Chapter 182: Holy Cow, That's Huge!

Chapter 182: Holy Cow, That's Huge!

Ma Jun grabbed another handful of soil, kneading it in his hands. He even fetched some water from nearby to dampen the soil and began mixing it.

Zhang Lin didn't understand his purpose and couldn't make sense of it. Anyone watching from the outside might think he was just playing with mud.

"Unfortunately, we don't have any instruments to analyze this soil," Ma Jun sighed after a moment. "I've taken a quick look, but with my experience, I can't see anything different about it."

"Without instruments, why don't we plant some flowers and see what happens?" Zhang Lin suggested with a smile.

If the soil were that easy to produce, would they need to award a milestone for developing 10,000 acres of land?

"Sure, we can plant some flowers to see," Ma Jun nodded, not questioning why Zhang Lin suggested flowers.

Zhang Lin pulled out his phone and called Liu De, asking him to come over.

Before long, Liu De arrived. "Boss, what do you need?"

"Find some flower seeds and have people plant them in these fields," Zhang Lin instructed.

"Got it, boss!" Liu De nodded and immediately got to work. Soon, he returned with two farmhands recruited by the system, planting some common September flowers in the field.

The seeds would sprout in a few days.

Zhang Lin inspected the 10 acres of land again but couldn't discern anything special. He then returned to the office center.

As soon as he sat down, he received a call from County Administrator Liu, inviting him to a meeting to discuss two matters. Zhang Lin immediately called Lin Muxue.

"Mr. Zhang, what do you need?" Lin Muxue asked.

"Come with me to the county for a meeting," Zhang Lin said, gesturing for her to join him in the Mercedes S-Class, and they headed to the county government.

Upon arrival, Director Zhao Han of the Tourism Bureau was already waiting for them.

"Mr. Zhang, you're here," Zhao Han greeted him.

Zhang Lin replied, "Director Zhao, I know where the meeting room is, I can go there myself."

Zhao Han explained, "Mr. Zhang, that's the public meeting room. This time, it's an internal meeting, and County Administrator Liu has a dedicated room."

"Then lead the way, Director Zhao," Zhang Lin smiled.

Zhao Han's words made it clear that this meeting was for insiders only, and while the term "insiders" was easy to understand, some things were better left unsaid.

Regardless, everyone was working together for mutual benefit, and it was best to have insiders involved to avoid any dissenters causing trouble.

Zhang Lin followed Zhao Han to a meeting room on the upper floor.

County Administrator Liu was already there, along with a few people Zhang Lin didn't recognize and one person from Youcheng First Construction, whom he had seen but never interacted with.

"Mr. Zhang, you're here, please take a seat," Liu greeted him. "We've been waiting for you."

Zhang Lin nodded and sat down.

...

County Administrator Liu then turned to Zhang Lin. "Next, we need to discuss the Liyuan Farm project. There are two matters. The first is the rectification notice the farm received from the province due to road construction issues. While the province might have forgotten about it, we can't afford to drag our feet."

"I have an idea: instead of renovating the existing road, we can build a direct expressway from the train station to Liyuan Farm."

Zhang Lin remembered this issue. Even without the rectification, he had planned to build a new road for Liyuan Farm. The bamboo maze had attracted so many visitors that traffic jams were a daily occurrence, though the tourism bureau and county traffic police managed to keep things under control.

He hadn't expected County Administrator Liu to propose a direct expressway to Liyuan Farm.

This would solve the traffic issue, diverting a significant portion of the train station's visitors away from the national road.

However, building an expressway would be costly.

County Administrator Liu continued, "The construction costs will be shared by the county and Youcheng First Construction. We can also build a small transfer station in the Night Market Town to further divert traffic. Youcheng First Construction has already agreed to this plan."

Zhang Lin was pleased he wouldn't have to contribute financially. He understood that Youcheng First Construction's willingness to fund the project was likely due to the Night Market Town's potential for profit. With the town's development, Youcheng First Construction would benefit the most, and as long as Liyuan Farm remained operational, there would be no shortage of buyers for the houses they built.

With increased foot traffic, the market could even evolve into a new town.

After settling this matter, County Administrator Liu continued, "Mr. Zhang, the next task will rely on your cooperation. Youcheng First Construction has nearly finished building the zoo at the farm. They've completed the safety risk assessment, and the zoo can open while the final touches are being made."

"So, I'll arrange for the animals from the two small zoos to be moved over, and the transfer of zoo staff will also be your responsibility. We need to get the zoo up and running as soon as possible to accommodate more visitors."

"Understood, we'll be ready to take over," Zhang Lin nodded. This was something they had already discussed.

In reality, the only task Liyuan Farm needed to handle was the zoo. For the rest, they were just observers, and Zhang Lin felt his presence wasn't even necessary.

But some things required his presence.

"Mr. Zhang, how about we have dinner together in the county?" County Administrator Liu asked after the meeting, checking the time.

"I'll follow your lead, County Administrator Liu," Zhang Lin agreed without hesitation.

After all, being invited to dine at the county government was a rare honor. During the meal, County Administrator Liu repeatedly emphasized, "Mr. Zhang, if you have any projects for the farm's development, please discuss them with the county. We'll fully support you, and don't hesitate to let us know if you face any difficulties."

