Chapter 82: Almost Kneeling in Gratitude!

Chapter 82: Almost Kneeling in Gratitude!

The old man Gu and his team quickly finished making the fans.

However, at this point, they were still only half-finished, requiring additional steps like oiling and baking.

Oiling the bamboo fans serves to better preserve the material. Once dry, it adds a smooth layer to the surface, preventing aging and insect damage, thus extending the life of the bamboo products.

Old man Gu and his team took out a bottle of oil from their tools, opened it, and began brushing the oil onto the bamboo fans.

This oil, like the tools, was provided by the game system. After the Bamboo Culture Garden was built, Zhang Lin also noticed that the market for purchasing bamboo products, tools, and instruments, as well as the protective oil, had expanded.

A single layer of this protective oil is usually sufficient for the surface. Given the current number of visitors to the farm, a single barrel would last a long time.

After applying the protective oil, old man Gu and his team activated a special baking oven nearby.

The oven, like the stove, runs on a gas source and is easy to operate, primarily to dry the protective oil.

Before long, the bamboo fan masters had completed a fully finished bamboo fan.

What happens when you see a bamboo fan with a +1 Craftsmanship Appreciation attribute?

Bamboo products generally look simple and lack vibrant colors. However, when a bamboo product is crafted to look like a piece of art, it becomes something entirely different, elevating it to a higher level.

This was exactly the case with the bamboo fan that now had the +1 Craftsmanship Appreciation attribute.

Even old man Gu and his team were surprised when they saw the finished product, feeling a sense of pride. They had truly created something beautiful, and it was clear that good tools and equipment made a significant difference.

"Beautiful!" Liu Qian couldn't help but exclaim.

The other girls nodded in agreement, feeling that the bamboo fans, made especially for them, held great sentimental value.

Lin Muxue, however, had more thoughts. She felt that the bamboo fans had a sense of cultural heritage, as they represented a traditional craft passed down through generations.

However, feelings alone weren't enough; they needed to be promoted.

She immediately turned to Zhang Lin and said, "Mr. Zhang, I think we can promote these bamboo fans as cultural heritage items. They truly have that feeling!"

"Senior Lin's suggestion is excellent!" Zhang Lin deliberately said, knowing that the +1 Cultural Heritage attribute of the bamboo fans was at work.

He then picked up one of the finished bamboo fans and walked to the center of the Bamboo Culture Garden, where there was a building with windows.

Zhao Han, Lin Muxue, and the bamboo fan masters followed him inside and discovered several machines inside.

They were laser engraving machines.

Zhang Lin, who had studied computer networks, easily operated the machine, guided by the instructions from the game in his mind.

A moment later, he placed the bamboo fan under the machine, and after a laser engraving process, the following words appeared on the edge of the fan:

"Li Yuan Farm Tourism Souvenir!"

"Yucheng Bamboo Culture Heritage Product!"

"2024..."

"Exclusive to Lin Muxue!"

After the engraving, Zhang Lin handed the fan to Lin Muxue. "Senior Lin, this fan is yours!"

Lin Muxue was surprised by the words on the fan. This made it even more meaningful, and the sense of cultural heritage was even more pronounced.

"Mr. Zhang, this simple operation is truly impressive," Lin Muxue said admiringly.

Zhang Lin then turned to old man Gu and asked, "Master Gu, how much do you usually sell one of these fans for?"

Old man Gu explained, "Because they are handmade, we usually sell them for 40 yuan. However, since the farm provides the space and customers, we can take 20 yuan from each sale!"

Lin Muxue, hearing this, said, "I think 40 yuan is too cheap. These high-quality bamboo fans shouldn't be sold so cheaply. We can price them higher. After all, tourists who are willing to buy will still purchase them even if they are more expensive, and those who won't buy won't be swayed by a 40 yuan price tag."

Zhang Lin smiled and looked at her. "Senior, what do you think we should sell them for?"

Lin Muxue thought for a moment and said, "I think we can double the price, selling each fan for 80 yuan. That should be fine."

