Chapter 164: A Billion-Dollar Planting Collaboration!

Chapter 164: A Billion-Dollar Planting Collaboration!

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Lin immediately instructed Lin Muxue, "Senior Sister Lin, there's something important I need you to handle right away!"

Lin Muxue asked curiously, "President Zhang, what is it?"

From Zhang Lin's demeanor, she could tell it was something significant.

Zhang Lin explained, "The online buzz about our farm has gotten too high. People are praising us for our social responsibility. Not only has the city of You praised us, but the provincial government has also liked the video. Now, even the People's Daily is paying attention."

"Mr. Liu from the county said that the People's Daily will send someone to interview and film at Liyuan Farm the day after tomorrow. They want the farm manager to say a few words, and it will be published on their media platform. You know I don't like being in the spotlight, so I'm handing this over to you."

"People's Daily?" Lin Muxue was surprised.

This wasn't just any media outlet; their voice often represented the official stance. Now that they were coming to interview and film at Liyuan Farm, it was a clear acknowledgment of the farm's significance.

After a moment of thought, she understood why.

Companies like Feldar were essentially money-grabbing operations in China. Their vampire-like profits and the way they treated people like lambs to the slaughter—how could the higher-ups not know about it? It was impossible.

They definitely knew, and they knew everything.

Perhaps due to international influences, they couldn't act against these companies. But now, Feldar had taken a significant hit, and without using any improper means. It was all about the quality of the product, a normal business practice that had no negative impact.

So, the People's Daily coming to Liyuan Farm for an interview and filming was a clear indication of the higher-ups' approval.

"President Zhang, if that's the case, I'll start preparing right away," Lin Muxue said, seeing no other tasks. She immediately returned to the operations department and briefed Liu Qian and the others.

She was a bit nervous about this. After all, not everyone had the opportunity to be interviewed and filmed by such a prestigious media outlet. In the past, only major figures or legendary individuals who had contributed to society received such treatment.

This interview was like a form of glory for the family.

If not for President Zhang's aversion to the spotlight, this opportunity wouldn't have fallen to her.

After Lin Muxue left, Zhang Lin picked up his phone and called the head of the Agriculture Bureau, Wei Yuan.

In the city of You, Wei Yuan was planning to visit an organic farming experimental site to check on the crops there.

This experimental site had required a lot of effort from the bureau.

But after Liyuan Farm's sudden rise to prominence, it seemed that even their simple actions were more effective than the bureau's elaborate plans.

After inspecting the experimental site, he felt this even more strongly.

At that moment, his phone rang. Seeing it was President Zhang calling, he immediately answered, "Mr. Zhang, you must have some good news to call me like this?"

Zhang Lin laughed and said, "Director Wei, you've guessed it right. Come to the farm tomorrow morning for some tea!"

"Sure, I'll definitely come!" Wei Yuan immediately agreed, his face showing excitement.

This simple tea invitation was more than just tea; he knew they would be discussing the beauty-enhancing sweet potatoes.

After hanging up, he couldn't focus on the experimental site anymore and hurried back to the Agriculture Bureau to handle his affairs. He wanted to clear his schedule for the next day, so he could dedicate all his time to President Zhang.

It wasn't until nightfall that Wei Yuan left the bureau and returned home.

"Why are you back so late?" his wife asked, puzzled.

"I worked overtime; tomorrow is a very important day," Wei Yuan explained.

But that night, he couldn't sleep, tossing and turning in bed, his mind filled with thoughts of the beauty-enhancing sweet potatoes. He could already imagine the whole city of You planted with these sweet potatoes, news reports celebrating the city's transformation, and You becoming known as the "City of Beauty-Enhancing Sweet Potatoes."

Indeed, everyone thought people in his position were serious and never let their minds wander, but the truth was that it depended on what, or who, could make them dream.

After all, even a well-groomed female university student in a scenic estate could make a super tycoon fall for her, so why should he be any different with the beauty-enhancing sweet potatoes causing his insomnia?

"What's wrong? Why can't you sleep?" his wife asked, puzzled.

Wei Yuan explained, "I'm going to Liyuan Farm for tea tomorrow!"

"Just for tea, and it's keeping you up?"

"Do you think L of Liyuan Farm?"

