Chapter 193: Am I the Only Fool?

Chapter 193: Am I the Only Fool?

Liu County said this and didn’t hesitate, immediately hanging up on Zhao Han. He then called the two of them out of the office and hurriedly headed to the Liyuan Farm.

Who could understand how much the words "the biggest project so far" from Mr. Zhang meant to them?

In simple terms, they saw hope for the next year.

Despite their earlier concerns, they knew that the Liyuan Farm’s rapeseed flower sea and mountain spring health resort would definitely be a success this year.

With that, a boost in performance by the end of the year was practically guaranteed.

Now, with the mention of the biggest project, wouldn’t the number of visitors be even greater than the current projects?

They had a lot of faith in the young man, so they were confident that next year would start off well.

What they wanted to know now was what the project was.

Liyuan Farm.

Zhang Lin, after being hung up on, turned to Lin Muxue and said, "Senior Sister, Liu County and the others are coming over. They should be here soon."

"Ah??" Lin Muxue was taken aback. "Then how do I have time to prepare the project plan and materials?"

Even though she knew the county government valued the Liyuan Farm, she didn’t expect it to this extent.

Her boss hadn’t even told them what the project was, yet they rushed over.

Zhang Lin sighed. "There’s no other way. I’ll just show them the prints I made earlier. As for the plan, we can repeat what we discussed."

"???" Lin Muxue was stunned.

Was this all just talk?

...

Liu County’s car quickly arrived at the Liyuan Farm parking lot. After getting out, the three of them rushed to the office center.

Zhang Lin and Lin Muxue were already waiting at the entrance. Seeing the three of them, he immediately greeted them, "Liu County, you came really fast."

Liu County, without hesitation, said, "Mr. Zhang, we just wanted to know what project you mentioned."

"Please come in, let’s talk over tea," Zhang Lin invited them into the office center.

Once in the office, he had the three of them sit at the tea table, and he and Lin Muxue took their seats on either side.

Zhong Miaoying had already prepared the tea, pouring a cup for each of them.

"Leaders, please enjoy your tea!"

The three of them caught the rich aroma of the tea, which alone refreshed them.

They immediately knew this was Mr. Zhang’s prized tea. They didn’t expect him to bring it out again.

It seemed he took this project very seriously.

Liu County, thinking about it, couldn’t wait to ask, "Mr. Zhang, we’re very curious. What project do you have in mind this time?"

Zhang Lin smiled and looked at Lin Muxue. "Senior Sister, show Liu County the map."

Lin Muxue awkwardly took out the print Zhang Lin had made earlier. On it was only a circle drawn in a specific area, with nothing else.

The map left Liu County and the others puzzled.

"Mr. Zhang, this map?" Liu County asked.

Zhang Lin also smiled. "Liu County, you see the circle on the map. The area is about 50,000 acres. I have an idea to turn this land into a southern grassland and use the Liyuan Farm to attract tourists."

"We have a special type of grass that Ma Jun accidentally discovered. It grows very quickly, and we can complete the grassland in a short time. The only prerequisite is to level the 50,000 acres of land, for example, here... and also to acquire the land, for example, here..."

Zhang Lin repeated what he had discussed with Lin Muxue earlier. Lin Muxue also added details, introducing various grassland projects and assuring them that once the grassland was established, there would be no issues with the projects or tourism.

Naturally, Zhang Lin also mentioned the idea of attracting influencers to shoot videos, making it a photography haven, and using it for wedding photos.

He couldn’t tell Liu County and the others about the special properties of the grass, so he expressed his confidence in the project and used words to spark their imagination.

Liu County, Zhao Han, and Liu Shan were a bit stunned as they listened to the description.

They hadn’t expected that if the young man was going to do something, he would go all out.

The only thing in front of them was a simple printed map.

It felt deeply unsettling, as if they were being taken for fools.

If it were anyone else, they would have immediately labeled the person a fraud for presenting such a grand project with just a map and a circle.

Sure, you print a map, draw a circle, and claim it’s a project worth 500 million. They’d just laugh it off.

But this was the young man.

He had created a legend called "Liyuan Farm" in Youcheng.

Even with a map that only had a circle, they had to take it seriously.

Especially as he described it, they couldn’t help but visualize the scenes in their minds.

Vast grasslands like a huge green tapestry, with herds of cattle and sheep grazing leisurely, and horses galloping, raising clouds of dust.

Countless tourists flocking in, influencers shooting videos, making the grassland a viral sensation, and couples coming to take wedding photos, along with various tourist attractions filled with laughter and joy.

It was settled. This project would settle it.

If it succeeded, Youcheng’s performance next year would be guaranteed. They could aim for more than just 30,000 tourists.

As for failure?

The Liyuan Farm’s projects had never failed, and they had enough confidence in this grassland project.

While the three of them were lost in their imaginations, Zhang Lin sighed again, "Ah, Liu County, you see, I only have this printed map right now. There’s no detailed plan. This is just my idea. I’m just sharing it with you, so don’t take it too seriously.

Zhang Lin naturally intended to play a game of retreat to advance. After saying this, he smiled and looked at the three men.