Zhao Han was surprised. "Is that feasible?"

Ordinary factory-made bamboo products sell for only 10 yuan each, but they were planning to price these at 80 yuan each.

It was quite a shock.

The girls, including Liu Qian, chimed in one after another:

"Since they've come all the way to the Liyuan Farm, would they really care about 80 yuan? Their travel expenses alone are more than 80 yuan!"

"Not just travel expenses. Some might even fly in, which could easily be ten times 80 yuan!"

"Exactly, these are so exquisite. We would definitely buy them!"

"Agreed!"

Lin Muxue added, "While raising the price might deter some who were hesitant at 40 yuan, the higher price will make those who do buy feel like they're getting something more valuable. It might even influence their friends and family."

Zhao Han wasn't stupid; he immediately understood what she meant.

If this works, it would be incredible.

Even if fewer people buy at 40 yuan, selling a fan for 100 yuan now means making the equivalent of 2.5 fans at the original price.

He learned something.

He felt his old ways of thinking might not keep up with the modern young generation. This wouldn't do.

Zhang Lin smiled and said, "Let's sell the fans made by the masters for 100 yuan. They originally sold for 40 yuan, so we'll take 40 yuan as commission. Our farm will provide the venue, equipment, and customers, leaving 60 yuan. The masters will have to cover the cost of the bamboo materials themselves. Other masters can sell their fans for 80 yuan, with a 40% commission, and they'll have to buy their own bamboo!"

"As for other bamboo products, we'll have someone compile a price list for the masters so it's easier for customers to choose."

Hearing this, the bamboo artisans couldn't hide their smiles.

Old Guo immediately started calculating. If he used to make 18,000 yuan a month with a 20 yuan commission, what would 40 yuan commission mean? He felt his legs go weak.

If there weren't so many people around, he would have knelt down and bowed to this Zhang boss.

With this kind of income, maybe his two good-for-nothing sons would come to serve him tea and learn his craft. It seemed he could try opening a small account!

The other bamboo artisans were almost as excited. If what the girls said was true, they would be incredibly lucky.

Why else would such a good opportunity fall into their laps?

For a moment, they looked at Zhang Lin with genuine respect.

He was their god of wealth.

"Mr. Zhang, when do you plan to open the Bamboo Cultural Park?" Zhao Han asked, his face full of anticipation, even his body trembling.

If this worked, the Bamboo Cultural Park would create a group of high-income earners. The farm's bamboo products would quickly become a sensation online.

More importantly, the fans would be engraved with the heritage of Youcheng's bamboo craftsmanship.

Once the reputation spread, people would subconsciously choose Youcheng's bamboo products, even for everyday items like chopsticks and toothpicks.

This was the benefit of a good reputation.

For their bamboo hometown, such an opportunity was hard to come by.

The tourism bureau would also get credit, given that Mr. Zhang was easy to work with and the Bamboo Cultural Park and Bamboo Maze were both projects they supported.

But for now, it was all just a plan. They needed to wait for the park to open and see how it played out with the visitors.

Zhang Lin noticed the anticipation in Zhao Han's eyes and smiled. "We can start a trial opening now. Let some visitors in to experience it. Lin Senior Sister, if visitors buy anything, collect some material on the masters' craftsmanship for our promotional efforts!"

"Sure, no problem!" Lin Muxue nodded. This was right up her alley, and the girl in charge of photography had her camera ready to capture the moments.

Zhang Lin also instructed Liu De, "Get some simple signs made to direct visitors to the souvenir area. Also, have someone cut more bamboo and bring it here."

"Got it, boss." Liu De immediately went to work.

After giving Liu De his instructions, Zhang Lin told Zhao Lin to print some QR codes for payment at the ticket booth, so visitors could buy souvenirs.

...

Soon, a new wooden sign with an arrow appeared next to the service center, pointing in a specific direction.

He Rou, who had just finished the live broadcast of "The Strongest Brain," saw the sign as she left the service center.