"Their beauty-enhancing sweet potatoes are great. Buy some for me tomorrow!"

"Mm-hm!"

"..."

Wei Yuan didn't know when he finally fell asleep, but it was a restless night. The next morning, he was woken by the alarm, hurriedly washed up, went to the bureau to delegate some tasks, and then rushed to Liyuan Farm.

(End of chapter)

Lin Mengxi, with her exceptional organizational skills, was tasked with promoting the cultivation of the whitening sweet potatoes. She would need to coordinate with various farmers and oversee the distribution of the seeds, a responsibility she took on with enthusiasm.

She was well aware that today's visit to the farm was likely about the whitening sweet potatoes, and she was genuinely excited about it. Through her sister's connections, she had managed to purchase a sufficient supply of these sweet potatoes, which had significantly brightened her complexion. She was extremely satisfied with the results and deeply understood the effectiveness of the whitening sweet potatoes.

If she could help spread the cultivation of these sweet potatoes throughout You City, she would be incredibly proud as a native of the city.

Moreover, she truly admired Zhang Lin's approach. He could have sold this product as a luxury item for higher profits, but he chose a more accessible route, which was truly commendable. To her, Zhang Lin's sense of social responsibility was one of his most attractive qualities.

Unfortunately, during a recent dinner, she felt she had subtly hinted at her feelings, but received no response. It seemed that Zhang Lin's heart was set on the young Fu Yao. Lin Mengxi couldn't help but envy those 18-year-old girls; successful men seemed to have a preference for their age.

...

Zhang Lin arrived at the farm early as usual. After his customary drink of the special medicinal wine, he headed to the peach orchard to start planting trees as part of his daily exercise routine. However, just as he began, he received a report from Zhong Miaoying that Wei Yuan, the head of the agricultural bureau, had already arrived at the farm.

"Here so early!" Zhang Lin was surprised. He had assumed Wei Yuan would handle his bureau affairs first and then come over, giving him some time to prepare.

Since Wei Yuan was already there, Zhang Lin had no choice but to put down his hoe and ride his scooter back to the farm. When he reached the office, he saw Wei Yuan and Lin Mengxi and greeted them with a smile. "Director Wei, Miss Lin, I apologize for keeping you waiting!"

After they were seated, he turned to Lin Mengxi with a smile. "Miss Lin, you look even more beautiful."

"Thank you, Mr. Zhang. It's all thanks to your whitening sweet potatoes," Lin Mengxi replied gracefully.

Zhang Lin took a sip of the tea Zhong Miaoying had poured and then addressed Wei Yuan. "Director Wei, you must have come early for a reason, so I'll get straight to the point. Our farm is about to start promoting the whitening sweet potato seedlings, and I wanted to ask for your advice on the best approach."

"Although our Liyuan Farm has achieved some success, this is our first time promoting a new crop, and we're still unfamiliar with many aspects of it."

Wei Yuan, who had come early specifically for this, immediately responded, "Mr. Zhang, are you planning to promote this through direct cultivation or by collaborating with other farmers?"

Zhang Lin replied directly, "We plan to collaborate with other farmers. Direct cultivation would require an enormous amount of capital, which our farm can't provide, even with a loan. After all, we still owe the bank two loans."

"What about the specific details of the collaboration?" Wei Yuan asked, his eyes lighting up with interest.

From Zhang Lin's words, Wei Yuan could tell that the amount of sweet potatoes to be grown through collaboration would be substantial, otherwise, there wouldn't be a funding issue.

For the agricultural bureau, the more sweet potatoes grown, the better, as it would significantly boost You City's agricultural economy.

Zhang Lin explained, "Director Wei, you know the effects of the whitening sweet potatoes. The cultivation method is quite complex, and currently, only our Liyuan Farm can produce the seedlings. Therefore, I plan to sell the seedlings to farmers, who will cultivate them, and then we will repurchase the harvested sweet potatoes."

Wei Yuan found it unsurprising that only Liyuan Farm could produce the seedlings. Given the sweet potatoes' remarkable effects, if other places could produce them, Zhang Lin wouldn't have chosen to collaborate.

The fact that he chose collaboration indicated that cultivating the seedlings elsewhere would be extremely difficult. This was excellent news for You City, as it meant that other regions would find it challenging to replicate the process, making it difficult for them to compete.

