Chapter 118: Deliberately Splitting Hairs with Me

After seeing off the special operations personnel led by Rose, Tang Long gathered the representatives of Yutou Village for a brief meeting.

"From now on, our Yutou Village will focus on rest and recuperation. Until all our facilities are properly built, the village is closed—we will not be receiving any more tourists!"

Listening to Tang Long, no one had any objections. Nowadays, the people of Yutou Village only had one word in their hearts for "Boss Tang": "submission." And this submission was not just lip service; it was a genuine devotion from the bottom of their hearts.

Who said Yutou Village didn't have an ancestor? Not only did they have one, but their ancestor was a "Black Dragon." Everyone in the village now believed it. Many of the aunties and grandmothers who were prone to believing in the supernatural were already planning to find time to go to the cliffside to pay their respects. Even if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, there were plenty of people who had!

Many villagers had gone to the cliff behind the village, returning with vivid descriptions and photos as proof. It was impossible not to believe.

What? You say that three generations ago, no one in Yutou Village even knew the "Ghost King Cave" existed? Who told you that? That was because you never asked my great-great-great-grandfather. He knew; he had actually seen the ancestor while herding sheep on the mountain back in the day!

"Liansheng, take your men into the Ghost King Cave and scout the interior properly. During this closure, the renovation of the cave needs to be put on the agenda," Tang Long said, looking up at Liansheng.

"Got it!" Liansheng scratched his head and chuckled dryly, saying with self-awareness, "Boss, I can lead the team to survey the terrain, no problem. But as for renovating the cave itself, that’s beyond us. You’d better find some professional talent for that!"

Tang Long rolled his eyes and retorted, "What 'Boss'? Call me Village Chief from now on. You make it sound like Yutou Village is a bandit den!"

"Hehe, yes sir, Boss!" Liansheng replied cheekily, still calling him Boss, feeling that it just sounded more natural—and closer—than calling him Village Chief.

Tang Long couldn't be bothered to argue. He had thought about the renovation of the Ghost King Cave. It wasn't that he couldn't hire so-called experts, but were those experts really professional? They didn't hang around the cave every day. How could they decide what to carve out and what to leave for the sake of ecological preservation based on a few photos and videos from a couple of visits?

Thinking it over, Tang Long decided that hiring outsiders wasn't necessarily better than having the villagers do it themselves. Liansheng and his team, who managed the cave, walked through it every day. They knew which paths were difficult, where the scenery was best, what should be preserved, and what could be removed to improve accessibility without damaging the cave.

"You guys start with the survey, then come up with a plan and put it on paper. Bring it to me and Secretary Zhang Xiue to review later!" Liansheng nodded, saying nothing more.

Tang Long turned his gaze to Wang Lu, an elite "invited" from the provincial capital who was now in charge of the village reconstruction project.

"Wang Lu, we need to speed up the reconstruction of Yutou Village!" Tang Long paused, then continued, "Also, we need to increase the footprint of the buildings beyond the original plans."

The previous design was a bit small-minded, constrained by the budget—the entire project only had a few million. But things were different now. Money? Even if the village didn't have it, they could borrow from the bank. If Wu Zhengyao knew what Yutou Village was doing, wouldn't he be thrilled? With the leader of Taoyuan County backing their loan, would they have any trouble getting credit?

Not to mention, a single photo of the Black Dragon would have banks tripping over themselves to lend them money. A few tens of millions would be a small amount; a visionary banker might even dare to lend them hundreds of millions.

Since money was no longer an issue, and considering the future foot traffic and the villagers' requirements for their living environment, it was better to do it right the first time to avoid any need for future rework.

The area would be tripled! The original designs for single-story tiled houses were out. They would be replaced by independent courtyards with at least three stories, and the village committee building would be eight or nine stories tall—nothing small-minded anymore.

Wang Lu nodded expressionlessly. "Changing the plans and increasing the size is still doable. As long as the money is there, everything else is easy." She paused, then added, "If you want to increase the speed, we need to hire well-known construction companies from the province or even the country. Before, we were small-time and couldn't afford them, but it's different now. Boss Tang, what do you think?"

Tang Long pondered and found Wang Lu’s logic sound. He turned to Zhang Xiue and asked with a smile, "Secretary Xiue, what do you think?" After all, she was the Party Secretary; he had to show some respect for her opinion, even if it was just for show.

