Chapter 98: Is This Just a Pipe Dream?

Chapter 98: Is This Just a Pipe Dream?

Zhang Lin's decision to lease more land was something Wei Yuan never expected. After finalizing the paperwork, he exclaimed in surprise, "Mr. Zhang, it seems that Kai Lin Investment hasn't posed a threat to you. I'm really curious to see how Zhao will manage to handle the tens of thousands of acres he leased."

"I can always sublease them at a lower price," Zhang Lin replied with a smile.

"Then Mr. Zhang will make a fortune!" Wei Yuan laughed, as he knew that this might indeed be the final outcome.

If Kai Lin Investment's plan fails and they can't use Linyuan Farm, they definitely won't plant fruits or vegetables on those tens of thousands of acres. Their only option would be to sublease the land.

Linyuan Farm would be the only one capable and willing to take it on.

Otherwise, which of the other companies in Yucheng would be foolish enough to take over such a mess, especially after Kai Lin Investment, with its substantial capital, had already failed?

By then, Kai Lin Investment wouldn't be considered a capital-rich company anymore. They would have lost so much money that they would be in a dire situation.

After obtaining the lease contract for the new 500 acres, Zhang Lin immediately returned to the farm. The new land was not far from the camping site, and once developed, it would provide the perfect spot for visitors to admire the Rainbow Flower Sea from the closest distance.

Visitors could then follow the Rainbow Flower Sea to the Bamboo Maze, or they could first visit the Bamboo Garden, then the Bamboo Maze, and finally return to the Rainbow Flower Sea for a rest.

Entering the office in the prefab house, Zhang Lin opened the game interface in his mind and activated the Rainbow Flower Sea construction scroll.

After a series of operations, he received a game prompt:

【Congratulations on spending 10 million to build the Rainbow Flower Sea. The Rainbow Flower Sea is under construction...】

...

Meanwhile, Zhao Neng had his driver take him and his assistant to Ming City. The team he had contracted to create the lavender field was based there, and they had requested him to come and inspect the lavender plants.

To create a lavender field, the lavender plants were essential. He had to personally select and order them, then sign a purchase contract with the planting base.

This meant he had to sign a contract with the team, another with the lavender planting base, and pay a deposit to both parties.

Given the issues with the camping site project, he was now extremely focused on the flower field project, so he rushed to Ming City as soon as possible.

Indeed, a lavender field with lavender plants gathered in large patches was highly scenic. After a thorough inspection, he was very satisfied with the lavender plants and immediately signed a contract with the planting base. He then returned to Yucheng with the flower field creation team.

The flower field team his assistant had found was quite famous, with over a million followers online. They were known as Flower Sea Expert Vida, and the leader's real name was Ma Vida.

Once the flower field was built, they could use Ma Vida’s name for promotion, saying: "The Lavender Sea Project, Fully Developed by Famous Flower Sea Expert Ma Vida."

Upon returning to Yucheng, Zhao Neng hurriedly took Ma Vida's team to the land he had leased.

To create the lavender field, they first needed to choose the location.

He had to get the flower field built as quickly as possible.

However, before they reached the leased land, he suddenly saw several trucks transporting flowers driving ahead.

These trucks were loaded with colorful and vibrant flowers.

"Mr. Zhao, is there someone else in Yucheng creating a flower field?" Ma Vida asked in surprise, immediately guessing as soon as he saw the trucks.

Zhao Neng's face changed at this question, and he instinctively thought of Linyuan Farm.

No way, right?

Linyuan Farm is also creating a flower field?

Could he have fallen behind Linyuan Farm again?

At that moment, his assistant in the passenger seat hurriedly handed him a video. "Mr. Zhao, Linyuan Farm has also started creating a flower field. Moreover, they have already begun construction and have attracted many tourists."

Zhao Neng hastily watched the video, which clearly showed several flower transport trucks filmed by tourists.

However, the trucks weren't the main point. The key was the construction site visible in the video, where a small area of flowers had already been laid out.

Linyuan Farm had indeed started creating the flower field and had already laid out a significant area, while his flowers were just starting their journey from Ming City.

"Damn..." Zhao Neng couldn't help but curse.

He felt his mindset was about to collapse.

He had fallen behind again.

Given this, the flower field project might not achieve the desired effect.