With You City having the most agricultural land, including mountainous areas suitable for sweet potato cultivation, they had a significant advantage.

Before other regions could catch up, You City would have a head start.

So, for a long time, Youcheng would be the leader in this field, envied by many other places.

"Mr. Zhang, I feel there are some issues with this cooperation method," Wei Yuan said, sharing his concerns. "According to this plan, how will the acquisition price be determined? If someone else comes along and offers a higher price, even with a contract, some farmers might be tempted to break the deal."

"Something that should be a good thing could turn into a bad situation, causing unnecessary trouble. So, we need to think of a better approach."

Wei Yuan wasn't suggesting that the people of Youcheng would act this way; it was a human nature issue that could occur anywhere.

Zhang Lin nodded in agreement.

Indeed, that was a valid concern!

The two then discussed the matter further. In agricultural matters, Zhang Lin had to admit that Wei Yuan was the expert. Eventually, they came up with a cooperative model.

The Liyuan Farm would provide the sweet potato seedlings, while the farmers would provide the land and labor for planting. Once the crops were successfully harvested, the Linyuan Farm would collect the produce, record the quantities, and then split the profits. The Linyuan Farm would get 60%, and the farmers would receive 40%.

This way, the farmers would only be involved in the planting process, while the Linyuan Farm would handle all sales and financial matters, setting a unified price.

This approach would avoid many unnecessary complications, and to ensure everything went smoothly, the Linyuan Farm would send representatives to monitor the planting sites.

Once the plan was finalized, Wei Yuan asked the most pressing question: "Mr. Zhang, how many acres of sweet potatoes do you plan to plant this time?"

"We plan to start with 10,000 acres and then plant in several phases to reach a total of 50,000 acres," Zhang Lin explained his planting strategy. Given the short time frame, they couldn't prepare too many seedlings.

Planting this much in a year was already a significant achievement.

Wei Yuan immediately responded, "Mr. Zhang, I'll return to the bureau and send out the notice to help you find cooperative farmers."

Handing this task to the Agricultural Bureau would save him a lot of trouble, and Wei Yuan was happy to take it on. Zhang Lin, in turn, gave him two contact numbers, saying, "Thanks, Director Wei. I have two contacts who I think are suitable."

These contacts were Zhang Dong and Lin Tuo.

Since he had promised to help them, he wouldn't go back on his word. Including them in the planting cooperation and giving them two slots was no problem.

Wei Yuan understood and smiled, "Mr. Zhang, I'll take care of it. Give me a day to select suitable partners, and then we can sign the contracts and start the formal cooperation."

Zhang Lin nodded.

After a bit more discussion, Wei Yuan hurriedly left the Linyuan Farm and immediately had Lin Mengxi and her team start planning.

50,000 acres might not seem like much for other crops, but for the sweet potatoes, it was a different story.

According to Mr. Zhang's estimates, one acre could yield 1,000 pounds of sweet potatoes. That meant 50,000 acres would produce 50 million pounds. At 200 yuan per pound, the total sales would be 10 billion yuan.

For a small county like Youcheng, 10 billion yuan in sales was an unimaginable figure.

For so long, Youcheng had never seen such a lucrative agricultural project.

With just a slight effort, Mr. Zhang was creating a value that the entire agricultural sector of Youcheng could hardly match.

Soon, an announcement titled "The Billion-Yuan Sweet Potato Planting Cooperation Plan!" was posted on the official website of the Youcheng Agricultural Bureau and various online media platforms. It quickly spread throughout Youcheng, causing a huge stir.

In the market street, Lin Tuo was clearing out his fruit shop. He had already leased it out to gather funds, waiting for Mr. Zhang's news to start planting the sweet potatoes.

He knew that planting these sweet potatoes would definitely be profitable. Seizing this opportunity, he had even sold his house to gather more funds.

At that moment, he overheard two shop owners next to him chatting.

"Did you see that? The Agricultural Bureau seems to have issued a billion-yuan planting cooperation plan!"

"I saw it. It's about planting the sweet potatoes from the Linyuan Farm. I wonder what the requirements are for this cooperative planting."

Lin Tuo's eyes lit up instantly, and he hurriedly took out his phone to check.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end