"It's fine. As long as you can get the money, hiring the best construction company in the country is exactly what we should do!" Zhang Xiue said with a smile. She had realized that ever since Tang Long returned, Yutou Village could no longer be viewed through the lens of normalcy. With the "Black Dragon King" ancestor out in the open—and dare she say it, even monsters—was this place still ordinary? If he wanted to flip the village upside down, she was all for it!

"You heard that? We'll do as Secretary Xiue says. Hire the best and most famous construction company in the country to redesign our village and build our homes!" Tang Long said seriously to Wang Lu.

Wang Lu opened her mouth to speak, but Tang Long cut her off.

"Increase the budget for the village renovation from six million to one hundred million. If that's not enough, we'll increase it further as needed."

Wang Lu wanted to ask if the village could really pull out a hundred million, but she gritted her teeth and said, "Fine. As long as Boss Tang has the money, I'll take care of contacting the builders. I guarantee they'll be the top tier in the country!"

Tang Long nodded, satisfied. "Good. I'll leave this to you. Aside from quality, focus on speed. It would be best if it's completed within three months. Work hard, and when you marry Gao Xiaoque, I'll give you a big red envelope!"

Zhang Xiue added with a smile, "Since the construction crews are coming anyway, we might as well contract out the resort hotel, restaurants, and other public facilities all at once. If one company is too slow, we’ll hire several. Let’s aim to have all these supporting facilities ready by autumn!"

"Agreed," Tang Long said.

Wang Lu laughed. "No problem. Like I said, as long as you provide the funding, I'll move heaven and earth to get the best companies here in no time."

"Good, I'll go get the money this afternoon," Tang Long said. He then looked at Liu Yishou. "Old Liu, do you think our signature dish, 'Wild Fish Soup,' can be mass-produced?"

Liu Yishou looked blankly at Tang Long. "Village Chief, how do you mass-produce that?"

Tang Long pondered, "Build a factory specifically to produce 'Wild Fish Soup' so it can be eaten not just here, but taken home. Like roasted chicken, braised pork knuckles, or Peking duck—besides eating it on the spot, it can be vacuum-packed and taken away."

Liu Yishou scratched his head and chuckled. "Village Chief, you’ve got me there. I don't know if such equipment exists!"

Tang Long laughed. "You don't know? Then go out and see for yourself. If it's not in the country, go abroad. How about this: pick a few people from the village, pack your bags, and head out in a day or two for an inspection tour."

An inspection tour at home and abroad? Tang Long's words stunned everyone in Yutou Village. Liu Yishou stood there for a long time, unable to process it.

Tang Long’s expression turned serious. "Just because you don't know doesn't mean it doesn't exist. What we don't know, others might. What Yutou Village needs to do now is bring in the things we don't know or understand but can make use of. As for the factory, that's just one aspect. While you're out there, look for anything else you think the village could use."

He paused, then added, "Don't be afraid to spend money. In the future, Yutou Village will be the economic center of the entire Taoyuan County, so we aren't short on cash!"

Shan Xiu suddenly spoke up. "Boss Tang Long, my 'Dragon Mountain Spring' company is now officially on the map. Your words just now inspired me, so I’ve decided to go all-in. I plan to scale the company up to a billion. There’s a nine-hundred-million gap, so you’d better figure out a way to cover that for me!"

Tang Long looked at her, exasperated. "Are you trying to pick a fight with me on purpose?" The others couldn't help but laugh, though they tried to stifle it in front of Tang Long, looking quite pained.

Shan Xiu shrugged and smiled. "Didn't you say, Boss Tang, that we aren't short on money?"

Tang Long rolled his eyes at her and ignored her. If Dragon Mountain Spring could properly leverage the "Ancestor" factor, it might really be a hit. Shan Xiu had already invested a hundred million in the factory and bottling equipment, which was more than enough for now. Even if he gave her a billion, she wouldn't even know where to spend it!

Tang Long turned to Zhang Xiue. "I think it’s time we have a deeper conversation with the folks at the Flower Fish Head Resort!"

If Yutou Village was the first to benefit, the Flower Fish Head Resort was undoubtedly the second.