Chapter Seventy-Three: Primal Essence

On the road to Taoyuan County, Mountain Xiou kept glancing at Tang Long, his face full of hesitation, as if he wanted to speak but dared not, leaving Tang Long both amused and exasperated.

“If you have something to say, just say it. If you don’t feel awkward acting like this, I certainly do,” Tang Long said helplessly.

Mountain Xiou himself wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to say. In the past, he hadn’t thought much of Tang Long, but now, looking at him again, he felt that Tang Long was shrouded in mystery—a mystery so deep that it seemed impossible ever to uncover his true self.

Why did he possess the “Jingke Token”?

How could he so brazenly break Young Master Rui’s leg in Yutou Village, without the slightest concern for consequences?

What kind of person was this “Village Chief Tang Long,” really?

The news of Wen Rui’s broken leg didn’t remain secret for long. After all, Young Master Rui was infamous for breaking other people’s legs; when had he ever been on the receiving end before?

In the county government office, when Tang Long met with Wu Zhengyao, the first question Wu asked was, “You broke Wen Rui’s leg?”

His face showed neither pleasure nor displeasure.

Tang Long smiled and replied, “It was an accident.”

An accident?

Wu Zhengyao was clearly taken aback by this answer. He wouldn’t have found any other explanation from Tang Long surprising, but this “accident” was something else.

A prominent young master leads dozens of men to Yutou Village, and on the way, someone breaks his leg—and you call that an accident?

Anyone would find it hard to believe.

But to Tang Long, breaking Wen Rui’s leg really was an accident. Or perhaps, it was like scolding a child on a rainy day—something done simply because there was nothing better to do.

Who told him to be so unfortunate as to block Tang Long’s car on the road? Last time, Tang Long wasn’t around when he caused trouble in Yutou Village, and later, out of respect for Wu Zhengyao, he let it go. But today, he’d come looking for trouble on his own—how could he expect Tang Long to indulge him?

Tang Long smiled and asked discreetly, “County Chief Wu, did Young Master Rui call the police?”

Wu Zhengyao shook his head and said with a wry smile, “No, he didn’t. I heard about it through private channels.” He paused, then continued, “Forget it. The two of you can sort out your business privately.”

Since Wen Rui hadn’t come to Wu Zhengyao directly, Wu had no intention of meddling. As far as he was concerned, Young Master Rui being laid up in bed was a good thing—better than running around causing trouble.

“Today, I called you here mainly to hear your development plan for Yutou Village,” Wu Zhengyao said, returning to the main topic. He wasn’t interested in Wen Rui’s matter.

Tang Long organized his thoughts before speaking. “Currently, Yutou Village is roughly divided into two main parts: Ghost King Cave and camping.

“Ghost King Cave will be promoted for its primitive, unspoiled, pollution-free environment, and for its legendary folklore. Ticket sales will be our primary income, with each ticket priced at three hundred yuan.

“Of this, twenty percent will go to the security and service teams, thirty percent to the Yutou Village company, and the remaining fifty percent will be reserved as development funds for further improvements to the Ghost King Cave scenic area.

“According to our estimates, Ghost King Cave can accommodate a maximum of two hundred visitors per day under ideal circumstances, generating nearly sixty thousand yuan in ticket sales. However, the security and service teams will need to be about one hundred and fifty people in total.”

Wu Zhengyao interrupted, frowning. “Isn’t that a bit low for visitor capacity? Two hundred people a day, and you need almost as many staff as visitors? That’s nearly a one-to-one ratio.”

Tang Long sighed. “There’s no way around it. The entire interior of Ghost King Cave is untouched—no artificial excavation, in its original state, and with no safety measures. We have to assign people to accompany visitors the whole way to ensure everyone’s safety. Beyond that, we also have to guard against people trying to break off stalactites. With fewer people, it simply wouldn’t work.”

Wu Zhengyao pondered a moment. “Could you hire someone to do a comprehensive survey of Ghost King Cave, install surveillance equipment, and set up a dedicated path?”

“To hire experts to carve a path, install lighting, wiring, and monitoring equipment without damaging the cave, that would be a major project. Besides… tourists might not even buy tickets for it,” Tang Long replied, pausing to consider further. “Actually, there are several lava caves like Ghost King Cave in the country, some of them even rated as 5A scenic spots. Yet, they don’t get many visitors—most people go once and never return. If we keep Ghost King Cave in its original state, combined with the local legends, it might actually attract more visitors.”

Tang Long and Zhang Xiu’e had discussed Ghost King Cave more than once or twice, and their conclusion was always the same: in the short term, preserving its original condition was more cost-effective and beneficial for its future.

Wu Zhengyao nodded thoughtfully, signaling Tang Long to continue.

As for Ghost King Cave, Wu Zhengyao didn’t have any particular opinion for now. The reason it fell under Yutou Village’s jurisdiction was mainly due to its remote location. Even if it were assigned to Taoyuan County, experts advised that its development value was limited. In such a remote area, without supporting facilities, there simply wouldn’t be many visitors coming solely to sightsee.

Initially, when Tang Long and Zhang Xiu’e proposed leading the villagers to develop tourism, not even Wu Zhengyao was optimistic. But now, Yutou Village’s fame could only be described as a miracle.

“Camping involves playing around the village. We have Lian Gou Depression, a large lakeside hollow where people can enjoy the water…” Wu Zhengyao listened intently, and Tang Long spoke earnestly, but in truth, there wasn’t much to offer in Yutou Village. The Ghost King Cave was its main feature, but not necessarily its most attractive one. If it hadn’t been for “Miss Xiaoyue” suddenly going viral online, it was hard to imagine how many visitors would come each year.

“Next, after we complete the overall renovation of Yutou Village, we plan to build a rose garden, plant a hundred acres of roses, and then to the east of the village…”

Wu Zhengyao let Tang Long finish before smiling. “Regarding your plans, Feiyue has already briefed me. This morning, I called a meeting with all county department heads to discuss Yutou Village. We’ll help you find a construction crew and aim to complete the renovation as quickly as possible. The county government is unanimous in its support—whatever you need, just ask, and we’ll do our utmost to provide it.”

The greatest miracle of Yutou Village was that a local girl, “Miss Xiaoyue,” had suddenly become an internet sensation, drawing the public eye.