Thinking this, he quickly instructed his assistant, "Contact Banker Chu. We need a loan for Kai Lin Investment!"

Now, he could only wait for the camping site and flower field to be completed, and then confront Linyuan Farm head-on.

Indeed, the news of Linyuan Farm starting to create a new flower field spread quickly online, generating considerable attention. After all, with the flower transport trucks entering Linyuan Farm, it was hard for tourists not to be attracted.

Zhang Lin's attention, however, was focused on something else.

He looked at the special note for the rapid-growth rapeseed in his mind:

Special Rapid-Growth Rapeseed: Quality 1

Note: This is a special rapeseed produced by the game. Before blooming, it grows extremely fast, and after blooming, it has excellent ornamental value and a great visual effect. The rapeseed it produces also has a special purpose!

Attributes: +1 growth speed before blooming, +1 ornamental value after blooming, +1 visual effect, +1 moisturizing effect of rapeseed oil.

Restriction: Only effective when planted on the farm's land!

This rapeseed not only has ornamental value but also practical value. The rapeseed oil has a +1 moisturizing effect.

Moisturizing means keeping the skin hydrated and vibrant, preventing dryness. This can be achieved through various cosmetics and medicinal formulations.

Many skincare products today highlight their moisturizing effects to attract customers, especially female customers. Once a product truly delivers on this promise, it can become a must-have in their beauty routines.

Now, this rapeseed oil has a +1 moisturizing effect, which will undoubtedly be a big draw for female tourists.

The rapeseed flowers are about to bloom, and the seeds are already growing. Soon, it will be time for the rapeseed oil to shine.

However, even with its excellent moisturizing properties, you can't just apply the oil directly to your face. The greasy feeling, no matter how effective, would be off-putting and unattractive.

Therefore, the best solution is to turn the rapeseed oil into a moisturizing cream.

Even if this reduces the effectiveness, the game's attributes should still make it better than most products on the market. After all, many people already use honey to make moisturizing creams, so there are plenty of recipes available.

What would happen if tourists discovered that Linyuan Farm has this product? They would definitely want to buy it, right?

Some female tourists might even visit the farm specifically to purchase it.

However, with only 500 acres of rapeseed and the seeds limited to the farm's land, the production will be limited. It might be necessary to set purchase restrictions or conditions to buy the product.

Zhang Lin, a man, was not very familiar with these matters. Even if he searched online for recipes, how could he be sure which ones were genuine and effective?

He thought about Lin Muxue and her team in the online operations department. Being mostly women, they should know something about this.

With that in mind, he called Lin Muxue. As soon as the call connected, her voice came through, "President Zhang, I was just about to call you. I didn't expect you to call first."

Zhang Lin was taken aback and asked, "Sister Lin, let's start with your matter!"

Lin Muxue complained, "President Zhang, I just saw the video of the farm creating a flower sea. This is very wrong. We, the online operations department, only found out about the project from tourists' videos online."

"The normal process is for you to notify us first, then we would post a couple of teasers to build suspense and spark discussions. This would maintain the topic's momentum. Now, it's all wasted. So, in the future, can you please inform us about any new projects?"

Zhang Lin found her point reasonable and quickly agreed, "Sister Lin is right. I haven't paid much attention to this before. In the future, I will inform you of any new projects before they start."

Lin Muxue was satisfied with his response and asked, "President Zhang, you must have called for a reason, right?"

Zhang Lin got straight to the point, "I wanted to ask if you know how to make moisturizing creams."

Lin Muxue asked curiously, "President Zhang, why are you asking about this? Do you want to make a moisturizing cream? Zhang Yuan often makes her own crafts. She should know how."

Zhang Lin explained with a smile, "I plan to make some farm-specific moisturizing creams. It might become a symbol of the farm's specialty. I'm not very familiar with this, so I thought Sister Lin could bring Zhang Yuan over, and we can work on it together."

Lin Muxue's interest was piqued, "Sure, I'll bring Zhang Yuan to the farm!"

After hanging up, she immediately called Zhang Yuan, who was doing logistics work, and they left the office together.

Actually, Lin Muxue had also noticed the issue of the farm's specialties. The farm was already quite popular and well-known, but it lacked a signature product.

