Chapter 191: The Grandest Project!

Chapter 191: The Grandest Project!

Dog Tooth Grass Seeds: Quality 1

This is a specially researched and genetically modified pasture seed. The grass it grows has the following special effects: +1 Fresh Grass Fragrance, +1 Broadened Mood, +1 Refreshing Spirit, +1 Aesthetic Appeal, +1 Photogenic, +1 Animal Appeal, +1 Nutritional Value. Once the Dog Tooth Grass matures, it will have +1 Growth Speed and +1 Vigor.

Restriction: Effective only when planted within the farm. Outside the farm, it will grow like ordinary pasture grass.

Zhang Lin was taken aback by the attributes of the Dog Tooth Grass seeds.

The number of effects was overwhelming, making his eyes dart back and forth.

Attributes like +1 Fresh Grass Fragrance, +1 Broadened Mood, and +1 Refreshing Spirit were natural attractions of the grasslands, as anyone who had visited a prairie would know. These attributes were already part of the prairie's appeal, but the game's Dog Tooth Grass added +1 to each, making the sensory experience even more intense.

Tourists visit the prairie to witness the vast, breathtaking landscapes and to relax, broadening their horizons. The +1 Aesthetic Appeal and +1 Photogenic qualities were evident in the promotional photos of the prairie, where vast, lush green fields were both beautiful and photogenic.

Even those who had never been to a prairie could feel the grandeur through videos, movies, and TV shows.

Additionally, the +1 Animal Appeal and +1 Nutritional Value were significant. To create a true prairie, raising animals would be inevitable. By introducing White Dragon and a herd of horses, the prairie could become a place where wild horses roamed freely.

These attributes would be a tremendous boon for the prairie.

Zhang Lin even thought maliciously that perhaps because of these attributes, the Dog Tooth Grass needed +1 Vigor and +1 Growth Speed to ensure it wouldn't be completely eaten by the animals. Otherwise, with the +1 Animal Appeal, the Dog Tooth Grass would be in trouble.

These attributes perfectly aligned with his vision for the prairie.

If he could plant tens of thousands of acres of this grass, it would create a breathtaking scene. Even the real great prairies might not be as attractive as his.

The key was that the Dog Tooth Grass had a restriction: it would only have these effects when planted within the farm. Outside the farm, it would revert to ordinary Dog Tooth Grass, losing the game's attributes.

Even if someone from outside the farm tried to steal the seeds or the grass, it would be useless.

This made his prairie unique, possibly the only one of its kind in the country, or even the world.

While Zhao and Liu were still considering how to break the 30,000 tourist mark, once this prairie project was launched, they could easily double that number.

Excitement surged within Zhang Lin as he left the core area warehouse and headed toward the office center. As he entered, he encountered Lin Muxue, who had just returned from outside.

"Boss Zhang, what's the rush?" Lin Muxue asked, noticing her boss's hurried pace.

"Senior Sister Lin, I'm glad I ran into you. Come to my office; I have a new plan that I'd like to discuss with you," Zhang Lin said, beckoning her. Lin Muxue was the project director of Liyuan Farm, and this prairie project was ambitious, requiring her input.

Lin Muxue's eyes lit up.

Previously, most projects were completed by Boss Zhang alone, and she only took over after they were finished, giving her no sense of accomplishment in the early stages.

This was the first time Boss Zhang was discussing a project with her from the beginning, which would give her a sense of involvement and achievement.

So, she hurriedly followed Zhang Lin.

Once in the office, Zhang Lin went to the computer and opened the farm's layout map.

The farm currently had a total of 47,000 acres, with 36,000 acres undeveloped.

He glanced at the available land, realizing he couldn't use all of it for the prairie. At least 10,000 acres needed to be reserved for future development of the farm.

This left only 26,000 acres, which was insufficient for his vision of a vast prairie.

He quickly began marking additional land on the computer, extending beyond the boundaries of Linyuan Farm. Originally, he had thought these empty plots from Kai Lin Investment would not be needed for a while, but they were already insufficient.

Zhang Lin quickly marked out an additional 50,000 acres, ensuring the land was large enough for his prairie project. He then printed the map and placed it on the desk, calling Lin Muxue over.

"Boss Zhang, the area you marked out is enormous. What project do you have in mind?" Lin Muxue asked, surprised.

Zhang Lin smiled. "Senior Sister Lin, what do you think about creating a 50,000-acre prairie? Ma Jun has unexpectedly developed a special pasture seed. It grows very quickly and is highly vigorous, allowing it to grow year-round."

Lin Muxue's eyes lit up. "Really such a grass exists?"

"Yes," Zhang Lin nodded, asking, "So, what do you think of my idea?"

Lin Muxue thought for a moment and then said, "Under normal circumstances, Boss Zhang, your idea would be very unrealistic. Creating a prairie in the south has too many limitations. First, the terrain is mountainous and uneven. Second, a small area wouldn't be attractive enough, but a large area would bring many problems."

"For example, the area you marked out includes two mountains, farmland, and villages. To create a 50,000-acre prairie, these mountains would need to be excavated, and the farmland and villages would need to be acquired. The entire 50,000 acres would need to be leveled, and specialized roads would need to be built for access. Rest areas would also be necessary, as walking through such a vast prairie would be impractical. And there's more..."

"Thus, the cost would be enormous, and without enough tourists, it would likely result in significant losses."

"However, a smaller area wouldn't be attractive enough, which is why no one in the south has attempted a prairie project. People see the limitations but can't overcome them."

