Chapter 79: Send Your Girlfriend Over

At the village committee office, when Tang Long arrived with his group, quite a few people had already gathered. Zhang Xiu'e was smiling as she spoke with them.

“Village chief, today we sold over four hundred tickets to the 'Ghost King Cave'!” Lian Sheng greeted Tang Long and his companions with an irrepressible grin that stretched from ear to ear.

Selling over four hundred tickets to the Ghost King Cave in one day was a remarkable achievement—it meant that in a single day, Yutou Village had earned a tidy sum of one hundred and fifty thousand yuan from ticket sales alone!

Tang Long frowned and asked, “How did we manage to sell so many?”

According to their previous estimates, the maximum daily ticket sales for the Ghost King Cave shouldn’t have exceeded two hundred.

“I had the villagers shadow each visitor—one villager per tourist, guiding them through the cave in shifts. There’s that large chamber deep inside, right? We turned it into a transfer station, so groups could circle through three different routes. Even though there were a lot of people, it wasn’t chaotic.

I came up with this idea last night, and after leading a team to inspect the cave this morning, we gave it a try at noon. By utilizing every possible branch inside, the Ghost King Cave can accommodate two to three thousand people at once without feeling too crowded. When it reaches capacity, we let one person out before letting another in. This way, we can host a lot more visitors each day!”

Tang Long glanced at Zhang Xiu'e and saw no sign of disapproval on her face. That meant, at least in her eyes, the method was acceptable.

“With my approach, even though more people go in, it’s orderly. Our one-on-one system means that, even if only a hundred people enter at once, we can easily lead over a thousand through in a day. Plus, the visitors spend more time inside than before,” Lian Sheng explained.

“No issues?” Tang Long asked Zhang Xiu'e softly.

She hesitated, then nodded with a smile. “I think Lian Sheng’s method is good. Having a villager guide each tourist is more work, but as we gain a deeper understanding of the cave, and as Lian Sheng’s team becomes more familiar with its structure, it’s definitely more efficient than taking in ten people at a time and then starting over.”

Previously, they took ten people in at a time, limiting daily ticket sales to two hundred. With Lian Sheng’s new system, in theory, the Ghost King Cave could now accommodate at least two thousand tourists a day!

At that rate, ticket revenue could reach five or six hundred thousand yuan daily.

“We mustn’t focus solely on profits. The priority is the safety of our guests and the preservation of the cave. As long as these are assured… you’re in charge of the Ghost King Cave site, so handle the rest as you see fit,” Tang Long nodded.

Lian Sheng and Li Ergou were his most loyal men—everyone in the village knew this, but Tang Long was careful not to show favoritism publicly.

There was no need to spell everything out—everyone already understood. The more profitable the Ghost King Cave became, the more motivated Lian Sheng’s team would be, and the more money would flow into the village coffers. There was nothing wrong with that.

Tang Long cared about two things only: protecting the cave from damage and ensuring no accidents befell the tourists. As for everything else, he encouraged his men to use their initiative and make as much profit as possible—he wouldn’t hold them back.

Many people now looked at Lian Sheng differently. He commanded a team of over a hundred, and just his share from the cave’s ticket sales each day amounted to several tens of thousands. He and his people were now the wealthiest in Yutou Village.

“Apart from the cave, we’ve discovered quite a few other issues today,” Zhang Xiu'e spoke up.

Tang Long nodded cheerfully. Problems were to be expected; the absence of them would have been surprising. For Yutou Village, the pace and scale of change had been overwhelming. Some people were still dazed, understandably unable to keep up.

One by one, people voiced their concerns—what needed fixing, what was lacking. Everything had to be addressed, step by step.

The meeting at Yutou Village lasted until eleven that night.

“I’m so tired…”

Zhang Xiu'e lay on Tang Long’s lap, gazing up at the stars, reluctant to move.

The whole day had been a whirlwind—dealing with one thing after another. She hadn’t felt it while she was on her feet, but the moment she lay down, exhaustion hit her all at once, as if some hidden switch had been flipped.

Tang Long stroked her hair, his voice laced with concern. “We have so many people running things now. Let them handle more.”

Zhang Xiu'e closed her eyes and murmured, “I know, but when they can’t solve something, they still come to me.”

Her voice trailed off as she lay on his lap, enjoying the night breeze, and soon drifted off to sleep.

Hearing her soft snores, Tang Long gently picked her up and carried her into the tent.

The next day, a large number of construction teams arrived at Yutou Village from the county, all coordinated by the municipal construction bureau.

“The renovation of Yutou Village will take a total of twenty-eight days!”