She hadn't left, nor had any of the other contestants, including Zhang Qiang. They all wanted to keep trying to break through the Bamboo Maze. Even if they couldn't complete it, they aimed to reduce the time it took to clear the earlier levels and set a new record.

Moreover, they were determined to push through the bamboo maze no matter how challenging it might be, unwilling to leave until they had conquered it.

"Seems like they sell souvenirs over there!" one tourist exclaimed in surprise.

Another tourist chimed in, "I was just thinking about what to buy as a souvenir. It’s not easy to make it here, so having souvenirs would be perfect!"

He Rou also became interested and followed the arrow's direction. Soon, she arrived at a Bamboo Culture Garden. Just by the name, it seemed the souvenirs were related to bamboo.

She had some interest in bamboo products, but she was unsure about the quality. She had previously bought a custom bamboo fan at another scenic spot, and the experience was somewhat disappointing.

As she walked in, she saw several workstations, each with a craftsman sitting behind it.

"Wow, these fan designs are so beautiful!"

"Really, Master, can you make all of these designs?"

The voices of two tourists caught He Rou's attention, and she walked over to see a craftsman showing a grid of photos on his phone for selecting bamboo fan designs.

He Rou had to admit, the designs were indeed beautiful!

"How much is this design?" a tourist asked.

Old Master Guo immediately replied according to the instructions given by the boss, "Dear tourists, this is the Liyuan Farm Bamboo Culture Garden, where we preserve the traditional bamboo craftsmanship of Youcheng. All our products are handmade, so the prices are a bit higher. It costs 100 yuan for a bamboo fan, and other bamboo products will have different prices."

Hearing the price of 100 yuan, the two tourists hesitated for a moment. However, He Rou was very interested and immediately said to Old Master Guo, "Master, I'd like a bamboo fan, this design please!"

Old Master Guo nodded and began working on the bamboo right away.

He Rou watched from the side, but before she knew it, she found herself deeply fascinated by the process. She started asking questions, chatting and watching as the bamboo gradually transformed into a fan.

The two tourists who had inquired earlier were also very interested and watched Old Master Guo work.

Soon, the fan began to take shape, and it was finally coated with protective oil and dried.

When a brand new, beautifully crafted bamboo fan was placed in front of He Rou, her eyes were filled with surprise.

It was so beautiful.

And it had a sense of artistry.

No wonder it was a traditional craft; it was far superior to the bamboo fan she had bought at the other scenic spot.

To her, 100 yuan for this bamboo fan was absolutely worth it.

But that wasn't all. Old Master Guo invited He Rou, "Tourist, come with me. Now we’ll move on to the final step of the bamboo fan—engraving text."

Normally, there would be a sign for this step, but for now, he had to guide her personally.

"Liyuan Farm Tour Souvenir!"

"Traditional Bamboo Craft of Youcheng!"

"2024..."

"Exclusively for He Rou!"

When the text was engraved on the bamboo fan, He Rou was even more delighted. This was truly a meaningful souvenir.

The bamboo souvenirs from Liyuan Farm were sure to become a hit.

The two tourists watching nearby had stars in their eyes.

One of them gritted her teeth and finally decided, "Master, I'd like one too!"

The other, though interested, sighed and didn’t buy one, as her salary wasn’t high.

"Sure thing, this tourist, follow me!" Old Master Guo invited with enthusiasm, his face beaming with excitement.

What a great start to the day!

And just as the boss had said, things were really taking off.

He was filled with hope for the future, even envisioning his two sons eagerly returning home.

He Rou held the bamboo fan, admiring it from all angles and taking photos with her phone. She definitely had to share this on her social media.

Zhao Han watched from the side, not just Old Master Guo but the other craftsmen were also receiving visitors. While not every visitor bought something, a significant number did. For Old Master Guo, two out of three visitors chose to buy.

The ratio seemed quite high.

This made him incredibly excited.

It worked!

The boss was truly brilliant; every project he initiated was a success.

"Boss Zhang, there seems to be a new issue coming up," Zhao Han said after a while, turning to Zhang Lin instinctively.

What do you do when you feel too handsome for your own good?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end