The three had just been imagining the beautiful future of the grassland based on Zhang Lin’s description. Suddenly, hearing these words felt like being thrown from heaven to earth.

Was he just toying with them?

They already had a project idea, and it couldn’t be brushed off; it had to be taken seriously.

Liu Xian quickly tried to persuade him, "Mr. Zhang, this grassland project has a lot of potential. If you have the idea, you should put it into action. Think about it, in a place like the south, especially in Youcheng with its many mountains, creating a grassland would be astonishing and incredibly rewarding."

Zhao Han also chimed in, "Yes, Mr. Zhang, think about it. People in the south could only see grasslands on TV or in movies, and how many people actually have the time or resources to visit a real grassland?"

"The distance from the south to the grasslands is vast, and it’s even farther from Youcheng. But you could create a grassland right here in Youcheng. Imagine the amazement when people can see a grassland right in their hometown, and even ride horses there."

"Even future generations will be told, 'Child, you are fortunate. When I was young, I never saw a grassland, but now you can see one right here in Youcheng, all thanks to Mr. Zhang.'"

"Mr. Zhang, you will become a legend in Youcheng. As long as this grassland exists, everyone will speak of you."

Liu Shan, hearing his two leaders’ enthusiastic praise and encouragement, found that there was nothing left to say. He could only nod in agreement, "Yes, yes, the two leaders are right."

Lin Muxue, standing nearby, was gobsmacked.

If she didn’t know their positions, she wouldn’t believe such words could come from people of their status.

This only made her realize just how impressive her boss was.

She knew that Zhang Lin had always wanted to create a grassland and had hoped the county would fund it. But before he even mentioned the money, these leaders were already hooked.

Zhang Lin, seeing the three men’s earnest persuasion, reluctantly said, "If all three leaders think this project has potential, I’ll give it serious consideration."

"However, our farm’s current funds might only be enough to buy seeds. We’ll need to wait until the first batch of sweet potatoes is harvested and sold to have the funds to develop this project. So, there’s still time to think about it."

This made the three men’s hearts sink.

No!

How could they take their time?

If there was a project plan, it needed to be implemented quickly. The county was counting on this project to shine and bring a strong start.

Liu Xian quickly said, "Mr. Zhang, you don’t need to worry about funding. The county can help with that. There’s no need for you to take out a loan. We can follow the model of the panda research base. The county will provide the funds, and you can repay it with the future profits from the grassland."

He was offering tempting conditions, fearing that Zhang Lin might hesitate due to financial constraints.

To sweeten the deal, he added, "As for the construction, the county can help gather resources to level the 50,000 acres of land and plant the pasture grass as soon as possible."

Zhao Han took out his phone, took a photo of the printed map with circles, and sent it to Wei Yuan while calling him.

Wei Yuan was at the Department of Agriculture, reviewing the recent promotion of agricultural products, when he received Zhao Han’s photo.

What was this?

He was a bit puzzled, as the map looked familiar.

Just then, Zhao Han’s call came through, and he answered, confused, "Old Zhao, what did you send?"

Zhao Han immediately said, "Old Wei, can’t you recognize the Liyuan Farm? Look at the circled areas, excluding the farmland and villages, and see if those lands are available."

Wei Yuan was taken aback and quickly realized that Liyuan Farm was about to make a big move. He immediately started operating his computer, comparing the areas, and then said into the phone, "Old Zhao, those lands are not contracted. Should I start the procedures to allocate them to Liyuan Farm?"

Zhao Han immediately replied, "Do we even need to ask? Also, the first year will be rent-free. Liu Xian is trying to convince Mr. Zhang to start a project. If it succeeds, it will be a huge benefit for your department."

"Understood," Wei Yuan replied. He, Liu Xian, and Zhao Han were all aligned with Liyuan Farm, hoping to push Youcheng’s development forward, so he understood Zhao Han’s intentions.

Back at Liyuan Farm, Zhao Han hung up and said to Zhang Lin, "Mr. Zhang, the land contracting is settled. We will also help with the land acquisition."

Liu Xian added, "I’ll call a meeting when I get back."

The three men then looked at Zhang Lin again, having laid out all the conditions. There was no reason for him to refuse now.

Zhang Lin, wanting to laugh but keeping a reluctant expression, said, "Alright, if all three leaders insist, I can’t be ungrateful. I’ll go ahead with the grassland project and try to make it happen as soon as possible."

Liu Xian finally smiled.

They then spent the rest of the time discussing the details of the grassland project, until the teapot was empty. Finally, the three men left, still feeling they had more to discuss.

Exiting the office center, Liu Shan smiled, "We finally convinced Mr. Zhang to start this grassland project. But why do I still feel something’s off?"

"Are you just realizing that now?" Liu Xian asked, shaking his head with a smile.

"???" Liu Shan.

Zhao Han patted his shoulder and said, "Liu Xian and I were initially a bit confused by Mr. Zhang, but we soon understood and decided to play along. The important thing is that he’s going to make this project a success. The small details don’t matter."

"So, I was the only one in the dark?" Liu Shan was truly puzzled now.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end