“The village resort hotel is designed to be five stories, built into the hillside, with a total area of twenty-two thousand square meters. Construction will take six months!”

Zhang Xiu'e found Tang Long, frowning. “We’re short of an accountant! This must be resolved immediately.”

The construction situation was giving her a headache. There were many teams, several projects underway at once, and every time a team leader had a question, big or small, it ended up on her desk.

Zhang Xiu'e was an exceptional university graduate, not a superwoman—some things she could manage, but others were simply beyond her expertise.

The county had arranged all these teams, but without a professional accountant, it was impossible for her to keep the books herself, nor could she expect anyone in the village to help with that.

No one could. It required a professional.

“All right, wait here, I’ll get someone now,” Tang Long reassured her, taking out his phone and calling Gao Peng.

It wouldn’t do to make the call to Yao Handong right in front of Zhang Xiu'e.

Now that Gao Peng was one of Yutou Village’s “partners,” it was only right to call on him for help.

“Boss Tang, whatever you need, just say the word!” Gao Peng answered, his tone playful but respectful. He knew Tang Long wouldn’t call unless something important was up—he’d worked under him for years.

“I need an accounting team stationed here at the village, and a professional lawyer as well. Make it quick—ideally have them here by tomorrow. It’s urgent.”

Tang Long spoke bluntly.

An accounting team? A lawyer?

Gao Peng grinned. “No problem, I’ll find the people right away. Honestly, if you needed my wife, I’d send her over too!”

That seemed to trigger an idea in Tang Long, who suddenly asked with a mischievous smile, “Your wife is in business management, isn’t she?”

Gao Peng was taken aback. “Uh, Boss Tang, you don’t really mean to ask for my wife, do you?”

Tang Long laughed. “You said it yourself—you’d even send your wife if I needed her. Perfect. Have Wang Lu come along with the accountants and the lawyer.”

Then he hung up.

Gao Peng stared at his phone for two seconds, then smacked himself on the head.

“That’s what you get for running your mouth!”

Now he’d “offered up” his girlfriend. And the worst part was, it was his own words that had done him in.

With no other choice, Gao Peng picked up the phone and called his girlfriend, Wang Lu.

“Darling, well… Boss Tang wants you to come to Yutou Village to help out,” he said sheepishly, holding the phone away from his ear.

No one knew exactly how Gao Peng explained this to Wang Lu, nor how long he spent on his knees that night.

But soon enough, the accounting team, the lawyer, and Gao Peng’s girlfriend Wang Lu all arrived.

“Wang Lu, let me introduce you. This is Secretary Zhang Xiu'e, of Yutou Village,” Tang Long said, bringing Wang Lu to meet Zhang Xiu'e.

Wang Lu was dressed in the style of a wealthy elite, sharp and capable, but without a hint of arrogance.

“Hello, I’m Wang Lu, Gao Peng’s girlfriend,” she said, offering her hand with a smile.

“Hello,” Zhang Xiu'e replied, then turned to Tang Long with a puzzled expression, not sure what he was getting at.

Tang Long winked and grinned. “Gao Peng is a good friend of mine. His girlfriend here is a senior executive at a nationally listed company—she’s skilled at management and communication. I’m ‘borrowing’ her as your assistant for now. She can help with the construction teams, fund allocation, project inspection—anything you’re unclear about, just ask her.”

Zhang Xiu'e was speechless.

Wang Lu already knew what her role would be. She wouldn’t dare cross Boss Tang, and after a conversation with Yao Handong the previous night—what was said, no one knew—she was more than willing to come to Yutou Village.

She’d taken a three-month leave from her company and would be staying here for at least that long.

“Xiu’e, if there’s anything you need, just tell me. Don’t hesitate!” Wang Lu said sweetly.

Sister?

Zhang Xiu’e shot Tang Long a glare. She was only twenty-three, while this woman was at least in her late twenties, yet she called her “sister”?

“I don’t really know what you can do, so let me go over my current tasks. Everything I can’t handle is yours,” Zhang Xiu'e said with a wry smile.

Since Tang Long had found her outside help, she had no reason to be polite. The management in Yutou Village was in chaos.

Multiple projects were underway at once, and there was also the constant influx of visitors.

Today marked only the third day since “Miss Xiaoyue” had become famous, yet thousands of outsiders had already flooded in.

She never imagined the power of an Internet celebrity, but now, seeing the living example of “Miss Xiaoyue,” she finally understood.

It was possible that even all the tents prepared tonight wouldn’t be enough. And even if they were, there might not be enough space near the ditches and hollows to set them up!