Now, it was clear that Mr. Zhang was thinking along these lines, planning to focus on developing specialty products for his farm.

While it might seem a bit odd to create a moisturizing cream as a specialty product, Mr. Zhang had always been one to take unconventional paths. Who knew? This moisturizing cream might not be as simple as it seemed.

...

After hanging up with Lin Muxue, Zhang Lin found a small bag and made his way to the sea of rapeseed flowers.

The area was still bustling with tourists, but he could clearly see that the rapeseed flowers were starting to thin out. Even with the game system's enhancements, the visual appeal was not as strong as it had been initially.

However, compared to ordinary rapeseed flower fields, his still held a significant advantage.

He walked up to the edge of the rapeseed flower field and, sure enough, saw that each plant was laden with plump rapeseed pods.

These tall rapeseed plants produced larger seeds, and the number of pods on each plant was substantial. Some were already fully mature and ripe.

He immediately called over a patrolling security guard.

"Boss!" The guard greeted him respectfully.

"Pick some of the mature seeds for me," Zhang Lin instructed, handing over the small bag.

If he were to pick the seeds himself, some meddlesome tourists might take a video and upload it online: 'Rude tourist picking rapeseed flowers in the scenic area...'

That would be a real headache.

While the chances of this happening were low, people would do anything for internet fame.

Having the security guard pick the seeds would avoid such trouble.

"Sure, Boss!" The guard nodded, took the bag, and started picking the seeds.

Soon, the guard handed him a small bag of rapeseed, which weighed about three pounds. This should be enough to produce at least one pound of oil.

Normally, rapeseed used for cooking would need to be dried before pressing to reduce its moisture content and prevent sprouting during storage and processing.

However, since he wasn't using this for cooking, it didn't matter. Many skincare products made with rapeseed oil boasted natural plant extracts, which wouldn't be present if the seeds were dried.

There were several methods to press rapeseed oil: using a machine, traditional methods, or steam pressing.

He didn't have a machine at the moment but planned to buy a couple later.

Traditional methods were too time-consuming, and he didn't have the time to set up a wooden press.

With only three pounds of rapeseed, steam pressing was the simplest option, and he could have the kitchen handle it.

The chef recruited through the game should know how to do it.

In the kitchen, Lin Nan, who was in charge, greeted him: "Boss, what brings you to the kitchen today?"

"Help me press this rapeseed oil," Zhang Lin handed the bag of seeds to Lin Nan.

Not long after, Lin Muxue arrived at the farm, and he met her at the service center.

As soon as they met, Lin Muxue got straight to the point: "Mr. Zhang, Zhang Yuan can make moisturizing cream. She used to make handmade items and sell them in her social circle when she was in college, and moisturizing cream was one of her regular projects. The methods for making moisturizing cream vary depending on the materials used, but what materials would you like to use for the cream?"

Zhang Yuan also looked curiously at Zhang Lin. She had heard from Lin Muxue on the way that this Mr. Zhang wanted to create a farm specialty moisturizing cream for tourists and turn it into a signature farm product.

If this product were to be developed under her supervision, she would feel a great sense of achievement.

Zhang Lin explained: "I plan to use rapeseed oil to make the moisturizing cream. The rapeseed flower field is coming to an end, and there will be plenty of seeds to press for oil."

"???" Zhang Yuan was taken aback.

She had heard of using aloe vera, camellia oil, and honey to make moisturizing cream and had even used camellia oil and honey herself. These ingredients did have moisturizing properties, and many well-known brands used them.

However, using rapeseed oil to make moisturizing cream was something she had never heard of.

The key was whether this ingredient had any moisturizing effects. The most important thing about a moisturizing cream was its effectiveness. It wouldn't be popular just because it was a farm specialty product. If it didn't work, even with the Liyuan Farm label, it wouldn't sell.

Women wouldn't buy it just because it was a farm specialty; they wanted results.

Why would they choose a farm product over a well-known brand with proven results?

However, as an employee, she couldn't directly contradict her boss's creative ideas.

So, she quickly reported: "Mr. Zhang, to make a moisturizing cream with oil, you need a basic formula. You'll also need mugwort, peppermint leaves, beeswax, vitamin E, polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethyl cellulose, glycerin, ethanol, benzoic acid, fragrance, and purified water."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end