"Rest assured, County Administrator Liu, I won't hesitate to reach out if needed," Zhang Lin assured him.

Zhang Lin responded with a smile.

He could tell that the county government was even more eager for Liyuan Farm to launch new projects. Liu County had almost outright said, "Mr. Zhang, hurry up with those projects, hurry up..."

After the meal, Zhang Lin and Lin Muxue got into the car. She remarked, "Mr. Zhang, it seems that the Bamboo Forest Maze has attracted so many visitors that our farm's capacity is stretched to the limit, which has the county government quite anxious."

Zhang Lin was well aware of the situation.

The farm could only accommodate so many visitors, but during the two hottest days of the Bamboo Forest Maze, over 50,000 people flooded in each day.

Even now, with the excitement having cooled somewhat, the daily visitor count still exceeded 30,000. Even those who couldn't get tickets to Linyuan Farm were willing to pay a premium to others who had managed to secure them, just to visit the Bamboo Forest Maze.

Some people who had tickets for camping, flower fields, or the Bamboo Forest Maze would sell them at a high price.

However, Linyuan Farm's capacity was truly limited, and it couldn't handle the influx of visitors.

So, it was no wonder the county government was anxious. With so many visitors, the economic benefits were significant. Even at 280 yuan per hotel room, that was a substantial sum. The hotels and inns in Youcheng couldn't accommodate everyone, which would promote the development of guesthouses and boost the local economy.

Other expenses, such as food and drinks, were even higher.

The number of specialty meat pancake shops alone had increased significantly.

It was normal for the county to be anxious.

But the farm had to grow step by step.

He couldn't just launch projects that wouldn't be popular.

Back at the farm, Zhang Lin called for Lin Mengyao and instructed, "Arrange for the zoo to be cleaned and disinfected. The county is sending animals from two other small zoos, and we need to assign staff to take care of them directly at the zoo."

"Sure, Mr. Zhang!" Lin Mengyao nodded and immediately got to work.

The county's actions were indeed swift. They had barely finished cleaning the zoo when the animals were delivered the next day, along with the staff to care for them.

Lin Mengyao handled the arrangements and then brought a middle-aged man to Zhang Lin's office. "Mr. Zhang, this is Manager Sun Kan, who will be in charge of the zoo."

Sun Kan greeted Zhang Lin respectfully upon seeing him. "Mr. Zhang, hello, hello..."

He was somewhat nervous, after all, it was his first day on the job.

However, he was looking forward to his new role. After all, being the manager at Linyuan Farm meant a higher salary, following the farm's standard for project managers.

Everyone knew that working at Linyuan Farm was the best job in Youcheng.

He considered himself incredibly lucky.

"Manager Sun, don't be too formal, please sit down," Zhang Lin nodded and invited him to sit at the tea table.

Sun Kan had previously been the manager of another zoo and was transferred to Linyuan Farm to take charge of the new zoo.

The farm couldn't find anyone else suitable to manage the zoo, as it required strong expertise, unlike the other projects.

Naturally, if he didn't perform well, the farm would find someone else to replace him.

After sitting down, Zhong Miaoying began to brew tea and served a cup to Lin Mengyao, Sun Kan, and Zhang Lin.

After drinking a cup of tea, Zhang Lin began to inquire about the zoo with Sun Kan.

Sun Kan reported honestly.

Currently, the zoo had a black bear, three pandas, and over 40 other animals from the two small zoos.

Sun Kan listed the animals, most of which were common and not particularly rare.

The two small zoos in Youcheng had hoped that the exotic animals from other places would attract visitors, but the local residents weren't buying it.

Sun Kan was well aware of this and added, "The zoo's future promotion will focus on the black bear and the three pandas. The black bear's fruit stand will be moved over, and the pandas will have their own panda enclosure, where bamboo has already been planted and a shaded area created to ensure their comfort."

"Black Bear has been well-trained by the farm and can entertain visitors with its money-earning skills, while the pandas can pose for photos and show off. These attractions alone should keep the zoo running smoothly. We can look into acquiring other intelligent animals in the future."

"Manager Sun, I'll leave the zoo in your capable hands," Zhang Lin was satisfied with Sun Kan's response. As long as he understood the zoo's priorities and could ensure its smooth operation, he would be a competent manager.

"Mr. Zhang, rest assured, I won't let you down," Sun Kan promised. "If there's nothing else, I'll get started."

"Sure," Zhang Lin nodded.

Sun Kan and Lin Mengyao then left the office.

"Mr. Zhang, would you like more tea?" Zhong Miaoying asked.

"Clear it away," Zhang Lin said.

Zhong Miaoying nodded and began to clear the tea utensils.

Zhang Lin returned to his desk but was surprised when he saw a system notification in his mind. He had initially thought it was about the seeds planted by Wu Yan, but it turned out to be something else.

The Mountain Market had refreshed with a new item.

He immediately opened the Mountain Market and saw a long, yellow object.

"Wow, that's huge!" Zhang Lin was astonished. This was the first time he had seen something so large.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end