

Soon, the driver asked, "Ladies and gentlemen, would you like to enter through the main entrance and go to the service center first, or head straight to the camping grounds?"

Since the camping grounds had been developed, there were now two entrances. As the driver approached the farm, he would ask the visitors which entrance they preferred.

Those who had reserved a spot in the camping grounds would naturally go to the camping entrance, while others would enter through the main entrance.

"Head to the South Camping Ground. We wouldn't go to the North Camping Ground; it's too low-class and doesn't suit our status," Chen Hao almost instinctively told the driver.

"Sure thing, South Camping Ground," the driver replied with a smile, though he was inwardly rolling his eyes.

The South Camping Ground cost 200 yuan per night, while the North Camping Ground cost 100 yuan. It was only a 100-yuan difference, and anyone could afford it. The only issue was whether they could get a reservation, not some pretentious talk about status.

The car soon stopped at the South Camping Ground, and Chen Hao, Wu Ling, and Hu Dong got out.

Seeing them leave, the driver couldn't help but open the public communication channel and complain, "I just met a total moron of a tourist. He stayed at the South Camping Ground, which costs 200 yuan per night, and was still talking about his status as if he were some big shot."

The channel immediately erupted with other drivers chiming in:

"Haha, we run into these kinds of weird tourists every day!"

"I once picked up a big boss, and even he didn't talk about his status!"

"People like that are just arrogant and naive, thinking they're something special."

"..."

These taxi drivers were all registered with the same company, so they had a communication channel. They would often share stories about strange passengers, and it also helped them communicate in case of emergencies.

After Chen Hao, Wu Ling, and Hu Dong got out of the car, they waited a bit, and the other nine classmates arrived in three more taxis.

As soon as they got out, they couldn't resist sharing the gossip:

"Did you hear the driver complaining? Some moron stayed at the 200-yuan South Camping Ground and was talking about his status in front of the driver!"

"We heard it too. Our driver had the volume up high, and a lot of other drivers were complaining about that guy!"

"Haha, we earn at least 30,000 yuan a month, and we don't go around saying we have status just because we stay at a camping ground."

"..."

The classmates' ridicule made Wu Ling and Hu Dong look at Chen Hao, who had said those words earlier. At the time, they hadn't thought anything of it, but now it seemed like Chen Hao was the one being ridiculous.

Chen Hao's face turned red, and he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

It sounded like they were talking about him.

Damn, that driver must have some issues, spreading rumors like that. He needed to find a way to complain about the driver.

Embarrassed, he quickly changed the subject, "Let's get settled in the camping ground first, and then we can figure out what to eat for dinner. There's a self-service barbecue in the camp, and after that, we can call Zhang Lin over."

"Let's go to the camping ground first!" Wu Ling, noticing Chen Hao's discomfort, quickly agreed.

The group soon entered the South Camping Ground and was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful surroundings, which were very relaxing.

"The environment here is really well-maintained!" Chen Hao couldn't help but praise.

The others chimed in:

"Yeah, just the environment alone makes this place stand out from others."

"That's why Liyuan Farm is successful. The owner behind it must be very capable."

"Earlier, we were talking in the car about calling Zhang Lin over to ask about the owner of Liyuan Farm."

"Right, I really admire the owner of Liyuan Farm. Even if I had the same resources, I'm not sure I could have built something like this."

The group quickly arrived at the registration hall of the camping ground, signed in, and received their tent numbers.

Chen Hao and Wu Ling got one number.

Seeing this, the other students all wore knowing smiles. Ever since the last class reunion, everyone had stopped being surprised by the two of them.

But their happiness came at the expense of two others, who were left out in the cold.

Time passed, and as the sun set, evening soon arrived.

Chen Hao and his group made their way to the barbecue area, where they rented a table and barbecue equipment, ready to start grilling.

They were all well-versed in these matters, having gone out to play often. Some washed the vegetables, others skewered the meat, and a few tended to the charcoal.

It wasn't just them; the barbecue area was bustling with activity. Many tourists were already tending to their charcoal, creating a lively and vibrant atmosphere. Despite the crowd, the campsite was well-designed, avoiding any sense of crowding and maintaining a comfortable environment.

Hu Dong, taking in the surroundings, said with a surprised look, "This campsite alone could be a treasure trove for Liyuan Farm."

Chen Hao nodded, "Liyuan Farm's South Camping Site can accommodate 5,000 tourists daily, generating 1 million in accommodation fees alone. Moreover, this 5,000 tourist flow can also produce a lot of additional consumption, like this barbecue."

"The profit for a single day is staggering. Think about it, we might earn a few tens of thousands a month, which is already quite good compared to our classmates. But compared to the owner of a place like Liyuan Farm, we're almost no different from beggars."

He was very aware of this fact.

The others nodded in agreement.

Don't be fooled by their arrogance in the group or their superior attitude in front of some friends. When it came to facing their boss or someone of that wealth, they had to be humble.

At this moment, Wu Ling urged, "Zhang Lin should be off work by now. We can call him over. After all, you all want to know who the owner of Liyuan Farm is, right?"

Naturally, she had a bit of a vendetta against Zhang Lin.

The last time she and Chen Hao encountered him at Liyuan Farm, she felt his disdainful gaze, which left her feeling uneasy.

Chen Hao understood her sentiment and smiled, "Sure, everyone's doing well. Since we see a classmate working as a driver here, we can recommend him for a better job."

Hearing this, Hu Dong and the others nodded in agreement.

There was a certain satisfaction in doing well and being able to help old classmates, giving them a chance to work under you.

What's the point of doing well if you don't let your old classmates know and make them envious?

Chen Hao called over a server and said, "Your farm has someone named Zhang Lin. We're his classmates. Could you ask him to come over and sit with us?"

"Zhang Lin? I'll check!" The server, who clearly hadn't heard of the name, immediately took out a walkie-talkie and said, "Manager, manager, some guests are looking for someone from our farm. Is there anyone named Zhang Lin? They say they're classmates."

On the other side, a woman in a suit, with a decent appearance, heard the server's report and hurried over.

Wearing a suit indicated that she was in a managerial position.

At Liyuan Farm, even the smallest managerial role would wear a professional suit, distinguishing them from regular servers.

Jian Lili quickly approached the server and asked, "Are these the guests?"

The server, who didn't recognize the big boss, but as the manager of the South Camping Site, naturally knew the boss's name, didn't dare to be negligent.

The server immediately nodded, "Manager, these are the guests."

Jian Lili then turned to Chen Hao and his group, asking, "Are you friends of Mr. Zhang?"

This clearly surprised Chen Hao and the others.

A driver, Mr. Zhang?

Chen Hao asked in surprise, "Mr. Zhang, you mean Zhang Lin? Isn't he just a driver at Liyuan Farm?"

Jian Lili immediately understood the situation and smiled, "You must be talking about the driver. That was a misunderstanding. Outsiders don't know, but we don't allow cars or even scooters inside the farm. Only our boss has that privilege, to ride a scooter around the farm."

"Wait, what did you say? Boss?" Chen Hao suddenly grasped something important and asked subconsciously.

Wu Ling, Hu Dong, and the others also subconsciously froze.

No way, right?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end