At two thirty in the afternoon, Zhang Yang and his group successfully arrived at the destination for this car grand prix.
The Dragon and Phoenix Manor fishing base on the outskirts of Fengcheng City.
I must say, this fishing base is quite large in scale, and it's beautifully maintained. The road surfaces are well-paved, and there are plenty of ornamental plants on both sides. At first glance, it looks more like a botanic garden built on a mountain.
Old Zhao, who was driving a full-size van, just had to show the race registration receipt at the entrance, and the gatekeeper let them through without any problems.
Following behind, Zhang Yang didn't hurry forward. Instead, he pulled up the handbrake and got out of the car, magically pulling a pack of Huazi cigarettes from his pocket.
"Hello there, boss! We're here to fish!"
Zhang Yang smiled as he greeted the gatekeeper in a humble and polite manner while deftly handing him a cigarette.
Since the morning, participants of the car grand prix have been coming to check out the venue. The gatekeepers have already encountered several groups. The requirement from the bosses was simple: just show the registration receipt and you can enter. It wasn't too strict.
However, Zhang Yang was the first to properly get out of the car to greet the gatekeeper and offer cigarettes right away, so the gatekeeper, who was in his fifties, had a pretty good first impression of him.
"The requirement is, as long as you show the registration receipt, you can enter! Several groups have already gone in today!" The gatekeeper said, lighting the cigarette he took from Zhang Yang.
"Oh, quite a few have come already? Looks like some folks arrived even earlier than us! By the way, could I ask you a few questions if it's convenient for you?" Zhang Yang nodded and continued his inquiry.
"Young man, what do you want to know? Speak up!"
The gatekeeper didn't treat him as a stranger; one cigarette and extra politeness definitely worked their magic.
"The fish we're using for this car race, were they brought in later on? Do you know the details? We're from W City, and we don't have many friends in Fengcheng City, so it's tough to get any inside info! If you know anything, could you share it with us?"
The gatekeeper began to talk at length: "That, huh? You're asking the right person! A total of three modified aquatic transport vehicles came, and it's said they poured about ten thousand pounds of fish together! Mostly big carp, and maybe some bigheads too!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang frowned slightly. The information obtained differed significantly from the fish details published in the registration announcement!
"Only ten thousand pounds of fish released? Didn't the announcement say the reservoir had fifty thousand pounds of fish? Could it be that the reservoir had a large existing stock?"
Upon hearing Zhang Yang's doubts, the gatekeeper shook his head with a smile and whispered to him: "There's no way there are that many fish. Those guys drafting the guidelines are just bragging!
The reservoir being used for this competition was previously outsourced, and the contract expired last winter. The former contractor hired a professional winter fishing team and caught almost all the big fish in the reservoir!
The reservoir, at most, has only some hard-to-catch big crucian carp left! The nets used for professional winter fishing have large openings, so those crucian carp about a pound couldn't be caught, and not many larger fish are left!
I heard from rumors that this car grand prix was the brainchild of a leader parachuted in from the city bureau.
The idea is supposedly to invigorate interest in cultural and sports projects in the city and greatly boost tourism, but let me tell you, it's purely a godforsaken vanity project!"
After listening to the gatekeeper's words, Zhang Yang immediately understood the situation.
He had heard of similar things in his previous life, just projects made up by leaders to boost their supposed performance for show.
The county official isn't as good as the one managing in person; the top leader made a statement, and the departments below could only plow through with grim determination. With sponsorship from enterprises and organizational support from the fishing association, this race came to be.
As for issues like funding, how much can actually be delivered remains an unknown. Under such circumstances, it'd be a miracle to honestly stock fish.
"Thank you! Thank you so much! Your information saves me a lot of trouble! Don't feel embarrassed, take this pack of cigarettes, and if I really win the car, I'll treat you to a feast!"
Zhang Yang greatly valued the information he got from the gatekeeper and directly handed over an unopened pack of Huazi as he expressed his gratitude repeatedly.
The gatekeeper also didn't hold back, taking the cigarettes naturally and continued to whisper mysteriously: "For someone so young, you act more righteously than those old guys!
I won't take your cigarettes for nothing. I'm on the afternoon shift tomorrow, so swing by in the evening, and I'll give you something!"
"Sure! I'll definitely come by tomorrow!" Zhang Yang didn't even ask what he'd receive and agreed without hesitation!
"Go ahead now, your friend's waiting for you up ahead! Standing at the entrance too long might get you noticed by the bosses, which isn't good!"
"Alright, see you later, mister!"
Zhang Yang waved, turned around, and got on the van.
"Boss, what took you so long chatting with a gatekeeper? Giving away a whole pack of Huazi? If you don't like smoking, give it to me! I'm not picky!"
As soon as he got in the car, Wang Yan, who had been sitting in the front seat without getting off, couldn't help but grumble.
Zhang Yang curled his lips, releasing the handbrake while stepping on the gas and engaging the gear, then retorted in a slightly annoyed tone: "What do you know! That pack of Huazi was well-given; it brought a surprising return!"
"Surprising return? What kind of surprise?" Wang Yan's interest perked up.
Zhang Yang: "Tell me, for a manor-themed scenic spot with only one entrance, wouldn't the gatekeepers be aware of everything happening inside recently?