"Our Linyuan Farm, however, has a steady stream of tourists, which gives us the confidence to attract visitors to the prairie and allow grazing within it."

"Right now, the most critical issue is the construction cost."

Zhang Lin nodded and urged, "Let's calculate the cost."

First, he calculated the seed requirements for the 50,000 acres of land. For typical grass planting, to achieve a certain density, one acre requires 10 pounds of dogtooth grass seeds. This means 50,000 acres would need 5 million pounds of seeds.

The game system's dogtooth grass seeds cost 100 yuan per pound.

So, the seeds alone would cost 50 million yuan.

The seeds, however, were the least of the expenses. The biggest cost would be the initial setup and land acquisition. Without acquiring the land, the 50,000 acres of grassland wouldn't be contiguous, and the impact wouldn't be as impressive.

After careful calculation with Lin Muxue, they estimated that to successfully develop the 50,000 acres of grassland and build the necessary facilities, the total cost would be around 500 million yuan.

Zhang Lin frowned. His farm currently had a balance of about 130 million yuan. After the National Day dividend of 30 million, paying 7 million in salaries, and paying 23 million in taxes, he would have around 80 million left. Adding the remaining 20 million from Kaifeng Investment, he would have about 50 million, just enough to buy the seeds.

Even with a daily revenue of over 4 million, it was still far from the 500 million needed.

"Mr. Zhang, it's clear that our budget is far from enough," Lin Muxue said, shaking her head. She felt it was a real shame. If they could create a grassland in the south, even with the high costs, it would definitely pay off.

Moreover, creating a 50,000-acre grassland in the south would be an incredible achievement, significantly enhancing the functions of Lishan Farm. They could introduce activities like horseback riding, archery, low-altitude flying, super sledding, and close animal encounters.

Lin Muxue didn't know about Zhang Lin's deeper plans, such as the attributes of the grassland: Green Fragrance +1, Mood Boost +1, Refreshment +1, Aesthetics +1, and Camera-Friendly +1.

With these attributes, he was confident that the grassland would attract countless tourists even without additional activities.

Additionally, the existing projects at Lishan Farm already attracted many influencers to shoot videos and check in. With the entire area having the Aesthetics +1 and Camera-Friendly +1 attributes, it would attract even more influencers, generating more traffic.

The grassland would be a prime location for MCN companies to choose for influencer shoots, and grassland weddings would be a popular topic. Even for wedding photos, this grassland would attract countless couples, and if done well, it could become a photography haven.

This confidence came from the game system's attributes.

So, he quickly said to Lin Muxue, "Xuejie, write a simple project plan. If the project is feasible, let's go for it. As for the funding, do we really have to foot the bill ourselves? I'll tell you, even if I don't want to start the farm project, people are pushing me to do it. Even if I don't have the money, they're eager to give me funds to get it done."

He added jokingly, "Since they're so eager, I'll give them a big project and see if they really put their money where their mouth is. This will test their sincerity and whether they're just trying to fool me."

Lin Muxue caught on, "Mr. Zhang, you mean the county government?"

"Who else?" Zhang Lin smiled and pulled out his phone to find Zhao Han's number.

In Youcheng County, County Chief Liu was holding another meeting. The meeting was about the bamboo products industry, as orders had reached a new high the previous day.

However, a few toothpick cans were on his desk, complaints from customers. The county had opened a complaint channel to deter bamboo product manufacturers from cutting corners.

Unfortunately, some had forgotten the hard times and started slacking off, forgetting the complaint channel existed.

Now, complaints had come in.

So, he immediately called a meeting, summoning the heads of the Industrial and Commercial Quality Control and the County Police to investigate. If the complaints were verified, severe punishment would be meted out.

It was hard to achieve the current situation in Youcheng.

After the meeting, he called Zhao Han and Liu Shan, the Tourism Bureau's director and deputy director, to his office.

"How are the new projects at Lishan Farm coming along?" Liu asked, bringing up the topic.

Zhao Han quickly replied, "County Chief, the projects aren't ready yet. The Tourism Bureau is very anxious about these two projects. After National Day, there are only two months left in the year. We're counting on these projects to attract more tourists and improve our performance."

Liu Shan nodded in agreement, "Yes, but we can't rush it."

In the last two months of the year, they hoped for further development in Youcheng's tourism, which depended on the two projects at Lishan Farm.

But rushing wouldn't help.

Liu sighed, "The key is not to stagnate next year. Unfortunately, our local attractions are like they're eating dry rice, content with the diversion from Lishan Farm. They don't think or plan on their own. We need to recruit some talent next year."

Zhao Han sighed, "I'm also worried that Mr. Zhang might get distracted by a relationship or something, losing his drive. Most of the land from Kaifeng Investment is still vacant."

Liu Shan awkwardly responded, "Director Zhao, Mr. Zhang just started the mountain spring wellness center, which isn't even built yet, and it hasn't been long."

"Would I not know that if you didn't say it?" Zhao Han said irritably.

He was genuinely concerned.

At that moment, his phone rang. Seeing the number, he said, "Speak of the devil, it's Mr. Zhang calling."

"Answer it quickly," Liu said.

Zhao Han put the call on speaker, and Zhang Lin's voice came through, "Director Zhao, I have a project I want to discuss with you. This will be Lishan Farm's biggest project to date."

Zhao Han perked up at this.

Liu, hearing the words "biggest project," leaned in, asking, "Mr. Zhang, what project can we discuss in detail at the county office? If you need any support, we'll do our best. Actually, we're free now. We can head to your farm."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end