Chapter 94: Desperation! More Money Needed!

Chapter 94: Desperation! More Money Needed!

Zhao Neng watched the bustling construction site with growing unease. To outmaneuver Liyuan Farm, he had paid a steep price.

It wasn't just the over 50 million yuan invested in the camping site.

He had also leased vast tracts of land around Liyuan Farm.

To ensure a perfect knockout, he had leased the land surrounding Liyuan Farm, which spanned nearly 5,000 acres. To go even further, he leased several ten thousand acres of land nearby. This massive land acquisition gave him the confidence to challenge Liyuan Farm.

If he hadn't leased those tens of thousands of acres, he wouldn't have had the nerve to make his move.

By controlling the land, he could limit Liyuan Farm's expansion and trap it.

Only by trapping Liyuan Farm could he execute his subsequent plans.

The Agricultural Bureau was clearly aware of the impact of his actions on Liyuan Farm, so they remained noncommittal, fearing he would hinder Liyuan Farm's development and disrupt the current favorable situation.

Fortunately, his sister had found a good match, allowing him to leverage connections and secure the land, which formed the foundation of his plan to challenge Liyuan Farm.

According to his original plan, he would surround Liyuan Farm with his leased land, quickly start the first project—the camping site—and attract visitors by providing what Liyuan Farm lacked.

Once the first step was completed, he could secure loans for subsequent projects, all of which Liyuan Farm did not offer, gradually swallowing it up.

However, the Agricultural Bureau's interference left Liyuan Farm with plenty of leasable land.

The cost of leasing these tens of thousands of acres was enormous.

Previously, the land here was a few hundred yuan per acre, but due to Liyuan Farm, the price had soared to 1,500 yuan per acre. The annual rent for tens of thousands of acres already amounted to 60 million yuan.

Fortunately, he had taken careful steps, and this impact was manageable. He had signed contracts with major construction teams in Youcheng and the neighboring counties, and material suppliers had agreed to limited supplies. Without these resources, his opponents would have to look elsewhere, which would be disastrous for them.

But now, it seemed his plan was not working as intended.

The other side was already working tirelessly on their construction site, while his teams hadn't even arrived.

If they were also building a camping site, it would be a disaster.

"Go and find out what project they're working on," Zhao Neng said hurriedly, heading toward the construction site.

...

At Linyuan Farm, Zhang Lin looked at the bustling construction site in his game and called for Liu De, instructing, "Liu De, go and put up a sign at the new construction site. It should read, 'In response to the requests of many visitors, due to the lack of accommodation at Linyuan Farm, we are now building a camping site!'"

"Sure, boss!" Liu De nodded and immediately went to handle it.

Zhang Lin looked back at the construction site in his game.

This was a deliberate move.

Since Kai Lin Investment had gone to great lengths, they must have someone keeping an eye on his farm, right?

He wanted to let them know he was also building a camping site.

Kai Lin Investment had leased so much land; how much would it cost them?

They were relying on this first camping site project.

What would happen if they realized their construction was lagging behind Linyuan Farm's?

They would be devastated.

They had two choices: abandon the project or spend more money to catch up.

Spending so much on land that couldn't intercept Linyuan Farm's traffic would be a waste. Was he supposed to use all that land for fruit cultivation?

So, they would have to spend more money. What if their construction teams couldn't keep up?

Spend more money.

What if the other side worked through the night?

Spend more money.

This would undoubtedly drive their costs to a terrifying level. When the camping site opened, they would despair, realizing that speed alone wouldn't make up for the quality gap.

Game attributes weren't a joke.

Indeed, he wanted Zhao Neng to suffer even more.

...

After leaving his construction site, Zhao Neng headed to Linyuan Farm with his team, arriving at the construction site as quickly as possible.

As he got closer, his expression darkened. The workers were not just busy; they were working like they were in a life-or-death struggle.

"Where did they find this construction team?" his assistant asked, incredulous.

"Go and find out!" Zhao Neng frowned, walking toward the site. But he was immediately stopped by two workers.

"Construction site, no unauthorized personnel allowed!"

"Sir, please leave!"

Zhao Neng forced a smile and asked, "Brothers, which construction team are you from?"

"Who are you calling brother? Didn't you hear? Construction site, no unauthorized personnel allowed!"

Zhao Neng was embarrassed and could only inwardly complain that those who do manual labor will always do manual labor, then left with his tail between his legs.

Just as he was about to leave, he saw Linyuan Farm's staff carrying a sign and placing it in front of the construction site.

Zhao Neng rushed over and saw the sign read, "In response to the requests of many visitors, due to the lack of accommodation at Linyuan Farm, we are now building a camping site!"

His face turned grim at the sight.

