Chapter Sixty-Nine: Investment?

“In the future, the greater your contribution to Fishhead Village, the more you give, the more you will receive in return. That’s absolutely proportional. I sincerely hope that our village’s ‘Miss Xiaoyue’ will become this year’s first rising star to earn over a million right here in the village. I also hope that, going forward, more and more people won’t have to leave—right here in Fishhead Village, on our own land, they’ll be able to make something of themselves. More and more will earn a hundred thousand, a million, or even… ten million a year!”

Tang Long didn’t mind painting a grand vision for the villagers of Fishhead Village; how else could he inspire everyone to work harder?

A million or ten million a year? That sounds impossibly distant. For an ordinary villager, even earning a hundred thousand in a year would be enough to make them laugh themselves awake from a dream.

Tang Long glanced at Zhang Xiu’e, who smiled and shook her head. “I’ve said everything I need to. You go ahead and speak.”

Tang Long nodded. In truth, this meeting was mainly to discuss a few matters: speeding up the transformation of Fishhead Village. In the past, they wanted to handle it themselves, but now, plans can’t keep up with changes—they must revise their previous arrangements.

Tang Long had already called Secretary Wang Feiyue, who worked for Wu Zhengyao. They needed to bring in a professional construction team from the county. The Fishhead Village renovation wasn’t a major project, nor did it require high technical expertise—it just needed a lot of people for a large area.

Secondly, they needed to mobilize the enthusiasm of the villagers and get everyone involved. In the past, the village didn’t have any money, and few visitors came, but now things were different: more people were coming, but there weren’t enough to serve them.

While Tang Long and Zhang Xiu’e were holding a village meeting, Wu Zhengyao was convening a meeting with several department heads at the county.

“Old Yao, you’re in charge of contacting the construction team needed for Fishhead Village. The county will provide whatever’s needed—people, technology, funding. Don’t worry about the money, as long as the construction team isn’t unscrupulous, every payment will be made in full. Fishhead Village has money now.

Perhaps not everyone knows this yet, but the energy Fishhead Village is releasing might directly change the current economic landscape of Taoyuan County.

Taoyuan County is remote, with mountains and sea, rich in forestry and fishery resources, and scenic as well. Now, as living standards rise across the country, more and more people want to go out and enjoy themselves on holidays.

The economic situation must change…”

The core idea of Wu Zhengyao’s morning meeting was simple: use Fishhead Village as a focal point to drive broader development, offering unlimited support in terms of policy, manpower, and funding. First, promote Fishhead Village, then use it as a base to boost tourism throughout Taoyuan County.

Change!

Taoyuan County had reached the point where change was no longer optional.

That morning, just as Tang Long and Zhang Xiu’e had finished the village meeting, Wang Feiyue called.

After hanging up, Tang Long looked at Zhang Xiu’e and blinked. “County Chief Wu wants one of us to go over and report on the progress of Fishhead Village’s tourism work. Why don’t you go?”

Zhang Xiu’e shook her head. “You go. I’m busy! There are so many things in the village today that need my personal attention, otherwise I won’t be at ease.”

Tang Long knew she was making excuses; she still wanted him to take charge.

“Alright, I’ll go!” Tang Long hesitated briefly, then agreed. If nothing unexpected happened, Wu Zhengyao must have heard about ‘Miss Xiaoyue’ from Secretary Wang Feiyue!

It was a good opportunity to sit down with the county official and discuss Fishhead Village’s next steps. If things proceeded as he and Zhang Xiu’e envisioned, they would definitely need the support of county and town leaders.

Otherwise, Fishhead Village couldn’t possibly develop.

Tang Long originally intended to go alone, but Zhang Xiu’e insisted that Shan Xiu accompany him as a temporary secretary.

Tang Long couldn’t help but laugh at this, teasing, “Just how important am I, needing a secretary?”

Zhang Xiu’e giggled, “You’re the king of Fishhead Village. In the future, not only will you have a secretary, you’ll have a driver as well. Do your best!”

Usually silent, Shan Xiu suddenly interjected, “Hmm, ‘Fish King’ is a pretty good title.”

“…”

Shan Xiu’s eyes were smiling. “Or ‘Fishhead King’—that works too!”

Tang Long rolled his eyes at her and ignored her, heading toward the car. He hadn’t driven the secondhand Prado they bought yesterday; he left it in the village for emergencies, temporarily lending it to Qiu Yuxia’s ‘Logistics Medical Department’ as an ambulance—it would attract too much attention in the county.

Tang Long drove a Great Wall pickup, handy for bringing back supplies on the return trip.

On the road, he glanced at Shan Xiu and asked, “How much longer are you planning to stay in Fishhead Village?”

Sensitive as ever, Shan Xiu frowned slightly and replied nonchalantly, “What, am I getting in your way? If so, I can leave whenever you want.”

Tang Long laughed and shook his head. “You’re reading too much into it. I just wanted to ask—have you considered staying in Fishhead Village for good?”

Staying for good? Shan Xiu was caught off guard.

Tang Long continued, “You’ve seen it for yourself: Fishhead Village is entering a rapid development phase. We need people, and we need capital… You’ve probably saved quite a bit over the years, right? How about investing some of it here in Fishhead Village?”

“Invest?” Shan Xiu’s eyes brightened with curiosity. “I do have some money. Tell me—what sort of investment do you have in mind?”

Tang Long grinned. “That’s simple—hotels, restaurants, resorts, scenic spots like Liangou Valley. Fishhead Village needs everything.”

“How will profits be divided?” Shan Xiu eyed Tang Long warily; she was not easily fooled and wouldn’t let Fishhead Village suffer a loss.

Tang Long smiled. “No matter what you invest in, it’ll be managed by the Fishhead Village Company. You provide the funds, we provide the land, and profits will be split fifty-fifty. Also, our villagers will have priority when it comes to hiring.”

“Your management system—does that just mean I put up the money, you run the operation, and all I get is a share of the profits?” Shan Xiu frowned.

Tang Long laughed sincerely. “You’re really sharp—that’s basically it. But you should know, if we weren’t short on funds, we wouldn’t be seeking investment from someone like you!”

What does Fishhead Village have? People and land—but still lacking both manpower and money. Building hotels, developing resorts, everything requires cash!

Right now, Fishhead Village’s attractions—whether Ghost King Cave or Liangou Valley—are rustic, undeveloped sites, lacking both unique features and scale.

They aren’t especially attractive to tourists. Maybe people visit once or twice, but soon tire of it. Without change, even with a dozen ‘Miss Xiaoyues,’ the excitement wouldn’t last long.

Change is essential. Only with a thriving environment can you attract talent!

“How much do you want me to invest?” Shan Xiu didn’t reject the idea outright.

Tang Long saw there was hope, but didn’t know much about the background of this ‘second-rate little assassin.’ Smiling, he said, “The more, the better!”

“How about I invest fifty million to build a five-star resort in Fishhead Village?” Shan Xiu’s lips curled into a faint smile.

Fifty million?

Tang Long’s eyes sparkled. So she was a little heiress after all—she casually offered fifty million, clearly well-off.

He pretended to ponder, then said, “Fifty million for a five-star hotel? Isn’t that a bit low? It should be at least one hundred million.”