The other side was indeed building a camping site, just as he had suspected.

"Boss, this..." his assistant realized the situation was dire.

"Let's go back!" Zhao Neng said, quickly leaving Linyuan Farm with his assistant and returning to the company office.

The worst-case scenario had become a reality.

If you want to cut in on someone's deal, and your construction hasn't even started while theirs has, what do you have to cut in with when they finish first?

"Boss, what do we do now?" The assistant asked as soon as he arrived at the company.

Zhao Neng frowned. "What can we do now? Hurry up and urge those construction teams to get to the site and start working. No, tell them to come today and start working!"

The assistant didn't dare hesitate and immediately started making calls. However, with each call, his expression grew more and more grim.

After finishing the calls, he reported hesitantly, "Boss, those big construction teams said that according to the contract, they will only come after they complete their current projects. Asking them to breach the contract is not something they will do lightly."

"Damn!" Zhao Neng had been caught off guard.

The assistant quickly added, "However, two of the construction teams said that if the boss is really in a hurry, they can subcontract their current projects to others and come to our site today. But the boss will need to compensate them for the lost profits."

"Compensate them, compensate them," Zhao Neng said without hesitation.

The assistant frowned. "Boss, that could be several million!"

"Give it to them!" Zhao Neng didn't hesitate. The land and camping site combined cost over 100 million.

Compared to several million and over 100 million, he knew which was more important.

The assistant didn't hesitate either and immediately contacted the large construction teams.

The biggest construction team in Youcheng was run by a man named Chen Hu.

Chen Hu was a well-known figure, a former underworld figure who had managed to escape the national crackdown on social ills by sheer luck.

In the end, it was indeed lucky. He started as a small-time sand and gravel dealer, made some money from lending, and then, by chance, learned about Youcheng's demolition plans, which included his own village. This allowed him to make a fortune.

Moreover, he somehow managed to get a construction qualification, and his small, unremarkable team transformed into a construction team, growing bigger and bigger until it became the top construction team in Youcheng.

Today, Chen Hu was very happy because someone was eager to give him money.

So, he immediately called one of his subordinates. "Gather the people, and head back to Youcheng. Get the job done at Kai Lin Investment's site."

The subordinate was taken aback. "Brother Hu, our project here isn't finished yet!"

Chen Hu smiled. "The other side is compensating us for our losses and wants us to subcontract this project to others. They're in a hurry."

"I'll gather everyone right away," the subordinate said immediately.

Chen Hu, however, smacked the back of his head. "Are you stupid? Just bring half the team. Leave the other half to finish this project slowly. Why would a fool not take a compensation fee?"

The subordinate frowned. "But then this project won't be completed on time."

Chen Hu, exasperated, said, "Just find an excuse, say the client's materials don't meet the standards, and we can't compromise our integrity. Any delay due to material issues won't count as a breach of contract."

"Got it, Brother Hu, you're brilliant," the subordinate said, his eyes lighting up.

Interestingly, the other large construction teams that received Kai Lin Investment's urging also handled the situation similarly.

However, under the condition of Kai Lin Investment compensating for their losses, the major construction teams did arrive at the site by the afternoon.

When Zhao Neng learned that the major construction teams had arrived, he hurried to the site. But upon arrival, he found the teams lazily setting up, with many of them gathered in small groups, chatting.

This left him speechless. He immediately invited the bosses of the construction teams, including Chen Hu, to a meeting and asked, "Everyone, why haven't your teams started working yet?"

Chen Hu looked at Zhao Neng with a mix of exasperation and amusement. "Mr. Zhao, please, which construction team starts working the moment they arrive without a break? Are you joking?"

"Why not? I hired you to start working," Zhao Neng frowned, knowing that the project at Linyuan Farm had started working immediately upon arrival that morning.

One of the construction team bosses awkwardly said, "Mr. Zhao, you did hire us to start working, but we also signed a contract with a set timeline."

Another boss added, "That's right. As long as we complete the project within the agreed timeline, the specific construction methods don't need to follow your instructions."

Zhao Neng was stunned.

He had urged them to come to speed up the work, but now they were adhering to the contract's timeline. Wasn't this a joke?

But the contract was signed, and he seemed to have no other choice.

Seeing Zhao Neng's anxious expression, Chen Hu's mind started working. This was clearly a ripe target.

He knew about Kai Lin Investment. Even if they hadn't invested in many projects, they could easily come up with a hundred million in liquid funds. The boss of such a company shouldn't be acting like this.

Unless there was a reason, something that had forced them into a tight spot.

This made things easier. He also said to Zhao Neng, "Mr. Zhao, if you want to speed up the timeline, it's not impossible. We can sign a new contract with a new timeline, but the price will definitely be higher. We need more money!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end